MLG Wants To Make Their Own FPS
It’s fascinating to watch what games are played competitively over time. I still remember when Quake was the game that everyone played. Now shooters get cycled out of MLG fairly regularly, which means a new game for everyone to learn and study. But what if MLG made their own FPS, which became the standard?
While this might seem like a far-fetched idea, it really isn’t. In fact, it’s an idea that the company has not only been tossing around, but has been approached by numerous developers about. MLG CEO Sundance DiGiovanni (yes, his first name is Sundance) confirmed that they will make their own competitive shooter, but only when the time is right.
He went on to talk about why games like Quake and Unreal were so popular in the competitive scene in their day. “The rules were easy to understand, and the maps were designed for competition. It was easy to memorize weapon placement, and skill played a large hand in determining the winner.” However, with more complex games that appeal to a broad audience, there is less focus on pure twitch-based skill.
I think if MLG did make their own FPS, it would be a very interesting thing. DiGiovanni envisions an arena shooter in the style of the late-90’s/early 2000’s games that made people like Fatal1ty famous. The only problem is that the market for such games has shrunk considerably. But if the game actually played well, and they intended to use it for years as their primary competitive FPS, I think it would be a big success in the competitive world, even outside of MLG. After all, if you have thousands of people wanting to be the very best, you can bet that it’ll be the staple at every decent-sized LAN party around.
The other option is that they could sink a bunch of money into a project that runs a high risk of not catching on. That risk is very likely why they are approaching this idea with caution, and waiting for the right time.
