Criticism of Esports Raises Its Ugly Head Again

It’s no secret that video games are not really taken seriously by the mainstream media. The stigma that comes with the title “video game” is a hard one to shake and despite all the advances made in the world of esports for some people the fact that people are paid to play, or worse, pay to watch others play, is just too foreign a concept. It seems that every few months this issue seems to crop up, with someone who represents what would be referred to as “the mainstream media” coming out and saying something disparaging, kicking off another round of debates on whether esports should be taken seriously, and whether the players are worth calling “athletes”.

The most recent of these to pop up was a tweet by Keith Olbermann, in which he attacked The Players’ Tribune, a media platform designed to allow professional athletes to write pieces and communicate with fans directly rather than through traditional interviews, for publishing a piece by Team Liquid’s AD Carry Doublelift on his reaction to being cut from TSM and the methods in which he was informed.

Three years in. That’s awfully early to have jumped the shark by publishing pieces by snotty rando kids playing children’s games, @PlayersTribune https://t.co/Dxp4cFgxjw

— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) January 9, 2018

This tweet was obviously inflammatory in its nature, but what was most surprising was the reaction that it received from the wider esports community. It’s not rare to see fans responding to statements of this nature, either with explanations of why they might be wrong, or with outright hostility of their own, but it’s uncommon to see responses from people such as Team Liquid owner Steve Arhancet and Cloud9 CEO Jack Etienne, or even Riot Games Co-Founder Marc Merrill.

Come join me for a game sometime to get more familiar with the space. Until you see how passionate the players and fans are you can't make an informed judgement.

— Jack Etienne (@JackEtienne) January 9, 2018

Maybe we should be more like MLB and have our average TV viewer be 58 years old! Now that would be something! pic.twitter.com/gQjwBUNrv4

— Tryndamere (@MarcMerrill) January 10, 2018

Ultimately, it’s unlikely that this will really change the opinion of anyone, for people who are set in their ways, video games and the culture surrounding them are as foreign as another language, and for those who are fans of esports this is unlikely to sway them to the belief that this is all a waste of time. What can be done is for the creators and managers of the various leagues to continue to grow their businesses as best they can. The amount of time, effort, and money that go into, and out of, these events is ever increasing, and we can only hope that as time goes on, attitudes will change.

For more information about the North American League of Legends Championship Series, why not take a look at our week 2 recap, or perhaps check out our players to watch in week 3.