Many people worldwide, from children to adults, enjoy competitive video gaming or esports. With the holding of international competitions and tournaments with high prize money, esports are also rising in popularity as a form of entertainment. At the same time, esports increasingly interact with conventional sports, such as when they were selected as an official event for the Asian Games. Those who aim to become professional players work diligently towards their aim just like players of regular sports; progressing through matches that are indispensable for their training. This includes high school students who do esports as extracurricular activities and have their sights set on national tournaments.
We asked sports history researcher Associate Professor AKIMOTO Shinobu (Graduate School of Human Development and Environment) about the relationship between esports and conventional sports, as well as their impact on sports culture.
The ever-changing concept of sports
Are esports being equated to regular sports? How do you consider this from a researcher’s perspective?
Associate Professor Akimoto:
This is a point of debate and there are people who think ‘That’s not a sport’. However, by looking at history, we can see that what is considered a sport changes depending on the era. Over time, activities were added to or removed from the definition of sports and the cycle continues to this day.
Esports contains the word ‘sports’ so it should carry with it the notion that some kind of sports-like activity is involved. People who think esports are not sports may change their minds but this is connected to whether or not esports players and umbrella organizations can communicate the value of esports.
What kind of changes has the concept of sports undergone?
Prof. Akimoto:
Systems for athletic sports such as soccer and rugby were established in mid-19th century England, with organized activities, management and unified rules. Before this, sports referred to a much broader range of activities, principally people’s pastimes. For the elite, this definition of sport included hunting, animal fights such as cockfighting and bear baiting (betting on a dog being used to provoke a bear), as well as drinking and merrymaking associated with festivals. The original meaning of sports is considered to be recreation and activities that raise people’s spirits. These activities are connected to the ruling class of the period; horseracing and hunting were central to sports.
Attitudes are constantly changing and what is seen as proper in one period may fall out of favor in the next, for example, animal fights have been banned in many places and are considered cruel. This does not only happen to sports, rather sports change to match the values of the era. Since the 19th century in England, athletic activites and activities that require serious effort have become central to our definition of sports.
A vital part of peoples’ culture
How did people originally perceive sports?
Prof. Akimoto:
It is thought that competitive physical activities existed prior to the oldest surviving records of the Ancient Olympics. In archaeology, cave paintings dating from before the establishment of ancient civilizations depict sports-like scenes. For example, paintings survive in Northern Europe that show people chasing something while riding long thin boards; this activity is thought to resemble skiing. The results of cultural anthropology research surveys on the history and folktales of peoples without a written language have shown that sports-like activities were conducted. In addition, it seems that Native Americans played a similar game to modern-day lacrosse.
There are very few times in history when people didn’t do some kind of sports-like activity, except when rest was required for religious reasons. Sports are an important part of culture that makes humans human. Sports have existed throughout eras and regions; therefore, they can be considered an indispensable part of peoples’ culture.
As a sports historian, why did you decide to focus on esports?
Prof. Akimoto:
I was researching the state of new sports that emerged in 19th century England. The 19th century formation of organized athletic sports resembles the current rise of esports, so I think we are witnessing an era of significant change. The only way I can connect with people who started playing new sports in the 19th century is through historical records, however I can talk directly to the people who are part of today’s esports movement. In the midst of this time of change, I began this research because I would like to discover what kind of future awaits esports through listening to what the people involved have to say.
Esports are now offered as an extracurricular activity in some high schools.
Prof. Akimoto:
I think this is a consequence of smartphones and computers becoming prevalent; people can download and play games for free, even if they don’t have a game console. Most high school students have their own smartphone.
As the number of esports contests for high school students increase, so does support. An example is the provision of high-end gaming computers to high schools that start esports clubs. From the school’s perspective, esports is another way of attracting new students. Setting up an esports club might also provide publicity.
I think esports clubs can have positive effects such as encouraging young people who don’t want to go school to attend and make friends. Esports also encourage communication between diverse people regardless of age, gender or nationality so I think it would be a waste if esports were just school club activities.
Expectations for the integration of traditional sports and esports
Esports are gaining more popularity abroad than in Japan and are starting to develop as a business in the same way as regular sports.
Prof. Akimoto:
Before game consoles became prevalent in China, playing games for fun on computers was a common pastime. In addition, national policy encourages the growth of the esports industry and it has attained widespread popularity. In America, there is an overwhelmingly high number of players and tournaments with large monetary prizes are held.
China and America also have a history of recognizing esports as sports. In China, the government has publicly declared that esports are sports. In America, they have been added to the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) and some universities provide scholarships to esports players. In addition, esports was formally chosen as an official event for the Asian games scheduled to be held in China this year. Due to the pandemic, the games have been postponed until next year.
In Japan on the other hand, esports are not included in the government’s Basic Act on Sports, and neither the Japan Sports Association nor the Japan Olympic Committee (JOC) have an esports team. The Japan Sports Association is considering how to dispatch esports players to the postponed Asian Games and the conclusion that they reach will be the focus of attention next year. Therefore, I think the positioning of esports will change even inside Japan. Irrespective of the attitude of the Olympics and Asian Games towards esports, I think that as they gradually become more widespread globally, Japan will also host international esports competitions and prize money tournaments.
How do you think traditional sports and esports will be related to each other in the future?
Prof. Akimoto:
Conventional sports and esports are starting to be connected in various ways, and I think that there will be many interactions. Looking back through history, we can see that activities that were previously only pastimes and those perceived as uncivilized or vulgar became serious sports in the mid-19th century. In this way, sports change in accordance with the values of the period. These sports spread throughout the world through Olympism and other means. I think that the integration of modern sports with the new movement of esports is highly likely to be a catalyst for change.
There are problems that have been highlighted by modern sports, such as gender inequality and preference towards youth-dominated activities, but perhaps esports could drive change in these areas? Esports easily overcome the prior limitations of conventional sports due to factors such as they are not only for young people, and men and women can participate together. I think that positive change is highly likely to occur if conventional sports look at the world of esports and its different way of doing things.
On the other hand, esports communities are also being influenced by conventional sports. The Japan Esports Union (an esports umbrella organization) has ‘creating new sports’ values’ as its motto. I hope that positive values inherited from conventional sports will be incorporated into esports and that esports’ new values will be disseminated.
The integration of conventional sports and e-sports will surely create new values; in fact, the IOC has begun various endeavors and the Asian Games selected esports as an official event. Also, an esports championship was held alongside the Commonwealth Games this year (a sports event with participants from the 50 plus countries that are members of the Commonwealth of Nations). These efforts such as formal categorization and co-holding of events will be mutually beneficial to traditional sports and esports. I think that this integration will lead to the creation of sports-related values that fit the times.
