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"Professional Gaming"

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Sun 16/03/03 at 19:38
Regular
Posts: 787
We have our professional sports players, professional athletes and professional models, but it's not been until quite recently that I found out professional gamers existed. I was and still am very intrigued as well as interested by this because I think it's right up my street. Playing computer games for cash. That would be like receiving lots of presents, frequently, for free. It would be an absolute luxury.
I know professional gaming exists, but I also know it's quite rare. In America, they hold quite a lot of competitions where pro gamers that spend 99% of their lives simply playing games can come together to display their stuff, and I'm not talking for pocket money either.

Last year in Orlando Florida, an Unreal Tournament was held where up to 300 gamers worldwide gathered to try and get their hands on the $100,000 cash prize. Not bad for a couple hours fun eh? Okay, I'll be truthful. I watched the highlights of the competition, and from the looks of things those guys (and a number of girls) were having a pretty rough time. There were occasions where sweat was introduced and the towels were brought out, but this only happened with the amateurs. The bloke that eventually won was a true pro and looked as cool as ever on his last performance as well as most of his other performances. He went away a very happy chappy with the jackpot, and surprisingly with no bodyguards.

The tournament was huge in every sense of the word. There must have been over a thousand top notch PCs there with headphones and everything. And as I sat watching all these people playing games for money I couldn't help but feel just a little bit jealous, as in "I wish I was there!" If not just for the money, but for the sheer fun of things as well. I know that SR have their own annual gaming compo, and to be honest I prefer theirs to the one previously mentioned because it doesn't test your ability with a particular game, but several other different types. All those pro gamers that turned up in Orlando last year already knew what the competition was for and would have practiced day and night to master the game, but in SR's case you're not told what game you're going to face so the unexpectancy really shows how good a gamer you are.

Still, I'm not complaining. I prefer both forms of gaming competitions. In fact, any form would do. As long as the games there are fun to play and the money is real, who cares. These competitions as far as I know are too few. This is where I think the big leaders of the industry like Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo should chip in. They should be the ones to organise these occasions once in a while, then gradually make them more frequent so there can be more pro gaming and more pro gamers. They have enough money don't they?

The whole issue stands that the mass population of the world brush aside gaming and consider it a thing of very little importance, but that's how most of the other famous pro activities started, i.e. cricket, football etc. They were once created in a mediocre environment where people simply took part for the joy of it, now this simple emotional joy has turned into a much greater joy now that people receive incredible amounts of cash for being good at what they enjoy doing. If gaming was to become a pro activity, it would obviously need sponsors and all sorts to keep the economic side of it upright, which means it's more than likely it would have to be televised. This sounds very bizarre now, but already there are programs dedicated purely to computer games, some are competitions, some simply review/preview games, which are very strong signs for the future, that pro gaming could actually one day earn itself a spot on television.

Sony and Microsoft would be the ones to really make an impact in this because they are already huge companies for things non-gaming. If people know they're involved then they might feel less reluctant to the idea of pro gaming being on TV. It would be something truly amazing!

Although there are other careers in this world to be taken up, some more popular than others, I think professional gaming would not be one I would easily pass over. The whole idea of earning huge sums of money for doing something I thoroughly enjoy is alone overwhelming. It may not be a big thing now, but I think that as technology continues to advance, gaining the interest of more people, that we could one day be partakers of televised pro gaming in full flow.


Thanks for your time
Sun 16/03/03 at 22:15
Regular
"Being Ignorant"
Posts: 2,574
Dr Gonzo wrote:
> Reload wrote:
> The whole issue stands that the mass population of the world brush
> aside gaming and consider it a thing of very little importance
>
> Not really, gaming is widely accepted as a common passtime, though
> only amoung young people. However, that's not the reason why gaming
> fails to have many professionals.
>
> For professionals to exist you need spectators to watch and provide
> revenue (either directly through gate receipts or indirectly through
> advertising). You won't find many people who want to watch a medium
> that sold its self on interactivity. There are only so many ways you
> can play a video game, yet an infinate number of ways to score a goal
> or beat a boxing opponent etc etc. There is also no physical aspect,
> part of the reason people watch athletics is because these competitors
> are doing something exceptional. They have trained for months and
> honed their bodies into fit, lean machnes that can do X, Y, or Z
> better than anyone else. As a person whose gamed for years and years,
> there is nothing that impressive about someone whose learned how to
> master the strict confines of a computer game.

There is not an infinite number of ways to score a goal or beat a boxing opponent, which is why I think pro gaming should be part of the highly popular media, sooner or later. It can't stay mediocre all its life. The physical aspect comes in the way we use our fingers obviously. I know this may not be spectacular, but there are some highly difficult games out there that need some true mastering, as well as button bashing (ie track and Field). If you watch how good the few existing pro gamers are you'll surely see a different more positive side to the possibility of official professional gaming. Preference from the public is a case, but I think you'll agree that gaming is gradually becoming more popular around the globe, which almost ensures the time will come when it can also be accepted as a spectator activity. Hell, people watch stuff like Snooker, Cricket and gambling which entail as much effort as simply holding a control pad.


> You'll always find a few who manage to survive on income from gaming
> as publishers do like large, public competitions to drum up some
> interest in their games. However, if you're thinking they'll ever be
> a gaming version of Sky Sports or Match of the Day; I can't see it.

Hey, no-one ever thought there would ever be a Sky Sports or Match of the Day, or even football. What's to say that pro gaming won't become something similarly big?
Sun 16/03/03 at 20:13
Regular
"Z will be here soon"
Posts: 7,562
Reload wrote:
> Kyz22 wrote:
> Yeah, and we could have professional "Sit in a chair and watch
> tv" guys, or "get drunk and throw up on the dog"
> experts.
>
> I pity you... :-P
>
>
> Read the third-to-last paragraph.

Shuuuut uuuupppp :-P
Sun 16/03/03 at 20:10
Regular
"Look!!! Changed!!!1"
Posts: 2,072
Reload wrote:
> The whole issue stands that the mass population of the world brush
> aside gaming and consider it a thing of very little importance

Not really, gaming is widely accepted as a common passtime, though only amoung young people. However, that's not the reason why gaming fails to have many professionals.

For professionals to exist you need spectators to watch and provide revenue (either directly through gate receipts or indirectly through advertising). You won't find many people who want to watch a medium that sold its self on interactivity. There are only so many ways you can play a video game, yet an infinate number of ways to score a goal or beat a boxing opponent etc etc. There is also no physical aspect, part of the reason people watch athletics is because these competitors are doing something exceptional. They have trained for months and honed their bodies into fit, lean machnes that can do X, Y, or Z better than anyone else. As a person whose gamed for years and years, there is nothing that impressive about someone whose learned how to master the strict confines of a computer game.

You'll always find a few who manage to survive on income from gaming as publishers do like large, public competitions to drum up some interest in their games. However, if you're thinking they'll ever be a gaming version of Sky Sports or Match of the Day; I can't see it.
Sun 16/03/03 at 19:56
Regular
"Being Ignorant"
Posts: 2,574
Smerc wrote:
> Reload wrote:
> Thanks for your time
>
> Better had be.


Great editing skills, that aren't in any way relevant to the topic.
Sun 16/03/03 at 19:47
Regular
"Spanish Hardcore"
Posts: 914
Reload wrote:
> Thanks for your time

Better had be.
Sun 16/03/03 at 19:47
Regular
"Being Ignorant"
Posts: 2,574
Kyz22 wrote:
> Yeah, and we could have professional "Sit in a chair and watch
> tv" guys, or "get drunk and throw up on the dog"
> experts.
>
> I pity you... :-P


Read the third-to-last paragraph.
Sun 16/03/03 at 19:47
Regular
"Z will be here soon"
Posts: 7,562
Judah Ben-Hur wrote:
> There is only one professional gamer. He is Indian and always on
> Gamenetwork and all this jazz. He has never been on Gamenework but
> shh.

Is he called Calvin?
Sun 16/03/03 at 19:45
Regular
"Ghost Mutt"
Posts: 1,326
There is only one professional gamer. He is Indian and always on Gamenetwork and all this jazz. He has never been on Gamenework but shh.
Sun 16/03/03 at 19:43
Regular
"Z will be here soon"
Posts: 7,562
Yeah, and we could have professional "Sit in a chair and watch tv" guys, or "get drunk and throw up on the dog" experts.

I pity you... :-P
Sun 16/03/03 at 19:38
Regular
"Being Ignorant"
Posts: 2,574
We have our professional sports players, professional athletes and professional models, but it's not been until quite recently that I found out professional gamers existed. I was and still am very intrigued as well as interested by this because I think it's right up my street. Playing computer games for cash. That would be like receiving lots of presents, frequently, for free. It would be an absolute luxury.
I know professional gaming exists, but I also know it's quite rare. In America, they hold quite a lot of competitions where pro gamers that spend 99% of their lives simply playing games can come together to display their stuff, and I'm not talking for pocket money either.

Last year in Orlando Florida, an Unreal Tournament was held where up to 300 gamers worldwide gathered to try and get their hands on the $100,000 cash prize. Not bad for a couple hours fun eh? Okay, I'll be truthful. I watched the highlights of the competition, and from the looks of things those guys (and a number of girls) were having a pretty rough time. There were occasions where sweat was introduced and the towels were brought out, but this only happened with the amateurs. The bloke that eventually won was a true pro and looked as cool as ever on his last performance as well as most of his other performances. He went away a very happy chappy with the jackpot, and surprisingly with no bodyguards.

The tournament was huge in every sense of the word. There must have been over a thousand top notch PCs there with headphones and everything. And as I sat watching all these people playing games for money I couldn't help but feel just a little bit jealous, as in "I wish I was there!" If not just for the money, but for the sheer fun of things as well. I know that SR have their own annual gaming compo, and to be honest I prefer theirs to the one previously mentioned because it doesn't test your ability with a particular game, but several other different types. All those pro gamers that turned up in Orlando last year already knew what the competition was for and would have practiced day and night to master the game, but in SR's case you're not told what game you're going to face so the unexpectancy really shows how good a gamer you are.

Still, I'm not complaining. I prefer both forms of gaming competitions. In fact, any form would do. As long as the games there are fun to play and the money is real, who cares. These competitions as far as I know are too few. This is where I think the big leaders of the industry like Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo should chip in. They should be the ones to organise these occasions once in a while, then gradually make them more frequent so there can be more pro gaming and more pro gamers. They have enough money don't they?

The whole issue stands that the mass population of the world brush aside gaming and consider it a thing of very little importance, but that's how most of the other famous pro activities started, i.e. cricket, football etc. They were once created in a mediocre environment where people simply took part for the joy of it, now this simple emotional joy has turned into a much greater joy now that people receive incredible amounts of cash for being good at what they enjoy doing. If gaming was to become a pro activity, it would obviously need sponsors and all sorts to keep the economic side of it upright, which means it's more than likely it would have to be televised. This sounds very bizarre now, but already there are programs dedicated purely to computer games, some are competitions, some simply review/preview games, which are very strong signs for the future, that pro gaming could actually one day earn itself a spot on television.

Sony and Microsoft would be the ones to really make an impact in this because they are already huge companies for things non-gaming. If people know they're involved then they might feel less reluctant to the idea of pro gaming being on TV. It would be something truly amazing!

Although there are other careers in this world to be taken up, some more popular than others, I think professional gaming would not be one I would easily pass over. The whole idea of earning huge sums of money for doing something I thoroughly enjoy is alone overwhelming. It may not be a big thing now, but I think that as technology continues to advance, gaining the interest of more people, that we could one day be partakers of televised pro gaming in full flow.


Thanks for your time

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