WCG Ultimate Gamer reality show hits SciFi Channel March 10

by Griffin McElroy { Mar 5th 2009 at 9:20PM }

If you've found yourself looking for new mediums of entertainment since the heartbreaking season finale of The Bachelor, a new program on SciFi Channel might tickle your reality programming fancy. WCG Ultimate Gamer, the first episode of which airs Tuesday, March 10, will follow 12 gaming enthusiasts as they "embark on an intense and emotional journey" for a prize of $100,000, some Samsung products and the right to represent the titular World Cyber Games league at gaming events across the globe. We anticipate they'll learn a bit about themselves along the way. That's the best prize of all, really.

Contestants will compete in popular video games (Rock Band 2 is the focus for episode one) and -- wait for it -- "real-life challenges inspired by best-selling game titles." As much as we wish they'd leave that particular enterprise in more capable hands, we'll probably check it out. We could ostensibly watch reruns of Rock of Love: Charm School to satisfy our debilitating reality TV addiction, but, well, we already know how that one ends.

Tags: reality-tv, sci-fi-channel, television, wcg, wcg-ultimate-gamer

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Poisoned Al @ Mar 5th 2009 9:32PM

$100,000? Is that all? You can win £250,000 on Deal or No Deal, and all you have to be able to do is count to 20 and guess!

SKI @ Mar 5th 2009 10:04PM

This won't have the viewer-ship or the advertising dollars of Deal or No Deal.

Poisoned Al @ Mar 5th 2009 10:23PM

Actually, Deal or No Deal is a cheap show in comparison, according the Screen Wipe Guide to TV:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXOPIbb8ZjA

Dr Jeckyl and Mr ESC. @ Mar 5th 2009 9:46PM

"gaming enthusiasts as they "embark on an intense and emotional journey"

I predict dramatic music and not showing more than 10 minutes of footage of the games.

Then again you can find out who is the absolute Peggle champion or how people play Halo 3 without lag switches! (I don't expect TF2 but hey lots of Halo and Guitar Hero,With any luck hopefully Skate 2)

RGnome @ Mar 5th 2009 10:00PM

For my professional halo fix I'd much rather watch Major League Gaming's television show, or even just the video on demand matches. They ultimately give away a lot more money as well. Sure the narration is horrible and the effects are cheesy, but I don't expect anything different from this WCG show. WCG has had a pretty shitty track record when it comes to paying their participants, too.

Also, I can watch MLG online. Something tells me that this show isn't going to be aired live or for free.

Yes, all of this is just my guess at how this show will turn out. No, I have nothing but my experiences to support my guesses. I'd love to be wrong and for WCG to become more than a joke to anyone that doesn't play starcraft (Last I checked their only decent money game).

BananaBoat @ Mar 5th 2009 10:30PM

When are the casting calls for this type of crap? I'd be on some stupid gaming reality show if they were willing to pay me.

Anyone up for pitching a "Survivor: Joystiq editors and commentors" edition to the networks? I have a feeling we could make some serious money with that.

At the very least, we could use my novelty fruit boat to paddle to the safety....

BananaBoat @ Mar 5th 2009 10:38PM

the safety..?

safety*

Markez @ Mar 5th 2009 10:46PM

They 'pay' you in pogs, you have to survive on generic fruit loops, and the 'exotic location' is actually Joystiq's broom closet in the central office.

BananaBoat @ Mar 6th 2009 1:03AM

That sounds horrib....wait...did you say fruit loops?

I'm in

Markez @ Mar 6th 2009 1:53AM

Dude, I said 'generic' fruit loops: http://www.all-nature.net/images/foods/Cereals/Cereals/FRUIT_RINGS%209%20oz%20Favelli%20c%20zorro.jpg

Hope that's OK and everything now that you've committed.

BananaBoat @ Mar 6th 2009 3:39AM

I've always been under the impression that "generic" items were just the regular products, except in a different box.

I've never bought generic, so I can't say for sure one way or another.

rokobungi @ Mar 5th 2009 10:36PM

what they need is a roulette wheel with like 500 games ranging from pong to current titles lets see those 'professional gamers' play some deadly towers or zookeeper and then switch to GTA 4. and then something like time pilot.

Lieutenant @ Mar 5th 2009 10:43PM

yo dawg i herd u liek entertainment so we put entert-- etc etc etc

My roommate watches Stargate all the time so I get to sit through the commercial for this all the time. I cringe EVERYTIME I see that crying chick saying, "This is really hard".

Makes me want to punch babies and punt puppies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYfsLSvY4CU#t=2m37s

Duke @ Mar 6th 2009 11:21AM

Yeah, the commercials make me cringe too. The sad truth is that I don't want to see or hear from anyone they are going to have acting like fools on this show. Lets be realistic - too many gamers are too egotistical when gaming and adding cameras to the mix will just make it impossible to handle.