On November 18, 2008 BSkyB, STAR and DIRECTV ended their Championship Gaming Series (CGS) business.
While the concept was ahead of its time and we are extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished, it became increasingly clear as this ambitious project evolved, that profitability was too fair in the future for us to sustain operations in the interim.
Our goal was to be ahead of the curve in the e-sports space, and we conceived of CGS as a true sports league. We invested wholeheartedly in the venture and presented viewers with a top-notch production, but the economics just didn’t add up for us at this time.
Our only regret is that we will lose a team of creative and talented individuals who invested their hearts and souls into Championship Gaming Series. We recognize their achievements and thank them for their hard work and passion.
BSkyB, STAR and DIRECTV continue to be committed to the vieo games sector, which is an important part of many of our customers’ lives and a great source of entertainment.
Sincerely,
The CGS Team
Can’t find much feedback on the fold, but it leans between “good riddance” and indifference. The failure transforms Major League Gaming into an American monopoly, though I’m sure that would mean more if they were selling something the fatties could give a damn about.
During an impulsive binge to tackle Rock Band’s Endless Setlist with real-life friends (yes, I have those), half our band left the house to return with pizza. During this break, I ran the television gauntlet hoping to find passable entertainment…and stumbled upon the 2008 Championship Gaming Series Draft. Imagine the NFL Draft being reduced to polite applause and overweight virgins. Its production values and Fatal1ty’s passable commentary couldn’t hide the problem: the “One Female Dead or Alive Player Per Team” Rule and “charismatic black gamers who wish they were anywhere else” couldn’t change that this league is still an ugly white man’s game.
I’ve said that American gaming leagues are best to push professional gaming with a professional wrestling atmosphere, but I’m recanting that statement after seeing the English spin on the marketing behind this wishful thinking:
Even though the draft was so slickly produced, it underscores the fact that no one has nailed down the real problem with professional gaming — how do you make it exciting to watch people play video games? MLG has been trying the same thing, but the televised Halo matches we saw them produce were awkward and the commentary seemed forced. Covering the live gaming is a nightmarish snarl of wires that has to be figured out in order to have mass appeal, although showing highlight works to some degree. Plus, there needs to be some easy way to educate the non-gamer audience about each game they feature in these competitions.
The second problem is, how do you make it exciting to watch the gamers themselves? People watch professional sports because of the larger-than-life personalities you encounter there, and both CGS and MLG are trying to emulate that model, but it’s going to be difficult to pull off. Gamers, and we’re including ourselves here, are generally just normal everyday people from all walks of life, and when you’re holding that controller in your hands and mashing buttons, there’s not a lot going on. It’s not like the commentators will be saying, “Check out the wrist move that Kietzmann just pulled off!” Sure, there’s a fair amount of trash-talking going on in some games … but is it fun to watch someone staring at a screen while punching buttons and flicking sticks?
Those who witnessed the Starcraft phenomenon know that turds can be molded into gold. It’s just going to take the right game and visionary to do it in the Western Hemisphere. The CGS could someday be the league, but until you create a TV intro this awesome, you’re still second place to the South Koreans.
