Representation of “Cyber Athletes”?

On Sunday, 60 minutes ran a story on Johnathan Wendel, who they proclaim is the best video gamer in the world. He makes his living playing video games, has been a pro for 6 years, and has won over $300,000 from tournaments alone.

But how is this a sport and where is the money to be made?

Well, at a tournament in San Fransisco in 2004, the winning purse was $400,000, and the grand prize is growing constantly as the days keep moving on. In Asia, pro video gamers make over $100,000 per year, date celebrities, and need bodyguards. Apparently that lifestyle is not far from America.
Many say that the video game events have the “Look and feel of a sporting event.” Even coaches exist to prepare the players for battle.

A professor in Economics from Indiana University said that there are enough people out there wishing to watch the pros play video games to make it a spectator sport.

Johnathan Wendel’s marketing agent says that he will make millions of dollars through the sale of his own products and endorsements with gaming companies, soft drink companies, etc.
Agents are already jumping on top of a 7 year old who has won over $2,000 in tournaments against adults.

So if you are interested in the video gaming market and want to think outside of the box when it comes to representing “athletes”, this may be a venue for your to excersize a role as an Agent. It seems as though the money will be there in a couple of years to make huge profits, and I would take a guess and say that these “Video Gamers” could use the help of a pro when it comes to negotiating endorsement deals.

If you are interested in taking a look at the CBS 60 Minutes Video yourself, you may do so by clicking here.

[tags]agent, video game, 60 minutes, cbs, sport, endorsement[/tags]