Electronic Sports is a term that refers to the play of video games as a competitive activity.

Playing video games is a sport. Seriously. Electronic sports is the competitive play of first-person shooter, real-time strategy of sports games. Usually played over a LAN or internet connection, competitions feature players vying bragging rights and large sums of money. Multiple tournaments and leagues have been established around the world, to facilitate and promote the sport.

Outscore/outplay all opponents.

Rules vary based on the game being played.

The first major video game competition, the Video Game Masters Tournament, was held in 1987, and featured many different classic arcade games. This competition led to a number of large-scale events held in the early 1990's. As gaming moved from arcades into people's living rooms, competitions became less common. The rise of the internet changed this, by allowing players from around the world compete against each other. Today electronic sports is a diverse field, featuring many different areas of competition. Major organizations include the Cyberathlete Amateur League, Major League Gaming and the Electronic Sports League.

Equipment varies based on the type of game being played. Common equipment includes:
Joystick
Keyboard
Mouse

Electronic sports are not very dangerous. Repetitive motion disorders of the hands and fingers can occur, as can injuries to the eyes. It is important to take breaks from playing, a few times every hour.

Success in electronic sports relies on excellent timing, attuned hand-eye coordination and abstract problem solving skills.

First-Person Shooter - video game distinguished by a first person perspective that renders the game world from the visual perspective of the player character

LAN - local area network; a method of competing live, rather than across the internet

Real-Time Strategy - video game distinguished by a top-down perspective and abstract unit controls, which is the ability to give orders as opposed to controlling units directly

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_sports