Poll: Major League Gaming: Yay or Nay?

[cravethought]

Alright people, Major League Gaming is slowly creeping into the mainstream, and I'd like your opinions on it. Good? Bad?

I'm a staunch opposer of it because it ruins player communities. The hope of being in a money-making or fame-gathering position turns players into extremely selfish individuals, and turns "losing" (getting fragged, spending time away from an MMO) into the possibility of losing a team spot, respect, or money. It adds almost a personal level to gaming; one I believe degrades the sense of just playing to "have fun".

Look what happened to Counter-Strike; I believe that it has the WORST player community of any game I've ever played online because of players concerned about rank, clans, and possible sponsorships. Everyone who kills you is a "fag" or "hacker", and everyone who you kill is a "noob".

I'm not against said clans or groupings of like-minded players: I'm against monetizing a pass-time that should just be left alone.

 

[Jawless]

Making a sport out of a game..I am inclined to say that the human race really has got lazy this past 50 years..

 

[stompy]

But then, cravethought, that reasoning can be applied to any competition, regardless of what it tests.

I'm in favour for it, because I reckon you'd still have people who still play for fun. At the same time, you'd reward those who wish, and are good enough, to compete professionally.

And, what you've described seems pretty similar to Xbox Live as it is, so competitive gaming isn't going to change that much.

 

[Jessiah]

It's a tough call though, y'know? As an avid RPG'er I'm actually kind of proud of my FPS brethren. I think there's a fine line those boys tread. Gaming becomes a job more than a recreational activity. That's why so much is on the line. It's like sports: You suck in the NFL you get benched, benched...and then no one wants to give you a contract...then you're doing mega minor golf tours trying to stay "cool."

I guess what I'm saying is that Major League Gaming is essentially like any other pursuit of vast amounts of money for as little work as possible, or even trying to get paid fairly well for playing a game. Ultimately the player is left with a choice: Am I evil, neutral or good?

If it's what they want...let the gamers game. Trash talking will always be around, no avoiding it. DOTA games are probably the worst. It's about the only game where I've seen teammates hack each other to pieces via text, and it's widely accepted and encouraged.

 

[The Reverend]

I'm on the fence on this issue (And it is a rather nice fence) because I personally play games for fun. Winning is an added bonus. Par exàmple, in TF2, it has been remarked by the reg's I play with that I am the most Medically Unfriendly player ever, due to my "One Way Trip" Policy. Now if, that was a "league" game, me running off into the enemy advance would be frowned upon, when I could be defending/doing something tactically sound, and people getting worked up hollering over the mic to defend the point/get that demo etc would detract from the fun. However if a gamer is good, why shouldn't they be rewarded for their abilities? Any other kind of competitive activity is, so why not gaming?

 

[Dosed]

I do enjoy playing games for fun and most the time I do. However I play in a ladder for CoD4 for GameBattles (a non-professional league) that is linked with MLG and alot of the time I really do love it.

Tbh when playing games with a clan etc you don't ALWAYS have to play in the league, you can just as easily join public games. So aslong as the public side of things is left alone then i'm more than happy for people to earn £100,000's a year. Although.. when playing against clans most of them are pricks and offer no advice and instead just slate people.

 

[DravenX23]

A little A, a little B.

I would love to see some MLG. Of course if its many games and not just FPS. But I also love watching poker on TV.

 

[Stone Cold Monkey]

I have to say I'm against the idea, but only because for the same reason for most entertainment competition (i.e. sports). These are games and actives for enjoyment. Even if you're good at it, why should want to spend your life doing it for you livelihood? More so to the point with Major League Gaming, I don't care how good you are, I'm not going to sit down on my couch, crack open a beer, and watch you move your sticks around and push buttons for two hours when I could do the same thing instead (even at a lesser ability).