| 02 March 2010
Major League Gaming and EA Sports announced a deal earlier today to where statistics will be implemented into certain EA Sports games, and those numbers will be put into a database for competitive play. On the surface, this should should further separate the haves and have-nots when it comes to certain titles like the Madden series. MLG, on its site, said certain stats from online play will be implemented into rankings, and those numbers will be put into player profiles.
There's a lot that can be done by implementing numbers into players' profiles for tournament play. For one, a true seeding and ranking system can be put into place, and perhaps a PER - Performance Efficiency Rating -- can be created.
The only real negative to this might be the skunk rule; since games can end before time is up, then that might skew some numbers. Perhaps an ERA-type system could work? Who knows at this time? But at least followers of these players are going to see something, and that's a big positive.
Here's some of the announcement on the MLG site:
“Online competition and knowing where you stand is what video gaming is all about,” said Matthew Bromberg, president and CEO of Major League Gaming. “Together with EA SPORTS, we are creating the ultimate competitive social experience for millions of online EA SPORTS gamers in North America.”
Beginning last fall, sponsors like PlayStation, Best Buy, Ball Park and Geico have partnered with MLG and EA SPORTS in the 2009 EA SPORTS Challenge Series, a program which has successfully combined live competitions with online tournaments to determine the champions for select EA SPORTS titles. With greater product integration and the creation of a new online destination, this new joint offering is expected to be even more attractive as a marketing vehicle.
“We’ve been proud to work with MLG to help usher in a new era of video game competition,” said EA SPORTS President Peter Moore. “Today’s announcement reflects the natural evolution of the EA SPORTS experience, providing a rich platform for the millions of gamers now playing online to share and compete.”
