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Competition is getting intense
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Video gamers have been competing against each other since the days of "Donkey Kong," but the competition has gotten more intense as the popularity of online multiplayer games has exploded. Some players are even making money off their "Halo" or "Gears of War" expertise, collecting checks at tournaments all over the world.
The competition between leagues is just as intense, with about half a dozen sponsoring competitions. One of the more prestigious is Major League Gaming, whose CEO, Matthew Bromberg, says it could be "the next major North American sport." MLG hosts tournaments across the U.S., broadcasting the events on its own Web site as well as ESPN.com.
Bromberg says more than 270,000 people watched parts of the most recent competition last month in San Diego, with 98 percent coming from the elusive 12- to 34-year-old male demographic. More are watching because "watchers play the same game as the pros on the same field, with the same rules," he said. The ESPN connection is "a great signpost toward mainstream mass acceptance."
Other leagues are looking to broaden their audiences: World Cyber Games has aired competitions on Spike TV, while Championship Gaming Series this year will have four events on G4 alongside its DirecTV tournaments. All hope that some pro gamers will someday be as famous — and well-paid — as Tiger Woods or Kobe Bryant.
— Lou Kesten, AP
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