Blizzard: UFC-style reality shows could propel eSports into the mainstream

[Administrator]

With the emergence of hit video game streaming websites such as Twitch.tv and in-client tournament viewers, eSports is booming. But while hundreds of thousands visit packed venues and millions tune in online to watch their favourite professional StarCraft, League of Legends and Dota players and teams battle it out, eSports is yet to hit the mainstream in the west as it has done in South Korea. Some believe it can. Some believe it can't. Some believe it shouldn't even try.
But what does Blizzard, creator of StarCraft 2 and one of the major forces behind the global eSports push, think? According to StarCraft 2 design production chief Chris Sigaty, eSports "absolutely can" and he has a few ideas.
The biggest eSports organisation is Major League Gaming, and in 2012 it saw an impressive 334 per cent growth in live online viewers. Its 2012 Pro Circuit drew more than 11.7 million unique online viewers over the four Pro Circuit Championship weekends, up from 3.5 million for the 2011 season. The online broadcast of the Spring Championship in Anaheim, CA, in June, reached more than 4.7 million unique online viewers with an all-time high of 437,000 peak concurrent viewers.
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