37 “Gaming is no longer anything to be embarrassed about.” People have drawn other parallels between video gamingandtraditionalsports.Learninggameplaywell enough to be competitive takes time, commitment and physical ability. There’s a certain amount of natural skill that goes into gaming – you need dexterity to use the controls effectively. Vision issues may prevent some from seeing the game well enough. People have experienced motion sickness because of the on-screen realism and simulated movement. There are dozens of tournaments across the world for a host of games that players can compete in. Some tournaments are televised, offering legitimacy to competitive video gaming. Because video gaming is a booming industry, the prizes for these tournaments can be high, giving championship eSports players the ability to be full-time players, like professional athletes and poker players. Professional eSports players have pushed for further recognition of their craft, arguing that video gaming should be respected like any other sport. There is even talk of adding eSport competitions to the summer Olympics, to be held in Japan in 2020. It may make sense to acknowledge all sports, no matter how unconventional they may be. Players may not get Olympic medals yet, but they have amazing places to play. A major eSports Arena has popped up in Las Vegas. The eSports Arena website describes the new facility, which opened in March 2018 at the Luxor Hotel & Casino: “The 30,000-square-foot, multilevel arena is designed to host every form of competitive gaming, from daily play to high-stakes eSports tournaments, and features a competition stage, 50- foot LED video wall, telescopic seating, PC and console gaming stations, and a network TV-quality production studio. Accompanying elements like virtual reality platforms, retro gaming consoles and a comprehensive menu set the arena apart as an unrivaled eSports entertainment experience for both casual and professional gamers, or even non-gamers who want an insider’s look at what’s quickly becoming one of the world’s most popular spectator sports.” Video games have been around for decades and have always been a fun pastime for people looking to relax and unwind. Now, those who are good at video gaming can turn their hobby into a lucrative profession. And with around a half billion spectators of eSports worldwide, no wonder the slogan for popular game producer EA Sports reminds us, “It’s in the game!” 59