MLG and USA Network to air game tourneys
by Vladimir Cole 
{ Apr 17th 2006 at 1:25AM }
Major League Gaming and NBC subsidiary USA Network have signed a deal to air MLG tournaments on cable TV this year, The Wall Street Journal reported this morning.
The deal will result in a "a series of seven, hour-long shows" (to air on Saturday mornings this fall) featuring competitions between gamers in games ranging from Halo 2 to Super Smash Bros. Melee, the Journal reports.
This is great news for competitive gaming. If the show can bring in an audience, next year may bring even more televised competitions between gamers. On behalf of the emerging sport of professional video gaming, we beg the powers that be not to totally screw up the genre's big debut in front of a national audience. Please keep the cheese factor low.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Steve @ Apr 17th 2006 1:35AM
I seriously hope there's no super-macho guy who wears sunglasses or stupidly gorgeous woman who knows nothing about games. I just want a normal person who really knows games.
izzyb412 @ Apr 17th 2006 1:40AM
I know I'm gonna watch but do you think that many ppl that don't play games are gonna tune in for very long?
Brody Brooks @ Apr 17th 2006 1:44AM
I hate to be a cynic, but this won't fly. For anyone interested in games, they have enough of this on G4TV. There's just no real demand for competitive game tournament broadcasts, as far as I can tell. For people who are interested, GAMERS to be specific, there's no reason why they can't just go turn on their game console and have the exact same experience as the show with the inclusion of interactivity. Gamers don't like watching other people play games.
Also, games weren't made with broadcasting big matches in mind, they were meant to show the current player or players and feed them statistics on their status in the game world. Plus, you can't really garner the same excitement over interactive media the way you can with traditional sports like soccer, tennis, and baseball the way the games are set up. They move too fast and chaotic to be fun to observe.
I'm sorry, but this just isn't going to be a winner in viewer statistics.
TK00 @ Apr 17th 2006 1:52AM
Um.. why would you link to a pay subscription site?
vc @ Apr 17th 2006 1:54AM
Because, TK00, the Wall Street Journal broke the news and because (at this hour) nobody else in the friggin' universe has any other details on it.
Mikeawesome @ Apr 17th 2006 1:55AM
I'm kind of on the fence with this.
Part of me agrees with poster #2, however, part of me remembers how I do thouroughly enjoy watching the GameSpot Live Tournaments.
I really do hope that the cheese factor is limited and, most importantly, they fit a good amount of content into that hour long segment, because they obviously can't show every match, so let's hope the producers are able to realize what is impressive within each game that constitutes a good match beyond just a "close" match.
vc @ Apr 17th 2006 1:55AM
PS: Sometimes you've got to pay for news. I've been a WSJ Online subscriber for 6 years and haven't regretted a penny of the expense.
Elias @ Apr 17th 2006 2:01AM
I think this could do really well. The idea of it being 7-hours long is key, though. No one will repeatedly tune in to short shows of this shown non-sequentially. I mean I watched hours of that ESPN Madden 2006 show, and that could have been edited much better. Once you get sucked in, you're done until it's over.
Alex @ Apr 17th 2006 2:25AM
I think #2 is completely wrong. Me and a lot of my friends, who i consider to be casual gamers, really love watching professional starcraft players and high caliber fighting game players from asia. Why do people like to watch sports like basketball on tv? people like watching athletes with incredible skill perform their best, while also learning more about the games to help themselves play. To say gamers wont like to watch professional players because there is no interactivity is the same as saying playing basketball yourself is more fun than watching professionals, so the NBA obviously has no spectators. Do you think any sport was created with spectators in mind? Lets see.. if we set up a big court with two baskets on either end, and toss in 10 people with 1 ball, i think people will love watching them run around fighting for it and throwing it around.
The real problem the tv shows will encounter is not from the gamers'. True gamers will enjoy watching high caliber players of games they know, and even be able to appreciate professionals playing games theyve only seen, if they can demonstrate true skill and teamwork. The problem will come from the rest of america's mainstream population. Even though gaming is more widespread than ever, its still considered a "nerdy" activity, who wants to watch a bunch of nerds playing some stupid fake game? the culture in the US is just completely different from asia. In korea, people flock into stadiums to watch the final rounds of starcraft tournaments, and whole auditoriums are sometimes rented out for the biggest fighting tournaments in japan.
I think itll be worth a shot, but honestly i dont think it will be very successful. american culture simply will categorize watching professional gaming as "nerdy", and that will be the end of widely televised gaming.
Pikachelsea @ Apr 17th 2006 2:26AM
Televised videogame tourneys? Whoo! I hope it's EXACTLY like this:
http://www.infendo.com/2006/04/power-glove.html
Probot @ Apr 17th 2006 2:31AM
#2
"For anyone interested in games, they have enough of this on G4TV."
Do they actually show any game-related shows anymore?
I remember they used to show Arena; that wasn't that bad. The only problem was they squeezed too many games in one show.
"Gamers don't like watching other people play games."
Some people feel that way about sports. They'd rather play than watch.
I can think of dozens of games that are fun to watch. Any racing, sport or fighting game would work. The Mario sports games would be a lot of fun to watch as well.
Personally, I'd like to see competition more like that SMB race Joystiq posted a while ago. Odd stuff that wasn't intended to be competative, but is fun to see.
"...games ranging from Halo 2 to Super Smash Bros. Melee..."
Looking at their site, I can't find any mention of any other games. Are those the only two games played?
wes luger @ Apr 17th 2006 2:36AM
Brody Brooks
Why do people watch the NBA if everyone has a hoop in their driveway? Sure you cant dunk, but you cant play Halo 2 like the top five MLG teams either.
The way MLG was presented last year on their website with their live streams of games made it apparent that halo 2 can be a great spectator "sport". You can listen to the players communicating, the player movements are deliberate and easy to follow, its great fun to watch.
I'm not sure how a solid weekend of matches will translate into a one hour broadcast, but for those that are already fans, it will be a great compliment to the online coverage. It will also expose the league to many, many people who arent familiar with it.
mlg-pro.com has a sample so you can check out what the streamed video coverage looks like. They know how to cover the games very well, and Halo 2 lends itself to this much better than the PC games whose tourneys have tried it in the past.
Dont compare it to G4's Arena show. Those games are garbage, and the players they show are no where near the top of each game's skill level.
Zsavior @ Apr 17th 2006 2:38AM
Major League Gamers, Lord no. Do you people really want to see this take off? I seen my own in action and it isn't pretty. I can't wait till regular kids are turned away because of bad micro, I mean seriously gamer jocks. No body see how bad this can become?
Bob Costas: "So tell me When the crash finally came? And how micro enhancing drugs ruined your career!"
MLG: "Yeah many gamers do it Bob! I found myself
popping caffine pills to stay awake, practicing to pwn noobs at halo2"
Bob Costas: "Then what happen!"
MLG: "I finally fell out and over slept the tourny, My friend tried to wake me up and when I came to I was yelling. I'M SO EXCITED, I'M SO EXCITED! That's when I knew Bob. I Knew I couldn't take the fast pace gaming life any more!"
aaron @ Apr 17th 2006 2:45AM
There is going to be major cheese...I can see it now: the network playing commercials for some PG-13 horror movie that has some chick from the WB, Mountain Dew, a bad SEGA game, and Proactive solutions.
Sabre @ Apr 17th 2006 3:06AM
GOD I hope the hosts of the show arent like the meathead frat boy and she-man looking chick that G4s "Arena" had.
epobirs @ Apr 17th 2006 4:22AM
I cannot imagine a greater reason to turn off the TV, or better, use it to play a game rather than watch someone else play. I don't care how good they are at it, it isn't a spectator sport. Especially if you've no interest in conventional spectator sports. The closest I can come to being interested is the highlight clip on the news. In terms of games, the closest I can come to being interested is watching 'Cheat!' to see the execution of a game I'd probably never play but has programming work I admire. It doesn't matter who is playing under that circumstance, just so long as they show the technology doing its thing.
There are infomercials more engaging than G4's Arena. I find it hard to believe any other producer is going to do any better with an inherently flawed concept. I suppose it could be hosted by wildly attractive naked women but a competing show would get me to change the channel by promising less footage of other people playing video games.
joseph @ Apr 17th 2006 4:22AM
#2 you are completely wrong. Everyone I know who is a big gamer loves watching the top players play. Those tournaments can get really exicting, just like a big sporting event, and you definitely learn how to play certain games much better. I've watched many StarCraft, WarCraft III, Quake 2/3/4, and Counterstrike demos. I've also watched Halo 2 videos and SSB:M videos. Some of those gamers take the games to new heights and it can be an awesome sight.
DJ NoPantsCuban AKA.ShinobiFist @ Apr 17th 2006 5:07AM
G4? You mean the "Star Trek wannabe Spike TV" channel? WTF happen those slackers at G4. Tech TV was fine the way it was.
I don't mind seeing other players duke it out on TV. I love watching EVO videos of Street Fighter 3 Thrid Strike, on DVD's. You always see some players pull out some crazy stuff(Daigo, nuff said)
dan s. @ Apr 17th 2006 5:40AM
yeah, watching 7 hours of halo 2 during the wee hours of the morning sounds like a great time to me. ignoring the fact that there's no way these will be nicely edited, non-cheese, legit gaming vids, i seriously doubt this will go anywhere. you all seem so excited about it now, but wait till it comes and goes.
Pixelantes Anonymous @ Apr 17th 2006 8:19AM
Let's see how they ruin this thing.
If it's going to be anything like the retarded X-Games type of crap they show on any "youth" oriented networks, I'm going to barf my energy drink (I'm a gamer, I'm supposed to drink those things, right marketers?) at the TV screen.
Rocket Punch @ Apr 17th 2006 10:31AM
"....to air on Saturday mornings"
umm.....
Did they even know whos their target audience are??? Which effing gamer would be up saturday morning and watch tv??
CheapyD @ Apr 17th 2006 10:31AM
Congratulations to Mike, Sundance and the rest of the MLG crew!
This is big news and a major coup!
Have no fear, these guys know their stuff...I'm sure it won't be your typical G4 garbage.
Kami No Yadoru @ Apr 17th 2006 10:45AM
The problem is, watching "pro gamers" is nothing that's accessible to non-gamer viewers. This possesses the same entertainment value as televised chess or M:TG. Poker's effectiveness is the exception that proves the rule, and poker has gotten over through skillful presentation and a format which not only allows the viewer to stay involved in the game, but accentuates the entertaining, colorful personalities.
Comparing this to any athletic spectator sport based in the physical world is foolish.
Mullet @ Apr 17th 2006 11:08AM
This sounds like an excellent idea, but just where will they find the gamers to be on the shows? I'm sure everyone who watches, that is a gamer, will want to be on the show.
I hope they host each weeks at like a new major city.
But the idea of hosting SSBM is great. I have watched videos online of people playing and it is great to watch if the people know what they are doing, they can even teach you new ways to play.
As for Halo, that might be a cool idea, but isn't that hard to watch and know what's going on on all the screens? Idk.
Uno @ Apr 17th 2006 11:58AM
It's funny when people say things like "gamers" including the entire population, don't do it.. Really shows your idiocy on a huge scale. I for one, don't mind and rather have it this way.
ResidentGamer.com @ Apr 17th 2006 12:01PM
I think this will fly. MAny people thought skateboarding wasn't going to work as a pro sport just like a WHOLE slew of of sports that people didn't deam worthy of the title. It's all in the presentation. If the USA Network does a good job of presenting the sport and the gamers then I think we could be in for a lot more pro gaming like shows.
ill trooper @ Apr 17th 2006 12:35PM
I can't give ANYTHING respect when it uses a logo that bites the MLB logo... An act that stopped being clever over 10 years ago.
Uno @ Apr 17th 2006 1:35PM
Skateboarding sucks. and, I also hate MLB. So, I already don't like their logo, but I don't like G4TV and I'd rather have this televised than that, plus paying to access G4TV is just ignorant.
jimjimson @ Apr 17th 2006 4:28PM
i hope they thought they were clever and original with that logo... http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/pennyarcade/7b98/
i'm sure someone has brought that up before. but just in case.
MaX PL and the 360 r4pe Tr4iN @ Apr 17th 2006 5:08PM
HAHA, MLG on USA.
i got banned from their site telling them theyre not gonna make it.
the whole MLG following was under the impression it would be on ESPN or MTV, and now it turns out to be USA on saturday mornings. Thats freaking cartoon hour!!!! HAHAHA.
MLG isnt going anywhere if their main game continues to be Halo 2.
This show wont go anywhere either because theres only one team that always wins Halo 2, and that team 3D.
it will get boring and the audiences will stop tuning in.
Sepso, Clap.... MLG sucks you nubcakes.
rawker @ Apr 17th 2006 7:14PM
#25
Skatebording sucks as a professional sport, sure for the first few years it was great, but now all the creativity is gone, the skaters aren't having fun anymore. That is the same reason i really think the whole concept of competitive gaming is a joke. Games are for fun, and when the fun is gone the games just plain suck imo. I love competitiveness in games, and online... to a point. When people take games to seriously bad things happen (the WOW funeral for example)
Firestorm @ Apr 17th 2006 11:23PM
I definitely enjoy watching SSBM videos, and so do my friends. Most of you seem to have no idea how MLG works. Unlike G4, the organization is run by people who play games, like games, and interact daily with the people who participate in the tournaments. I hope to see this when it airs, and hopefully it won't be all Halo 2.
Blade @ Apr 23rd 2006 10:02PM
To Brody Brooks what are you talking about, gamer love to watch other people play to improve there skill and see the cool stuff that they do in the game and this type of game halo 2 is very big in teens eyes, i think this will be big.
Brent Burk @ Apr 30th 2006 1:50AM
In China and Korea there are networks for competitive video gaming. In America there are several broadcasting networks online, and currently there is a month long tournament in china. You can watch it @ esport.org - gets over a million people watching. So there is a demand :