So... What is esports?
2008-01-02 11:14 AM PST
Ok, you've read the first post. You sort of get the idea what this new thing is about. But what is it that we will cover? What is eSports?
First, it's not something dangerous. It doesn't bite. It's like kicking soccer with your friends, but by using a computer instead. Sort of..
Sure, there are a lot of differences, but the big idea of esports is that you compete in different games by using some sort of electronic device. Usually a PC or a game console.
Since the beginning of computer games people have been competing against eachother. First in their homes (Like me vs. my older brother in Track and Field on NES, which I usually lost.), and then in big arenas around the world.
We had the "crazy" asians, the Koreans and the Japanese, pushing the borders of competitive gaming by making it something that people enjoyed watching. We had the arcade halls that spread throughout Europe and the US.
And, as always when humans are involved, some people were happy with playing for the fun of beating a friend, and some weren't. Some wanted something more, they wanted to become a star.
And the easiest way to get attention is to win money. Big companies saw their chance to promote themselves, and here we are today.
Gaming is a multi billion business. There are more events than one could possibly attend, and more money than anyone imagined at first.
But, say that you want a piece of the action, you want to become a pro gamer. I'll start by warning you, it's not easy and it takes a lot of time.
You have to sacrifice any social life you have, and you have to understand that if you have a job, or school, and game at the same time, there won't be much time left to do other things.
You have to be dedicated, and you have to have dicipline, these are the two most important things. Talent is further down that list, talent is really nothing but a fancy word in my eyes. Sure, some people are better in some roles, but anyone can become good.
It's a lot about getting the right kind of attention, and getting to know...
First, it's not something dangerous. It doesn't bite. It's like kicking soccer with your friends, but by using a computer instead. Sort of..
Sure, there are a lot of differences, but the big idea of esports is that you compete in different games by using some sort of electronic device. Usually a PC or a game console.
Since the beginning of computer games people have been competing against eachother. First in their homes (Like me vs. my older brother in Track and Field on NES, which I usually lost.), and then in big arenas around the world.
We had the "crazy" asians, the Koreans and the Japanese, pushing the borders of competitive gaming by making it something that people enjoyed watching. We had the arcade halls that spread throughout Europe and the US.
And, as always when humans are involved, some people were happy with playing for the fun of beating a friend, and some weren't. Some wanted something more, they wanted to become a star.
And the easiest way to get attention is to win money. Big companies saw their chance to promote themselves, and here we are today.
Gaming is a multi billion business. There are more events than one could possibly attend, and more money than anyone imagined at first.
But, say that you want a piece of the action, you want to become a pro gamer. I'll start by warning you, it's not easy and it takes a lot of time.
You have to sacrifice any social life you have, and you have to understand that if you have a job, or school, and game at the same time, there won't be much time left to do other things.
You have to be dedicated, and you have to have dicipline, these are the two most important things. Talent is further down that list, talent is really nothing but a fancy word in my eyes. Sure, some people are better in some roles, but anyone can become good.
It's a lot about getting the right kind of attention, and getting to know...
Arena Online tonight
2008-01-02 11:12 AM PST
Tonight, at 8.30, watch the third place match of the 4th Xfire Trophy between pod and redCode on Game One.
For those outside France, the match will be available online on Game One's website.
Thomas
For those outside France, the match will be available online on Game One's website.
Thomas
Strategy Masters chat transcript availab...
2008-01-02 10:58 AM PST
Our beloved chatteox has just posted the transcripts of the chat that previewed today's Xfire trophy matches.
That will, we hope, provide those of you who couldn't attend the chat with some comfort. Especially the ones who suscribed and weren't invited until the last minute due to internal technical issues we had.
Feel free to complain in the comments here but also feel free to have a read at the transcript. You might find somebody actually asked the question you wanted an answer to ?
Thomas
That will, we hope, provide those of you who couldn't attend the chat with some comfort. Especially the ones who suscribed and weren't invited until the last minute due to internal technical issues we had.
Feel free to complain in the comments here but also feel free to have a read at the transcript. You might find somebody actually asked the question you wanted an answer to ?
Thomas
Just about time
2008-01-02 9:42 AM PST
To advertise once more for today's live chat with strategy masters from all over Europe.
Hurry up and suscribe to this event here and take a minute to browse through our guests resumes.
Get to meet Metalon, knolz, dignitas/Apollo and a-L|Dackel for an hour to ask them all about pro gaming and strategies.
Thomas
Hurry up and suscribe to this event here and take a minute to browse through our guests resumes.
Get to meet Metalon, knolz, dignitas/Apollo and a-L|Dackel for an hour to ask them all about pro gaming and strategies.
Thomas
A bug in the blog
2008-01-02 9:39 AM PST
Due to fatal internet connection difficulties, I've been unable to warn you all live of the airing of Xfire Trophy #4 first matches.
It happened yesterday on Game One, and you will be able to follow the course of the event every friday from now on.
Fortunately for those of you who missed those games on TV, you can still watch them there.
Stay tuned more than I managed to for more news on the Xfire Trophy...
Thomas
It happened yesterday on Game One, and you will be able to follow the course of the event every friday from now on.
Fortunately for those of you who missed those games on TV, you can still watch them there.
Stay tuned more than I managed to for more news on the Xfire Trophy...
Thomas
Xfire Esportszone launches!
2008-01-02 8:43 AM PST
We're launching our new feature here at Xfire, which is called "Xfire EsportsZone"!
In essence it's a way for us to reach out to the more casual gamers among you, as well as reward the hardcore gamers even more.
We will feature a bunch of the best pro-gamers and other gaming personalities, as well as offer you lots of cool stuff to attend.
And what makes this thing even cooler is that we will have real, professional, journalists handling the interviews together with you.
This way, we can get even better questions and really get to know everything we could possibly want from the gamers, but don't worry, you will still be able to ask your own questions. More specifics on how this will work will arrive in a later post.
A small introduction on my side perhaps? I'm Hans 'OliT' L. Olofsson and I work for Xfire as a helper, which means I handle a lot of different stuff, I help run events, translate newsletters and now this blog. I also study journalistics in Sweden, and I've been playing computer games on a fairly competitive level for quite a few years.
My mission here is to supply you with all the latest information, together with all the fun and goofy stuff going on behind the scenes. If you read the ESWC blog you will have a clue as to how this will work, if not, then you are in for a treat.
You can expect the tastiest information to arrive here first, so check back every now and then.
I'll be back soon with more for you to read. Until then, stay safe and may the frag be with you.
Hans
In essence it's a way for us to reach out to the more casual gamers among you, as well as reward the hardcore gamers even more.
We will feature a bunch of the best pro-gamers and other gaming personalities, as well as offer you lots of cool stuff to attend.
And what makes this thing even cooler is that we will have real, professional, journalists handling the interviews together with you.
This way, we can get even better questions and really get to know everything we could possibly want from the gamers, but don't worry, you will still be able to ask your own questions. More specifics on how this will work will arrive in a later post.
A small introduction on my side perhaps? I'm Hans 'OliT' L. Olofsson and I work for Xfire as a helper, which means I handle a lot of different stuff, I help run events, translate newsletters and now this blog. I also study journalistics in Sweden, and I've been playing computer games on a fairly competitive level for quite a few years.
My mission here is to supply you with all the latest information, together with all the fun and goofy stuff going on behind the scenes. If you read the ESWC blog you will have a clue as to how this will work, if not, then you are in for a treat.
You can expect the tastiest information to arrive here first, so check back every now and then.
I'll be back soon with more for you to read. Until then, stay safe and may the frag be with you.
Hans
The C&C Trophy site is up!
2008-01-02 8:41 AM PST
Since things are actually starting to happen, it's time to get straight to the point.
The Xfire Trophy – CnC Edition microsite is now live !
You can start to register for the live chat event with Metalon, Knolz, dignitas/Apollo and A-L|Dackel, our four contestants, introduced on the Xfire Trophy page !
It's time to wipe the dust off your C&C3 mad skillz.
Xfire's been celebrating this week, though, and you'll get help from our brand new in-game interface, now fully compatible with Tiberium Wars.
Better get cracking !
Thomas
The Xfire Trophy – CnC Edition microsite is now live !
You can start to register for the live chat event with Metalon, Knolz, dignitas/Apollo and A-L|Dackel, our four contestants, introduced on the Xfire Trophy page !
It's time to wipe the dust off your C&C3 mad skillz.
Xfire's been celebrating this week, though, and you'll get help from our brand new in-game interface, now fully compatible with Tiberium Wars.
Better get cracking !
Thomas
Less is more
2008-01-02 8:36 AM PST
It's much tougher to write a blog than I imagined. You tend to forget all about what you're supposed to say, carried away by a train of thought you can freely ride.
I got scowled at (in a very courteous way, of course), by people who've invested me with this task for having posted secret pieces of information (immediatly corrected by aware people before it went public).
Like giving away the names of the teams playing the final and 3rd place games on the schedule. Of course, I know the information already, since I attended these games myself...
But I didn't realise at first it would kind of spoil the fun to watch games when you already know which team wins in the end. Especially when there's been so much suspense throughout the matches, as when, in the final game, both teams tied at 5 rounds each...
Let's not get carried away.
Let's talk about the next season of the Xfire Trophy instead, played on Command & Conquer 3.
The match ups will be the following:
o Dackel vs knolz
o Metalon vs Apollo
Winners will qualify for the final, while the losers will play for 3rd place.
Matches played on September the 26th and aired on Game One starting Friday the 19th of October. Such are the laws of television broadcasting. All matches will, of course, also be available online, via Game One's video section.
Ah! and I'd also been suggested to shorten those blog entries in the future. I guess I'll correct this next time...
Thomas
I got scowled at (in a very courteous way, of course), by people who've invested me with this task for having posted secret pieces of information (immediatly corrected by aware people before it went public).
Like giving away the names of the teams playing the final and 3rd place games on the schedule. Of course, I know the information already, since I attended these games myself...
But I didn't realise at first it would kind of spoil the fun to watch games when you already know which team wins in the end. Especially when there's been so much suspense throughout the matches, as when, in the final game, both teams tied at 5 rounds each...
Let's not get carried away.
Let's talk about the next season of the Xfire Trophy instead, played on Command & Conquer 3.
The match ups will be the following:
o Dackel vs knolz
o Metalon vs Apollo
Winners will qualify for the final, while the losers will play for 3rd place.
Matches played on September the 26th and aired on Game One starting Friday the 19th of October. Such are the laws of television broadcasting. All matches will, of course, also be available online, via Game One's video section.
Ah! and I'd also been suggested to shorten those blog entries in the future. I guess I'll correct this next time...
Thomas
To blog or not to blog
2008-01-02 8:35 AM PST
"A blog (a portmanteau of web log) is a website where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order."
Or so says Wikipedia...
So you'd better hurry reading this because tomorrow, it will be gone with the wind already, wiped away by latest news.
Since you probably didn't end up here without a clue, you should be aware of the Xfire Trophy already. So what's this blog about?
It's about preparing everybody for the next round of events involved in the Xfire Trophy competition. It's hard enough to wait, we don't have to do it all on our own.
But before we start adressing the incoming Xfire Trophy, played on "Command & Conquer 3", let me forward you to Game One, which will air the Counter-Strike matches from last season, starting friday of this week.
Her's the complete schedule of diffusions on Game One :
Sept. 14th: Xfire Trophy #4 Semi-final, aAa vs pod
Sept. 21st: Xfire Trophy #4 Semi-final, redCode vs emulate
Sept. 28th: Xfire Trophy #4 Third place match
Oct. 5th: Xfire Trophy #4 Final
And not to keep you waiting idly until Game One starts showing C&C3 matches of season #5, we treat you with some football action on Oct. 12th with a PES 6 showmatch between SmainGerrard and Nonomel.
Game One being a french channel, most Xfire users will not have access to it. But we care for you so much we had Game One upload them all online to their video webpage.
Here ends the historical first entry of the Xfire Trophy blog. Tomorrow we'll talk about commanding and conquering.
Thomas
Or so says Wikipedia...
So you'd better hurry reading this because tomorrow, it will be gone with the wind already, wiped away by latest news.
Since you probably didn't end up here without a clue, you should be aware of the Xfire Trophy already. So what's this blog about?
It's about preparing everybody for the next round of events involved in the Xfire Trophy competition. It's hard enough to wait, we don't have to do it all on our own.
But before we start adressing the incoming Xfire Trophy, played on "Command & Conquer 3", let me forward you to Game One, which will air the Counter-Strike matches from last season, starting friday of this week.
Her's the complete schedule of diffusions on Game One :
Sept. 14th: Xfire Trophy #4 Semi-final, aAa vs pod
Sept. 21st: Xfire Trophy #4 Semi-final, redCode vs emulate
Sept. 28th: Xfire Trophy #4 Third place match
Oct. 5th: Xfire Trophy #4 Final
And not to keep you waiting idly until Game One starts showing C&C3 matches of season #5, we treat you with some football action on Oct. 12th with a PES 6 showmatch between SmainGerrard and Nonomel.
Game One being a french channel, most Xfire users will not have access to it. But we care for you so much we had Game One upload them all online to their video webpage.
Here ends the historical first entry of the Xfire Trophy blog. Tomorrow we'll talk about commanding and conquering.
Thomas