Shoutcasting, eSports and Video Games

A buddy of mine loaned me a recent issue of Game Informer magazine, and I read some new terms and concepts that made me think.  eSports are video game competitions, sometimes played in teams, that are staged so non-players can watch them.  Shoutcasters comment on the games in progress. These concepts forced me to think about how I usually picture video games--either someone home alone playing a game (against the software), or groups of people meeting online to play against other humans.   But if you think about it, this evolution of games makes sense.  The newest games, especially some of the first-person-shooters set in real places like the Middle East, are almost photo-realistic to watch.  The weapons, uniforms and vehicles are based on real life items, and the sound effects are excellent. When you sit and watch a football game, you're used to having a couple of commenters in the booth providing both facts and opinions.  While I usually think of video games as something to participate in, I can understand how watching a tense match between highly skilled players might be interesting.  After all, it has some of the same elements of physical sports--the game is immediate, events unfold in real time, and there may be prize money on the line.  So it's natural that we will need 'shoutcasters' to explain the game to us, and the tactics the players are using. To accomplish this, some games now provide tools for streaming games and assisting shoutcasters.  For example, in the new "Call of Duty:  Black Ops 2," shoutcasters can patch into the voice communications between teammates, bring up tactical maps to give viewers a better idea of what's happening, and jump between individual players to see the game through their eyes.  I can imagine a talented shoutcaster could make watching a game very interesting. As with so many things, the march of technology is opening new possibilities and hopefully new jobs for people to pursue.

Have you ever watched a broadcast of a video game? Would you? Comments welcome. (Issue 234 of Game Informer has two articles:  "A New eSports Focus" by Adam Biessener, and "eSports Rising" by the staff.  Also, here is an article onJoystiq, "Black Ops 2 features in-game livestreaming and 'Shoutcasting'" by Xav de Matos.  The pic is from Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, and I found it at ign.com.)