Wired News, the online branch of the popular nerd/culture magazine, has posted a story on the Cyberathlete Professional League, which mentions a bit about the CPL getting $45 million from private investors (read: not Intel). Here's a bit from the meat of the aritcle:
"I love interactive entertainment," Munoz said. "I realized when I launched the CPL that this was historical, whether we failed or succeeded as a business. Now, the trend has been established. Games are going to be a spectator sport."Mostly factually correct (which is rare with CPL or gaming-related articles), but Angel Munoz claimed that "the CPL will not be in 'serious trouble' if it does not expand beyond the hardcore gamers next year."
Currently, the CPL operates very much like professional tennis, hosting invitational tournaments around the world. Last December's five-man Swedish Counter-Strike team walked away with $50,000 after winning the annual tournament.
The big tournaments can attract several thousand spectators. While it sounds impressive, it's actually an indication that the league doesn't draw beyond its base of hard-core players.
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