Poll: Professional Gamers...what do you think of them?

[Jumplion]

Professional Gamers are, supposedly, the best of the best. They almost always get headshots, they get the top score, they know where each spawn-point is.

But, are they really good? Or do they just exploit map glitches and spend WAY to much time playing video games?

It really depends on who the pro gamer is, but I personaly think that most of them just exploit glitches on maps and spend WAY to much time playing videogames. As I recall, on a TV show, the Pro Gamer Tom "Tsquared" Taylor was giving tips on Halo 3 and CoD4. On both those occasions, he showed us a spot where you could pop out and smack that person with a gravity hammer, or a high (usualy unreachable) rooftop to snipe everyone you can see in Hardcore S&D.

That's not really skill, that's just using the environment the way it wasn't intended I.E. exploiting it.

(FUN GAME: Count how many times i've said "exploit" not including this time!)

 

[stompy]

You say 'exploit' 3 times. Now, where's my prize?

Ok, onto the more serious stuff. I think that pro gamers have to be good at what they do. But, they all have to stick to the same rules. So, if all of them use the same sniping spots, then, most likely, they have equal chance of getting killed in said spot. Oh, and they have to be damn good to get people to pay them to play video games.

- A procrastinator

 

[fyrh56]

Most of the times, they're the elite of the elite. Being a professional gamer pretty much forces you to know every little glitch in the game/map and know how to take advantage of them. That unreachable rooftop for example; if you choose not to glitch (or not know of it's existence entirely), the opposing team will have an advantage over yourself. And obviously, you have to have a pretty good aim although the gap between a professional gamer and an average gamer is significantly shorter on console games than on the PC.
and you're talking fps's only. The first time i played Starcraft in a tournament i was shocked on how badly i was losing. The pro's were hitting the 300/400 actions per minute mark whereas i was stuck at about 80. And i was considered a good player!

They do spend way too much time playing video games tho. But if they play professionally and get paid for it, then it's OK i guess

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

I always feel corny posting links to the webzine I kick it with at Popmatters...but they did a great article and interview with one of the top ranking pro-gamers.

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/features/article/50669/first-person-of-shooters-an-interview-with-johnathan-fatal1ty-wendel/

I'm not trying to upstage anyone here...but it's relevant and it's a good article.

 

[Anarchemitis]

I (as suggested by whoever it was on this site that proposed the idea) am a Normal gamer. Professional gamers, I think are people who are just like anybody else. But unless they are not paid for professional gaming, I find their dedication to their free time questionable.
(See Digital Ph33r's 'It's a Wonderful Live' [http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=kmvcP71A-Wk] series. Although most of that video is simply fanboys and Shtupids [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation/2280-Zero-Punctuation-Peggle])

 

[Saskwach]

I make a point of not thinking much about people until I've gotten to know them. It helps with the kneejerk judgements.
Anywho, I see no problem with using glitches and exploits if they aren't game breaking. Usually they require some measure of skill (which professionals still possess in droves, whatever you think of exploits) and strategy to perform and there is almost always a counter measure. If there isn't it's a truly game-breaking glitch that the professionals will agree to ban or the game itself will be abandoned (oh, what a pun) as not worthy of elite competition.

 

[tooktook]

i think gaming is fun but at the end of the day its gaming. it shouldn't be taken so seriously.

 

[Shadyjames]

Its hard to say where it all starts. You get good because you spend so much time playing? You are good because you know the tricks? You know the tricks because you spend so much time playing? You spend so much time playing because you're good and know the tricks?

Its a circular problem and its different for all of them. I make a point of never calling myself pro because there will ALWAYS be somebody better than me, and i don't need to scream every little victory from the rooftops to feel secure. On the other side of the coin, i have in the past doubled the score of the second player on a game i'd never played before, so i can safely say that knowing spawn points and glitches doesn't have didley-squat to do with it.

I think i agree with saskwach, its not good to judge people until you know them. Whether somebodys the dogs balls or the dogs super-evolved ascended omniscient god-form, its the person behind the player that matters most.

 

[Voodoo Child]

I put other. My opinion isn't up there. On one hand I think that they are absolutely amazing; they make a living doing exactly what they love, but on the other hand I'm jealous as hell because I could never do that much gaming.

 

[Dectilon]

I guess it varies from game to game. There are always a few cheaters here and there, and probably more of them in some games where it's easier, but for the most part the best are the best.

 

[sammyfreak]

i think gaming is fun but at the end of the day its gaming. it shouldn't be taken so seriously.

Pretty much sums up my feelings. I dont mind striving to become better at games like CoD or Halo because its fun. But when people play way to much they miss out on many great games and waste way to much time.

 

[Conqueror Kenny]

in my opinion they take neekieness to the next level. To sit and spend days playing games doing nothing else they need some real freinds.

 

[General Ma Chao]

Entering a tournament for a cash prize sounds reasonable once in awhile. Doing it for a living does not though. It won't matter to me though until it goes the route of professional sports. The last thing this world needs is more arrogant pricks who think they're an uber-mensch because they're good at a game.

 

[Melaisis]

I think they have a great mindset (if not slightly focused on a somewhat controversial thing) and are very good at what they do. It must be great to make a career out of your hobby, but they might be lacking a bit of a social life.

 

[Anarchemitis]

SO what about those Starcraft tourney guys in South Korea that earn like $400,000 a game?

 

[fix-the-spade]

It's great work if you can get it.

Like any professional player (i won't use the term athlete, that would be like calling a darts player an athlete.) they take having no life to the point where their life becomes what took away their life in the first place.

ps. If you can understand that you're smarter than me.

 

[Anton P. Nym]

I voted "other".

I've had very few dealings with pro players and find them (mostly) to be like any other group; a lot of decent guys, a few jerks. I've played some too and they are WAY out of my league even when they don't resort to map exploits, though truth be told that's not saying very much.

Watching MLG isn't my cup of tea, but then again watching PGA isn't either and there's no geek quite like a golf geek; so I don't see much grounds to object to either's existance on grounds of personal life or making a living playing games or whatever.

-- Steve

 

[Melty Blood]

I don't see why someone would want to play games for money. Yeah, fun, but not something I wanna do all the time.

 

[GR-Wing]

as i see it there's 2 typs of pro gamers, the fakes (exploits,etc,) a.k.a. the noob. Then there's the ones who take the time to become good instead of pretending to be. even kids can play remember...