Comparing MLG and Virgin Gaming...

Games Other Halo
1

…and Why the Latter is Better for Halo 4 and Beyond

DISCLAIMER: Most of the following is MY OPINION.

I personally believe that a prioritized partnership with -Yoink!- Gaming will be better for Halo in the long run.

Lately (most apparently starting with Halo: Reach), MLG’s support of Halo has been waning. Not only has “their” opinion of the finished products have been less than constructive, they jump to stripping each new game down to “their” settings, making the gameplay virtually unrecognizable from the “factory” settings. Some might argue this is a good thing, but I argue it is not. The “competitive” niche is tiny compared to the entire player base.

MLG has been dropping Halo in favor of more popular titles such as League of Legends, StarCraft 2, and Call of Duty. Is it the game’s/developer’s/publisher’s fault? Perhaps. But that is an entirely different discussion. But fact of the matter is that they see more popular franchises and are choosing to drop support of Halo for them, despite what they may have done for the franchise in terms of popularity.

Not only that but MLG only holds tournaments in the US and Canada.

-Yoink!- Gaming, on the other hand, is an international service. -Yoink!- Group, -Yoink!- Gaming’s parent company, is a highly wealthy company. Their wealth will prove useful when it comes to funding tournaments and prizes.

-Yoink!- Gaming is also working with Microsoft to create a tournament system for XBL powered by -Yoink!- Gaming. Unlike MLG, they are showing active support for Microsoft and Halo. Not only that but they are choosing to support the game’s actual settings (at this point in time) and not stripping them down for their own view of “competitive”.

Even if Halo 4’s first -Yoink!- Gaming-sponsored “tournament” is just “whoever plays the most, wins” is a lot more accessible compared to MLG tournaments for a few reasons. 1) It’s totally online, meaning ANYONE who meets the tournament’s rules and regulations can participate. Versus MLG tournaments where it is primarily bracket-based, and you must be there physically to participate among other restrictions. 2) It’s free. 3) For MLG, there’s only cash prizes for the winning team or individual. For the Infinity Challenge, there is a multitude of prizes ranging from t-shirts to a brand new UNSC-themed truck.

Although the Infinity Challenge is more like a contest than a tournament, it is vastly more accessible than any MLG tournament for the community as a whole.

MLG may have played a part in making Halo popular, especially in the “competitive gaming” niche, but they didn’t make it popular solely on their part. MLG didn’t start until 2002. Halo: C.E. came out in 2001, and was already popular before MLG came along. Regardless of whatever part MLG had in Halo’s success as a whole, it does not pardon the treatment of recent installments and the developer.

Compared to -Yoink!- Gaming who is making active efforts to support Halo and Microsoft while at the same time bringing “competitive” tournaments to the entire world, whatever the future brings with Microsoft’s relationships with MLG and -Yoink!- Gaming, MLG losing support from Microsoft wouldn’t hurt the franchise in the least.

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Your points are valid and I have no problem with Halo being a part of -Yoink!- especially since it holds international events. But MLG is the more prominent league in the States so I don’t understand why Halo can’t be a part of both Leagues. Also Halo is Microsoft’s biggest game and is one of only two worthwhile exclusives they own (the other being Forza). So I can’t understand why -Yoink!- doesn’t further promote Halo by running their own tournaments.

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-Yoink!- gaming is neither a competitive or a professional league. Its about having as much free time as you can to get first place, because being the best Halo 4 player in the world doesnt matter here.

And that, is wrong.

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MLG isn’t dropping Halo in favour of more popular titles, they are dropping Halo in favour of games that are SKILL BASED.

Halo Reach, and Halo 4, in terms of skill gap, are utterly PATHETIC. And MLG dropped MW2, Black Ops, and MW3 as potential tournament games.

-Yoink!- Gaming doesn’t give two -Yoink- about the competitive community all they care about is the money. And that’s why they chose the biggest joke of a Halo gamemode, Infinity Settings, as their tournament standard.

It is garbage and anyone who’s ever cared about competitive gaming knows it.

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> MLG has been dropping Halo in favor of more popular titles such as League of Legends, StarCraft 2, and Call of Duty. Is it the game’s/developer’s/publisher’s fault? Perhaps. But that is an entirely different discussion. But fact of the matter is that they see more popular franchises and are choosing to drop support of Halo for them, despite what they may have done for the franchise in terms of popularity.

The only reason CoD was placed in the Pro Circuit was because Sony sponsored it. They “may” be making a return because such a large fan base is asking for it back.
The moment Halo was dropped a thread started in the feedback asking for it back. It was (probably still is) the biggest support on that forum to bring it back. Even over Team Fortress 2.

> -Yoink!- Gaming is also working with Microsoft to create a tournament system for XBL powered by -Yoink!- Gaming. Unlike MLG, they are showing active support for Microsoft and Halo. Not only that but they are choosing to support the game’s actual settings (at this point in time) and not stripping them down for their own view of “competitive”.

MLG hosted the first tournament for Halo 4 in Dallas. Kinda hard to show any more support when you go sign a contract with a different company that might leave you without the game for a season/s. Also they haven’t really stripped anything: AA’s, Sprint, multiple different gun loadouts, community maps, trying to balance DMR and Boltshot, making pick up a choice. Seems like they are balancing it more than stripping it. Its all still there.

> Even if Halo 4’s first -Yoink!- Gaming-sponsored “tournament” is just “whoever plays the most, wins” is a lot more accessible compared to MLG tournaments for a few reasons. 1) It’s totally online, meaning ANYONE who meets the tournament’s rules and regulations can participate. Versus MLG tournaments where it is primarily bracket-based, and you must be there physically to participate among other restrictions. 2) It’s free. 3) For MLG, there’s only cash prizes for the winning team or individual. For the Infinity Challenge, there is a multitude of prizes ranging from t-shirts to a brand new UNSC-themed truck.

Its a valid point, but will all the tournaments be like this? I don’t think we have a definitive answer on that one.

> MLG may have played a part in making Halo popular, especially in the “competitive gaming” niche, but they didn’t make it popular solely on their part. MLG didn’t start until 2002. Halo: C.E. came out in 2001, and was already popular before MLG came along. Regardless of whatever part MLG had in Halo’s success as a whole, it does not pardon the treatment of recent installments and the developer.

By recent treatments you mean Reach.

> Compared to -Yoink!- Gaming who is making active efforts to support Halo and Microsoft while at the same time bringing “competitive” tournaments to the entire world, whatever the future brings with Microsoft’s relationships with MLG and -Yoink!- Gaming, MLG losing support from Microsoft wouldn’t hurt the franchise in the least.

I think you are missing the point that MLG can’t do anything with Halo at the current moment because of the contract to -Yoink!- Gaming. They are actively trying to get it into the Pro Circuit (that had 40k viewers in Dallas I might add). I’d say thats a start.

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> <mark>MLG isn’t dropping Halo in favour of more popular titles, they are dropping Halo in favour of games that are SKILL BASED.</mark>
>
> Halo Reach, and Halo 4, in terms of skill gap, are utterly PATHETIC. And MLG dropped MW2, Black Ops, and MW3 as potential tournament games.
>
> -Yoink!- Gaming doesn’t give two Yoink! about the competitive community all they care about is the money. And that’s why they chose the biggest joke of a Halo gamemode, Infinity Settings, as their tournament standard.
>
> It is garbage and anyone who’s ever cared about competitive gaming knows it.

I would believe that if they weren’t promoting CoD.

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> -Yoink!- gaming is neither a competitive or a professional league. Its about having as much free time as you can to get first place, because being the best Halo 4 player in the world doesnt matter here.
>
> And that, is wrong.

The Infinity Challenge, yes, it’s only based on how much you played. But -Yoink!- Gaming in it’s entirety isn’t only based on how much you play a game. But if you actually did research -Yoink!- Gaming (which isn’t new, btw. It’s been around since 2010) does have bracket-based tournaments (meaning those with better skill proceed through the tournament brackets. Those with less skill lose.) just like MLG.
In fact, -Yoink!- Gaming support titles that MLG would never think of doing (that maybe don’t require more skill than something like Halo or LoL or SC, but a different kind of skill) like FIFA, Madden, BF3, etc…
MLG is more strictly for hardcore “competitive” players whereas -Yoink!- Gaming is more open to a wider audience than MLG. -Yoink!- Gaming is more accessible than MLG. Instead of watching the tournaments, you have an opportunity to participate.
IMO, the gaming industry has become much too dependent on MLG defining what is “competitive” and providing tournaments for video games. MLG is the Apple of the “professional gaming” community. People buy into it because of the brand, but there are plenty of other options out there that provide the exact same service, but better.

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You are sacrificing the integrity of a good comeptition with -Yoink!- gaming. It is simple as that.

It may become more successful than MLG, but it will NEVER become as amazing as MLG was.

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I give ya that prioritised is an important word. I don’t feel exclusivity and therefore a monopoly should be had with which 1 big name tournament runner gets Halo… It goes against my belief of what “availability” means.

> MLG is more strictly for hardcore “competitive” players whereas -Yoink!- Gaming is more open to a wider audience than MLG. -Yoink!- Gaming is more accessible than MLG. Instead of watching the tournaments, you have an opportunity to participate.

This would be acceptable to believe if MLG and VG were able to compete openly for fans using either’s philosophy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_dp5W3FEPI: I simply want the choice to choose as I view all in equal terms.

I would also like to not see jealous taunting but rather healthy comparisons when that does occur… I can hope.

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Edited by Moderator - Please do not make nonconstructive posts.

*Original post, click at your own discretion.

mlgers ARE virgins gaming. zing!

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> I give ya that prioritised is an important word. I don’t feel exclusivity and therefore a monopoly should be had with which big name tournament runners gets Halo… It goes against my belief of what “availability” means.

Yeah, I felt “prioritized” was most appropriate given we don’t know the terms of Microsoft’s agreement with -Yoink!- Gaming and if MLG has the ability to have Halo 4 on the circuit.
We don’t know if -Yoink!- Gaming has an exclusive agreement with Microsoft to host tournaments for Halo 4. All we know right now is that because of whatever deal MS has with VG, MLG might not have the ability to have Halo 4 on their pro-circuit.

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The only problem that I have is whatever methods -Yoink!- is using to “track” scores and players. It’s been way over a week and there’s still TONS of people who aren’t showing up on the leaderboards.

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Valid points by OP, LoL, Starcraft, etc have large fanbases globally, not nearly as large globally as any FPS. MLG strips games down to create the most balanced playing field, so the best players win. To be perfectly honest, I had never heard of -Yoink!- gaming until this contest, and from what I’ve read I’m not sure this contest rewards the best players as much as it does those who just play the most. I feel if Microsoft doors not work with MLG, they are cutting off a large amount of players and viewers who do enjoy Halo at its core

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> Do not even try to compare the two - they are not comparable.
>
> MLG provides a tournament setting for Halo teams to compete in.
>
> -Yoink!- Gaming is some corporate marketing deal where the players who grind most in matchmaking win prizes.
>
> Not even close to similar.

If you actually did research, you would discover that the Infinity Challenge isn’t -Yoink!- Gaming’s first “tournament”. In fact, you would also discover that -Yoink!- Gaming holds bracket tournaments, just like MLG (and will most likely for Halo 4).

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First off, MLGs stripping down of the game is nothing unique. Swat is so much further from the original game than mlg is, yet it usually has 15-20k population.

Secondly, of course -Yoink!- mobile is going to do nothing but support halo. Its in their best (money) interests.

Thirdly, the current settings suck. MLG is much quicker and more honest about getting rid of what works. Do we really want a tourament where its nothing but jetpacks, camo, boltshot, and DMR? Because thats what it would boil down to. And ordinance drops are even worse. Itd be dumb as hell to lose a 20k cash prize because a incineration cannon fell on their side for no reason.

But theres no reason in hell we cant have both, just give both the tools they need.

-Yoink!- mobile just needs a few tournament changes

MLG needs some more custom game options and a ranking system.

Only Microsofts greed/contracts is keeping us from having the best of both worlds.

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I look forward to what this pairing has to offer for Halo players.

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> Do not even try to compare the two - they are not comparable.
>
> MLG provides a tournament setting for Halo teams to compete in.
>
> -Yoink!- Gaming is some corporate marketing deal where the players who grind most in matchmaking win prizes.
>
> Not even close to similar.

You should take a little time to read the rules of the -Yoink!- tournament a little closer.

The first phase is based on amount of time played to place you in a tier, the second phase will be a elimination based portion pitting those in the same tier.

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No, just no I only read the first part after that I didn’t bother reading the rest.

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They “stripped down” Reach because Reach was terrible for competitive play. It’s not MLG’s fault. It’s Bungie’s.