All Work All Play

Filmmaker Patrick Creadon here argues for wide acceptance of “eSports”—i.e., competitive video gaming, complete with salaried joystick-athletes, televised tournaments, and trophies. While this concept has crashed and burned in the U.S. a few times (a highly selective narrative ignores some ongoing efforts), it has flourished on the international scene in Europe and the Far East, namely with the Intel Extreme Masters, a global pro-gaming tour in which teams duel in an online-networked fantasy battle called League of Legends. The camera shows indoor stadium arenas filled with cheering crowds as ever-enthusiastic announcer Paul Chaloner of the U.K. does rapid-fire play-by-play (without Chaloner, the excitement would hardly translate at all). The argument is made that none of this is any weirder than, say, golf—and therefore deserving of equal respect. Still, with players distanced by their keyboards from the action (which itself has one limited overhead POV), video gaming is a difficult sport to capture cinematically. Extras include deleted scenes. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)