Gaming Does Professional Gaming Have a Future?

http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/2009/04/10/the-future-of-professional-gaming/1

Three years ago, celebrity gamers such as Fatal1ty were bagging millions in prizes and TV channels were queuing up to broadcast games on TV. Professional gaming looked set for the big time. We look at why it hasn’t made the big time, and wonder if it ever will

 

cant think of a better way to take the fun out of the game tbh. esports and pr0 gamers ftl.

 

hmmmmmmmmmmm

 

how do u get to the point where u want to be shut-in and pratice for hours and hours....sounds like a nightmare world to me!

 

Pussies.

But seriously, do we really want computer games to be taken as "seriously" as football? I hope not.

 

what a boring job, RSI to the max.
Games are for fun, any one that says other wise needs a girlfriend or boyfriend and a life.

 

problem is physical sporting is refined and has been going on for decades/century

games however have short shelf life, constant expansion, patches that changes gameplay (i remember we got so confused when we were in a team match using an old version of a game), new titles and the community (real sport u cant hide behind the internet, some people just ruin the experience of what "sport" is all about)

 

One word; Starcraft.

 

Did it ever occur to you that those people playing the same game over and over actually enjoy it? Fun is subjective. Not everyone enjoys the same things.

 

Nexxo has a transfer fee of $70 million.


Professional gamer sounds fun but isn't a real career. Once you get old, sponsors would want a new younger face representing their products.

 

That's true in a lot of areas that manage to be pretty good/well paying professions - modelling, acting etc...

 

Most of the comments so far also apply to 'real' sports.

 

I played semi-pro tournaments throughout late highschool and into early college, My total winnings was about 3,000 over 4 years. Yes not a living, but not bad for doing something most would do for free. I ennjoyed it immensely but like trying to become top notch at anything in life it takes a large amount of time and dedication.

I'll tell you I have some great memories and highlights of those super tight matches where everything is on the line and you try to give it your all to pull out the win. The amazing shut-outs or epic upsets. Plus you meet a lot of interesting people and get to travel to some nice cities (to spend all your time in a dark room). The practice was not the most fun, but do you think most atheletes like to practice? I liked nailing really hard moves or coordinating strategies to just wow our opponents.

I think esports will start getting some stand-out titles that become regulars such as CS1.6 starcraft, quake 3, etc these games have survived their shelf life and still are big draws. Also for the sports to grow you have to realize that some games are just not fun to watch, such as WoW which amounts to a series of buttons being pressed while health bars go up and down (I played competitive wow too) Some games such as Smash brothers melee and halo 3 are very easy for the average joe to watch and understand and I think they have better spectator apeal.

I think that's what's going to make or break esports the commentary and being able to build a sense of spectator appeal.

 

Makes it pretty obvious that you will never play esports. Not because you don't want to, but because you can't.

The gamers that play esports aren't shut-ins. They aren't losers that spend all day and night playing the game. Most are just naturally good at the game they play.

We gamers that play esports. We love it. It's fun.

Any more ignorant, uninformed things to say?

 

Will game for bunnies.

 

I always feel embarrassed to be a gamer when pro gaming is mentioned, it's just a painful reminder how beta gaming in general is /me goes off to lift some weights >_<

 

I played CS since the start, founded a clan, expanded, ranked 14 in the German ESPL [before they renamed it] and had a lot of fun. Then some people wanted to go professional, that kiled the team but we all accepted it and kept gaming.

As that's what gaming is about: Having fun with others and letting everyone do his or her own thing as long as it doesn't insult anyone or spoil the fun for others.

Just my 2 cents...

 

I'm not a pro by any means. I play for fun. But as someone mentioned, fun means different things to different people. I can totally see how professional gaming makes sense.

In the last 5 years, I only played three games that I can remember:
1. GTA 3 (I'd play 4 too, but my PC hardware is not ready yet) - finished it in a week or so, enjoyed it, but never played it again
2. Portal - finished in a day or so, enjoyed it, but never played it again
3. Counter Strike: Source - playing it 3 times a week or so for the last 3 years, enjoying it all the time

Now you see that one of those games stands out as far as playing time. I can't say it's better than the other two, but to me it's just more like a SPORT than a 'game'. It's kinda like gathering with some buddies to go play football.
The 'fun' it provides is of a different kind. It's not: "wow, what a funny monster" or "hmm, interesting puzzle", it's different. The 'fun' is in being in shape, improving and beating your opponents, playing good with your team and so on. That's the fun I get from CS:S. (Even tho I know people who like zombie mods in CS:S or whatever, that's just not for me tho.)

tl;dr: not all games are the same, some are more like "sport games"

 

Tv and games is never going to work. I will never get as much fun or enjoyment, if any, out of watching someone play a game as I can by playing it myself. If I have time to watch someone playing a game, I'll just go play it myself. I just can't see the point of ever watching someone play a PC game I have on the shelf.

 

pr0 gaming is a about having a 4mb config file and the reactions of a cat

Oh, and nice re-hash of the same article from Custom PC magazine (which i guess we'll get more of now).