Message #60 From:
NewsBot Date: January 8, 2007 12:00:00 PM
DTV News DIRECTV Unleashes Global Gaming Phenomenon to More Than 100 Million Homes Worldwide with Championship Gaming Series
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DIRECTV, the nation’s leading satellite
television service provider, announced today at the 2007 International
Consumer Electronics Show that it is taking the sports entertainment
world by storm with launch of the Championship Gaming Series, an
international video gaming league which will broadcast to over 100
million homes worldwide starting in Spring 2007 and airing nationally on
DIRECTV’s The 101. The Series, which was
originally announced last year, will expand to feature teams from North
America, Latin America, United Kingdom, Europe, Middle East, Asia and
Australia as the world’s top pro gamers battle
in cyber-space for the international title and over $1 million in prize
money.
DIRECTV is in final discussions with global entertainment giants British
Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) and STAR Asia, among others, to build an
international network and to broadcast the Championship Gaming Series.
In addition to international televised distribution, the series will
partner with Internet powerhouse IGN Entertainment, a unit of Fox
Interactive Media, to provide online coverage, creating a multi-platform
opportunity to bring gaming to the masses. Gaming legend Johnathan “Fatal1ty”
Wendel will capture the action as the exclusive play-by-play commentator
and global league spokesperson and advisor. With a roster of the best
pro gamers in the world, unparalleled production values and
best-in-class televised sports-style coverage, the series will be the
dominant force in professional gaming worldwide.
The series will take the exploding phenomenon of professional gaming to
the next level with high-definition televised league play using advanced
technology to take viewers inside the games themselves. For the first
time in the history of the sport, team members who qualify for the
Championship Gaming Series will be drafted by franchises and paid
salaries as full-time pro gamers. Team franchises will be led by
salaried General Managers, who are established leaders in competitive
gaming.
"We couldn't help but notice that gaming had actually become a sport.
Not only in the way the gamers created teams to compete, but also in
their conditioning and mind set and dedication while playing. So it
wasn't a quantum leap to then determine if it was becoming a sport, we
should cover it like a sport, said David Hill, President, DIRECTV
Entertainment. “The reaction to our first
production, the Championship Gaming Invitational, was little short of
phenomenal, so it was a no-brainer to take this next logical step to
create the series. We believe the combination of a world wide broadcast
platform, coupled with forward thinking partners like Mountain Dew, will
create a brand new sport which is truly universal. Championship Gaming
Series has the potential to become the next soccer in terms of world
wide appeal.”
The series will employ industry giants to transform the game action into
compelling television for both gamers and non-gamers alike. Fatal1ty,
who after dominating the sport for seven years, will take on a new role
as exclusive play-by-play commentator for the Series. Eleven-time Emmy
Award-winner Mike Burks will control multiple high-definition cameras,
as well as virtual cameras to cover all the action, both on and off the
playing field. With its unparalleled production value and televised
sports-style coverage, the Championship Gaming Series will set the
standard for professional gaming competitions worldwide.
“DIRECTV really understands the nature of
gaming and has figured out how to turn the sport I love into something
that gamers and non-gamers will enjoy on television,”
said Johnathan “Fatal1ty”
Wendel. “I can’t
wait to take over the microphone and play such an important role in the
evolution and expansion competitive video gaming. Championship Gaming
Series is going to be the best platform for aspiring gamers to realize
what it takes to become an international gaming champion.”
“We are excited about the Championship Gaming
Series and look forward to becoming the lead gaming and broadcast
partner for the Series in the UK and Ireland. Gaming fits squarely into
Sky’s strategy for providing an unmatched
in-home entertainment experience and we look forward to moving ahead
with the project,” comments James Baker,
Managing Director of Sky Networked Media.
Championship Gaming Series will be structurally based in five regions
around the world – North America, Latin
America, UK, Europe and Australia/Asia/Middle East. Each region will
host online qualifiers and live tournament events to determine the teams
which will represent each area. From those competitions, twelve champion
teams will emerge and compete in the league’s
Grand Slam round. Grand Slam winners, both individuals and teams, will
advance to the Championship Gaming Series World Championship, which will
be hosted in the United States.
“The Championship Gaming Series has the
potential to transform the professional gaming industry,”
said Frank Cooper, vice president, flavored soft drinks, Pepsi-Cola
North America. “As a founding partner of the
series, Mountain Dew sees this as a unique opportunity to redefine our
role in the world of gaming, supporting a unique initiative that enables
gaming enthusiasts get closer to the latest technology.”
Championship Gaming Series teams will consist of squads dedicated to
playing specific game genres, including racing, fighting,
action/adventure/strategy and first person shooters. In the United
States, the series will have six regional teams comprised of the best
players in each gaming genre.
DIRECTV’s first U.S. Championship Gaming
Invitational (CGI), which aired in July of 2006, was held in a
16,000-square-foot airplane hanger, at the former Treasure Island Naval
Base in San Francisco. Competitors faced off in games such as Electronic
Arts™ Battlefield 2™,
Microsoft Game Studio’s™
Project Gotham Racing® 3 and Halo®
2, for prizes and instant money payouts. First prize winners included
complexity, 20ID, Jason "FiddyownsU" Hodges, Joe "Phantom Hitman"
Tackett and Emmanuel "MASTER" Rodriguez. The second CGI took place at
Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, CA on December 16 and will premiere on
DIRECTV’s The 101 in February, 2007.
About DIRECTV, Inc.
DIRECTV, Inc., the nation’s leading satellite
television service provider, presents the finest television experience
available to more than 15.6 million customers through exclusive content,
industry-leading customer service (which has surpassed cable for six
years running) and superior technologies. Each day, DIRECTV subscribers
enjoy over 250 channels of 100% digital picture and sound; exclusive
programming and the most comprehensive collection of sports programming
available anywhere including NFL SUNDAY TICKET™,
and MLB EXTRA INNINGS™. DIRECTV (NYSE:DTV)
also leads the digital television technology revolution with exclusives
such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET SuperFan™, US Open
Interactive and YES Network Interactive and will soon have the capacity
to offer over 150 channels in HD. For the most up-to-date information on
the Company, please visit directv.com.
About British Sky Broadcasting
Sky is the UK’s leading entertainment company
and operates the most comprehensive multichannel, multi-platform
television service in the UK and Ireland. Around 21 million viewers in
8.3 million households enjoy an unprecedented choice of movies, news,
entertainment and sports channels and interactive services on Sky
digital, the UK and Ireland’s first and most
popular digital television service.
Sky is committed to offering customers an unparalleled choice in
content, delivered through innovative and technological advanced
platforms that best serve the demands of today’s
viewers.
About Johnathan “Fatal1ty”
Wendel:
In 1999 Johnathan 'Fatal1ty' Wendel began his journey as the world's
first full time professional video gamer. Fatal1ty built his legend over
the next 7 years by winning or placing top three in almost every
tournament he contested. Johnathan has now turned his focus and
determination to help make professional video gaming an established
sport. Johnathan has joined forces with the Championship Gaming Series
as exclusive commentator, global spokesperson and advisor to help take
video gaming to this next step. Prior to joining the Championship Gaming
Series in January 2007, Johnathan had already won 12 Major
Championships, accomplished while competing in 5 different games - an
unprecedented achievement. Fatal1ty has placed 1st in 65% of all the
competitions he has entered and top 3 in 90% of them. To this day,
having competed on six continents, Fatal1ty continues to dominate
competitions worldwide.
