The Olympics is known for its unique take on sports and games and how it showcases extraordinary talent under one roof. The Olympics itself is a diverse series of multi-sport events. Recently, there has been a new inculcation in the Olympic Games, which has taken the whole world by surprise. This new inclusion is the addition of esports competitions. The acceptance of video games in the Olympics shows how much as a society we are going through changes and accepting things open-heartedly. The role of a video game translation agency in changing the views of the people is one thing we should not forget. It is because of translation services that video games are translated as per the user intent, and games are turned into an understandable phenomenon from an alien one.
In this read, we are going to talk about the addition of esports in the Olympics and how this one activity has brought inclusivity and diversity to the whole history of the Olympics.
Olympics and Its Charm
The Olympics is famous for its depiction of multi-sports in one place. This gigantic event goes on for days, consisting of several games such as archery, swimming, gymnastics, paralympic games, alpine skiing, and many more. In the 2024 Paris Olympics, breakdancing made its debut. Hence, it shows how the Olympics is welcoming to new forms of sports and even counts them as sports. The Olympics has its own charm and attraction, which is why during this event, people from all over the world gather and witness the ultimate showdown.
The most charming part of the Olympics is how it depicts the struggle of athletes and tells their history. The 2024 Paris Olympics proved that the Olympics is so much greater than just a sport. We got to see so many histories that were made in just this one event: Simone Biles took home a gold medal for her gymnastic stunts, Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis made the highest jump in the history of men’s pole vault, Sha’Carri Richardson secured gold in the women’s 4x100m relay, and many more. The way the Olympics breaks all stereotypes and previous records makes it the biggest show of all time.
Video Games and the Olympics
The addition of video games in the Olympics is a testament to games being so much more than an entertainment activity. It is announced that in 2025, the Olympic Esports Games will occur in Saudi Arabia. This event is conducted separately instead of adding it to the summer and winter Olympic games.
Gaming companies have been trying for years to make games appear in the Olympics. At the 2007 Asian Indoor Games, esports made their debut at such a big level. After that, esports entered the mainstream media despite facing criticism all these years. And finally their inclusion in the Olympics feels like a win. This shows how legitimate and fair of a sport video games are. Though they don’t fit in the ideal category of physical sports, they surely give a tough time just like any other sport.
Role of Game Translation
By partnering with a video game translation agency, gaming companies have been able to turn games into the language and culture of the target audiences and allow them to understand them. Why do you think video games have now become a part of the Olympics in 2025? They were a part of the Asian Games back in 2007, so why have they reached the Olympics now? There are many driving factors behind this new addition, among which game translation stands strongest of all. If you notice, over the years, game translation has embedded itself in the gaming industry. Now, as soon as a new game launches, it is at least translated into two to three languages. Later, translations in multiple languages are provided so that the video game hits the global market.
Other than enabling understanding for diverse speakers, game translation has allowed critics to see games from a positive point of view. Translation has proved that games are more than an entertainment activity; rather, they are a full-fledged professional career offering many opportunities to the players.
Esports Brings Diversity to the Olympics
The entrance of esports in the Olympics blurs the line between physical and digital sports. While traditional Olympic sports emphasize physical exertion, esports showcase mental agility, strategic thinking, and lightning-fast reflexes. This debate about whether esports are real sports or not forces us to reconsider our preconceived notions about what it means to be an athlete. We are injected with this notion that athletes are supposed to be the ones that partake in physical sports like football and badminton. This addition of esports in the Olympics challenges us to look beyond the traditional definitions of physical activity and acknowledge the intense mental focus required to excel in competitive gaming. Games require strategic thinking skills and fast movements to win over your rivals.
This new addition also allows grabbing the attention of a younger audience. Most of the gamers that we see today belong to Gen Z and Gen Alpha. This new change targets this younger generation and allows them to show their skills and make a name for themselves at such a young age. Lil Poison, Victor De Leon III, is the youngest recognized professional gamer we have seen so far. Even his name is present in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “Youngest Professional Video Game Player”.
Gaming software are complex systems that only professionals can understand and make them adaptable for the global gamers. This highlights the importance of hiring translators from a game and software translation agency that can make sure that translated games are, according to the interface, easily understandable for the target audiences. Gaming software are so intricate that only industry specialists can understand it. So to make sure that when these games are translated, no glitch occurs in the gameplay, software translators are an integral part of game translation.
Final Words!
To sum up, the addition of games in the Olympics is a huge victory for gaming companies and game lovers. This breaks all the stereotypes built around video games. In this stereotype-breaking, the role of game translation is very important. With translation, games have turned into understanding notions that even critics can comprehend.
