Changes afoot in pro gaming leagues
It's all go on the pro gaming scene this week, with two announcements from different leagues revealing what's in store for professional gamers and wannabes.
Firstly, the company behind the MLG console league, Major League Gaming, Inc., announced it had secured first-round venture capital funding to the tune of $10 million--the console side of pro gaming sees fewer competitors than PC gaming, and this funding will help MLG's goal of becoming a serious sports circuit.
Over at the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL), however, a partnership is on the cards. This year's CPL World Tour has been cancelled; instead, MLG are teaming up with Games Media Properties to offer a World Series of Video Games. The prize money for the CPL Summer tournament has been halved as a result, and CPL's Angel Munoz hints at a stronger console focus than we've previously seen.
The common thread behind both of these announcements is a shift towards more credibility, more television focus and more console gaming--pro gaming is maturing into a sport in its own right.
