The relationship between sports and gaming is something that most people acknowledge, but very few take the time to think about why they are so closely linked.
Sure, things like playing at the best casinos for VIP players may seem a little far removed from going to see your local football club. However, the aforementioned activities may actually share way more similarities than you would first assume.
In this article, we will be taking a deep dive into the relationship between sports and gaming, as well as touching upon a few of the reasons why they both manage to remain extremely popular among fans.
The Psychological Link
One of the most noteworthy links between gaming and sports, but also one that most people tend to forget is that the entertainment from both come from a similar source and achieve a similar goal.
The feeling one gets when their favorite sports team wins despite all odds is similar to that of how a gamer feels when they manage to finally vanquish that once impossible boss that they have been fighting for days.
Both of these situations share a relationship and access the same neural pathways, and the feeling of achievement/excitement is present during both.
Although, nothing we are saying is ground-breaking. Almost all forms of entertainment rely on some factor to provide excitement, and finding the perfect balance between not being too easy and too being too difficult is at the centre of that train of thought.
For example, if you are watching a football game and you can already tell who the winner is going to be within the first five minutes, it’s safe to assume that you will quickly become bored and perhaps even switch the game off.
Similarly, this exact same statement can be said about a good game. If a game is far too easy, it provides no real challenge and the vast majority of people will find it to become stale very quickly. However, take the same game and make it a challenge, and you may just have an amazing experience on your hands.
The fundamental mechanics behind how sports and gaming work are essentially exactly the same, and if you were only to dig a little, you would quickly begin to see that this is the case.
Fun In Its Purest Form
The main draw behind both sports and gaming is the fun that it is able to be had while experiencing them.
Sure, there are definitely other reasons why people love to watch sports and play games. However, if neither of them was fun, it’s not a stretch to say that they would be no way near as popular as they are.
Even minor aspects like keeping up with the latest Odell Beckham news can bring some level of excitement, and you’d be surprised how excited people get at the announcement of a new game or with a new development in sports.
Moreover, linking back to what we were talking about in the first section, the fact that both sports and gaming manage to strike the perfect balance of mystery and excitement with most of their games/matches only goes to further make this the case.
A Sense Of Community
Humans are social beings.
The vast majority of people are at their happiest when they are involved in some kind of larger goal that is bigger than themselves. Moreover, sports/gaming are able to provide the perfect epicentre for this sense of community.
It’s no secret that sports bring people together. Take a look at any sports team in the world, and you will quickly find a community of dedicated fans who live and breathe for the team.
There are many reasons why people find themselves being so attached to sports teams, but there is no doubt that the sense of community and feeling of belonging is by far the most notable.
Furthermore, this exact same occurrence can be seen within gaming.
Take a look at any large online game or MMO and you will quickly find a thriving community behind every nook and cranny, and it would be unfruitful to assume that these communities form just based on gameplay alone.
People love to get behind a common cause and to have a reason to direct their every move and utterance brings more pleasure than almost anything else. Moreover, sports/gaming just create the perfect environment for this to take place.
Because of all the points we touched upon above, the sense of community that both sports and gaming are able to foster is truly one of the main reasons why they are both so beloved, and without this sense of community, the sports/gaming industry would be nothing.
So, what is your opinion on the topic?
The similarities between sports and gaming are certainly striking, and it’s not a surprise at all that people who love sports also happen to respond extremely positively to gaming.
In reality, there are many more points that could have been said about the topic, both major and minor. However, it is simply not possible to cover everything in one single article.
It will be interesting to see if the relationship between sports and gaming gets studied some time in the future. It may be fascinating as to what insights we may be able to garner if this did happen.
Whether you are a die-hard gamer or avid sports fan, you may want to give the other a try and see how it goes.
Have fun.
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