Nothing can get the blood flowing through your veins faster than the thunderous applause of a crowd, cheering for you as you celebrate victory. Something about that atmosphere that is reminiscent of ancient Rome where gladiators would battle to the death, or United Center when Michael Jordan won six championships. The feeling is electrifying, addicting, and exciting. The closest things gamers have to that is their living room filled with some of your closest friends.
But now gamers will have an opportunity to flex their gaming muscle on the biggest stage for any player and hopefully any game. The video game tournament organization Major League Gaming has chosen to build a gaming arena in Columbus, New York outside of the companies studio. It will be 14,000 square feet (about the average size of a Walgreens) and will be built near Easton Town Center. According to Sundance DiGiovanni, MLG co-founder and CEO, the arena will be the organizations “flagship venue.”
The local arena feature bleacher seats for spectators, soundproof booths for players and teamsm a broadcast platform for live reports, video screens for broadcasting competitions and warm-up areas for players. So you know it’s legit.
It will be the single location for a tournaments and other live events hosted by MLG.tv. The first tourney being held October 24th for Major League Gaming’s Call of Duty: Ghost Pro league.
Sounds like an awesome place for lazy people right? Wrong. In fact, video games have become a multi-billion dollar industry and continues to grow. What is now known as E-sports, video gaming has become a competitive stage that is growing in popularity.
This will not the only venue in the world, however. Along with the Columbus venue, Major League Gaming has chosen to build a stadium in China, slated to open in 2017, as host locations for Major League Gaming’s championship series.
Personally, I think this could be good for gaming. It is innovative, different, and could be genesis of something that could change the industry as we know it. My only suggestion to you is, “win the crowd and you will win your freedom.”