Professional Video Gaming Set for TV Debut

[CptStern]

Professional video gaming is set to debut on cable television later this year, potentially paving the way for the kings and queens of game controllers to become as familiar to American households as the faces of Johnny Chan or Annie Duke in televised poker.

Major League Gaming, the world's largest organized video gaming league, on Monday will announce a programming deal in which USA Network will air seven one-hour episodes in the fall, featuring the pro circuit and its players.

I'd watch it but then I saw this and was greatly discouraged:

The upcoming televised series will aim to engage viewers with not only with the game play itself — featuring top players of "Halo 2" on Xbox and "Super Smash Bros. Melee" on Nintendo — but also sports-like commentary and profiles of the players.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060417/ap_on_hi_te/video_gaming_tv_show_3

I guess to manistream audiences gaming = consoles ...pc's dont exist ..I just think it's incredibly narrow sighted to focus on console games ...it just seems that they're pandering to the lowest common denomiator as opposed to making honest attempts at bringing the world of online competitive games to tv ...I mean ****ing Halo2 ffs? people have been playing games like CS for years and they focus on Halo?

 

[ríomhaire]

They should have games of CS, Warcraft and C&C :hmph:

 

[GhostBoi]

This is sweet, now I won't have to take hours and hours to download vids of the top SSBM players.

 

[Ennui]

pfft, console games? come the hell on, PC games are far more competitive, CS ffs

 

[CptStern]

this will probably ultimately die a slow painful death ..it'll look like the mtv xbox360 launch ..quasi-celebrities shilling microsoft products with booth babe type commentators making ill informed comentary like "Halo2 the first online shooter ever!" .."He got owed ..it's owed right? like I owed you money?"

 

[Hectic Glenn]

I totally agree. CS still fills that gap, bit of competitive scoutzknivez i wouldn't mind.

 

[ríomhaire]

What about Gamesmaster and When Games Attack? D:

 

[CyberPitz]

The day that they start to do computers, is the day it will actually get people watching it.

 

[xcellerate]

seriously, rounds of battlefield 2 or CS:S (as much as i hate it), would really get people watching.

Socom 2 sucks...i'm tired of that show of G4 showing nothing but socom 2!! who the **** cares about socom, die socom die!

 

[Dalamari]

G4 has ruined gaming, not everyone is an anime junkie who plays Halo 2 (but you wouldn't be able to tell that if you checked their forums) and now this show is going to completely fail because they won't have the PC gaming audience

They should really stop trying to bring video gaming to network TV, it won't work

 

[Jangle]

CS would be so much more interesting. People get really worked up about it if somebody beats them.

 

[Ennui]

it might work if they did decent PC games in a non-stupid way, but g4 completely stupidifies every match they cover by making it look like some stupid pomped up psuedo-Nickelodeon game show

 

[A True Canadian]

G4 has ruined gaming, not everyone is an anime junkie who plays Halo 2 (but you wouldn't be able to tell that if you checked their forums) and now this show is going to completely fail because they won't have the PC gaming audience

When I got Digital Cable last summer, we were able to get a free preview of many Digital channels, and G4 Tech TV was one of them. I tried watching one of the exclusive gaming shows, I really did, but they were just horrible. Every American made show about gaming has been autrocious to watch. Their target audience must be under the age of 10.

They should really stop trying to bring video gaming to network TV, it won't work

There's two Canadian (yeah, maybe I'm a little biased) made shows about video games I enjoy watching, that I highly recommend: The Electric Playground, and Reviews on the Run. :E

Unlike the Americanized crap, the Canadian shows have a dignity to them. They should appeal to gamers of all ages because they are professional, insightful, and non-offensive. The vocabulary used by host, Victor Lucas, should be proof enough. Best of all, it's not just about consoles.

So that being said, if this TV thing is more like EP's style, then it has a chance. If it's more like the general crappiness of the G4 stuff, I doubt it will fly. Then again, the American TV audience does have some low standards.

 

[Dalamari]

G4 shows Electric Playground and it's horrible, they have all these stupid gags with bad special effects, really bad, they should have kept their top 10 show

X-play IMO is a good review show, they are funny, and give pretty good reviews most of the time.

 

[CptStern]

ya I like EP and Reviews on the run ...although tommy tallerico is very very very annoying (although I like him, he's still annoying) ...also a but disappointed with EP cuz they dropped a lot of their pc games coverage and focused on consoles


dalamari: you're reffering to tommy tallerico ...ya he's embarrassing

 

[ríomhaire]

Here there's Gamer TV which is bearable (though their news is often horribly old) but the presenter is a bit annoying. Gamstation is just rubbish and Gamezville is a festering pile of dog crap. When Games Attack was at least funny.

 

[A True Canadian]

ya I like EP and Reviews on the run ...although tommy tallerico is very very very annoying (although I like him, he's still annoying) ...also a but disappointed with EP cuz they dropped a lot of their pc games coverage and focused on consoles


dalamari: you're reffering to tommy tallerico ...ya he's embarrassing

Tommy's there to appeal to the younger audience. Ironically, he's the only American on the show.

I guess Victor is the reason I watch the show. He alone is probably the reason why I rank EP and RotR higher than any other gaming show I've seen.

X-play IMO is a good review show, they are funny, and give pretty good reviews most of the time.

Damn, that's one I didn't see.

 

[Axyon]

Here there's Gamer TV which is bearable (though their news is often horribly old) but the presenter is a bit annoying. Gamstation is just rubbish and Gamezville is a festering pile of dog crap. When Games Attack was at least funny.

Ugh, Gamer TV is just watered down crap. The presenter was much better as just a voice, but they had to change it for the new series and show his pasty white nerd arse.

When Games Attack, however, is brilliant because it knows it's not trying to bring the 'fresh' news, it's just an excuse to slag off bad games and for Dominik Diamond to be hilarious. I'd consider it more an entertainment show that happens to be about gaming.

 

[Razor]

If it's dedicated to consoles, you'll have commentators apologising to viewers because the top Halo player couldn't attend due to it being past his bedtime.

 

[CptStern]

Tommy's there to appeal to the younger audience. Ironically, he's the only American on the show.

I guess Victor is the reason I watch the show. He alone is probably the reason why I rank EP and RotR higher than any other gaming show I've seen.



Damn, that's one I didn't see.

ya I like Victor, just as knowledgable but far less annoying ..I'd watch the show if it was just him ...I honestly cant see Tommy being appealing to any age group ..he's just not funny

 

[sabre0001]

surely seeing people fiddle with those crappy controllers for shoot-em-ups will be painful...at least PC games could be exciting...

 

[el Chi]

"but also sports-like commentary and profiles of the players."

I can see it now:
"Here we have world Halo 2 champion 3rayZin4toR, up against his bitter arch rival, hump_ur_mom. They've GRAPPLED with their gamepads before in an AMAZINGly slow 1-on-1 DEATHmatch of EXPLOSIVEly pedestrian PROportions. Both BLOOD-THIRSTY competitors have been on RIGOROUS training programs over THE LAST TWO MONTHS OF THEIR LIVES, sticking to a REMORSELESS diet of pizza, coke and EXTREME ice cream. Over to Alan..."

"Thanks Jim! These two competitors are FURIOUSly obese due to that HORRIFIC diet you just mentioned. Both measuring in at just OVER five feet TALL. There were a lot of stairs to get up to the studio as the elevator was broken so these two fat sacks o' shit are BURNING UP INSIDE. Maybe it's with HATRED, maybe it's with heart failure - we just don't know. By their cherry red complexions and FIERCE wheezing, you can be sure that their BLOOD IS BOILING. Maybe one of them will DIE DURING THIS MATCH due to CHRONIC health complaints - we just don't know. Over to Buzz, who's ringside..."

Huzzah.

 

[CptStern]

"but also sports-like commentary and profiles of the players."
I can see it now:
"Here we have world Halo 2 champion 3rayZin4toR, up against his bitter arch rival, hump_ur_mom. They've GRAPPLED with their gamepads before in an AMAZINGly slow 1-on-1 DEATHmatch of EXPLOSIVEly pedestrian PROportions. Both BLOOD-THIRSTY competitors have been on RIGOROUS training programs over THE LAST TWO MONTHS OF THEIR LIVES, sticking to a REMORSELESS diet of pizza, coke and EXTREME ice cream. Over to Alan..."

"Thanks Jim! These two competitors are FURIOUSly obese due to that HORRIFIC diet you just mentioned. Both measuring in at just OVER five feet TALL. There were a lot of stairs to get up to the studio as the elevator was broken so these two fat sacks o' shit are BURNING UP INSIDE. Maybe it's with HATRED, maybe it's with heart failure - we just don't know. By their cherry red complexions and FIERCE wheezing, you can be sure that their BLOOD IS BOILING. Maybe one of them will DIE DURING THIS MATCH due to CHRONIC health complaints - we just don't know."

Huzzah.

I'd hire you, you're a natural :cheers:

 

[Sulkdodds]

This is pretty silly considering PC games invented/are the home of large-scale multiplayer gaming.

CS:S, BF2, DoD, ridiculous Garrysmod challenges.

 

[Razor]

"but also sports-like commentary and profiles of the players."

I can see it now:
"Here we have world Halo 2 champion 3rayZin4toR, up against his bitter arch rival, hump_ur_mom. They've GRAPPLED with their gamepads before in an AMAZINGly slow 1-on-1 DEATHmatch of EXPLOSIVEly pedestrian PROportions. Both BLOOD-THIRSTY competitors have been on RIGOROUS training programs over THE LAST TWO MONTHS OF THEIR LIVES, sticking to a REMORSELESS diet of pizza, coke and EXTREME ice cream. Over to Alan..."

"Thanks Jim! These two competitors are FURIOUSly obese due to that HORRIFIC diet you just mentioned. Both measuring in at just OVER five feet TALL. There were a lot of stairs to get up to the studio as the elevator was broken so these two fat sacks o' shit are BURNING UP INSIDE. Maybe it's with HATRED, maybe it's with heart failure - we just don't know. By their cherry red complexions and FIERCE wheezing, you can be sure that their BLOOD IS BOILING. Maybe one of them will DIE DURING THIS MATCH due to CHRONIC health complaints - we just don't know. Over to Buzz, who's ringside..."

Huzzah.

Lol, you'ved failed to mention that both Hump_ur_mom and 3rayZin4toR are 14 years old

 

[ríomhaire]

Hell yeah. Gmod competions, now that would be fun to see.

 

[Dalamari]

Hell yeah. Gmod competions, now that would be fun to see.

which is exactly the reason that it will never happen, the networks would never put something on TV that would take away from their cash cows (24, King of Queens, blah blah blah...)

 

[CptStern]

sure they would. Successful tv shows are used to springboard other tv shows ...take a successful show with a built in audience, create a show that's similiar, put it on right after the popular show and then move it to another time slot when it becomes popular ...it's exactly how Friends became big: on the coat tails of Seinfeld

 

[el Chi]

Lol, you'ved failed to mention that both Hump_ur_mom and 3rayZin4toR are 14 years old

Bollocks.

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

Lol, you'ved failed to mention that both Hump_ur_mom and 3rayZin4toR are 14 years old

Come now! Let's be more realistic. Maybe 8 to 10 years old.

Hell yeah. Gmod competions, now that would be fun to see.

Yeah, MingeBag vs. MingeBag shoot outs. Nobody would win, of course, since they are known to have the worst ****ing aim known to man. :sniper:

 

[Darkside55]

What in the fsck is the Major Gaming League? "Largest organized gaming league in the world," is it? That must be why I've heard of it so often before. None of these upstarts like the CPL, IGL, OGL, or any of those no-names can hope to compete.

This is an outrage. Top players of Halo 2...yeah, you're real good there, kid. Just keep running around with those dual needles and you don't even have to worry about pesky things like "aiming." And I thrill at the chance to watch high-level play of Super F*cking Smash Brothers Melee. God...Melee?! If this show was going to be a console-fest, couldn't they have at least picked a better fighting game to showcase?

Someone must die for this.

Also, nice work showcasing the female gamer and the game counselor to the stars to imply that gaming can appeal to NOT JUST BOYS BUT GIRLS, TOO! and trying to make it sound like not only are gamers productive people, but also trying to give it some kind of credibility by mentioning celebrities and athletes.</sarcasm>

it might work if they did decent PC games in a non-stupid way, but g4 completely stupidifies every match they cover by making it look like some stupid pomped up psuedo-Nickelodeon game show

ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT NICK-ARCADE?! :flame:

 

[Cormeh]

When Games Attack, however, is brilliant because it knows it's not trying to bring the 'fresh' news, it's just an excuse to slag off bad games and for Dominik Diamond to be hilarious. I'd consider it more an entertainment show that happens to be about gaming.

Don't forget the professional footballers in the Pro Evo tourney, or even better the page 3 girls in the dance dance competition.

 

[GhostBoi]

This is an outrage. Top players of Halo 2...yeah, you're real good there, kid. Just keep running around with those dual needles and you don't even have to worry about pesky things like "aiming." And I thrill at the chance to watch high-level play of Super F*cking Smash Brothers Melee. God...Melee?! If this show was going to be a console-fest, couldn't they have at least picked a better fighting game to showcase?

Hey! Melee is a great fighting game!:angry:

 

[Axyon]

Don't forget the professional footballers in the Pro Evo tourney, or even better the page 3 girls in the dance dance competition.

Heh, it was great to see how far he'd go taking the piss before they noticed. Never did, though.

 

[Darkside55]

Hey! Melee is a great fighting game!:angry:

No, melee is a great party game, and merely a fun fighting game. It's not the kind of game you can have "professionals" on...the biggest melee tournament you should EVER see is like, ten friends at your house drawing matches up on a piece of binder paper. It is not fit for competition-level play, much less televised competition-level play.

TBH, I don't even think I'd watch an Evo tournament on TV. It's ridiculous.

 

[CyberPitz]

It's official. We need to get our own show that will have on certain dates showcasing tournies of the competitive games. Then on the off days, show some older tourny matches, or a GOOD video game talk about show...

I think if we all join together, we could actually make it happen.....

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

I don't have much fun watching people play games anyway.

 

[GhostBoi]

No, melee is a great party game, and merely a fun fighting game. It's not the kind of game you can have "professionals" on...the biggest melee tournament you should EVER see is like, ten friends at your house drawing matches up on a piece of binder paper. It is not fit for competition-level play, much less televised competition-level play.

TBH, I don't even think I'd watch an Evo tournament on TV. It's ridiculous.

I direct ye to Smash Boards http://www.smashboards.com/ these people take smash very seriously and I would like to see what they would say if you were to waltz in there and say that. I doubt you know any of the metagame of advanced smash, so be informed before you speak.