Microsoft to Sponsor WCG
xIcemanx writes "Microsoft has announced that it will be sponsoring the World Cyber Games through 2008, providing the world's largest e-sports competition with software, hardware, and marketing. let's hope this doesn't mean radical changes in the games we see at the championships."
I don't think I'd want to see the kind of person who cybers across the internet.
At least most of the contestants will be able to play Rock/Paper/Scissors if the Microsoft games aren't functional.
It's not a sport unless it makes you sweat. And walking up the stairs to get another bag of chips and a can of redbull doesn't count, even if that is enough to labor your breathing and cause beads of sweat to appear on your forhead.
Of course not! Microsoft is in this out of the kindness of their pure heart.
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
"...let's hope this doesn't mean radical changes in the games we see at the championships."
There will only be one tiny little change. It will now be called the World XBox Games. But honest, it'll still be the WCG you know and love.
Their may be a grammatical error, misspeling, or evn a typo in this post.
We better inform chess players that their competitions were never considered a sport.
it's the most competitive game there is!
The swapping party is off... Microsoft in da house...
We better inform chess players that their competitions were never considered a sport.
Their cheerleaders will be so disappointed.
Sadly, I still think that what Microsoft may come up with will still not compare to the Gibfest we hold here in Memphis. We get down to business, even to doing real bets for hardware and such. Ours is truly a competition. We make the challenges, set the pot, and go at it. Winner takes all. HHere, you're playing for sponsored prizes. We sometimes play for each other's computers. Someone wake me up when it gets that exciting in Microsoft's world, please.
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
The W in WCG has been flipped. Gamers around the world suddenly stand in silence.
Just browsing around the website, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that there are no playstation games on the gaming roster here, and Sony is not given a mention anywhere.
Microsoft, battling for the hearts and minds of professional gamers....
READY.
PRINT ""+-0
-elf
This is great for games like Counter-Strike and Unreal Tournament. They will be getting more exposure from the public and might even go mainstream...
In other news, Redhat was originally supposed to be the new WCG sponsor... until WCG realized they would have to limit competition to KAstroid and Othello.
-William Brendel
For a minute there, I thought Microsoft was going to sponsor the World Community Grid. Could you imagine if every new Windows PC shiped with a World Community Grid client? Imagine the power of the grid then...
So wait one second...who's the bad guy here...the multi-gazillion dollar corporation that paid a lot of money to put their name on a competition as a means of advertising their products, or the competition that initially put the naming rights up for sale in the first place?
Steve Ballmer Forever: This wisecracking, balding hero takes trusty chair in hand in order to fight off the Googly-eyed hordes.
Whack-a-Who-da-punk: Hit a person with no face before they destroy Microsoft from within by engaging in serious discussions about the relative inadequacy of the bloated management structure.
Windows Vista: TBA.
Q: What did the comedian say to the crowd?
A: If I knew, this joke would be funny.
Doesn't Microsoft own a patent on online spectators in video games?
let's hope this doesn't mean radical changes in the games we see at the championships.
From TFA:
The deal also asserts that Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 will be the exclusive gaming platforms for the PC and console for the events, meaning that other console titles for Sony or Nintendo platforms will not figure in the competitions.
Games offered last time:
-Counter-Strike: Source
-FIFA Football 2005
-Need for Speed: Underground 2
-StarCraft: Brood War
-Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
-Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
-Dead or Alive Ultimate
-Halo 2
I'd wager a "No."
Sendou Wave Kick!!
...unless the spectators are in on the fun.
Video/PC games, like Chess isn't very fun when watching players sit in one place. Unless the sport is athletic, don't expect much of a public following.
Poker is an exception to the rule however as it imbues drama with other players in a round-table event.
Life is not for the lazy.
Who actually followed the WCG before this and is commenting? Because if you did, you know that the only thing people cared about was PC, and NOTHING ELSE. No one who attends these gives a damn about a PS2 or GC or Xbox competition, and thats the cold hard truth. Starcraft SELLS. FPS deathmatches SELL. This is not going to be any different and someone who thinks so is just staying hip with the times and ragging on MS. (I realise I've just murdered my karma)
Buhahahahahahahahah!!!! All that hand muscle!!! ;-)
the only possible RADICAL move would be to preview Duke Nukem Forever. And Ever Amen.
... you insensitive clod! :)
The Raven
Testing my sig.
I just can't decide who to root for in the MShearts tournament...
I usually READ on slashdot, but i guess this time i should write. So flame me, mod me down, or do whatever you will, I am not the usual poster (might become though... ^^) As for the parent post: Possibly it doesn't interest people (console games), as the WCG ONLY features the ****** XBOX with (excuse me for inputting personal opinion) LAME games, because, let's face it, who wants to watch a fighting game (even though I must admit, old 2D fighting games required LOTS fo skills in order to be able to "compete"). Worse even, who would EVER watch HALO if there iq Q3?!?!?! I was playing Q3 in my years (and Q2 before that), and I played in tournaments. Sheesh, even went to WCG 2002 ^^. Now some games require skill (Q3, BW, WC3(FT) [ a little less though ]), etc) and those should be respected. I think "skill" is the key point here. I dont mind how flashy and beautyful a game is, if you can't really compete, because "skill" gets "modded up or down" by randomness (and thats why CS never ever had the status of Q3.... I cuold see a total n00b being able to lose 30-3 to a top tier CS player, yet in Q3, the total noob wouldn't have made a single frag). Now, there are TWO (YES, TWO) worldwide electronic games championships. one is WCG, and one is ESWC (electronic sports worldcup) http://www.games-services.com/ who was initially created by lan-arena / ligarena. thos 2 entities dont exist in their past form anymore, and the founding members (greetz to m3t4_B) dont seem to eb there anymore. They keep a cyberleague throughout the whole year. WORLDWIDE. And the games have a wider range than WCG. And they play PS2 games (ProEvolution Soccer mostly (winning eleven for asians and US)). The PES/WE tournament filled all the convention facilities of the Paris soccer stadium where they held the soccer world cup end-game, few years ago. Attendance is enourmous. Japan, China, and most european countries have an attendance rate and participation rate for PES/WE matches no PS2, which most CS gamers would wish for. Just to add my 2c...... Simply because americans don't KNOW or do something, don't mean it doesn't exist in the rest of the world.
Will be replaced by solitaire?
perpetually dwelling in the -1 pits
In other countries, South Korea for instance, gaming is treated more like a sport.
...
...
From the article:
Two cable TV networks, known as Ongamenet and MBCgame, compete for viewers with their own 24-hour programming dedicated to PC and console gaming. Fierce gaming competitions are held, backed by major corporate sponsors, and studios overflow with live audiences trying to catch a glimpse at players who are practically given celebrity status.
Their number one program is called Ongamenet Starleague, which is a three-month long Starcraft tournament broadcast live every Friday beginning at 7:00 p.m.
According to The Korea Times, Ongamenet and competitor MBCGame have been ranked among the top 20 shows in monthly viewership among South Korea's 99 cable TV channels.
Yeah, it's definitely not a sport for champions in South Korea. (And that was just the first article I found)
Sweat? Try to take a 100%/100% distance in GPL (Grand Prix Legends) or even any other sufficiently realistic racing sim. My... everything! - ankles, arms, neck - hurts like hell after that. Not to mention psychical load.
let's hope this doesn't mean radical changes in the games we see at the championships."
No, just in the gaming platform. RTFA - it's now Xbox-only. WCG just got assimilated.
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
Agree. Simracing/Virtual racing is true e-sport. Latest games like GTR and GT Legends have raised the bar even higher. Swedish Autosport Federation have started to work on bringing virtual racing as a sport under their umbrella together with (real) rally, racing etc. That is pretty cool IMO. (Somehow I fail to see FIFA take on video game version of football/soccer into their organisation).
lead developers simila8ly grisly live and a job to And mortifying For trolls'
They should resuscitate some Apple ][s and make all the competitors play Microsoft's Olympic Decathlon. Man that game was tough on the fingers... and probably broke more keyboards in its day than any modern-era game.
Far as I can tell from the website, the only console games they've had in the past have been from Microsoft: Halo and PGR. If you're into the world cyber games, this will probably just improve their popularity. This is a good thing, ya'll are just blind Microsoft haters as usual.
Troll? O_o
I thought it was very funny.
"And UT2004, and Quake 4, and Doom 3, and Saveage, and Enemy Territory, and any of a hundred other awesome commercial competitive games that run natively in linux."
Ok braggard. List those one hundred games.* Oh and just in case no one noticed, the majority of those are FPSers.
*I seriously doubt you can even get to fifty.
Honestly, if Microsoft released a plan to end world hunger, it'd still get bashed on Slashdot.
Tell me something...it's still "We, the people"... right?
Microsoft also sponsors Firefox flicks streaming on news.com :-)
see http://www.myowndb.com/blog/ for a screenshot.
PCs are superior to any Online Gaming Console ever can present.
I can play anything right now:PC games,Emulated console game(most of them),Online games.
Without being put into limits of console manufacturers and corporate overlords.
Console is essentialy a cheap limited computer made to run games.
I am so happy to see Microsoft finally doing some marketing. It's been so frustrating, watching their products go unnoticed for so long....
Minesweeper will get the recognition it deserves!!!
Sometimes i just have to admit, i love this company called microsoft!
Will the World Anti Doping League be there to test the winners for non legal addictive stimulants? Let's keep it clean this year fellas and ladies!
Im going to make my own WCG , with blackjack , and hookers.
In fact , forget the WCG!
def greetings(x): return {'friend': 'Howdy', 'enemy': 'Dye [sic]'}.get(x, 'g0 4w4y, l4m0r')
As the Koreans kick everyones asses every time. This year will be no different. For the last 2 years its been: 1) Korea 2) Germany 3) USA 4) Holland I doubt any Slashdotters attended or played, too busy on /. typing we hate MS missives :/ So their hate of MS isn't going to bother anyone.