Video game leagues are nothing new, but they're so unknown by the majority of the population that their existence is generally only spread by word of mouth. Only those that monitor such news channels or are very much into their gaming will know of such leagues, their titles and the sorts of games they include in their lineups. In actual fact, gaming leagues are extremely lucrative, both for the industry and for the competitors, with prizes worth up to half a million dollars being offered every year by certain leagues, such as the PS3 league Major League Gaming. The only requirement is that the player pays the entry fee and then they are given a chance to qualify.
MLG (Major League Gaming)
Major League Gaming has become one of the biggest leagues for console and personal computer gaming. It provides annual tournaments for up to half a dozen games with the lineup changing to accommodate the latest releases. It was founded in 2002 and has grown to be popular amongst many gamers, both with those who compete, but also with those who just wish to watch the live events and online shows. With both new and old competitors joining the fray regularly, the fans always have someone to root for.
To provide some level of standardization for players, Major League Gaming focuses on the Playstation 3 as their console of choice. For games that are exclusive to other consoles, their native machines are used. For example Gears of War is only on the Xbox 360 and, hence, would be played on Xbox 360s. Live events see that the participants are provided with all the equipment the player needs.
Major League Gaming Title Lineup
Halo has become a very venerable series, especially with MLG who have featured these games from the start of their annual tournaments. Even today, they provide Halo action with both Halo 3 and Halo: Reach having two separate tournaments to themselves in four versus four team matches. The Halo series is known for its twitch-based first person shooter style based in a science-fiction realm. To complement this, MLG also include the Call of Duty series, grounding the topic to a more realistic environment, yet providing similar gameplay with Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Tekken 6 complete the fighting game section, utilizing one on one scenarios. The former game has been around, albeit in an earlier form, since the beginning tournaments and is a favorite of the veterans. Tekken 6 is brand new and hasn't been on show in any form in a MLG tournament before.
Starcraft 2's release saw booming sales, especially in Korea, where it's become a favorite pastime of the nation. Its own debut in the MLG tournament makes it the first real-time strategy game and a solidly backed one at that. It provides excellent support for competitions and is updated regularly.
Ps3 tournaments have featured the long-running World of Warcraft, Gears of War, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas and it's sequel, Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, Shadowrun, Call of Duty Modern Warfare and Super Smash Bros. Melee. Generally competitors don't crossover to different games and only compete within their own tournaments yearly. Next year is likely to see some newer games, including the next Call of Duty: Black Ops.
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