Why the World Series of Video Games ended
Following the death of the World Series of Video Games the guys at GameDaily BIZ spoke with Matt Ringel, president of Games Media Properties, and asked what went wrong. Ringel says there are a number of organizers competing for advertising dollars and the ad agencies are still trying to work our the merits of the different competitions. He says that Games Media Properties is making money off its websites (like GameRiot.com) and is going to focus solely on where they can make business work now.
Boiling it down: Too much work, too little profit. Perfectly understandable given the complicated nature of dealing with television, setting up competitions and the absolute hell of trying to get sponsorship with a new concept. It's so much easier to just have your little corner of the internet and work there. We like it, although we do dream of one day hosting the Joystiq International Gaming Competition and having it simul-cast on all the networks while we roll in our disgusting mountain of cash -- one day it may come true, one day.
Boiling it down: Too much work, too little profit. Perfectly understandable given the complicated nature of dealing with television, setting up competitions and the absolute hell of trying to get sponsorship with a new concept. It's so much easier to just have your little corner of the internet and work there. We like it, although we do dream of one day hosting the Joystiq International Gaming Competition and having it simul-cast on all the networks while we roll in our disgusting mountain of cash -- one day it may come true, one day.












Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
blooh @ Sep 14th 2007 1:02PM
mmmmk
NATO_Duke @ Sep 14th 2007 1:03PM
Its a nice idea and all to have a world series of gaming - but I don't see myself sitting there watching it, so I would be shocked if many others would.
Kyle @ Sep 14th 2007 1:21PM
It's just not really that much fun to watch someone else play a game no matter how good they are.
ikiryou @ Sep 14th 2007 1:24PM
I'd much rather be playing a game in a competition than watching someone else do it. Life isn't a spectator sport and neither is video gaming.
Korova @ Sep 14th 2007 1:28PM
world series is a bit ambitious. It like wrestling or body-building: Mr. Universe of video gaming. They should go local, grow the grassroots. Then they will find the concept that will work nationally and globally. They wont find it on the internet.
But as far as I know, even a video game playing cafe cant survive. They tried it in Nyc, but it closed, I think.
snahfu @ Sep 14th 2007 2:04PM
Here's another reason why it failed. Tommy Tallarico; who is the most self-aggrandizing, king of all things douche-baggeryish was involved.
Linkdead @ Sep 14th 2007 2:01PM
Tonight on ESPN 8 The Ocho
Super Mario Semi-Finalists battle it out to see who really is the ultimate plumber's helper.
"If it's almost a sport, we've got it here!"
Peter @ Sep 14th 2007 4:06PM
"Pepper needs new shorts!!!"
LOLZ
razer @ Sep 14th 2007 2:42PM
I just wish they would of took MLG with it..
Word of the street. @ Sep 14th 2007 3:18PM
To be honest I have never watched the World series of videogames in my life ,I thought that was something that ended in 1995.I used to watch MGO tournaments but never WSOVG.
It was anything like what happens at the end of the Wizard?
“I love the Power glove, is so bad”.
Ska Oreo @ Sep 14th 2007 4:40PM
Here's Ska's take on why it didn't work:
IT'S BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS TO WATCH PEOPLE WHO THEY DON'T KNOW PLAY VIDEOGAMES!
It's fun when your watching a friend own another friend's ass in SMB, but watching two strangers play competively is fucking boring as hell.
LaughingTarget @ Sep 14th 2007 4:50PM
Even watching your friends play is boring as piss. Watching video games is never fun, irregardless of the situation.
Tyler @ Sep 14th 2007 10:05PM
Hmm lol
http://www.gamerslore.com/
urasuccess @ Sep 14th 2007 11:19PM
************************
I am not a big gamer, yet came across your blog on the death of the World Series of Video Games.
Reading some of the comments from other gamers, it seems as though the presentors of the WSOVG really did not do a good job of attracting there target market.
Be Positive,
Jamie
Zsavior @ Sep 15th 2007 4:37AM
Look the world series of gaming is just horrible. Just to point out why it can't work World of warcraft was in there. This is a game where admittedly the makers of the game said PVP is based on rock paper scissors. In others words some classes you beat some classes you have no hope against.
Now imagine that happening in any other sports arena, imagine baseball being like that, or foot ball. Yes it is one thing for a different team to have more talent, but to just not being able to beat another player just cause they were made to be better is regardless of talent between the to participants is just straight fail.
This is the major flaw of the gaming world series, it has to be centered around electronic entertainment all can do, not just the popular trend at the time.
Michael387 @ Sep 16th 2007 3:00PM
Meh, they did have viewers because people who want to be good at their game of choice watch those who are better than them. It is simply the best way to get better, and it is a huge blow to hardcore gamers.