Major League Gaming

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The amount of focus that is required with MLG athletes pertains to a much different aspect of the body. With football or hockey, the focus pertains to thinking about what the body is going to do next. As with MLG, focus is more directed at when strategy is going to be used and how a character should be moved in a special way. The amount of focus between non-gamers and gamers can be seen through everyday experiences. As a player enters the “real world”, his senses are heightened enough so that he can be a better multitasker. Some players are even good enough to perform 300 actions per minute (APM), while the average user would have around fifty (BBC). Having a high APM means that the mental focus is high enough so that the user can perform several mouse clicks and keyboard hits simultaneously, completing the task faster. If a team is down, they may start feeling pressured to come back. As more and more pressure is applied the players may start to panic. Panic can lead to the a fogged mind that can hamper the ability to focus at such a high level According to a YouTuber that plays at the elite level, mental focus helps the players “constantly have a positive attitude even under stress and pressure”(interview). As the game spirals out of control, the players focus on what the ultimate object is, to win. Focus isn’t just how hard a player thinks, it also pertains to reaction time.

Reaction time depends on how hard the player focuses. Many times, in game, it determines whether the player lives or dies. If the opponents have a one millisecond faster reaction, that gives them the advantage. Achieving faster reaction times doesn’t just help within the video game, it can help in “real world” scenarios. Such scenarios can include multitasking, driving, reading small print, keeping track of friends in a crowd, and navigating around town. Reaction time helps with the sensitivity of the area around the player, or around the character in the game. This sensitivity can help while driving to give a “sixth-sense” to help know what is around him. According to a study at the University of Rochester, “Video game players develop a heightened sensitivity to what is going on around them “(Rochester.edu). As MLG becomes more prevalent around the world, reaction times of the players become quicker. As a result, the competition is a faster pace and pushes the athletes to stay on or ahead of everyone else. Although there is a difference in the type of reaction time between tennis players MLG athletes, they both use it as an advantage in the sport. In MLG, the players use reaction time to stay ahead of the opponent and counter their moves as quickly as possible. While in tennis, the players are using more of a hand-eye coordination to return a 120 mph serve.

As the world of video gaming draws more attention to itself, it sparks a passion for competition. This competition turns MLG into a sport throughout the world. With multiple countries having multiple teams, the matter of it becoming a sport becomes more prevalent. Although it is still barely recognized, the abilities between a football athlete and a MLG athlete are surprisingly similar. MLG is considered to be played in a competitive scene. It forces the athletes to use their advanced knowledge of the game to out play their opponent.

Interview with DooM49

On Competitive gaming

Q: What kind of mental focus does CS:GO entail?

A: Practicing on your gameplay and ensuring that you are at the top level you can be as your team counts on you. Also, constantly have a positive attitude even under stress and pressure.

Q: would you rank it greater than or less than other sports?

A: E-sports are its own thing. Sports you train physically and prepare as a team, E-sports you prepare mentally and prepare as a team.

Q: How much strategy and teamwork would you say is required to successful?

A: A lot, it can be hours on end watching demos of other opponents, demos of your team/self, practicing new techniques, figuring out new things. All of it takes a lot of time. Unlike sports where things are known, in esports there are always new things discovered and created.

Q: If you can think of anything else that might be interesting to add, feel free to do so.

A: It's very stressful and time consuming to go Pro in gaming. I'd say it would be best to just find a game that you are good at and enjoy a lot and then it comes naturally to you to pursue it. I wouldn't recommend forcing yourself to do it.

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Works Cited

Groves, Roger. "America's Growth Sport Is Not The NFL It's Video Games And Implications Abound." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 25 Sept. 2015. Web. .

"Is Computer Gaming Really a Sport?" BBC IWonder. BBC.co. Web. .

Lejacq, Yannick. "Score! Professional Video Gamers Awarded Athletic Visas." NBC News. National Broadcasting Company, 19 July 2013. Web. .

Ravitz, Jessica. "Varsity Gamers: Making History and Dumbfounding Parents." CNN. Cable News Network, Web. .

Tzu, Sun, and S. B. Griffiths. The Art of War. Oxford U, 1971. Print.

"Video Games Lead to Faster Decisions That Are No Less Accurate." : Rochester News. University of Rochester, 13 Sept. 2011. Web. .