Pro Video Game Leagues — Another Economic Casualty 207
Anonymusing writes "Not long ago, professional video gamer Emmanuel Rodriguez earned a base $30K salary plus prize winnings in the Championship Gaming Series. However, with the economy suffering, sponsors like DirecTV and News Corporation are backing out, leaving Rodriguez with a more typical job for a 23-year-old: store clerk. After the demise of the CPL and the Championship Gaming Series last year, the only major pro gamer league left is Major League Gaming, though it expects to turn a profit this year — some of its players earn more than six figures from the $1 million in prizes given throughout the season, while others are putting off college to work on their gaming careers."
A recent story in the LA Times discusses how the games industry slow-down is hitting game developers hard as well. Conversely, the used game market is seeing significant growth — it'll be interesting to see what publishers learn from this.
Pizza always tastes better the next day too (Score:5, Funny)
Conversely, the used game market is seeing significant growth -- it'll be interesting to see what publishers learn from this.
Clearly they need to go straight to the "used" market. It's like "straight to DVD" in movies.
if only... (Score:3, Funny)
what will publishers learn (Score:5, Funny)
used game market is seeing significant growth -- it'll be interesting to see what publishers learn from this.
Ooo oo oo, I know, pick me! Publishers will learn that they should publish used games! ... hm, wait...
Obligatory Penny Arcade Comic (Score:4, Funny)
Ad Infinitum [penny-arcade.com].
Short career (Score:4, Funny)
WSV (Score:5, Funny)
I wonder if I can start a professional World's Smallest Violin league...
Developing story (Score:5, Funny)
In light of this news EA Sports has decided to cancel their new game "Major League Gaming - The Game 2K9".
Re:What will they learn? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:What will they learn? (Score:1, Funny)
The used game market is canibalizing our sales, they must be stopped!
Simple enough. Sell your games through Steam (or similar) so that the resale of used games is impossible.
What is the right of first sale to stand in the way of corporate profits?
Re:A little help (Score:3, Funny)
(re: Pizza hut advertising on a NASA rocket http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=2202 [spaceref.com] [spaceref.com])
Off topic to the article, but to your point about sponsors... KFC is actually spending money to fill pot holes and spray-paint their logo on them [chicagotribune.com]. Complete with Col. Sanders standing around with a bright green jacket.
Re:Obligatory Penny Arcade Comic (Score:3, Funny)
Actually, the PA comic this made me think of was this. [penny-arcade.com]
Re:Times have changed, but not prices (Score:3, Funny)
Nintendo games costing about $50 (an AWFUL lot of money in the late 1980s)
somebody else that was young back then man up with me and admit to going into your room and crying when you bought a new nintendo game and then slowly...horribly...realized that it sucked after 20 minutes or so of playing it. $50 was a LOT of money for me to come up with then, and my parents were only gonna buy me 2, maybe 3 games a year.
(dana carvey grumpy old man voice) and we played it anyway! we liked that it sucked!(/dcgomv)