In China, video gaming is so popular it was declared an official sport by the Chinese government. A Santa Monica company, GGL Global Gaming, is taking advantage by hosting a video gaming tournament in Shanghai during the Olympics. David Kirkpatrick reports for Fortune Magazine on the entrepreneur’s hopes.
Owen says portentously that the Digital Games will be “the ultimate elevation of gaming and the culture of gaming to the world stage. We’re associating ourselves with the largest mainstream brand in the world, which is the Olympics.” Fong Hong doesn’t disagree. “This is historic because it is the first time that video gaming becomes part of the whole Olympic celebration,” he says in a telephone interview from Beijing. “In the long run, we hope that video gaming becomes a formal sport throughout the world. That is the long-term vision.” Mr. Fong says that the government officially counts over 50 million serious video gamers in China alone.
