This thread looks at the concept of "sports" (and starcraft is just a convenient example).

A sport, by definition, is some sort of physical activity that requires some sort of skill and is usually of a competitive nature. Examples of sports include football, hockey, wrestling, badminton, tennis, gymnastics, and starcraft.

Is starcraft a sport? Many people disagree and say that "it's just a video game", but let's look at it from a definitive point of view.

-Like tennis, you can play 1v1 or 2v2.
-Like all (or most) sports, it is competitive
-It requires a significant amount of concentration and finger-power, especially for macro and micro (which is, indeed, a skill).
-The amount of time a game lasts varies, similar to a game of ping pong that can last maybe 10 minutes to a full 2-hour length game of some sport.
-It's definitely a physical activity. People have developed finger cramps from excessive amounts of starcraft.

Now if this definition of "sport" is inaccurate, do provide your own.

I lost 10 pounds by playing starcraft.

It's just hardcore

aww i miss my starcraft days..
when does starcraft 2 come out ? lol

DId you know there's actually a starcraft course in a college somewhere,
Here's the link:
STARCRAFT COURSE NEWS THINGYMABOB

lol, starcraft is a philosophy as well.

hahah, my brother always says its a sport.

Overseas it's considered a sport, along with many other games in North America. E-Sports is gaining huge ground and has been for some time, ever since people got together in hotel banquet halls maybe a decade ago, bringing their own computers for one massive LAN party to play older games like Quake.

Money involved isn't that bad either, same with the celebrity status I've seen...

oh my....you people.......please breath....sports are usually healthy for you and your body star wars/craft whatchamacallit im pretty sure is not healthy in any way lol >.<"

Sports requires your entire body and mentality. Starcraft require some parts of your body and mentality.

starcraft is definitely a sport.
dont say it isn't until you have 400+ apm and can macro and micro while constantly trying to read and outplay your opponent.

Chess is a sport.
I bet they will make an anime about Chess soon.
And how some dude can magically move the chess pieces.
Or maybe use a -dragon move- or some sort.



wow my English exam is a sport
4 Essays and 1 comprehension in 3 hour??

- You can't play 1v1 or 2v2, but you're playing 1 vs 300 people!!!!!!! That's just unfair!
- Very competitive. 1 v 300 is extreme.
- it also requires very very intelligent brain and concentration, and the ability to write very very fast.
- Like soccer and basketball, there's a time limit.
- Definitely, a very very physical sport for your finger. Just try write a 4x >1000 word essay.
- MUST MUST MUST have the skill to hold your piss, because it is NEAR impossible to finish 5 papers in 3 hours.
If you decide to just piss your pants, it's all good. In fact that is one of the strategy in this sport.
-MUST have the skill to fight the pain of your finger!!!!!!!

Wow I can't believe my English exam was a sport too


you never see a gamer who lose and become angry and attempts to hit everything near him?
I think that is mental
Lose = mentally affected = using physical strength to release anger.

Would you consider the paralympic events to be sports then?
After all, consider wheelchair basketball: they're probably not using their legs as much as non-wheelchair basketball.

No, it's not. I think the closest video games have gone to being a sport is those Wii bowling teams that Seniors start. And that to me isn't a sport either. But still, it's closer than Starcraft. Not enough physical activity.

Wait, wait, the closest is DDR.

All wii sports can be considered sports if you play it with enthusiasm.

Starcraft can be considered a great sport for the brain.
Most of the brain exercises occurs with the fingers so if you put a lot of thinking and effort, I think it's eventually pretty good for you.

But physically...I think it's a bit different if you're just sitting there.
It may be exercise for the brain and the arms but not for the lower parts of the body.
But paralympics is a different issue I think. They do move their body while on their wheelchairs while doing a sport.
That's considered exercise imo.

rofls. well if it's a sport, then it sure as hell isn't getting you laid by any varsity chicks.

If you're not gaining six packs and muscles on your fingers or wherever then.. no I don't find it classified as sport.

My brother who is in college at the moment almost failed his two main courses because of that game.
Aha.

To me a sport is when one's skills is challenged by another person's skill.

Chess is a sport

Dominoes is a sport

Martial Arts competitions is a sport (even though MA it was made for art of war and one's discipline/spirituality)

any type of musical/dance challenge is a sport.



Fantasy football????? .......................

this isn't gonna do much other then spawn endless analogies defending and attacking one's idea of a sport
happens on youtube comment pages all the time -.-

but yeah i like sc

and something is a sport only if the majority agrees that it is

how is it a sport if it doesnt involve "physical activity", and finger cramps does not count as an injury...is picking boogers a sports because i sure as hell can develop a game where we see who can dig the most "gold" out of the mine and go 1v1 and i pretty sure i will A) develop a nose bleed Get a cramp from digging so hard

so in short it is not a sport.

end of story

What about the term "e-sports"?

Just because there is "competition" does not make it a "Sport."
Are political elections a sport?
Are Mock Trials a sport?
Is my afternoon commute home a sport?
Is cooking a sport?
Is paper football a sport?
Is trading on the market floor a sport?

Please.
This is nerdy euphamism.
Starcraft is not a sport.
Get over it.