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Another arena team goes pro: The Fighting Mongooses of Mug'thol
This is getting to be a habit-- maybe WoW will thrive in the professional gaming arena yet. Curse is reporting that Enervate Gaming has picked up The Fighting Mongooses, an Arena team on Mug'thol (they've got a 2536 rating, which I guess is kind of good and stuff). They're currently first in their battlegroup Vengeance (and Overrated is running second place, so they may get picked up soon as well). AmpedeSports has a short piece up about both TFM and Power Trip, who we reported a little while ago were one of two other teams who've been picked up by progaming agents.There's a few interesting things to be learned in the sound bites of the Enervate guy as well. As for actual tournaments, he says plans are still up in the air, but he confirms that Blizzard will supposedly be "paying for some of the top teams to attend Blizzard sponsored events." (Enervate says they'll be paying to send the sixth man along.) And when asked how he chose The Fighting Mongooses, he says Power Trip and ZERG IT DOWN just weren't available that he spoke with players and "community leaders" to find out which were the teams to watch, and then listened in on some of TFM's matches. The team is a group of close friends-- two of them have known each other since elementary school, and there's a pair of brothers as well.So grats to The Fighting Mongooses for picking up a sponsor. With all this support flying around, we're going to have to get these guys together in an arena pretty soon and see what they can do. How about it, Blizzard?
Will professional gaming change the World of Warcraft as we know it?
With the arena system introducing a new kind of competitive PvP to the World of Warcraft, we're seeing our first professionally sponsored WoW arena teams. While Blizzard continues to market WoW to a core casual audience, the introduction of paid professionals into the arena brackets is anything but casual friendly. (Not that I've ever been a good enough PvPer to hit the top levels, but it was always nice to look at the arena gear and dream!) And the truth is we've probably only just seen the beginning of such sponsorships. Says Stephen Schoder of Check Six (sponsors of team ZERG IT UP):In the future you will soon find that Blizzard has tweaked the game to near perfection [in regards to game balance] in preparation for mainstream eSports competition.There's a whole new world of gaming out there, and Blizzard is only just getting its feet wet. [Via 1up, with thanks to Dave for the tip!]
Attention pro gamers: stop taking drugs
An interesting article on Tom's Hardware reveals that the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) is preparing to introduce drug testing at all of its gaming competitions next year. Ignoring the kneejerk observation that gaming can be a drug all on its own (we frequently test positive for Lumines), there are two ways of looking at this development. The CPL having to test for drugs sends an unfortunate message about gamers we've known for quite a while -- some of them just like to cheat. On the other hand, such serious measures imply that professional gaming (or, sigh, "eSports") is being treated in the same manner as "real" sports, with all the rules and repercussions that accompany them.The founder and president of the league, Angel Munoz, is clearly concerned about dubious drug activities in league events. "The potential for [drugs] being an issue absolutely concerns me. It should concern anybody in eSports, because as the stakes get larger, as in any sport, people will look for an edge." In case you were wondering, some of the chemical concoctions under consideration are crystal methamphetamine and Ritalin, both of which could be used to enhance mental alertness and twitch reflexes. Luckily, Munoz rules out the banning of Red Bull and the like, mostly because it would prove too difficult to regulate. He must also be astutely aware that gathering a large group of gamers (apologies -- cyberathletes) and robbing them of caffeinated beverages is an invitation to unmitigated disaster. [Via CVG]See also: LAN parties meet drug parties
MLG goes FTW on USA TV [update 1]
[Update: Commenter Ben found a second part of the preview, which interviews pro gamer Walshy and shows some more in game action. Part 2 is now also embedded below Thanks Ben.]Months ago, when Major League Gaming and the USA cable network announced plans to air seven hour-long programs on the MLG national tour, we begged the powers-that-be at the network to "please keep the cheese factor low." It looks like somebody up there was listening, because a new five-minute trailer for the program is low on cheese and high on production values.From the quick-paced jump cuts to the well-placed crowd shots and the respectful interviews with the gamers themselves, most everything in the trailer shows that this is a well thought-out, professional production and not some fly-by-night "Xtreme Gamerz" marketing stunt. The introduction strikes a good balance in being informative without being condescending, making the audience care about the players and the competition without forcing some manufactured personalities down our throats. Our only major concern is the announcers and commentators, some of whom still seem a little uncomfortable on camera, but this will likely improve as the season continues.Despite the slick production, it still remains to be seen whether U.S. gamers will want to watch Halo 2 instead of playing it themselves. We'll find out when MLG on USA premieres at 10 a.m. (EST/PST) on Nov. 11.
WoW and LAN gaming
Having a WoW LAN at an event like BlizzCon seems only natural, but we're seeing an increasing presence of WoW at BYOC events. With an Internet connection as staple a feature as the local area network that gives LAN events their name, there's no reason why MMOs shouldn't be at these events, as they provide a great opportunity for players to meet up and play together.Blizzard's recent announcement of their competitions at the Lanwar event in Kentucky got me thinking. Competitions are a great part of LAN events, whether it's cash, swag or prestige that's on offer. However, the time-restricted nature of a three-day event means that certain aspects of WoW get a lot more attention than others.Rather like the earlier beta contest, two of the competitions revolve around levelling and PvP. How far can you get in three hours? Given a premade character, how well can you PvP? Finally, a test of teamwork and skill that can only really take place at a LAN event like this -- beat other teams in a Stratholme race. Personally, I think levelling and PvP contests are quite limited -- but special events like PvPing against the devs, or a levelling contest using only Draenei and Blood Elves, could make an event like this truly special. Other areas of WoW could be highlighted, too -- how about testing a guild's tradeskill organisation? Finding rare and unusual pets and items? Mini-tank races?
CPL cancellation "a step backwards"
The BBC reports on the disappearance of the CPL World Tour from an international perspective. With budding British pro gamers having pinned their hopes on the event -- one even giving up a tennis career -- the cancellation comes as quite a blow. Teams that have trained on specific games, maps and rulesets have work ahead to retrain for other events.Philip Wride, manager of Intel-sponsored clan 4Kings, described the move as "a step backwards" for pro gaming. While there are still tournaments in Europe, the UK is left with just a few LAN tournaments that concentrate on fun rather than professional prize money. However, for gamers willing to travel, there is still a substantial amount of cash available to those who play well -- the World Series of Video Games, World Cyber Games and e-Sports World Cup all offer the chance to triumph.
Girl gamer recruitment good reality TV?
Recruiting a new member for a sponsored girl gaming team can't be easy. When Eekers (one of Ubisoft's Frag Dolls) left the line-up last summer, a nationwide search for her replacement rolled into motion, requiring everything from a gaming CV to glamour shots. Months later, when all but the hopefuls have forgotten the empty space to be filled, the shortlisted candidates have been announced and the final selection procedure outlined.All eight of the finalists will be flown to San Francisco to "join the existing Frag Dolls in a weekend of playing games and interviewing", a party that sounds like good fodder for frazzled nerves -- especially when you add in the filming. For this is no ordinary interview -- instead, the whole thing will be covered by Internet TV site GameTrailers, providing a reality TV glimpse into the mysterious world of girl gamers.
Continents clash in transatlantic tournament
A $100,000 gaming tournament is taking place from today until Sunday in New York, hosted by the Global Gaming League. The "AmeriCup vs EuroCup TransAtlantic Showdown" pits the winners from the European EuroCup tournament against the AmeriCup champions across three games: Counter-Strike 1.6, Quake 4 and Warcraft 3.There is live streaming media from the GGL website, and it's entertaining to watch, especially if you're interested in competitive gaming. If you're not, the seriousness of the event and its commentators may surprise you, but there's big money at stake for the champions--no laughing matter.
Pro gaming tournament sets sights on U.S.
The news that the World Cyber Games is headed for Seattle in 2007 goes hand-in-hand with this recent announcement of a new U.S. office for the WCG. Headed up by Michael Arzt, the office serves to show quite how much faith pro gaming leagues like the WCG have in the American market.While professional gaming as a career is mostly associated with Eastern countries, especially Korea, it's been rising in profile in the West recently. As well as the World Cyber Games, the Major League Gaming (MLG) and Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) tournaments are going strong--if you've got the skill and the dedication, there's some serious money to be won in gaming nowadays.
Sponsorship of female gamers a "joke"?
There hasn't been a good rant about female gamers for a while, but this article by Kim Rom delivers quite nicely. Looking at female gaming teams who seek sponsorship and attention based on their gender and looks rather than their skill, Kim points out the disparity in marketing between some female teams and the male teams they compete alongside.
World Cyber Games looking for gamer input
Interested in contributing to the World Cyber Games? The WCG is searching for gamer feedback on the rules and regulations of its tournament games, so if you have a burning desire to see a particular ruleset put in place, now's your chance.Looking for gamer input like this is useful, although part of the WCG organisers' job is to be, or seek out, experts on individual games to advise on rules. However, if enough players contribute their thoughts, there should be less contention over minutiae during the tournament itself.
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.
