I would have to disagree with his insistence that pro gaming is no fun to watch. I have watched a couple matches on HL TV and even being so far removed from it all, the excitement of the game bleeds through. That may have something to do with already being exposed to how exciting a match of Counter-Strike can get, but there is something very visceral about watching the best take on the best.

Finally, his number one reason is by far the worst reasoning in the entire list. Games are fun? Well, yeah. Playing Football and Baseball and Basketball are also pretty damn "fun. Entertaining. Enjoyable." That in no way detracts from them being sports as well. We can enjoy games on a small level as personal entertainment, as well as one wider levels as exciting new forms of competition.

The biggest problem with Bowen's list, however, is that it doesn't really address the more interesting question. "Is E-Sports really sports" isn't all that interesting. "What will it take to make E-Sports a viable sporting event?" That's considerably more intriguing.

From: asspennies [mailto:asspennies@counter-strike.net]
Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 4:30 PM
To: rizzuh [mailto:rze@counter-strike.net]
Subject: Clan-tastic

Honestly, it's because I just don't have the commitment to play enough. I think that being in a clan takes, in a sense, a special breed—you have to be really devoted to your craft, and have the want and need to practice to get better.

As I write this, I have just played a round of Counter-Strike for the first time in at least a week. It's not that I don't like the game—I love it. It's just that I don't have the passion for it some do. Other things, and indeed, other games, just tend to get in the way.

As you point out, both competitive players and casual players play the game because it's fun. The fact that this is analogous to many other sports should not be lost on observers. I love to play baseball, for instance, and love to watch professional baseball. But I would never consider myself up to their standards. It would take many years of training and practice before I could come close.

Right now, being one of the best of the best in professional gaming takes, if not years, then at least many months of concentrated practice and training. It's just not something I'm really interested in.

What about clans, though? Aren't clans, in a way, like a local softball league? They're not all destined for high competition, but it's a way to play the game. However, the analogy doesn't quite work. If I want to play a game of softball or baseball, about the only way to get it happening is through a local league. You're not going to bring 18 people together at any time just to play a little shortstop and hit a few behind the fence. With Counter-Strike, however, you can play anytime you like, without having to arrange a thing.

Because of this, I think you only need to join a clan if you crave the competition in Counter-Strike to the point where you feel like putting your skills up against someone else's. It's not a matter of convenience, it's a matter of pride. I guess my pride comes from other places.

So rizzuh, with all the other clans out there, why did you feel a need to start your own? Why do you think new clans are always forming? Will there ever be the concept of a stable league of teams instead of clans, with the same kind of turnover we see in other professional sports?

From: asspennies [mailto:asspennies@counter-strike.net]
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2003 1:30 PM
To: rizzuh [mailto:rze@counter-strike.net]
Subject: Competitive Nature

To clarify an earlier point, I'm not saying that clans don't take organizing. Just that picking up and playing a round or two of CS does not take the kind of organization that something like a softball or football pickup game would take, which makes it much easier to go without being in a clan if you just want to play some CS.

Is the enjoyment you get from clan activities really that hard to describe? We're not talking about TiVo here. Like you said, you enjoy the competition. We all like competition. That's just human nature. It's just how we choose to direct that sense of competition. A little friendly competition helps us keep on top of things and keeps us going.

I think this jumps back to Kevin's final point in his article. Games are fun. His supposition is that games should only be interpreted one way, that the only way you can have fun with them is if you're not trying to be competitive with them. You're saying the opposite, that measured competition is the only way to truly appreciate them. It's hardly jumping out on a limb for me to say that it's really all a matter of personal preference, but I definitely think that there's a difference between competition for the sake of competition, and competition for the sake of a goal.

Some people feel better directed if that competition is put toward a goal, be it a cash prize or just having your name at the top of a list. I think that those who enjoy the clan atmosphere fit that bill. Others, like myself, enjoy a little friendly pick-up game of CS but simply don't feel the need to compete toward a goal. At least, not in Counter-Strike.

I should also point out that taking part in a clan—a real, honest to goodness clan—takes a lot of effort. You can't just join up and then leave for a week if you want to play Zelda. You can't go out with your friends every time there's a clan match or a scrim. You can't decide to leave the game for a month and then come back again, renewed. You really have to be committed. And for many people, even getting the most out of Counter-Strike is not worth that sort of commitment.

Finally, I'd like to address the Vanilla Coke thing. What's the deal? I like a Cherry Pepsi as much as the next guy, but Vanilla Coke always tasted like coke spiked with bile. Maybe the exciting nausea gets you all energized.

Hey, look, anyone can play football and think they're hot and stellar, but you really don't know what you're talking about until you're in an organized league and aren't just tackling your retarded nephews. I don't think you love football more one way or another, but by appreciate I meant to say that there is no way you can experience what Counter-Strike is about, teamplay and skill, fully unless you're part of some sort of competitive team. So, yes, you can have fun making your mentally handicapped nephews urinate blood for the next two weeks, but it's not like that is real football. In the same sense, I don't think it can be said that running around on a public server calling everyone a homosexual and spamming HE grenades is a "real" CS experience.

That's how I get the most fun out of CS, but some people are fine and dandy with the normal public gaming experience. But if you're going to criticize competitive gaming and those who participate it, you have the obligation to experience it yourself at least once. If you're too lazy, then don't run around giving your crazy feedback as if people will just throw up their hands going, "Oh man! He's right, I am a lame idiot who doesn't play for fun!" Kevin's article did just that, which is why neither of us can really agree with it.

But the real point is that Vanilla Coke is better than normal Coke Cola since normal Coke burns my mouth as if it was Saddam's final torture device.