Esports, video games and the virtualization of traditional sports: WESCO’s vision
By Daniel Cossi
Defines three categories used by WESCO, including the term it created for simulations of regular sports: the virtualization of regular sport.
Much has been said about esports and the virtualization of traditional sports.
Last week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) released a note stating that esports may be explored only if they do not include titles that promote “violence,” and giving preference to those that “simulate” traditional sports.
For WESCO, this statement reflects a deep misunderstanding of fundamental concepts.
In this article, we clarify:
what video games are,
what esports are,
and what WESCO defines as Virtualized Sports, a category we created to bring clarity to the debate.
1. Video Games and the Birth of Competition
Video games share the same core: software designed for entertainment, executed on hardware platforms – computers, consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, Sega), and more recently, mobile devices.
Competitions date back to the 1970s, when players competed by comparing individual scores. With the rise of local networks and later the internet, games were developed specifically for multiplayer competition, paving the way for what would become esports.
2. Platform Evolution and Market Growth
Technological progress and commercial opportunities transformed the industry:
Sony and Microsoft created private online networks (PSN, Xbox Live) and consolidated consoles as commercial hubs.
Steam and similar platforms expanded reach on PC.
Microtransactions and loot boxes became the dominant business model.
Developers realized that fostering competitions increased sales and kept communities engaged.
As a result, informal teams emerged, followed by organized tournaments and, eventually, official championships run by the developers themselves.
3. From Games to Esports
Once the internet enabled global competitions, the term “esports” was adopted.
Institutionalization followed naturally: local, national, continental, and international bodies began to regulate and legislate the ecosystem.
From WESCO’s perspective, we now distinguish between:
Private esports – competitions organized by companies or communities, without institutional ties.
Institutional esports – structured within a pyramid model similar to traditional sports (basketball, volleyball, football, etc.).
This recognition opened the way for legislation, federations, and the inclusion of esports within national sports systems.
4. The Virtualization of Traditional Sports
The market soon realized that traditional sports could be transposed into digital form.
Titles such as FIFA, NBA2K, and F1 replicate physical sports, while others simulate combat, racing, or strategy.
WESCO defines this as Virtualized Sports, which appear in two forms:
Hybrid – requires athletes to perform the same physical actions as in the real sport, using equipment connected to virtual platforms (e.g., Virtual Cycling, golf simulators, F1 simulators).
Fully Virtual – practiced exclusively through consoles or PCs, without real physical exertion.
Meanwhile, we are also witnessing the opposite movement: technologies such as VR gear and omni-directional platforms bring physical actions (running, jumping, aiming) into digital competition. This evolution points toward a future of fully immersive and even neural competition, as imagined in Ready Player One or Black Mirror.
5. WESCO’s Official Classification
WESCO recognizes three categories:
Esports – ranked and regulated competitions, organized institutionally or privately, mediated exclusively by hardware and software.
Virtualized Sports – ranked and regulated competitions that hybridize physical performance with digital transposition.
Video Games – informal practice, unranked and unregulated, focused on free entertainment, even when competitive.
All practices operate within:
Platforms: PCs, consoles, smartphones, VR, AR.
Game Modes: FPS, RTS, MOBA, etc.
Franchises: CS:GO, COD, Dota 2, etc.
Competitive Systems: Round Robin, Single Elimination, Knockout.
Sports Models: championships, tournaments, leagues.
Official Pathways: institutional competitions, private competitions, endorsed private events, and grassroots competitions.
Final thoughts
While the IOC continues to debate definitions, WESCO presents a clear and functional classification.
Video games, esports, and virtualized sports are distinct yet interconnected, forming an ecosystem that goes far beyond entertainment.
In our next article, we will present WESCO’s position regarding the Olympic Movement, the IOC, and the integration of esports within Olympism.
About the author
Daniel Cossi is Chairman and CEO of WESCO and has worked in Esports institutions for more than 21 years.
