Game Stooge

Suddenly Sports - Why Gaming Is Breeding A New Generation Of Sports Fanatics

• Scribbled on April 4th, 2008 by reed
• Filed in Features, Platforms, Sports

Gaming has certainly taken a lot of flack over the past few years. Let’s face it- video games are not always associated with bright and successful people. In fact, the gamers in most television shows and movies look malnourished and grey. But the truth is that gaming has had a profound effect on entertainment. In fact, there has been an interesting offshoot to the gaming phenomenon- a growth in the popularity of sports.

Shaming And Gaming

It’s certainly not easy being a gamer; people automatically seem to think that all gamers are just overgrown adults who are so into video games that they run the risk of dehydrating themselves. Some have even taken it a step further and claimed that violent video games are the cause for the rise in violence, especially among children. This simply isn’t true. Remember, before video games, rock and roll was being blamed for all those bad things!

Maybe some mindsets will never change but gaming itself certainly has. As the internet and the computer have evolved, the art of gaming has also undergone a revolution. Today, the gamer has access to games and controls that weren’t even dreamt of a few years ago. Thanks to the wonders of cyberspace, you can play online with people from all over the world. International gaming tournaments are held regularly with some very big prize purses to be won. In short, the culture of gaming has come of age and part of its appeal is with the sports games.

A Two-Way Street

Sports-related video games have also come under fire because of claims that they encourage people not to take part in real sports. That’s just not true- in fact, the opposite seems to be the reality. And in many ways, it’s a two-way street. To gauge the popularity of a game, all you really need to do head over to the gaming section of any store. The most popular sports will have a wide range of gaming options- in fact; famous players like Tiger Woods have their own special video games.

So what’s the reason behind the spike in sports popularity? To understand that, let’s go back to what video games are really about. They offer a virtual environment for people to play games of skill. Many games offer people the chance to form their own fantasy teams and even pit themselves against some of the best players in the world. In other words, it gives people the extraordinary chance to play pro-football or play FIFA games along with professional athletes and sportsmen.

Having the chance to play a sport in a virtual environment naturally cultivates an interest in the game. Unlike shooter or fantasy games, sports games are rooted in a certain amount of reality. Once the gamer becomes familiar with the game, they automatically find themselves drawn to the real-world game as well. This is why the current generation of sports fans aren’t simply fans of real-world sport- they are also avid players of sports video games as well. It might be surprising for a lot of people but the truth is that gaming has contributed to a rising interest in many sports.

Al is the author and webmaster of a Football Tickets information web site.