Games Media Properties, a division of the large William Morris Agency, best known as a film and literary agency, has announced the first World Series of Video Games competition. The tournament, a potential rival for the World Cyber Games' established event, will begin with a June 2006 event in Louisville, Kentucky, and proceed from there to other events in various countries.
As a result of sponsors Microsoft and Intel, the tournament will offer an overall grand prize of $1 million to the winner, though the World Series finals will not take place until December 2006. Events will feature both PC and Xbox games, with participants invited to bring their own systems in either category, and the precise featured games are to be announced in the near future.
Games Media is working with groups such as the Cyberathlete Professional League, Lanwar, and the E-Sport Entertainment Group, the latter of which will help the World Series contribute to DreamHack, the world's largest LAN party in Jonkoping, Sweden during the FIFA World Cup. In the past, Games Media were best known for the previous organization of the GameRiot series of public gaming events, which have appeared 120 times in over 60 cities to over 200,000 attendees.
"Video games are the entertainment of choice for millions of people worldwide and competition and achievement are of paramount importance to gamers," said Matthew Ringel, President and CEO, Games Media Properties. "In bringing together some of the most well-known tournaments, the best gamers and unprecedented media exposure, the World Series of Video Games will help promote a new class of champions, and bring the excitement of gaming competitions to a wider audience."
