In a breathless Christian Science Monitor article about pro-gaming (no doubt inspired by the proximity of the World Cyber Games to the Olympics), Gloria Goodale breaks the news to their readers that people actually get paid money to play video games competitively.

She even warns readers not to snicker, seeing that ESPN broadcasts the even less athletic pro poker tourneys. It doesn't take long for the article to enter familiar territory, pinning the hopes of pro gaming on Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel, who wraps up the shortish story with this doozie of a quote:

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Tim to carry the Olympic Torch. Who are you going to choose? Pro gamers! That's right, famous pro Warcraft III gamers Jae Ho "Moon" Jang and Li "Sky" Xiaofeng will be carrying it and will be joined by StarCraft players Junchun "Pj" Sha and Lei "Leilei" Shen. No clue when these gamer luminaries will be carrying the torch, but probably sometime before it reaches Beijing.

Is it me or is pro gaming is so 2007?
Moon, Sky Carry [GGL Thanks, Craig!]

So, you think you're good at Halo 3? The sort of "good" that would have Fatal1ty browning his trousers in utter despair, or players the globe-over crying into remains of their FPS pride and rage-shattered controllers?

Then Microsoft/Samsung's Asia Pacific tournament, to run from April 1 to 14, might just tickle your analogue stick. And by Asia Pacific, we mean Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore. Each region will have its own national champion, so while you'll be up against quite a few people, it won't be half the world.

Oh yeah, the prizes! Here they are:

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If you plan on competing in the World Cyber Games 2008...and even if you don't...you may be interested in hearing the full list of titles that will represent the showdown in Cologne, Germany this November. We've pasted the whole thing after the jump.

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The Cyberathlete Professional League has become the latest pro-gaming operation to close its doors. The organisation announced that it had ceased operations on March 13, cancelling all currently schedule events. The official statement cites "the current fragmentation of the sport, a crowded field of competing leagues, and the current economic climate" as responsible for the CPL suspending operations. General ennui was not mentioned as a factor.

The World Series of Video Games, which shut down in September of last year, similarly pointed to a "very crowded field of competitive gaming leagues." The CPL, established in 1997, noted that it "intends to continue to pay the 2007 World Tour prizes."

The CPL Ceases Operations [CPL]

You were, I'm sure, as horrified as we were when you caught your first glance of the GameStop Super Smash Bros Brawl trophy.

Lucky for us, we weren't the only ones permanently scarred by the sight of a singlet-wearing, gold-dipped high school wrestler. The assistant manager of a EB Games said he and his fellow employees broke into gales of laughter when they unboxed the trophy at their story. Fortunately, they figured out a way to make the trophy more SSBB "appropriate".

I like it!

[Thanks Brett]

After reading the news yesterday morning, thousands of gamers across the country made plans to get up early on Saturday and head down to their local GameStop store to enter the gigantic, nationwide Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament for a chance at prizes and glory. Now that they've seen the trophy the local winner receives, courtesy of Kotaku commenter Prguitarman GoNintendo reader Travisto, sleeping late is looking a bit more attractive. What is that, a High School wrestling trophy? Nothing says you kicked arse at a video game than an athletic young man in a tight singlet. You go, you local legend of wreckage!

UPDATE - PRGuitarman failed to tell us that the picture was taken by Travisto and submitted originally to GoNintendo. If you're going to send us a picture from another site, just send us the link. Thanks!

GameStop's Brawl trophy is...well... [GoNintendo]

Getting paid to play video games is something many of us can only dream of. With the advent of the Championship Gaming Series last year, that has become a reality for six teams of North American gamers. The CGS has expanded for its second season, now spanning six regions, which includes every continent except Antarctica. This weekend is the second North American Combine and Draft in the history of the series, and Canadian gamer, Andrew "anomaly" Brock will be there in the thick of the action.

Brock was picked up in the sixth round of draft picks at last year's Combine and Draft held at the Playboy Mansion, and has since had a whirlwind year playing for the Chicago Chimeras, including winning the CGS World Finals last December. And if all goes well this weekend, he should have another gaming-packed year ahead of him.

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If you're one of those obnoxious World of Warcraft players always bragging in general chat about how much ass you kick in the PVP arena, it's time to put your money where your mouth is. No no, stop stuffing dollar bills up your arse - what I mean is Blizzard is launching a new type of Global Arena Tournament, where for a buy in price ($US 20) players can hop on a special realm, create a level 70 with epic gear, and battle it out 3-vs.-3 style for a chance at a $US 75,000 grand prize.

"eSports is one of the most exciting facets of online gaming today," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're pleased to expand World of Warcraft's tournament options for players who want to focus mainly on the competitive aspect of the game."

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We don't think you'll be seeing ShocKWav3 or OGRE2 appearing on SportsCenter any time soon, but it would appear that ESPN is taking Major League Gaming at least as seriously as lumberjack competitions, as the outlet has struck a deal with the pro gaming league for coverage. Sure, watching sports reporting on other people playing video games very well may not be your bag—or even a considerable alternative to actually playing games yourself—but it's a big deal for the MLG, we think.

ESPN will be on hand at all of this year's MLG Pro Circuit Competitions, with coverage appearing online at ESPN360.com at the very least. Thrilling, no? The prospect of hearing from your favorite wispy virtual athletes with extremely toned thumbs? Sign us up!

Additionally, we've signed a content agreement with the press release. Our contractual obligation is after the jump.

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