It’s Official… Online Gaming now a Sport
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding:
ESPN to Broadcast Major League Gaming
MLG on ESPN.com
“Pro video gaming offers sports fans everything they love about sports—great teams, break-out personalities and stars, and exciting competition,” said Matthew Bromberg, President and CEO of Major League Gaming. “MLG’s digital properties now reach over four million fans a month, and millions more follow the League on TV, mobile devices, and X-Box Live. We’re excited to build upon that audience with ESPN.”
So, what do the CultureGeeks think? I think the level of competition has reached a stage where gaming qualifies as a sport. A spectator sport however? That’s a pretty bold statement. I’ll watch it but will the novelty wear off quickly?
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See, I don’t even understand why one watches other sports. I guess the quote spells it out…”great teams, break-out personalities and stars and exciting competition.”
Watching someone play video games when it’s so easy to play them yourself seems kinda weak. But, I guess that could be said about the rest of the professional sports. Yeah, you get to see them play on a completely different level than you can, but…well…you don’t get to actually play, just watch other people play.
To me, sports = physical activities that make you sweat. To that end, I don’t find gaming to be any more of a sport than poker or fishing. Which isn’t necessarily to say that these activities aren’t worthy of spectators (even though I’d rather pull my toenails out with tweezers than watch any of them). I can appreciate that they require skill, strategy and talent. They’re just not _sports_. Perhaps we need a new name for this form of entertainment.
sport (spôrt, spōrt) Pronunciation Key
n.
…
9. Amorous dalliance; lovemaking.
That’s a good one. Certainly makes you sweat and very compelling as a spectator.
I don’t know about sports games, but watching other people play Guitar Hero is surprisingly entertaining.
We got the PS3 and Rock Band for xmas. KC is severly addicted to the drums. Thank god you can download additional songs or she would shortly be going into withdrawal after she finishes the first 58.
We have yet to find a good singer. Many try, many have fun, many come across as drunk Japanese karaoke fans.
Wow, Rock Band sounds exactly like the real thing. Do you ever have to find a substitute bass player at the last minute because your regular guy is in rehab, or have rehearsals ruined by the guitarist’s girlfriend telling everybody what to play?
Well you haven’t heard me!
The truth of the matter is you actually need like 2 or 3 singers to do all the songs. I mean there are several songs on there I can do well but, try as I might, I just can’t get as high as the singer from Jet.
How does the game react when a man tries a song with a female singer? Can you move the key down and still pass the song?
Yep, octaves up or down are no problem. I can sing Maps (girl) but can’t sing Creep (girlyman). Totally depends on the song. Pretty much everyone can sing Sabotage though…
Even Edith Bunker!
You can move octaves up or down but can’t transpose.
Get yourself an eight year old boy (by legal means, of course).
Played this at my sister-in-law’s and we handed the mic over to the boy because he couldn’t keep time on the drums. A lack of shame, no preconceptions of the lyrics and a voice that can go high and low means he can get through any song with at least a 65%.