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posted by on Wednesday April 19 2017, @09:25AM   Printer-friendly
from the it-worked-for-judo-and-beach-volleyball dept.

Alibaba is venturing out of e-commerce and further into esports.

The company's sports subsidiary, Alisports, has joined with the Olympic Council of Asia to bring esports to the Asian Games.

Esports will appear at next year's Games in Indonesia as a "demonstration," Alibaba said, but will be an official medal sport in China's 2022 Games. The Asian Games are recognised by the International Olympic Committee, meaning in 2022 esports will be an official Olympic sport.

Esports is a growing market that is expected to garner 191 million global enthusiasts by the year's end, according to research firm Newzoo. As of last April, the industry was worth over $450 million -- a number expected to grow to $1 billion by 2019.

That growth is manifesting in many ways. Not only is esports now technically an Olympic sport, the NBA will soon be creating its own esports league, and there are gaming schools to groom the next generation of pros.

Can't decide--is this exciting, or sad?


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  • (Score: 2) by MostCynical on Wednesday April 19 2017, @11:44AM (2 children)

    by MostCynical (2589) on Wednesday April 19 2017, @11:44AM (#496248) Journal

    new definition for Olympic Sport: if you sweat while participating, it is a sport.
    sweat while taking a dump? Sport
    sweat playing computer games? Sport
    sweat cleaning the gutters? Sport
    sex? Sport
    ...on your own? Sport

    scoring some of these won't be any worse than scoring the dancing horses, or the diving, or the somehow-not-drowning synchronized girls.

    and some would be more fun to watch than current Olympic "Sports"

    --
    "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
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  • (Score: 2) by IndigoFreak on Wednesday April 19 2017, @01:05PM (1 child)

    by IndigoFreak (3415) on Wednesday April 19 2017, @01:05PM (#496272)

    You jest, but I would watch Olympic pooping. Just think of the strategy that would be involved! When do you eat? What do you eat? The amounts? And so many things to judge on, size, color, smell...