Attendees of a recent Major League Gaming event in San Diego were rewarded for their ability to watch other people play video games for eight hours with a visit from Bungie figureheads Shishka and Lukems, who gave the glassy-eyed viewers a sneak peek at their newest multiplayer map for Halo 3, named "Cold Storage". This new map is apparently set in the back room of a Cold Stone Creamery, as part of Bungie's recent partnership with the highly successful, treatweaving corporation.

Actually, the map closely resembles a level from Halo the first, titled "Chill Out". It was one of the game's more unique maps, due to it's smaller size and asymmetry -- though how those aspects will carry over into the remake has yet to be revealed, as Bungie has yet to "formally" announce said map. Apparently, speaking to a roomful of professional video game spectators doesn't count as a formal social engagement. Who'd have thunk it?

Major League Gaming (MLG) announced that Halo 3's Team Hardcore playlist is being rebranded as the MLG Playlist. The change will become effective in the April update and more details are to follow on what this exactly means.

According to MLG, they've helped develop game types that ensure fair competition and emphasize skill. Bungie will incorporate these settings in the new playlists. MLG also states that it will produce a series called "Get Better Fast" to familiarize players with strategies and tactics used by MLG pros. At least this puts the competitive whiners men of stature in one place. Now, Bungie, can we please get a post-puberty non-racist/homophobic/dumb-trash-talk playlist?

[Via X3F]

Although it's taken for granted that Mountain Dew is the major brand soda staking claim to the gamer demographic, Dr Pepper announced today it is the official beverage of the 2008 Major League Gaming Pro Circuit. The deal is a "cross-platform partnership" which includes a "Dr Pepper Ultimate Gaming House" at MLG events and a co-branded online collegiate gaming championship.

The Dr Pepper gaming house (an elaborate tent-like facility) will be present at every MLG event and includes various rooms "designed by premier gaming publishers" sporting the latest in gaming equipment. The house will also host pro-gamers and "high-profile entertainment and sports celebrities" to play against -- according to the press release -- "Dr Pepper fans." Do you have to bring a stack of Dr Pepper UPCs to prove allegiance or something?

The online collegiate gaming championship will identify the best college gamers (via migpro.com) in the country and they'll vie for an award of their own and a chance to attend the MLG Championship. If Dr Pepper gets traction off this deal we're expecting Team Fortress 2, CoD4 or Counter-Strike branded soda cans.

The good folks at ESPN identified a huge, glaring hole in their programming lineup – namely that gamers are too busy playing games – and have made moves to fill it, announcing a "content agreement" with Major League Gaming. The following marketing dream scenario describes our general lack of appreciation for major league gaming, in all its forms: when you're not playing games, what better way to spend your time than watching other people play them?

With ESPN's marketing muscle and proven sports coverage formula, maybe MLG has a chance to appeal to a larger audience and, in turn, reel those advertisers in. If you're not sure this is something you'd be interested in, check out ESPN's newly launched MLG portal (with additional content from 1UP.com) by clicking on that "Read: link. If you think it sounds like a product in search of an audience, that makes all of us.

Major League Gaming has stepped up its efforts to gain mainstream media coverage, inking a deal with media development and production company Flame Ventures. The partnership is expected to expand the reach of MLG programming, bringing more competitive gaming events to television and mobile video. Could MLG be the next World Series of Poker? Place your bets.

See also:

• Major League Gaming on your TV?
• Major League Gaming trumps other gaming shows

Major League Gaming has secured team Carbon, the four-man national Halo 2 champion, with a $1 million group contract, and signed additional $250,000 deals with three members of team Str8 Rippin. Having signed similar contracts with team Final Boss and Str8 Rippin captain Tom Taylor back in June, MLG now has exclusive rights to three of the nation's top l33t pro-gaming teams.

You can currently watch these fine young lads do battle on USA Network's coverage of the 2006 Boost Mobile MLG Pro Circuit on Saturday mornings.

[Thanks, Raymond]

[Update: Commenter Ben found a second part of the preview, which interviews pro gamer Walshy and shows some more in game action. Part 2 is now also embedded below Thanks Ben.]

Months ago, when Major League Gaming and the USA cable network announced plans to air seven hour-long programs on the MLG national tour, we begged the powers-that-be at the network to "please keep the cheese factor low." It looks like somebody up there was listening, because a new five-minute trailer for the program is low on cheese and high on production values.

From the quick-paced jump cuts to the well-placed crowd shots and the respectful interviews with the gamers themselves, most everything in the trailer shows that this is a well thought-out, professional production and not some fly-by-night "Xtreme Gamerz" marketing stunt. The introduction strikes a good balance in being informative without being condescending, making the audience care about the players and the competition without forcing some manufactured personalities down our throats. Our only major concern is the announcers and commentators, some of whom still seem a little uncomfortable on camera, but this will likely improve as the season continues.

Despite the slick production, it still remains to be seen whether U.S. gamers will want to watch Halo 2 instead of playing it themselves. We'll find out when MLG on USA premieres at 10 a.m. (EST/PST) on Nov. 11.

And mom said we'd never get anywhere with these games. Gamasutra is reporting that Major League Gaming has just signed the United States' top Halo 2 team -- Final Boss -- for 1 million dollars (cue Dr. Evil). The cash happy organization also signed MTV True Life stud Tsquared to an exclusive contract worth $250,000. According to one of the now filthy rich pro gamers: "It's a huge honor to be part of the first gaming team to get this kind of money," said David "Walshy" Walsh. "This kind of contract just shows how serious MLG is about building the League. Three years ago I never could have imagined that I'd be making more money than my parents playing video games!"

This is actually pretty big news. It seems like it won't be much longer before we start to see competitive video gaming as a major TV event or big name players starting to be mentioned in the same breath as today's other sports stars. Our little video game baby seems to have all growns up.

The BBC reports on the disappearance of the CPL World Tour from an international perspective. With budding British pro gamers having pinned their hopes on the event -- one even giving up a tennis career -- the cancellation comes as quite a blow. Teams that have trained on specific games, maps and rulesets have work ahead to retrain for other events.

Philip Wride, manager of Intel-sponsored clan 4Kings, described the move as "a step backwards" for pro gaming. While there are still tournaments in Europe, the UK is left with just a few LAN tournaments that concentrate on fun rather than professional prize money. However, for gamers willing to travel, there is still a substantial amount of cash available to those who play well -- the World Series of Video Games, World Cyber Games and e-Sports World Cup all offer the chance to triumph.

Major League Gaming and NBC subsidiary USA Network have signed a deal to air MLG tournaments on cable TV this year, The Wall Street Journal reported this morning.

The deal will result in a "a series of seven, hour-long shows" (to air on Saturday mornings this fall) featuring competitions between gamers in games ranging from Halo 2 to Super Smash Bros. Melee, the Journal reports.

This is great news for competitive gaming. If the show can bring in an audience, next year may bring even more televised competitions between gamers. On behalf of the emerging sport of professional video gaming, we beg the powers that be not to totally screw up the genre's big debut in front of a national audience. Please keep the cheese factor low.

It's all go on the pro gaming scene this week, with two announcements from different leagues revealing what's in store for professional gamers and wannabes.

Firstly, the company behind the MLG console league, Major League Gaming, Inc., announced it had secured first-round venture capital funding to the tune of $10 million--the console side of pro gaming sees fewer competitors than PC gaming, and this funding will help MLG's goal of becoming a serious sports circuit.

Over at the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL), however, a partnership is on the cards. This year's CPL World Tour has been cancelled; instead, MLG are teaming up with Games Media Properties to offer a World Series of Video Games. The prize money for the CPL Summer tournament has been halved as a result, and CPL's Angel Munoz hints at a stronger console focus than we've previously seen.

The common thread behind both of these announcements is a shift towards more credibility, more television focus and more console gaming--pro gaming is maturing into a sport in its own right.