Don’t Hate The Pro Gamer… Hate The Game

You know those commercials, the ones that are on late at night (or all day on G4) that ask you, “Do you want to get paid to play games all day?” Sounds awesome, and like a dream come true right? Go ask any QA tester how awesome of a job they have and they may point out how their job isn’t all that those kids on the couch make it out to be. Well, as misleading as those commercials are, it isn’t impossible to live the dream and actually get paid to play games all day, and over 200 of America’s best gamers are throwing down this weekend in an attempt to make it their life.

Starting tomorrow, at the E for All Expo in Los Angeles more than 200 gamers will be competing for 25 spots on TEAM USA, that will go on to compete next month at the World Cyber Games Grand Final in Cologne, Germany. TEAM USA took the championship last year, and, should, again, be a force to reckon with. However, they will be going up against 700 competitors from around the world – where they take competitive gaming more seriously than us Americans.

Hopefully America can kick some ass again, but it beckons the question, why hasn’t competitive gaming caught on in the U.S. as much as it has in other countries? I’ve compiled a short list of possible reasons, and rebuttals. [Continue Reading]