Probably this year's biggest Quake tournament, competing with ESWC, is called QuakeCon. The event is a three day festival in Dallas, Texas. QuakeCon is a mindboggling event with thousands of gamers participating in big Quake 3 tournaments and now with the release - also Doom 3. And except for tournaments, there were workshops where id Software was present, and talked about various projects. The grand prize for each game was $25,000 USD, and the finals were broadcasted on bigscreens in front of a crowd so huge it makes you think of the Progaming in Korea.
Quakecon finals with a huge crowd
Far cry from the Korean gaming scene
Despite this huge event with all the cash and thousands of participants, there was no television coverage. "It's a far cry from the gaming scene in Korea, where several television stations are dedicated to gaming coverage, regular pro gaming events fill stadiums, matches are broadcast with insightful commentary, and the great players are media celebrities." writes Dave "Fargo" Kosak, executive editor over at gamespy.com. And that is what the article is about - Is America Ready for Serious Professional Gaming TV Coverage?
David "Fargo" Kosak himself does not think that America is ready yet. He writes that "you need the right game, with the right spectacle, with deep market penetration and effortless community-oriented tournament play."
Every step is a step closer
Further ahead in the article, Ryan "DigitalTaco" O'Donnell, video editor at gamespy.com, sounds a bit more optimistic about this. He grabbed a hold of a three-disk set of the OnGameNet Starleague finals throughout the years, with bonus features, commentary tracks and plastic collectable cards. "It's absolutely incredible and I'd love to be able to have similar experiences here in the States."
American football game on TV
Ryan "DigitalTaco" O'Donnell's optimism comes from the fact that a cable network in the States is airing the american football game 2004 Madden Challenge, which is a perfectly acceptable step, in his opinion. All that needs to be done is to hand a TV broadcasting network that OnGameNet Starleague DVD, and tell them to take notes, because there's a lot of money and publicity down that path.Links
Gamespy.com - Is America Ready for Serious Professional Gaming TV Coverage?
QuakeCon.org - Official home of QuakeCon