Previously, GamerNode once quipped that one day we may see video games as an Olympic sport. Our statements were made in reference to the growing popularity of professional gaming contests held around the world. Ted Owen, founder of the Global Gaming League, also believes this, as he is strongly lobbying the Chinese government in accepting video games as a demonstration sport in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, according to CNN/Money.
Owens took a pragmatic approach to why video games would be a good idea for the Olympics by stating, "You need to bring younger viewers back if you want to keep making money. To do that, you need to embrace nontraditional sports. Video games deserve to be seen as a nontraditional sport."
Owens has two leaps to make before his vision is made reality. He must first get permission from the Chinese government, and even more importantly, he must gain approval from the International Olympic Committee. The odds are long, but Owens is determined to make a run for it. In the event that Owens is turned down by the IOC, he stated that, “We may not have the [Olympic logo] circles, but we’d do it right by the stadiums and would bask in the glow of the Olympic light."
