{"id":1855,"date":"2018-09-04T20:46:57","date_gmt":"2018-09-04T20:46:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/esports-too-violent-to-be-included-in-olympics\/"},"modified":"2018-09-04T20:46:57","modified_gmt":"2018-09-04T20:46:57","slug":"esports-too-violent-to-be-included-in-olympics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/esports-too-violent-to-be-included-in-olympics\/","title":{"rendered":"Esports ‘too violent’ to be included in Olympics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"AImage copyright<\/span>
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\n A gamer plays ‘PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds’ while competing at an esports tournament
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The President of the International Olympic Committee says esports are too violent to be part of the Olympics.<\/p>\n

Thomas Bach said the “so-called killer games” which promote violence or discrimination cannot be accepted into the Games.<\/p>\n

“If you have egames where it’s about killing somebody, this cannot be brought into line with our Olympic values,” he said at the Asian Games.<\/p>\n

By 2020, it’s predicted esports will generate \u00a31bn in global revenue.<\/p>\n

For the first time, esports is being included as a demonstration event at the Asian Games – which is a traditional sporting championship.<\/p>\n

During the Games, organisers expressed sympathy for victims of the deadly shooting at a video games tournament in Florida<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Two professional video gamers were shot by a rival player. Both victims were well-known players of the Madden NFL American football game.<\/p>\n

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\n GLHF Game Bar<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n The shooting incident was reported at an esports tournament in a restaurant
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Esports is no longer considered niche – with a global audience of around 320 million people. And of course, the debate on what actually constitutes a sport goes round and round.<\/p>\n

But it is being taken seriously.<\/p>\n

Back in July, the IOC held an esports forum to discuss whether it could be represented at the Olympics.<\/p>\n

But for Mr Bach, who won an Olympic gold medal in fencing, esports need to be less violent before being included.<\/p>\n

“Of course every combat sport has its origins in a real fight among people. But sport is the civilized expression about this,” he said.<\/p>\n

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Image copyright<\/span>
\n Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n China is the world’s largest gaming market
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Zhang Dazhong promotes esports but agrees violence is the hurdle in achieving Olympic status.<\/p>\n

“It has to fit the spirit and the value of the Olympics. The content should not be violent,” he said during the Asian Games.<\/p>\n

“Blood in video games is the problem. The line to violence can be blurry but when it comes to blood it’s easy to define.”<\/p>\n

Follow Newsbeat on <\/i>Instagram<\/a>, <\/i>Facebook<\/a> and <\/i>Twitter<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Listen to Newsbeat <\/i>live<\/a> at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra – if you miss us you can listen back <\/i>here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n