The Olympic leap of Esports: An exclusive look at the exhibition that seeks to define the global phenomenon
Qatar hosts a high-level exhibition that explores the history, culture, and integration of competitive video games into traditional sports.
The line separating video games from high-level competition has officially become blurred. The world of esports, once a niche activity, has become a global giant with undeniable economic and cultural repercussions. To understand the magnitude of this change, Qatar Museums has presented a traveling exhibition that seeks to educate and demystify the phenomenon, initially conceived for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The exhibition, guided by a narrative approach based on broadcasting technology rather than objects, is supported by a series of 40 short videos that explain the keys to this ecosystem. We had the opportunity to learn about it from Dr. Christian Wacker, a renowned museologist, curator, Olympic historian, and cultural manager. The main objective is clarity, using concise one-minute videos so that visitors, especially parents, can understand what their children do “all night” and how gaming has evolved beyond casual entertainment.
How does the digital elite connect with Olympism?
One of the initial sections of the exhibition directly addresses the central question: What are esports? The answer is crucial, especially given the growing interest of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This body already organized Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in 2023, in a clear move to integrate digital competition into its structure.
This approach is no coincidence. The market is experiencing a colossal movement of capital, as demonstrated by Saudi Arabia’s acquisition of the Electronic Sport League (ESL). This investment and the cooperation between the ESL, Saudi Arabia, and the IOC show that the future of esports is closely linked to the highest echelons of sport and international politics, a topic that the exhibition does not shy away from discussing.
From Pinball to Millions
The exhibition surprises visitors by tracing the origins of e-sports back to a much older technology: pinball. This game of skill is considered the starting point due to its fundamental requirement: direct competition with clear rules and a scoring system.
Today, competition has led the protagonists of this sector to achieve economic levels comparable to, and in some cases higher than, those of the most renowned athletes. The curator of the exhibition points out that some elite esports players are earning more than figures such as Cristiano Ronaldo. This economic success is accompanied by a culture of its own, marked by digital identity, where even the use of tags or nicknames becomes so important to the player that they may react only to their online name rather than their real one, a manifestation of how the metaverse is entering everyday life.
The power of inclusion and character building
A notable and beneficial aspect of esports is its inclusive nature. Unlike traditional sports, digital competition breaks down barriers of gender and nationality. Teams are composed of an international mix of talent, promoting diversity and teamwork.
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The exhibition concludes by focusing on the educational role, explaining how it offers direct benefits to society. For example, in the United States, 60% of universities already offer college esports programs. These programs focus not only on training players, but also on developing crucial life skills. Team play encourages strategy, cooperation, and character, serving as an excellent vehicle for integrating valuable lessons into the education system. The ultimate goal of the exhibition is clear: to use esports as a method to bridge the generation gap, helping people understand each other better through a shared passion for technology and competition.
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