Now, the word athlete is reserved exclusively for a person who is physically exerting himself in sports. However, chess is a recognized sport. Some video games are also very demanding intellectually, and well, you also sit, just as you do in chess. Thus it makes it a pretty reasonable conclusion that E-sports, are also sports, just of a different category.
Would you argue that a race car driver is not an athlete? That would be a very weak argument. It is one of the most demanding sports out there, with the races themselves lasting for anywhere from an hour to a grueling full day(that’s 24 hours right there, sport). The drivers are some of the fittest folks on Earth, and they have to have very good endurance and resilience in terms of competing.
When driving at such a high speed, not only do they have to precisely alert at any moment, each time they drive their bodies have to overcome a force equivalent to that of a third of gravitation. If that sounds as if their bodies are constantly jumping during the race, it’s because they are. And they have to resist that and stay in control. Sounds easy?
Do You Want To Be Elite Or Casual?
Listen, at high levels, gaming can be arguably almost equally demanding as any other sport out there. Why? Because it requires the ultimate amount of attention, concentration, and skill. In a long car race, a driver can sweat almost two kilos of water. Can you imagine that? That would probably apply to a sweaty online tournament as well. At least from anecdote, I can tell that people do sweat when they play hard. I do. Are you really trying hard enough if you are not sweating, screaming, and breaking a keyboard? Not sure.
Elite level in any video game requires you absolute commitment. Why? Because the “kids” who play any competitive e-sport, play it as if it’s their life. They have the highest level of reflexes, coordination, and drive because of their age. Can you compete with that? Are you ready to put in thousands of hours of your time into sitting in front of your computer, and perfecting the skill of playing, strategizing, and improving your game? Honestly, the answer is no for most. That’s why most gamers, are casual gamers. And that’s okay.
That doesn’t mean that you can’t participate in tournaments or challenge yourself enough. You just aren’t going to be the 1%. Who cares if that’s not your goal? You can get very good at any game, with enough practice and determination. There is a principle called the Pareto Distribution, that applies pretty much to anything in life, gaming included. It states that 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort. Sounds too good to be true? It has been proven a multitude of times through scientific research, so that may convince you. Or not.
What Kind Of Game Are You Looking For?
Different nations prefer vastly various video games. Much of Asia, including one of the most competitive countries in the world such as China, the Philippines, Pakistan, and India, are almost exclusively focused on the highest paying most popular games. Western countries are less extreme, often focusing on what’s new and shiny.
Americans actually match a lot of what Japan prefers. It’s a mix of slightly aging classics, with a twinkle of the most recent coolest titles you can grab. Want to know what they are both playing? According to a local article on a gaming website japanesport.com the four most played games are quite obvious. Check it out if you are curious, it’s an easy translation with a few clicks in your browser. Did you know that you could do that? Me neither.
But hey, you don’t have to play what everybody else is playing. Any major game has leagues and competitions for you to feel sporty in. Just make sure you actually choose a game SOMEONE is playing, and if you are in Australia, sorry bud. Nobody is playing in Australia. It’s just so far away from everywhere, you can only play with Aussies. That’s okay, that means you don’t get to do any hard work. Just be better than the guy in the house near you.
Final Say
Look, if you are feeling brave and mighty, and overly confident about your abilities, you have our permission to shoot for the moon and try to become the next gaming enthusiast/millionaire. However, please, only do that if you absolutely enjoy the activity. Chances of success are so slim, games are ever-changing, and your chances of rising to the top are probably not what you would put on a billboard. How much money you can make? It depends.
