Violent video games have ‘no place at the Olympics’, but e-sports are still in the running
Players of soccer, basketball simulations must show they are following standardised rules, IOC president says
The Olympic Games wants to attract a younger audience but would embrace e-sports only on the grounds that they did not feature violence, its top official said.
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, said in an exclusive interview that the Games had welcomed several new sports that are popular with millennials, but on e-sports, despite their stellar rise, it would have to proceed with caution.
“We want to promote non-discrimination, non-violence, and peace among people. This doesn’t match with video games, which are about violence, explosions and killing. And there we have to draw a clear line,” he said.
E-sports that mirror those played in real life – like soccer or basketball – could be considered for the Olympics, but those that involve gratuitous violence and bloodshed went against “Olympic values”, Bach said.
“So if ever somebody is competing at playing football virtually or playing other sports virtually, this is of high interest. We hope that, then, these players are really delivering sports performance. If [fans] at the end would even play the sports in the real world, we would even be more happy,” he said.