These days, Americans treat their sports heroes like royalty. People of all ages look up to sports stars as role models for a multitude of reasons. They’re successful, famous, rich and above all, talented. But until recently, a qualification of being a sports hero was being big, strong and athletic – which is something most hardcore gamers typically are not. Now, thanks to video gaming leagues like Major League Gaming for console players and the Cyberathlete Professional League for PC players, gamers young and old can aspire to become a star in the sport of their choice – fragging noobs.
Major League Gaming, otherwise known as MLG, was created in 2002 and even though it is a relatively new organization, it already has a large following. MLG organizes and runs various console gaming tournaments but the Super Bowl of the MLG is its Pro Circuit tournament. But the unique aspect of MLG is that, unlike major sports organizations, anyone can sign up for a tournament and compete against the best in the world.
Each year, the Pro Circuit tours various cities in
Currently, the only games used for the Pro Circuit are “Halo 2” for the Xbox and “Super Smash Bros. Melee” for the Gamecube. In the past other games such as “Tekken 5”, “Soul Calibur”, and “Gran Turismo” were played on the Pro Circuit but were not as big of successes as “Halo 2” or “SSBM.” It should come as no surprise to gamers that these two games are the only ones played on the Pro Circuit, given their incredible popularity and the ease with which each game can support larger amounts of players.
In the “Halo 2” MLG tournaments, for example, participants can sign up with a team of four for the 4v4 tournament, where teams compete against other teams for gaming glory. Gamers can also sign up for the FFA, or free for all, tournaments where the games are everyone for themselves.
There are already heated rivalries between teams in MLG, but players compete with much more than pride on the line on the Pro Circuit. Thanks to sponsorships from companies such as Red Bull, Scion, and Boost Mobile, the MLG is able to offer fairly large prizes for tournament victory. Though the prize money wouldn’t be considered large to the average sports star, being awarded thousands of dollars for playing video games isn’t too shabby. In the 2006 MLG Pro Circuit, the top prize for the “Halo 2” 4v4 tournament was $100,000. Though that prize money is split between the four teammates, it is still enough for a young gamer to scrape out a living playing video games.
But the Pro Circuit isn’t the only tournament that MLG runs. Currently, MLG is running an online “Halo 2” tournament and soon plans to run online tournaments for “Gears of War” as well as “Rainbow Six: Vegas.”
One interesting aspect of the MLG is the fact that they offer their top participants contracts to play exclusively for MLG. This practice is different from other gaming organizations in which teams are sponsored by independent companies rather than the league itself. MLG has signed its top team, Final Boss, to a $1 million deal as well as signing the two other top teams, Carbon and Str8 Rippin, to equally large contracts. Though the practice of signing contracts with MLG no doubt has an affect on the players ability to participate in other gaming tournaments, one must consider that a large majority of the signed players are still in their teens or their 20s making their contract deals more than lucrative.
Still not convinced that playing video games professionally could someday be as popular as football or baseball? Professional gamers have been featured in an episode of MTV’s “True Life” series as well as in a special which CBS’ 60 Minutes interviewed one pro gamer named Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel, who is considered one of the top gamers in the world. MLG also was featured in a series of specials on the USA Network, which aired weekly from November to December, which showcased various matches and tournaments from the Pro Circuit.
Some gamers have even parlayed their gaming success into other careers. Thomas “Tsquared”
Unfortunately just like making it in the NFL or MLB, becoming a pro gamer is not as easy as just being good at a particular game. Since the field of professional gaming is still in its infancy, there are not many opportunities for gamers to make it to the big time, with even less of a chance of being able to make a living playing video games.
Even though it would be a dream come true to make a living playing “Halo 2,” I’m just as happy to think that future generations of gamers could grow up in a world where professional gamers are considered just as talented as professional athletes.
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