EPT“I think that StarCraft is really the only game designed from the ground up to be an eSport,” says Mike Morhaime, CEO of Blizzard. “As a spectator, the whole asymmetry of information — meaning you can see things that the players don’t know — makes it fun to watch.”
Soon, these viewers won’t just be glued to their computers. In April, Major League Gaming and Twitch announced a partnership with CBS Interactive. Major League Gaming’s CEO, Sundance DiGiovanni, says his company was a part of CBS Interactive’s annual upfront presentation to advertisers, and there was enough sponsorship interest to start considering broadcasting live games on television.
This wouldn’t be the first attempt to broadcast eSports on American TV. In 2007, Marcus "djWHEAT" Graham worked with DirecTV on broadcasting games with the Championship Gaming Series. “It was a very big venture and a very expensive venture, and it was their attempt to try to bring the allure of gaming to television,” Graham says. But the financial crisis and a lull in competitive gaming led the show to shut down two years later. And even today, Major League Gaming produces an eSports-related talk show — that only airs internationally.
But to Sundane DiGiovanni, the timing may be right for eSports on TV. “We already do a ready-for-TV show (for online broadcasts),” he says. “We’ll maybe gussy up the sets a little bit, get a few more lights and some nice suits for everybody, but we’re pretty much ready to go.
Soon, these viewers won’t just be glued to their computers. In April, Major League Gaming and Twitch announced a partnership with CBS Interactive. Major League Gaming’s CEO, Sundance DiGiovanni, says his company was a part of CBS Interactive’s annual upfront presentation to advertisers, and there was enough sponsorship interest to start considering broadcasting live games on television.
This wouldn’t be the first attempt to broadcast eSports on American TV. In 2007, Marcus "djWHEAT" Graham worked with DirecTV on broadcasting games with the Championship Gaming Series. “It was a very big venture and a very expensive venture, and it was their attempt to try to bring the allure of gaming to television,” Graham says. But the financial crisis and a lull in competitive gaming led the show to shut down two years later. And even today, Major League Gaming produces an eSports-related talk show — that only airs internationally.
But to Sundane DiGiovanni, the timing may be right for eSports on TV. “We already do a ready-for-TV show (for online broadcasts),” he says. “We’ll maybe gussy up the sets a little bit, get a few more lights and some nice suits for everybody, but we’re pretty much ready to go.
http://techland.time.com/2012/06/08/gaming-for-a-living-can-esports-finally-make-it-big-in-america
I'd love to see SC2 on TV sometime soon!
