The Championship Gaming Series draft on Tuesday night was an interesting event, and not just because it was held at the famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif. (which, unbeknownst to me, is a few miles down the road from my current residence). For one, it was the first draft in the history of e-sports. And two, the first professional gamer drafted was 20-year-old Vanessa Arteaga of Modesto, Calif., who also goes by “PMS Vanessa.”
Yes, you read that right. Vanessa is female.
Vanessa Arteaga [center] with some CGS draft party-goers.
The CGS, which is owned and operated by DirecTV, was designed to emulate other professional sports leagues. As a result, the CGS has six regional franchises in San Francisco, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and North Carolina. The league also has 10 salaried players and a general manager for each franchise with a payroll of about $5 million. Salaried players receive $30,000 a year with the potential for more prize money depending on their winnings.
The historic first pick of the inaugural draft went to the San Francisco OPTX, which is managed by another well-known female gamer Kat Hunter. While it may have surprised the gaming community at large that Arteaga was picked first, it was hardly a shock for the CGS competitors. Arteaga, who’s specialty is Dead or Alive 4, had dominated the competition in the CGS combine trials recently and was predicted by many to be a top pick.
In fact, there were a number of female pro gamers drafted Tuesday night. Of course, part of the reason was that the CGS teams must select at least one female DOA player for their 10-player rosters (which include five Counter-Strike players, one FIFA 2007 player, two Project Gotham Racing 3 players and a male DOAplayer). Still, the girls weren’t entirely limited to DOA; Erika “sSKITTL3Ss” Galegor was picked by San Francisco as one of the team’s two PGR 3 players.
So yeah, Vanessa Arteaga was the first pro gamer ever draft. And she’s a girl. Get used to the idea, because it certainly looks like this isn’t a fluke or an isolated anomaly.
Check out TwitchGuru's image gallery of the CGS draft.
For more on Vanessa Arteaga, check out this Kotaku feature from draft night.
Comments (15)
DUH if i had first pick of course it would be a chick even if she could not play i still would.
Posted by dave | June 14, 2007 8:02 PM
Posted on June 14, 2007 20:02
I'm more shocked that theres actually a Professional Gaming League draft. This is a joke right?
I know it isn't, it's real, but it should be a joke.
Posted by Dave | June 14, 2007 8:53 PM
Posted on June 14, 2007 20:53
I gotta agree with Dave. By looking at the pix, who wouldn't want to pick her. Most gamers might be old, bald, fat, and geeky looking, but there's one thing true about most of them. They like hot woman!
Posted by NoDos | June 14, 2007 9:04 PM
Posted on June 14, 2007 21:04
Dave, I must ask: why do you think this should be a joke? Do you play video games? Isn't there competition involved with gaming? Don't you think there is skill involved? If so, then why can't competitive gaming be turned into a spectator sport?
Seriously, I'd rather watch a Counter-Strike match than figure skating or bowling. I just don't understand why some people are so resistant to this idea.
Posted by Rob Wright | June 14, 2007 9:13 PM
Posted on June 14, 2007 21:13
Different leauges come and go. Only time will tell if any staying power is involved.
Posted by Mike | June 14, 2007 11:33 PM
Posted on June 14, 2007 23:33
Yes there probably is competition in it but do we really need gaming to go professional, now programming robot with script based A.I. now theres something more unique.
Take your first person shooters an shove them up your a-hole cause there are already plenty of olympic events and sports using 'REAL' guns, an ever heard of the grand pri or motorcross?
Lesser extent destruction derbies?
all any of these games are really testing is adaptive fuzzy logic skills and twitch reflexes, i meen give me a break.
Posted by catman | June 15, 2007 1:34 AM
Posted on June 15, 2007 01:34
so, why are there no RTSs in the league??
Posted by mike | June 15, 2007 5:10 AM
Posted on June 15, 2007 05:10
Gaming is no more a test of fuzzy logic skills and twitch reflexes than regular sports are a test of strength and agility. I like how you phrased that, "adaptive fuzzy logic". I wouldn't agree though, that isn't all there is to gaming.
As to there being a need for this, I think that obviously depends on how many people want to participate. For an avid gamer like myself, I'm a bit interested. If I were good enough I might participate. And if they make it easily accessible I'll certainly tune in and see hows the pros do it. Just as I do for my favorite sport of basketball. Go Suns (Nash MVP)
Posted by Anonymous | June 15, 2007 6:11 AM
Posted on June 15, 2007 06:11
They can league-alize anything they want for all I care. And if the bird is good - So be it. Why's it even an issue? I know several serious gamer chicks.
Posted by Sq7 | June 15, 2007 10:16 AM
Posted on June 15, 2007 10:16
To be honest, athletes are just mascots anyway. The money they make comes from the sponsors who decide the faces that are good enough for product advertisement.
Being good at sports is as useful a skill to a human as is walking with two legs to a dog. They are just tricks to get someone's attention.
Professional gaming and professional sports are equals in that perspective.
Posted by Lem | June 15, 2007 10:40 AM
Posted on June 15, 2007 10:40
I agree with Dave. I don't mind a professional gaming league but aren't games just supposed to be fun? But like everything else, it has to be commercialized so people without any talent can make money off of it.
Large LAN party tournaments with a cash prize are one thing. Having a complete video game league to me just goes against the idea of video games. They're supposed to be played to be fun. Not as your primary source of income. Once it becomes that, its no longer fun. Its just about winning.
Posted by David | June 15, 2007 12:04 PM
Posted on June 15, 2007 12:04
Why would a professional gaming league be a joke? Just look at South Korea: they hold Tournaments that are nationally televised and networks compete to broadcast the event. When the South Korean Air Force wanted to start a team last year, they actually drafted the top Starcraft player into the military so they could get him. Players are legends there, just like here where we celebrate the names Elway, Vick, or Jordan.
Posted by Allen | June 15, 2007 3:33 PM
Posted on June 15, 2007 15:33
First of all most gamers aren't old, bald, and fat.
In fact, if anything, they are young and skinny with full heads of hair -- The exact opposite of that senseless stereotype.
Secondly, "gaming" is as much of a sport as chess, or football for that matter. Just because the game isn't played in the physical world ("with REAL guns"), that doesn't make it any less real, or less challenging.
First Person Shooters do _not_ rely on reflexes as much as people think; they are mostly about properly executing a winning strategy and adapting that strategy on-the-fly, which is what _every_ game is about, if you think about it. For that matter, most human competition, including war, is like that.
Posted by Joe | June 15, 2007 4:12 PM
Posted on June 15, 2007 16:12
I like video games and all, but is it really necessary to have a professional gaming league? To me it's just as ridiculous as a professional Monopoly league.
The fact that the first pro gamer to be drafted is a girl is irrelevant...gender has little if any bearing on gaming ability.
Posted by Aaron | June 15, 2007 5:33 PM
Posted on June 15, 2007 17:33
the people that are posting about gaming being rediculous have never competed in a pro league or even played the game in a competetive atmosphere. Its a team based game not only dealing with reflexes and aim but teamwork and strats...
Posted by clipz | June 16, 2007 5:40 PM
Posted on June 16, 2007 17:40