Major League Gaming Has A TV Deal 58
Gamasutra reports that the Major League Gaming organization has signed a deal with the USA network to televise some of their competitions. From the article: "League programming, available at MLGpro.com all year long, will culminate in seven one-hour episodes that will air on the USA Network during the holiday season. In addition, the company also announced a MLG Pro Invasion Bus Tour, which will kick off in the summer and make 100 stops around the country. The Tour features MLG pros traveling across the U.S. in search of the next generation of professional gamers."
Watching people play videogames? (Score:1, Insightful)
Oh well... USA hasn't exactly had there finger on the pulse of anything but daytime reruns for years.
A fool and his money are soon parted I guess.
Re:Watching people play videogames? (Score:1)
They also show wrestling, which (amazingly) appeals to a lot of people.
Re:Watching people play videogames? (Score:2)
Re:Watching people play videogames? (Score:1)
When you watch football, you are entertained by large men slamming into each other, but what holds your interest is studying the strategy (even if it is only subconciously). The same can be true for video games; but with video games, you
Watch this and tell me... (Score:1)
Now I'm not saying there's a huge market, but personally, I love watching fighting game match videos.
Living under a rock? (Score:1)
I'd say the US is more than ready for gaming TV.
I wouldn't be suprised if it's a smashing success for advertisers. For gaming ads, you couldn't hope for a better concentration of the target market. Virtually everyone who s
Re:Retarded (Score:2)
The fun in games is playing them NOT watching other people play them.
The "fun" in TV is living vicariously through other people, NOT doing something fun and interesting for yourself. While I think "major league gaming" on TV is a stupid idea, many couch potatoes across the country will have something else to watch for a minute or two as they flip channels.
G4 TV (Score:2)
Yeah, G4 (Score:2)
Yes, G4 is going to be just Spike 2 in a few months. Probabably a few months to a year until all video game programming is wiped out.
G4 is running away from gamers (Score:1)
Re:Retarded (Score:2)
Re:Retarded (Score:1)
But what I want to know is, why the hell do you discourage this type of development? Are the networks not trying to cater to gamers more? Would you rather them not? Bitching about
Re:Retarded (Score:1)
And here I am, thinking it was because the damn thing would never properly run on my computer, even after applying an endless series of patches.
Re:Retarded (Score:1)
Re:Retarded (Score:4, Insightful)
I'd say the same about sports, yet the NFL and NHL and NBA seem to find no shortage of viewers.
Re:Retarded (Score:2)
Also with sport you're watching something real, that's actually happening, that depends on your own body and the laws of physics, not some pixels that with the flick of a switch could completely vanish, based on arbitrary rules that could be changed with a single update or sequel.
Imagine if every few years, the rules of football were changed, so the field went from 100 to 200 yards, the ball was made three times lighter and four
Re:Retarded (Score:2)
The entry barrier to the pro leagues, as far as skills are concerned, is the same for both--you need to be one in a few hundred thousand, at least.
You apparently aren't aware that sports rules and physics have changed arbitrarily over the years. One of the big debates in baseball is over the fact that the change of materials
Re:Retarded (Score:2)
Yet the laws of physics and human physiology, and the general object of the game, have remained constant. In a computer game, all that changes with a single patch.
And of course, America made up its own 'football', arbitrarily changing the game completely from that played in other countries--and most play the old games, not the new one.
Those changes have taken centuries. In the computer game world, games are rel
Re:Retarded (Score:2)
The physics of baseball changed; the objectives of basketball changed.
And the response is, so what? Reality TV shows are launched and outdated within a year, but millions of people still watch them. People still watch the Olympics, even though sp
Re:Retarded (Score:1)
Most video g
Re:Retarded (Score:2)
My point wasn't that watching either of them was interesting; rather, that the same arguments for boringness applied to both, and that in spite of how we both feel about them being completely uninteresting, there are plenty of people who disagree.
Ugh... The "sport" of gaming (Score:1)
Re:Ugh... The "sport" of gaming (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Ugh... The "sport" of gaming (Score:2)
Which implies you don't agree with "ooze." I for one want to make it clear I agree with him for all except sentient. Ooze is definitely valid.
Re:Ugh... The "sport" of gaming (Score:1)
Re:Ugh... The "sport" of gaming (Score:2)
Re:Ugh... The "sport" of gaming (Score:2)
Yeah I'm not sure how this is supposed to make for any kind of compelling viewing.
Slackjawed focused players moving just their mouse and keyboard hand and sometimes cursing doesn't make great footage.
On the other hand if they had espeically hacked versions of games, with Gods' Eye views and what not...that could be cool again.
Re:Ugh... The "sport" of gaming (Score:2)
Wait until we're watching people playing video games of people playing sports games. Oh, you think I'm kidding? [slashdot.org]
Highlights (Score:3, Funny)
Should be interesting... (Score:2)
Re:Should be interesting... (Score:1)
Maybe it can be the prize for defeating Romero at one of his own games?
Hope could come from this (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Hope could come from this (Score:2)
My thought exactly. If it had gone to, like, France, all the sponsors would be baguette and beret companies, or something.
exclusivity (Score:2)
Eh... (Score:2)
Why do I get visions of MTV style garbage?
The hosts will be second teir rap starts and third teir actors.
There will be many "Bawls" jokes.
This prophesy is complete. The Oracle will now retire to the Vomitorium.
Or "tier" even (Score:2)
how much? (Score:1)
Re:how much? (Score:1)
unless you live in Korea of course...
But in the United States your not going to make a living coming in second on computer gaming. Though you can make a good living off of golden T if you are good at it, but thats mostly because you can bilk people at bars by betting money against them, and not so much about official competitive gaming.
In computer gaming you cant get 5 people in a bar and have them bet each other who will win. Especially afte
Maden, Counter Strike, and instant replays! (Score:5, Interesting)
What would be much more entertaining would be to run in like a football game. With a dozen camera operators around the level, and a production studio switching cameras, runing replays, and poping up stats windows. Then get some sports announcers to comment on the progress, and fill them up with trivia knowledge on the players, clans, levels, and games.
-Rick
Exactly my thoughts, too (Score:2)
Re:Maden, Counter Strike, and instant replays! (Score:2)
Re:Maden, Counter Strike, and instant replays! (Score:4, Insightful)
Also, they need to show schematic views of the levels. G4/TechTV used to have a video game show, but they would jump right into some game or level I'd never played. So, I had no idea where people were, etc. If there was a schematic view of the level, showing me that UeberCypher1234 was near the red team's flag, that's a lot more interesting than just seeing that he is in some sort of non-descript hallway, with the commentator pointing out that he is by the bioreactor unit. Something like a mini-map in an RTS, but with a full screen explanation and commentary on the map before the game starts.
Re:Maden, Counter Strike, and instant replays! (Score:2)
-Rick
Re:Maden, Counter Strike, and instant replays! (Score:1)
Re:Maden, Counter Strike, and instant replays! (Score:1)
In any case, I think it would be more entertaining to watch on TV than watching people play poker. And people do that.
Copyright nightmare potential.. (Score:3, Insightful)
There are a couple of possibilities here.. either game publishers can get paid for their work being featured, or they can consider it free advertising and give it up for free or (more likely) sponsor the competition somehow.
World Series of... (Score:1)
It's going to suck just like g4tv (Score:3, Insightful)
Why? two reasons...
1. Only two games as far as I can tell from the website will be played; Super Smash Bros. Melee and Halo 2
2. From the FAQ at the site."Why doesn't MLG have tournaments for PC games?"
Major League Gaming is a competitive console gaming league. There are a huge number of other leagues and tournaments for PC games. As such, MLG does not stand to gain much by holding tournaments for PC games. With exception to fighting games, which are historically considered arcade games, competitive console gaming is relatively new, and MLG is a pioneer in that part of the industry. Competitive console gaming is also open to everybody, as it has a lower barrier to entry as compared to competitive PC gaming, in which those who have the funds necessary to purchase the latest hardware can have a rather significant hardware-based advantage over others.
In other words it's going to be joke!
When I start to see Ladders to a playoff for different types of games (FPS, RTS, or ideally a game with a combination of the two, for example Battlefield 2) which encourage cooperative, strategic play with teams. Why not model the game play to be broadcast like the most successful sports programs on tv today? e.g. real football or soccer game. You have a coach/s giving direction and the over all strategy to the game being played (RTS), and the team members executing the strategy given by coach by it's players working as team (FPS). Then to be able to watch, comment, critique and enjoy watching the teams strategy and game play as they face off, again just like a real sports broadcast. Only then do I see something of this caliber take off to become successful, and not watching 15 sec clips of a players game then 20 mins of background side stories about the players
Now coming to USA... (Score:2)
How did they know what I wanted?
It can work.... (Score:1)
Like Daigo Umehara parrying out of certain death [google.com]