To many it might seem like a crazy idea, but according to BBC News, the creator of World of Warcraft says eSports belongs in the Olympics.

Rob Pardo, previously chief creative officer at Blizzard Entertainment, told the BBC that “sport” now had a “broad definition.” He added: “Video games are well positioned to be a spectator sport.”

Pardo’s main argument: “I think the way that you look at e-sports is that it’s a very competitive skillset and you look at these professional gamers and the reflexes are lightning quick and they’re having to make very quick decisions on the fly. When you look at their ‘actions per minute’, they’re clearing over 300.”

The big challenge, of course, might be cultural: Do sports need to be physical? Said Pardo: “That starts getting into how you define sport. If you want to define sport as something that takes a lot of physical exertion, then it’s hard to argue that video games should be a sport, but at the same time, when I’m looking at things that are already in the Olympics, I start questioning the definition.”

On the topic, Gamer Syndrome writes: “Just a few days ago, the Korean eSports Association proceeded to enter talks with the Olympic Committee, supposedly achieving a rather significant feet: acceptance into the second level of the committee [1]. We should be applauding! This is a success for eSports! My answer is a single caustic and resounding no. For years gamers and patrons of competitive gaming have gone to lengths in the fight to make eSports legitimate in the eyes of the masses. The question we should really be asking is if this legitimacy is even necessary? For years various scenes for various games have developed independently, and if the current state of competitive gaming has highlighted anything it’s that eSports have done just fine.”