The way of the future

I often wish I could look into the future, 200, 300, even 500 years time, I wonder what the world will be like then. Probably completely different to what it is now. I would love to be around and see it all. I watched a fascinating programme last week on the BBC iplayer, Gaming: The Rise of the Cyber Athletes. I only came across it by chance because it's in the sports section, a place I rarely venture into, I don't have much interest in sport. My curiosity led me to click the play button.

OJ Borg explores the growth of electronic sports, the professional players who take part, and the debate on whether gaming could be considered as a true sport. The question was asked, are cyber athletes real sportsmen? How does the culture around watching gaming compare to real sport? 

I must say, the programme was a real eye opener, I never knew such events existed. Streaming sites such as Twitch bring millions of viewers to watch online, and tens of thousands to venues around the world. The cyber athlete is no longer a couch potato, and can expect to earn £200,000 a year. They look after their health and fitness, go to the gym and eat a healthy diet, to keep their brains sharp and their fingers moving at breakneck speed. 

This new sport is opening up endless possibilities for sponsorship and advertising, thousands of jobs will be created on the back of it, mind boggling really. Is this the future? They are talking about it becoming an Olympic sport. 

If you want to see the programme it's on the iplayer for a few more days.  

It's also on Yoootooob.

If you want to read a bit about cyber gaming, this is a good site. It seems the internet is buzzing with this programme.

We discussed this topic around the dinner table on Sunday when I was visiting family. My cousins son is a keen gamer and spends many hours in his bedroom, much to the consternation of his mother. After the meal was finished everyone seemed to disappear. I found them in son's bedroom, he was explaining the nuts and bolts of how he designs games and uploads them to yoootooob. He completely lost me as I watched and listened to him. I was dumbstruck. How can a twelve year old lad have taught himself so much.? He was talking ten to the dozen, obviously passionate about his skills, and they are skills, not just wasting time until he leaves school. This lad is on the way to a career already. There is no doubt that he is a sharp as a razor, and I hope that he will, one day, be at the top of his game. I shall watch his progress with interest. 

Computer gaming is not my thing at all, I wouldn't know where to start, but it's the way of the future, and it can't be stopped. 

Toodle pip.