ESPN added CoD to Summer X-games

[tenks]

Very interesting...

For the first time in the history ESPN's X Games, pro gamers will compete for medals playing Call of Duty: Ghosts in Austin this June. Major League Gaming (MLG) has partnered with the sports broadcaster for the MLG X Games Invitational where the same hardware will be up for grabs as those athletes competing it skateboard, BMX, Moto X and other extreme sporting events.

http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/28/mlg- ... itational/

[ward]

Sounds like the potential ad revenue is in a place where ESPN is willing to take the gamble. This does not make gaming a legitimate sport, though.

[hypnotik_]

should be interesting to see espn drop the live cast due to the immature kids not knowing how to act appropriate for tv

[Fifty]

Why CoD though? Is it really bigger than LoL, Dota 2, and CS GO?

[acetamino]

Why CoD though? Is it really bigger than LoL, Dota 2, and CS GO?

easier to sell in america, to mainstream people, I believe. "Call of Duty" is more recognizable to a wide viewer range.

[Tin Bad]

Miller, Are you working at this event?!

[akiro]

waiting for the first fat asthma ridden kid to say he is an athlete.

[tenks]

Im mixed about this...

On one hand extreme athletes doing these awesome sports with crazy moves, contrasted to a bunch kids sitting down mashing controllers doesn't make much sense.

Oh the other hand, I see this as a legit opportunity for American gaming to maybe catch up to the international scene as far as exposure. I personally think they chose the wrong game, but ace is right, from the casual spectators point of view, CoD = America, so I can see why they chose it.

I don't know too much about MLG but the fact that this is console based is pretty GAY.

[element]

It being console based is probably still along the lines of conforming to the casual spectator. The people that watch X-Games are probably more likely to view PC games as "nerdier" and are more receptive to something that many of them have personal experience with and more socially prevalent in America. Almost every athlete I know plays on an Xbox and the vast majority of them play CoD.

[tenks]

It being console based is probably still along the lines of conforming to the casual spectator. The people that watch X-Games are probably more likely to view PC games as "nerdier" and are more receptive to something that many of them have personal experience with and more socially prevalent in America. Almost every athlete I know plays on an Xbox and the vast majority of them play CoD.

Agreed, thats the exact reason why they made this decision. Xbox is just as common as redbull to this demographic.

Doesn't mean I like it though. It's like picking up Arena football instead of NFL football. Everyone knows the best of the best are playing on PC.