World Cyber Games
Encyclopedia
The World Cyber Games is an international competitive video-gaming (e-sports) event operated by South Korea
n company World Cyber Games Inc., and sponsored by Samsung
and Microsoft
. WCG events attempt to emulate a traditional sporting tournament, such as the Olympic Games
; events include an official opening ceremony, and players from various countries compete for gold, silver and bronze medals. The official motto of WCG is "Beyond the Game", which is also the title of a documentary
about e-sports.
Besides providing a platform for tournament gaming, the World Cyber Games is used as a marketing tool; sponsors, such as Samsung, using the space around the venue to setup product demonstrations and stalls. In addition, advertisers see the event as a good means to reach young male audiences, who may not be exposed to traditional advertising streams via television. The event serves as a gaming industry conference - drawing industry leaders and technology experts as speakers and attendees, to share ideas about the present and future of e-sports and their cultural relevance to society.
In 2000, the World Cyber Games was formed, and an event was held titled "The World Cyber Game Challenge", which began with an opening ceremony on 7 October. The event was sponsored by the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Information and Communications, and Samsung. It brought together teams from 17 countries to compete against each other in PC games including Quake III Arena
, FIFA 2000, Age of Empires II, and StarCraft: Brood War
. The tournament ended on 15 October 2000.
In 2001, the World Cyber Games held their first main event, hosted in Seoul, Korea, with a prize pool of $600,000 USD. National preliminaries were held between March and September, with the main tournament running between 5 December to 9 December. The World Cyber Games quoted an attendance of 389,000 competitors in the preliminaries, with 430 players advancing to the final tournament; teams from 24 countries in total were involved in the tournament.
In 2002, the World Cyber Games held a larger event in Daejeon, Korea with a prize pool of $1,300,000 USD; 450,000 competitors took part in the preliminary events, with 450 ultimately making it through to the final tournament. The 2003 tournament, which took place in Seoul again, saw an even bigger prize pool of $2,000,000 USD, and was the first World Cyber Games tournament to feature a console based competition, with the game Halo: Combat Evolved
on the Xbox
.
In 2004, the World Cyber Games held a tournament in San Francisco, in the United States - its first tournament outside of it's home country. At this stage, the prize pool was at $2,500,000 USD; with 642 players competing in the grand final. The tournament has since been hosted in various countries around the world; including Singapore
in 2005 and Monza, Italy in 2006 - at this time Microsoft became a major sponsor to the event, who would provide software and hardware for all the events through to 2008. In addition, all games played at the tournament would be based exclusively on Windows PC's or the Xbox console.
In 2007, the event was hosted in Seattle, United States. In 2008, the tournament was hosted in Cologne, Germany; it was the first World Cyber Games tournament to incorporate a mobile-game based tournament, with the title Asphalt 4: Elite Racing
, In 2009, the tournament was held in Chengdu, China, and featured a special promotion of the game Dungeon & Fighter
. The tournament was also coincided to run alongside the World Cyber Games debut reality television show, WCG Ultimate Gamer
. Season 2 of WCG Ultimate Gamer
was aired between August and October of 2010.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n company World Cyber Games Inc., and sponsored by Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
and Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
. WCG events attempt to emulate a traditional sporting tournament, such as the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
; events include an official opening ceremony, and players from various countries compete for gold, silver and bronze medals. The official motto of WCG is "Beyond the Game", which is also the title of a documentary
Beyond the Game
Beyond the Game is a 2008 Dutch documentary film about the world of professional video gaming, most notably as related to the game Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne featuring world champion players Chinese Xiaofeng Li , Dutch Manuel Schenkhuizen and Swede Fredrik Johansson prominently. It is...
about e-sports.
General
, the World Cyber Games is the largest global electronic sport tournament, with divisions in various countries. The World Cyber Games, created by International Cyber Marketing CEO Hank Jeong and backed financially by Samsung, is considered the e-sports Olympics; events include an official opening ceremony, and players from various countries compete for gold, silver and bronze medals. The organization itself has an official mascot, and uses an Olympic Games inspired logo. Organizations from each participating country conduct preliminary events at a regional level, before conducting national finals to determine the players best suited to represent them in the main World Cyber Games tournament event. All events have areas for spectators, but the tournament can also be viewed over internet video streams.Besides providing a platform for tournament gaming, the World Cyber Games is used as a marketing tool; sponsors, such as Samsung, using the space around the venue to setup product demonstrations and stalls. In addition, advertisers see the event as a good means to reach young male audiences, who may not be exposed to traditional advertising streams via television. The event serves as a gaming industry conference - drawing industry leaders and technology experts as speakers and attendees, to share ideas about the present and future of e-sports and their cultural relevance to society.
History
Quake III Arena
Quake III Arena , is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game released on December 2, 1999. The game was developed by id Software and featured music composed by Sonic Mayhem and Front Line Assembly...
, FIFA 2000, Age of Empires II, and StarCraft: Brood War
StarCraft: Brood War
StarCraft: Brood War is the expansion pack for the award winning military science fiction, real-time strategy video game StarCraft. Released in 1998 for Windows and Mac OS, it was co-developed by Saffire and Blizzard Entertainment. The expansion pack introduced new campaigns, map tilesets, music,...
. The tournament ended on 15 October 2000.
In 2001, the World Cyber Games held their first main event, hosted in Seoul, Korea, with a prize pool of $600,000 USD. National preliminaries were held between March and September, with the main tournament running between 5 December to 9 December. The World Cyber Games quoted an attendance of 389,000 competitors in the preliminaries, with 430 players advancing to the final tournament; teams from 24 countries in total were involved in the tournament.
In 2002, the World Cyber Games held a larger event in Daejeon, Korea with a prize pool of $1,300,000 USD; 450,000 competitors took part in the preliminary events, with 450 ultimately making it through to the final tournament. The 2003 tournament, which took place in Seoul again, saw an even bigger prize pool of $2,000,000 USD, and was the first World Cyber Games tournament to feature a console based competition, with the game Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo: Combat Evolved, frequently referred to as Halo: CE, or Halo 1, is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The first game of the Halo franchise, it was released on November 15, 2001 as a launch title for the Xbox gaming system, and is...
on the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
.
In 2004, the World Cyber Games held a tournament in San Francisco, in the United States - its first tournament outside of it's home country. At this stage, the prize pool was at $2,500,000 USD; with 642 players competing in the grand final. The tournament has since been hosted in various countries around the world; including Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in 2005 and Monza, Italy in 2006 - at this time Microsoft became a major sponsor to the event, who would provide software and hardware for all the events through to 2008. In addition, all games played at the tournament would be based exclusively on Windows PC's or the Xbox console.
In 2007, the event was hosted in Seattle, United States. In 2008, the tournament was hosted in Cologne, Germany; it was the first World Cyber Games tournament to incorporate a mobile-game based tournament, with the title Asphalt 4: Elite Racing
Asphalt 4: Elite Racing
Asphalt 4: Elite Racing is a racing game published and developed by Gameloft. It was released on iOS and iPod on August 28, 2008, N-Gage on January 20, 2009, mobile phones in mid July 2008 and DSiWare on July 6, 2009...
, In 2009, the tournament was held in Chengdu, China, and featured a special promotion of the game Dungeon & Fighter
Dungeon & Fighter
Dungeon Fighter Online is a multiplayer PC beat 'em up video game developed by Neople, originally published by Hangame and currently published by Nexon. The game was originally released in Korea as Dungeon & Fighter and in Japan as . Closed Beta for an English version of the game ran from July 28,...
. The tournament was also coincided to run alongside the World Cyber Games debut reality television show, WCG Ultimate Gamer
WCG Ultimate Gamer
WCG Ultimate Gamer is a reality television program that airs on Syfy. It is sponsored by Samsung and WCG. The show is hosted by Hannah Simone and co-hosted by Joel Gourdin. The first season began airing on March 10th. A second season was confirmed at CES on January 7th 2010, and began airing on...
. Season 2 of WCG Ultimate Gamer
WCG Ultimate Gamer
WCG Ultimate Gamer is a reality television program that airs on Syfy. It is sponsored by Samsung and WCG. The show is hosted by Hannah Simone and co-hosted by Joel Gourdin. The first season began airing on March 10th. A second season was confirmed at CES on January 7th 2010, and began airing on...
was aired between August and October of 2010.
World Cyber Game Tournaments
| Event | Date | Total prize (USD United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
Host location | Participants | Countries | Games offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WCG Challenge | October 7–15, 2000 | $200,000 | Everland Everland -External links:*... , Yongin Yongin Yongin is a major city in the Seoul National Capital Area, located in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. With a population of nearly 1 million, the city has developed abrutly since the 21st century, recording the highest population growth of any city in the country. Yongin is home to Everland and... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
174 | 17 | |
| WCG 2001 | December 5–9, 2001 | $300,000 | COEX Convention & Exhibition Center COEX Convention & Exhibition Center COEX Convention & Exhibition Center in Gangnam district, Seoul, is one of South Korea's largest convention and exhibition centers. It was designed by Larry Oltmanns who was a Design Partner with SOM at the time... , Seoul Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
430 | 37 | |
| WCG 2002 | October 28 – November 3, 2002 | $300,000 | Expo Park Expo Park Exposition Park is a neighborhood in south Dallas, Texas . It is north and west of Fair Park, and is centered along Exposition Avenue on the eastern edge of P.D.269... , Daejeon Daejeon Daejeon is South Korea's fifth largest metropolis and the provincial capital of Chungnam. Located in the center of the country, Daejeon had a population of over 1.5 million in 2010. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
462 | 45 | |
| WCG 2003 | October 12–18, 2003 | $350,000 | Olympic Park Olympic Park, Seoul The Seoul Olympic Park, shortened to Olpark, is an Olympic Park built to host the 1988 Summer Olympics. Olympic Park is located in Songpa-gu, Bangi-dong.- Competition facilities :*Olympic Velodrome, Seoul*Olympic Fencing Gymnasium... , Seoul Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
562 | 55 | |
| WCG 2004 World Cyber Games 2004 The World Cyber Games 2004 was held in San Francisco, California, United States from the October 6th to the 10th. It was the first ever World Cyber Games to be held outside of Korea.-PC games:* Counter-Strike: Condition Zero* FIFA Football 2004... |
October 6–10, 2004 | $400,000 | San Francisco, California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
642 | 63 | |
| WCG 2005 | November 16–20, 2005 | $435,000 | Suntec City, Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the... |
679 | 67 | |
| WCG 2006 World Cyber Games 2006 The World Cyber Games 2006 was held in Monza, Italy from October 18-October 22 2006.-PC games:* FIFA Soccer 2006* Counter-Strike 1.6* Need For Speed: Most Wanted* StarCraft: Brood War* Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne* Dawn of War: Winter Assault... |
October 18–22, 2006 | $462,000 | Monza Monza Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
700 | 70 | |
| WCG 2007 World Cyber Games 2007 The World Cyber Games 2007 was held in Seattle, Washington, the second time the WCG was held in an American location. It ran from October 3-7, 2007, and featured over 700 players from more than 70 different countries.-PC games:... |
October 3–7, 2007 | $448,000 | Seattle, Washington Seattle, Washington Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
700 | 75 | |
| WCG 2008 World Cyber Games 2008 The World Cyber Games 2008 was held in Cologne, Germany. It ran from 5 November 2008 through 9 November 2008 and was expected to feature 800 players from 78 countries.-PC games:*Counter-Strike: 1.6*StarCraft: Brood War*Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne... |
November 5–9, 2008 | $470,000 | Cologne Cologne Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
800 | 78 | |
| WCG 2009 World Cyber Games 2009 The 2009 World Cyber Games took place from November 11th to November 15th, 2009 in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. It had over 600 participates from 70 countries taking part. The prize money is estimated at around $500,000.- Official Games :Warcraft III, StarCraft, Counter Strike, FIFA 09, Carom3D, Red... |
November 11–15, 2009 | $500,000 | Chengdu Chengdu Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status... , Sichuan Sichuan ' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu... , China People's Republic of China China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres... |
600 | 65 | |
| WCG 2010 World Cyber Games 2010 The 2010 World Cyber Games took place from September 30th to October 3rd, 2010 in the Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, USA... |
September 30-October 3, 2010 | $250,000 | Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
450 | 58 | |
| WCG 2011 World Cyber Games 2011 The 2011 World Cyber Games will take place from 8 December to 11 December 2011 in Busan, South Korea.-PC games:* Counter-Strike 1.6* CrossFire * FIFA 11* League of Legends... |
December 8-December 11, 2011 | Busan Busan Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
||||
| Event | Date | Total prize (USD United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
Host location | Participants | Countries | Games offered |