Four Kings, Schroet Kommando Go CS Movie Crazy

Simon Bysshe writes "Intel have just put online my latest film for them about competitive computer gaming, featuring a Counter-Strike match between Four Kings & the world's #1 Counter-Strike team Schroet Kommando. The movie includes pre-game interviews, animated tactical rundowns, live 'shoutcasted' games & finally a post-match analysis, and has already been downloaded over 40,000 times - we're trying to establish gaming as an entertaining spectator sport."

First suggestion

[Pluvius]

Stop calling it a sport. A sport requires athletic exertion by definition. This is also a problem with non-video games; some people love to call chess a sport even though it's not (assuming that that chess boxing [showroommama.nl] thing never takes off).

Instead, just take pride in what your game is--a fun, challenging game.

Rob

Designed for spectators

[cgenman]

One of the problems with Video Games as a spectator sport, is that they aren't designed for spectators. They're designed to give the player exactly what they need to know, and occasionally to occlude things from the player that they aren't supposed to know.

What they do not have are good angles for crowds. If you want really good camera shots, you need 5 or 6 ghost spectators floating around the arena, and someone to switch between them (like a traditional sporting event). In theory you can have automated roving, rotating, or fixed cameras, but they tend to be poor at anticipating action. Likewise, the most popular Sporting videogames are FPS. But thanks to the perspective and the needs of the game, FPS games tend to have terrible character animation / environmental interaction, which is exactly what the audience is going to be watching. Furthermore, effects and crowd-pleasers must be kept a bit down, as the player has to be able to see though that thick fog of whatever.

Except for racing titles, most gaming companies just don't devote resources to a "passive spectator" mode. All the better for the players, of course, but if gaming is going to take off as a spectator sport (not only doubtful, but of dubious value) they'll need a better passive spectator presentation.

Re:First suggestion

[Pluvius]

I'm not a racing fan but the possibility of crash, fire, and death qualifies it as a sport.

Actually, that qualifies it as "dangerous." War definitely carries a risk of death with it, but I don't think any sane person would call it a sport.

Even so, though, it's probably true that auto racing requires somewhat more physical exertion than video gaming does.

Rob

Re:First suggestion

[hambonewilkins]

Rob,

Thanks for your post, I've been trying to argue the same for years and you are spot on.

I also include the "cannot involving judging" in my definition of a sport, hence figure skating is NOT a sport but ice racing is. Once you involve judging (which is different from reffing) you change the sport to a game or activity, but not a sport.

Most gymnastics, while challenging (and I did it as a kid) is judged which means someone who is the best gymnast in the world can come in last due to politics or personal opinion. Just because the refs hate you in basketball, you can still score more than the other team. As far as golf and bowling... activities but certainly not sports (good luck breaking a sweat).

Re:First suggestion

[Pluvius]

Training to be the best at a video game, or win a competition, could easily take as many hours as a player puts in to win a sporting event.

It also takes a lot of time to become a soldier, or attain an MD. However, being a soldier or doctor isn't a sport.

Just look at Poker. A few years ago I don't remember seeing anything about poker in the media. Its gotten so famous, ESPN, ESPN2, the Travel Channel, and i'm sure plenty more television shows play "Texas Hold'em" at least once a day, including a celebrity poker show on Bravo. Now, playing poker may not be a sport, but they sure market it like a sporting event.

IIRC, no one ever tried to call poker a sport, either. (And the fact that it's on ESPN means nothing. How much music is on MTV now-a-days?)

Rob