Televised Gaming Coming to DIRECTV
American digital television network DIRECTV will feature video game tournament coverage on its upcoming "Massive Gaming League" planned for launch this year. According to an official announcement by DIRECTV Inc., the League will use "new technology" allowing in-game cameras to capture the action, which will be presented like a traditional sporting event. Additionally, "Stories of the competitors will be told via interviews and features, complemented with coverage of their exploits in actual competition," meaning that American star gamers may soon enjoy a similar status to their exalted Asian counterparts. So far no games have been announced as the subject of competitive coverage, but I'm looking forward to a no-holds-barred cage-match of Nintendogs. Two dogs enter, one dog leaves!
Comments
I'm guessing this is PC-only as I don't see a way to access "in-game cameras" on a console title.
Well, perhaps if they did a hardware hack on the console they could record all game event data and then recreate the action from different angles but I have a feeling that's not going to happen. The primary reason is that people are getting sued for hacking consoles!
Posted by: k0an | January 5, 2006 4:24 PM
I agree this is mostly likely going to be for PC games, although Project Gotham 3 has a built-in spectator mode. If there are console games involved, I'm sure it will be with full consent (or at least full knowledge) of the hardware-makers. The gaming league seems like the sort of thing that will benefit both the game and TV industry.
Posted by: Tony Walsh | January 5, 2006 4:41 PM