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"Professional video gaming." It's existed for over two decades now, but has always been somewhat of a fantasy sport that gamers like to point out to validate their hobby as something more than just a hobby. The video games industry have already conquered the entertainment field in terms of the money it generates, but if that doesn't get people's respect, then the next thing that needs to be proven is that you CAN make a living out of playing a video game. This is seemingly already a reality in countries like South Korea, but there's still a lot of ground to gain in other countries like the USA.

Recently out of curiosity, I actually bothered to check out the "Championship Gaming Series," one of many professional video gaming leagues in the world that offer prizes in excess of $1,000,000. The teams come from all four corners of the world, so there's a sense of national pride that can be invested in this. I got to say, it wasn't bad. There are actual back stories you can get caught up with in the teams, the individual players, the rivalries, the camaraderie, etc... just like what you can find in more traditional sports. The gamers can get pretty emotional though, as some you can clearly tell are just intense when gaming, and I've seen some people break down in tears from defeat.

The real test on professional gaming finding a television audience is how fun it is to watch the competition. The CGS point system is easy to follow, and it's not confusing to tell who is winning or losing. Watching a team trying to win a certain amount of points to help them either break even or win the whole match, is just as fun to watch as watching a traditional sports team playing catch up to win the game. The whole "managers" in the teams though, hovering over the gamers playing, just look odd. Now, the final tally of points are determined by five different matches, and the four games that makes them up. What games the teams are competing in though, is what determines when I fast forward my DVR to the more interesting matches.

The soccer game Fifa 08, and the racing game Forza 2, I suppose are as close as it can be to watching the real sports. Soccer and racing isn't something I take time to watch in real life, so personally for me I fast forward through those two (although soccer is not that bad).

Counter Strike : Source is the team base first person shooter game that usually makes the most difference in the final tally. Since Counter Strike has a large virtual gaming area as well as multiple players at once, the amount of entertainment you'll get from this completely falls on what camera angle they show on screen. When it comes down to something like a 2 man team versus a 5 man team though, is when things get exciting to watch, and it's easy to root for the underdog.

The fighting game Dead or Alive 4 is where it's really fun to watch the CGS. Say what you will about how good a fighting game it is to play, but it's definitely fun to watch. You either get somebody completely obliterating their opponent, a comeback from a large deficit, or a very close match, and that makes up good sports television. What's nice about this is that you get to watch two different matches, with one being female vs female, and the other being male vs male. Each player plays their fighting game characters differently, and the style of fighting clearly varies, which makes it easy to identify and connect the gamer to the game. The most famous and recognizable gamers in the CGS are usually the ones competing in Dead or Alive 4.

Professional gaming still has a ways to go before it gets accepted by the mainstream, and it's still easy to scoff at the idea and make fun of it. However, if the Championship Gaming Series is any indication, the potential to actually be an entertaining mainstream sports event to watch on TV is there. I know I'm personally sold on the idea to watch the next season of the CGS.