Gaming News: MLG Pro Circuit hits Raleigh, NC this weekend
The NFL avoided its lockout and is in preseason form while the NBA is still in their lockout battle. Meanwhile the professional league of video games (yes, you heard me right) is always in session with their next event scheduled to hit Raleigh, NC this weekend (Aug. 26th -28th). There is a reported $120,000 in prizes up for grabs in a number of tournaments occurring both locally and online. Players from all over the world that are registered in various tournaments will compete in games such as Mortal Kombat (PS3), Starcraft II:Wings of Liberty (PC), Call of Duty: Black Ops (PS3), and Halo Reach (Xbox360).
Here's a bit of what is in store for local attendees and online spectators:
On Friday, August 26 at 8:15pm ET, fans will have the exclusive opportunity to watch a Gears of War 3 expo match featuring Th3 Nsan3z, the 2008 Gears of War 1 Pro Circuit National Champions and 2009 Gears of War 2 Pro Circuit National Champions, vs. Team Epic. Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to compete in a Mortal KombatPlayStation® 3 tournament in the Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and PlayStation booths for a share of a $7,000 prize pool.
Fans can go online to purchase spectator passes, watch the event in real-time and become MLG league members to receive discounts on passes, as well as free 720p high quality, ad-free LIVE video streaming. The LIVE broadcast will be showcased via four streams – two streams for StarCraft® II: Wings of Liberty™, one for Call of Duty®: Black Ops and one for Halo: Reach.
The Raleigh competition is the fourthof a challenging, six-city US Pro Circuit tour that places the most talented players alongside their toughest opponents. More than $1 million will be awarded throughout the year making this the largest MLG season to date. The recent, record-breaking Anaheim Pro Circuit (July 29-31) drew more than 20,000 spectators and delivered more than 35 million online stream views.
Local attendeese will also have access to sponsored professional gamers in various meet and greets throughout the event. There will be booths promoting exisiting and upcoming games and accessories detailed here:
Booth highlights include:
- MLG Booth: Visit the MLG booth for an opportunity to meet MLG pro players and personalities, compete in the Black Ops FFA to win exclusive prizes, and participate in the MLG booth scavenger hunt to win cool prizes.
- Sony Ericsson, official mobile handset of MLG: Demo the Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY onsite and experience new titles like Minecraft and N.O.V.A 2 for the first time at the Sony Ericsson booth. Compete in mobile gaming competitions for a chance to win great prizes like your very own Xperia™ PLAY.
- Dr Pepper, official soft drink of MLG: Stop by for play-a-Pro sessions, signings, Text-to-Win promotions with an array of prizing, and a chance to meet the new Dr Pepper Girls.
- BIC® Flex4® Razors, official razor of MLG: Play Halo: Reach in the BIC® Flex4® Live FFA (free-for-all or individual) competition. One winner will be flown to the National Championships to compete for $4,000. Plus, participate in a text-2-win promotion for a chance to win cool gaming gear like an ASTRO A40 Audio System.
- PlayStation®, official partner of MLG: Play Resistance® 3 and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception™ before you can buy it at the PlayStation Compound. Experience the PlayStation® Move Sharp Shooter attachment, stereoscopic 3D gaming and compete with friends for amazing prizes.
- STRIDE, official gum of MLG: Participate in unique challenges throughout the weekend and receive Pro Player autographs.
- Alienware, the official desktop of MLG: Experience the most powerful desktops available at Alienware gaming stations throughout the venue.
- ASTRO, the official headset of MLG: Check out and buy the latest gear – the A40 2011 and A30 pro gaming headsets.
- Parrot AR.Drone, official Augmented Reality Gaming Toy of MLG: Race these flying quadricopters in an obstacle course against MLG pro players for a chance to win a FREE AR.Drone, test flight skills in the AR.Drone cage, and grab free swag all weekend.
- Army National Guard: Meet Tim Kennedy—professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and National Guard Special Forces Sergeant, test strength in a push-up competition and participate in a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare competition with a chance to win great prizes. Additionally, visitors can see themselves in a National Guard uniform and view a pre-release version of a brand new augmented reality helicopter rescue game.
- Mad Catz: For the first time, check out the soon to be released MLG controller and MLG fight stick for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
- CALIBUR 11: Try out and purchase the MLG Vault for Xbox360 –an external case for Xbox 360 slim hardware.
Army National Guard and MLG are also offering a military discount. Spectators can show a valid military ID to receive a reduced rate for passes. Additionally, in advance of the event, Raleigh area Play N Trade stores are offering free spectator passes with the purchase of NOS®, the official energy drink of MLG.
Go to the Major League Gaming website for more information on how to watch the live streams of the competitions as well as information on how to register for Free For All events where amateurs can compete.
And for those of you who think that events like these are silly, take into account that the last event in Anaheim California garnered 35 million live stream views globally! E-sports as a serious spectator sport is growing. Check it out this weekend as you wait for the NFL to ramp up!
Video Game critic and guru, music afficionado, and published poet, BJ is a fan of all things artistic. Believing that art in its various forms is an important part of the path to enlightenment, he seeks to share his perspective on life and art with any Heeder with a open mind.