Major League Gaming (MLG) Announces Major TV and Sponsorship Deals

[fitbabits]

Gamasutra (http://www.gamasutra.com) has the details (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=8923).

Professional video game league Major League Gaming (MLG), which received $10 million in funding from Ritchie Capital in a February deal, has now announced a number of major sponsorship and programming deals, including a television broadcasting agreement with the USA Network and new sponsors, as it expands its program to help compete with other major leagues.

The first MLG tournament will take place in Secaucus, NJ this Friday to Sunday, and the pro circuit will also travel to Dallas (May), Atlanta (June), Los Angeles (July) and Philadelphia (August). The playoffs will be held in Chicago (October) and the National Championships will be held in Las Vegas (November).

With regards to the broadcast deal, league programming, available at MLGpro.com all year long, will culminate in seven one-hour episodes that will air on the USA Network during the holiday season. In addition, the company also announced a MLG Pro Invasion Bus Tour, which will kick off in the summer and make 100 stops around the country. The Tour features MLG pros traveling across the U.S. in search of the next generation of professional gamers.
Damn! The fact that the seven one-hour episodes are being aired on USA Network and not on Spike or G4TV is telling.

[Serapth]

Damn! The fact that the seven one-hour episodes are being aired on USA Network and not on Spike or G4TV is telling.

Dont forget major networks can publish shit too... remember XFL? This idea has been tried like 10 times already( CPL being the latest causualty), I just dont see any real kind of professional gaming league working on TV. Frankly watching people playing games just isnt appealing.

If this is ever going to work ( pro-gamers ) I see it happening on something like Xbox live. If they get something like Gotham TV ( 32000 viewers ) working right and have weekly tournaments with an annual playoff, I could see that evolving into a professional gaming league.

However, modelling of existing sports leagues and going on traditional TV... just dont see that flying. Atleast not for a decade or so.

[f1sh3r]

g4tv is garbage. it has been for awhile. have you ever seen arena? yeah. if this is going anywhere g4tv is the last place they want to be.

at least when it was techtv they had appealing shows.

"This is the sign that pro gaming has finally arrived to the mass market," said Matthew Bromberg, MLG's president and chief operating officer. "It's like poker was two years ago, or NASCAR 15 years ago."

i like this quote. paintball has been working on this concept for years now. "get on tv and we'll be legit, then the money starts rolling in!!" the problem is they've been on tv in one form or another and it's still just a niche activity, just like "pro gaming" will be. even my non-geek friends who play unhealthy amounts of games wouldn't watch something like this because well, they'd rather be playing games. or watching a ball game. or something other than watching some geeky dudes sitting in front of an xbox playing halo.

[mightbe]

Now I've played a number of games competatively before but I have to say that there aren't really any currently popular video games i would want to compete at a high level in.

And I still have no interest in watching this. So who is it marketed towards?

Perhaps a game list would pique my interest a bit but probably not too much. The only reson would be if there was a title that I was interested in traveling to one of the locations to play.

All said, I wish them luck. They have a rediculously tough task ahead of them if they want to make pro gaming look interesting. It's usually a soul-less meatgrinder where only the very top players see any type of tangible reward.

[Heretic Machine]

g4tv is garbage. it has been for awhile. have you ever seen arena? yeah. if this is going anywhere g4tv is the last place they want to be.

at least when it was techtv they had appealing shows.



i like this quote. paintball has been working on this concept for years now. "get on tv and we'll be legit, then the money starts rolling in!!" the problem is they've been on tv in one form or another and it's still just a niche activity, just like "pro gaming" will be. even my non-geek friends who play unhealthy amounts of games wouldn't watch something like this because well, they'd rather be playing games. or watching a ball game. or something other than watching some geeky dudes sitting in front of an xbox playing halo.

I'm an uber geek, I play games all the time, and I would never watch this! Mostly for the same reason I don't watch sports: Why watch, when I can DO?

[mightbe]

Due to a spinal injury when I was younger that stopped me from playing football (and landed me in the marching band :D), I've never been much of a sports player other than an occasional recreational basketball league.

Now don't get me wrong. I like me some NFL, World Cup Soccer, and UFC. Even healthy I'd never be a T.J. Houshmanzedah, Freddy Adu, or Matt Huges and I love watching what these great atheletes are able to accomplish within their sports.

This is not one of those sports.

[Wolfgang]

i like this quote. paintball has been working on this concept for years now. "get on tv and we'll be legit, then the money starts rolling in!!" the problem is they've been on tv in one form or another and it's still just a niche activity, just like "pro gaming" will be. even my non-geek friends who play unhealthy amounts of games wouldn't watch something like this because well, they'd rather be playing games. or watching a ball game. or something other than watching some geeky dudes sitting in front of an xbox playing halo.

There is a pretty big difference between Paintball and video games. I agree that this show will probably be low rated, but I think comparing it to paintball is hard.

Paintball is very expensive. You need a good gun to compete in Speedball, the stuff they show on ESPN2, a bad gun is ok for backyard paintball. Paintball guns require a lot of up keep, you have to get your air refilled, you have to make sure you don't break O rings, you need to buy lots of paint for Speedball, etc...

Paintball is a very expensive hobby. I play it and video games and well Video games is a lot cheaper hobby and no one is scared of how much a video game is going to hurt when it hits them.

[ldi222]

I think its inevitable that at some point professional gaming will be as big as the Superbowl. If you dont think people want to watch gaming on TV, dont go to Korea. This is a big deal and I think it will be surprisingly successful.

[Crabby]

I think its inevitable that at some point professional gaming will be as big as the Superbowl. If you dont think people want to watch gaming on TV, dont go to Korea. This is a big deal and I think it will be surprisingly successful.


Cultural differences do not pass through cultural boundaries.

[Dominus]

Damn! The fact that the seven one-hour episodes are being aired on USA Network and not on Spike or G4TV is telling.

What's more surprising than the network is the fact that MLG is paying to have their TV program aired.

"MLG is paying USA Network for time slots on the cable channel"
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB114522494939927091-lMyQjAxMDE2NDE1NzIxMjc0Wj.html

[ldi222]

Like enjoying Starcraft you mean? Or just watching it on TV... I get it that makes sense. Youre right though, I dont think the Korean television market has as much interest in televised HALO tournaments as the United States. Good point.

[The Flash]

So it will be aired during the "holiday season"? Not sure what that means.

Anyways, this sounds like good news for MLG and I wish them the best of luck. I would like to see competitive gaming become successful so more quality games be made just for it's use. The most balanced games are always the most fun, and that's exactly what it takes for it to be used in tournament play.

[johnperkins21]

I think that some games are better for this than others. It has to be a game that lasts at least 5 minutes per round/match with very little downtime. I think that something like Starcraft is poorly suited as a show due to the long time it takes before action really starts. Most FPSs probably wouldn't work because you can't see enough of what's going on. I think sports and fighting games are the best fit for this. The only problem is that the real world counterparts already exist and are going to be more widely received.

The other element is that you need someone to root for. If you're not rooting for someone (or against), then there is no reason to watch. I'm an NFL fan, but I generally won't watch a game between two teams I can care less about, or that don't have people on my fantasy team. Same thing here. I have never rooted for anyone during Arena. That show is a poor example though as they play crappy games and the commentary/editing blows donkey nuts.

If they can gain a small audience, I think there may be a possibility for developers to actually try and create games that work with a viewer model. Until then though, good freakin' luck.

FYI, "Holiday Season" means Nov-Jan. Most networks play a lot of re-runs during this time due to general lack of interest in televison. Family obligations usually translate into lower ratings, thus time for experimental shows and re-runs.

[moron]

I totally don't get the folks here who think televised game coverage is dumb. Have you never been to an arcade? There is a reason why many arcade machines have an extra screen for the audience to watch via - people like watching skilled players do their stuff.

FPS would be especially cool for this and the fact that you can have cameras following everyone in the game plus at opportune locations means that this can be edited together easily and quickly for super tight coverage.

I just hope I don't have to pick up a special cable package here in Canada to see this.

Cheers

[bone_matrix]

This could be cool. When I watch sports, I watch my team play, or a match up that is supposed to be a good game. I don't watch other teams. This could be like that. They could show only the really good games, or splice the good stuff together from each game, and leave the crap. Watching someone play Halo 2 for many hours IS boring. Seeing 1 or 2 kickass games and craziness, or a kickass montage is cool.

[f1sh3r]

There is a pretty big difference between Paintball and video games. I agree that this show will probably be low rated, but I think comparing it to paintball is hard.

Paintball is very expensive. You need a good gun to compete in Speedball, the stuff they show on ESPN2, a bad gun is ok for backyard paintball. Paintball guns require a lot of up keep, you have to get your air refilled, you have to make sure you don't break O rings, you need to buy lots of paint for Speedball, etc...

Paintball is a very expensive hobby. I play it and video games and well Video games is a lot cheaper hobby and no one is scared of how much a video game is going to hurt when it hits them.

i'm not really trying to compare it TO paintball as much as both trying to break into the legit big time money making people lining up to watch it sponsors throwing money at commercials mass market. they both want to appeal to a greater audience, but imho neither will ever be more than a niche on tv.

[f1sh3r]

I totally don't get the folks here who think televised game coverage is dumb. Have you never been to an arcade? There is a reason why many arcade machines have an extra screen for the audience to watch via - people like watching skilled players do their stuff.

FPS would be especially cool for this and the fact that you can have cameras following everyone in the game plus at opportune locations means that this can be edited together easily and quickly for super tight coverage.

I just hope I don't have to pick up a special cable package here in Canada to see this.

Cheers

i went to arcades in high school...to play games. sure you had to watch while you were waiting your turn, but i wasn't there just to watch other people play. i was there to play myself, otherwise i'd be somewhere else.

Watching someone play Halo 2 for many hours IS boring. Seeing 1 or 2 kickass games and craziness, or a kickass montage is cool.

anyone who thinks this is a great idea catch an episode of 'arena' on g4tv. gaming just doesn't seem to translate well to tv, and honestly your average joe isn't going to watch it. people find it hard to follow hockey on tv, imagine trying to follow halo if you aren't a regular player, or even if you are.

for the guy who was surprised that MLG was paying to get on the air, how do you think it works? unless you have big time sponsors buying commercial time then you pay for your air time. networks (especially ones as big as USA) aren't handing out air time for a show that's going to be niche unless they know they can sell ad time, which is how they make money. i seriously doubt clorox or apple jacks or whoever is going to go "yeah a bunch of geeky guys playing COD2 on tv, that'll be huge. let's put our commercial money into those spots!" until they can prove they can draw viewers that's how it goes.

[ldi222]

Arena is just very poorly done. The Madden special on ESPN 2 was pretty cool and so was the MTV thing about the life of a pro gamer. It is inevitable that pro gaming will have its place on Television.

[moron]

people find it hard to follow hockey on tv

Apparently only some subset of no mind Southern Californian TV execs find it hard to follow hockey on TV since that whole blue puck BS lasted like 5 seconds and was universally reviled. So -1 for being US centric.

Australian rules football, now that's harder one to follow.

=)

Cheers

[The Continental]

Arena is just very poorly done. The Madden special on ESPN 2 was pretty cool and so was the MTV thing about the life of a pro gamer. It is inevitable that pro gaming will have its place on Television.

And how much of that "MTV thing" (True Life) was actual footage of what was going on in the game? Zero. True Life followed the real lives of the gamers, all the actual competition was summed up in white text over a black screen, ala "So and so is competing in the final round of the tournament after defeating X number of opponents". They didn't actually show any gaming other than a few glimpses just so the audience knew what it was they were playing. They focused on the interesting real life aspects of competitive gaming, the money, the traveling, the conflict between players outside of the game, the stress on their families and loved ones as a result of spending so much time gaming, things of that nature.

Unless you have some kind of vested interest in the players playing (watching your friends, watching someone you've played againt or will be playing against), watching people play games competitively really isn't interesting. If this upcoming show can change that somehow, more power to em, but at the moment they're going to be fighting an uphill battle.

[f1sh3r]

Arena is just very poorly done. The Madden special on ESPN 2 was pretty cool and so was the MTV thing about the life of a pro gamer. It is inevitable that pro gaming will have its place on Television.

how do you see it as inevitable? do you really think people want to watch this, outside of a select few? i'm a hardcore gamer, but guess what, i'd rather play then watch some dorks on tv playing. i'm sorry but i just can't see a mainstream audience for this.

[Soap]

The main reason why this will fail:

Needs identifiable local teams.

If you're going to broadcast this on television, you really need to hook the audience into rooting for a team. The two games being offered in this competition are Super Smash Brothers Melee and Halo2. How is the audience going to form an attachment with red/blue masterchief or mario vs. luigi?

I'm going to throw this out and say they really should have put Counter-Strike: Source as one of the games for competition. The producers of the show could add in custom skins for each team, players can be "followed" a lot easier on the map, and there could be more of a "story" about the team and their custom PCs.

[phantomhitman]

i cannot wait until a TO character comes along either. I could just see the interview now
reporter-Your team did great today, you dominated everyone!
gamer-Yeah, we pooned noobs and owned their moms pretty good. I had more kills than anyone else on my team, hell I should play alone. In fact I am the ruler of all video games and should play alone.

However, the pgr tv is nice to watch, especially when the semi final rounds come.