Reasons why pro gaming doesn’t work on TV, according to a pro gamer
Matt Hawkins The idea of people watching people play video games on television has been attempted, but yet to catch on. Some believe the reasons are obvious, but one pro gamer has his own theories.
For years, many believed that pro gaming would be the next big thing in sports, especially televised sports. Several attempts have been made over the years, with the most notable being G4, an entire channel that was dedicated to gaming, so featuring footage of those simply playing made since as it pertained to their programming block. And the fact that they would eventually start depending upon reruns of Cops, Star Trek, and Ninja Warriors should tell you how well those plans worked out.
A pro gamer who goes by the handle Zaccubus (real name David Treacy) has his own theories as to why interest in the pro gaming world is in a downturn, despite the fact that the hardware and games are getting better, as well as how there’s bigger money sponsors are involved. It all comes down to how it’s being presented, primarily on the air…
“Every TV show I’ve seen so far has been way too cheesy and not indicative of what pro gaming is about. Trying to squeeze an event into a 60 minute broadcast doesn’t really work for gaming… Only recently, thanks to MLG, can we see what gaming events should look like: Great shoutcasting, well presented, and without the need to cheese it up for regular people to understand.”
Well, first off, most examples of televised game playing have been pretty piss poor, with a presentation that’s absolutely cringe worthy, mostly because those who were handling the broadcasts knew little if nothing about the core audience. That being said, the big dream of professional Street Fighter tournaments being recognized by ESPN is still NEVER going to happen, sorry. The biggest mistake pro gamers make (not saying Treacy here is guilty of this, but many of his contemporaries are) is equating what they do as real sports and comparing themselves to real athletes. Which is a bit of an insult. True there’s tons of practice and dedication, but to put sitting stationary and hitting a bunch of keys plus mouse buttons to a guy running around a field, getting tackled, and perfecting a pass is pretty hilarious.
But back to the issue of television: perhaps it just was never meant to be? From what I gather, pro gaming events are super popular online, via live streams and the such. Perhaps that’s just the perfect medium for it? Seriously, what gamer, or folks in that demographic, actually sits and watches television these days? I suppose the real question is the fear of the maximum amount of people would give a damn has already been achieved. I know enough from going to conventions that the MLG get lots of folks hot and bothered, but maybe there’s a world beyond that… or maybe not. Unless they’re ready to make some changes to the formula.
True, video games are more popular than ever, with the average age of a gamer to be recently revealed as 37, but does that necessarily mean that there’s demand for watching people play the damn things on their couches. At least even the idealized version that Treacy and others might have in mind.
Because it would only make sense that the most played games get such attention. But do we really need Farmville or Angry Bird highlights on Sports Center?
Professional Gaming on the Downturn, Cheesy TV to Blame [Kotaku]
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