World Series of Video Games
Encyclopedia
The World Series of Video Games (WSVG) was an international professional electronic sports competition. It held its first season in 2006, with competitions in six different games and six events held around the world including the finals of the event. The total prize purse of the season was US$750,000 which includes the $240,000 prize purse that was winnable at the finals. The WSVG was operated by Games Media Properties, an American gaming company founded in 2002.
The series was partially regarded as the continuation of the one million dollar 2005 CPL World Tour
, as one of the founders of the WSVG as well as the major sponsor (Intel) of the tour left the Cyberathlete Professional League
to help fund these series.
, Quake 4
, and Warcraft III
. Xbox
tournaments were also held for Project Gotham Racing 3
, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, and Halo 2
, but these were open to American
participants only.
Participants included Johnathan 'Fatal1ty' Wendel
(four-time CPL world champion and runner-up of the WSVG Quake 4 competition), Dae Hui 'FoV' Cho (veteran professional gamer, one time Electronic Sports World Cup champion and third place of the WarCraft III competition), Li 'Sky' Xiaofeng (twice World Cyber Games champion, considered strongest WarCraft III player of 2006 in a worldwide poll of gaming journalists) and Team 3D
(twice World Cyber Games champion team and runner-up of the WSVG Counter-Strike competition), as well as eventual champions Johan 'Toxic' Quick
and eSport Player of 2006 Manuel 'Grubby' Schenkhuizen.
, Quake 4
, Warcraft III
and World of Warcraft
as main circuit games. Counter-Strike
, Call of Duty 2
and Gears of War
were planned to also make appearances at a number of events.
The circuit's total prize purse was planned to be US$574,000, and travel funds were made available to a number of high-finishing participants.
The WSVG has stated that it wishes to continue expansion in online advertising and their network of websites.
The series was partially regarded as the continuation of the one million dollar 2005 CPL World Tour
2005 CPL World Tour
The 2005 CPL World Tour was a year-long gaming competition held by the CPL. This competition took place throughout 2005, with a total of 9 international stops and a finals event held in the New York City, USA and televised by MTV....
, as one of the founders of the WSVG as well as the major sponsor (Intel) of the tour left the Cyberathlete Professional League
Cyberathlete Professional League
The Cyberathlete Professional League , founded on June 27, 1997 by gaming entrepreneur Angel Munoz, is a professional sports tournament organization specializing in computer and console video game competitions....
to help fund these series.
2006
The six events took place at the following times and places during the first season:- June 15–18: Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, KentuckyLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
— Kentucky Exposition Center - June 17–19: JönköpingJönköping-Notable people:*Lillian Asplund, RMS Titanic survivor*John Bauer, illustrator, painter*Amy Diamond, singer*Agnetha Fältskog, ABBA*Carl Henrik Fredriksson, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Eurozine*Anders Gustafsson, kayaker, Olympian...
, SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
— Elmia Exhibition Center - July 5–9: Grapevine, TexasGrapevine, TexasGrapevine is a city in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, United States located within the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census the city population was 46,334. The city's moniker is derived from the native grapes prevalent in the area. In recent years several wineries have...
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
— Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center - September 7–9: ChengduChengduChengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, PR China — Sichuan University Stadium - October 13–15: LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
— The London Trocadero - December 9–11: New York, New York, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
— Chelsea Piers
2007
The second season included events at the following times and places throughout 2007:- May 1–3: WuhanWuhanWuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
, PR China - June 21–24: Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, KentuckyLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... - July 5–8: Grapevine, TexasGrapevine, TexasGrapevine is a city in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, United States located within the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census the city population was 46,334. The city's moniker is derived from the native grapes prevalent in the area. In recent years several wineries have...
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... - August 23–26: Toronto, Ontario, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- October 18–21: Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- Cancelled - November 16–18: LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- Cancelled - November 29–December 2: SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
- Cancelled
2006 Season
The 2006 Season was the WSVG's first season. International competitions were held for the PC games Counter-StrikeCounter-Strike
Counter-Strike is a tactical first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation which originated from a Half-Life modification by Minh "Gooseman" Le and Jess "Cliffe" Cliffe...
, Quake 4
Quake 4
Quake 4 is the fourth title in the series of Quake first-person shooter computer games. The game was developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. Raven Software has collaborated with id Software, the creators and historical developers of preceding Quake games...
, and Warcraft III
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos is a real time strategy computer game released by Blizzard Entertainment on July 3, 2002 . It is the second sequel to Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, and it is the third game set in the Warcraft Universe...
. 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...
tournaments were also held for Project Gotham Racing 3
Project Gotham Racing 3
Project Gotham Racing 3 is an arcade-style racing game that was released with the launch of the Xbox 360 on November 22, 2005 for the US market and December 2, 2005 in Europe, and was released on January 12, 2006 in Japan. Developed by Bizarre Creations, it is the third installment in the Project...
, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, and Halo 2
Halo 2
Halo 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. Released for the Xbox video game console on November 9, 2004, the game is the second installment in the Halo franchise and the sequel to 2001's critically acclaimed Halo: Combat Evolved...
, but these were open to American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
participants only.
Participants included Johnathan 'Fatal1ty' Wendel
Johnathan Wendel
Johnathan Wendel , also known by the pseudonym Fatal1ty , is a professional electronic sports player, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. Jonathan is considered the world's first prominent and accomplished professional gamer...
(four-time CPL world champion and runner-up of the WSVG Quake 4 competition), Dae Hui 'FoV' Cho (veteran professional gamer, one time Electronic Sports World Cup champion and third place of the WarCraft III competition), Li 'Sky' Xiaofeng (twice World Cyber Games champion, considered strongest WarCraft III player of 2006 in a worldwide poll of gaming journalists) and Team 3D
Team 3d
Team 3D may refer to any of the following:*Dudley Boyz, a professional wrestling tag team in the WWF/E and TNA.*3D.NY, an American electronic sports club.*Final Boss, a team of professional Halo 3 gamers who compete in Major League Gaming ....
(twice World Cyber Games champion team and runner-up of the WSVG Counter-Strike competition), as well as eventual champions Johan 'Toxic' Quick
Johan Quick
Johan Quick, who plays with the pseudonym "Toxjq", also known as tox, toxic is a professional gamer from Norrköping, Sweden. Quick is currently signed by Jonathan Wendel's Free Player Organization and is specialized in Quake 4 competitions. During the 2006 season, he was signed to SK Gaming and won...
and eSport Player of 2006 Manuel 'Grubby' Schenkhuizen.
2007 season
WSVG's second season featured Fight Night Round 3, Guitar Hero IIGuitar Hero II
Guitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. It is the second installment in the Guitar Hero series and is the sequel to Guitar Hero...
, Quake 4
Quake 4
Quake 4 is the fourth title in the series of Quake first-person shooter computer games. The game was developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. Raven Software has collaborated with id Software, the creators and historical developers of preceding Quake games...
, Warcraft III
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos is a real time strategy computer game released by Blizzard Entertainment on July 3, 2002 . It is the second sequel to Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, and it is the third game set in the Warcraft Universe...
and World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
as main circuit games. Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike is a tactical first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation which originated from a Half-Life modification by Minh "Gooseman" Le and Jess "Cliffe" Cliffe...
, Call of Duty 2
Call of Duty 2
Call of Duty 2 is a first-person shooter video game and the second installment in the critically acclaimed Call of Duty series. It was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It was released on October 25, 2005 for Microsoft Windows and on November 22, 2005 as a launch game for the...
and Gears of War
Gears of War
Gears of War is a military science fiction third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios...
were planned to also make appearances at a number of events.
The circuit's total prize purse was planned to be US$574,000, and travel funds were made available to a number of high-finishing participants.
Cancellation
In a surprise move on September 12, 2007, the WSVG main page announced that "Games Media Properties will no longer produce the World Series of Video Games", and that the remaining three events (Los Angeles, London, and Sweden) were all cancelled. The reasons given were that revenue from the previous events were not enough to sustain the league, especially because of its extensive televising campaign and enormous event sizes.The WSVG has stated that it wishes to continue expansion in online advertising and their network of websites.
World Champions
| Game |  |
 |
 |
4th |
| Counter-Strike Counter-Strike Counter-Strike is a tactical first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation which originated from a Half-Life modification by Minh "Gooseman" Le and Jess "Cliffe" Cliffe... |
 aTTaX David "CHEF-KOCH" Nagel Peter "Chucky" Schlosser Navid "Kapio" Javadi Jordan "Nanou" Champion Roman "roman" Ausserdorfer |
 Team 3DTeam 3d Team 3D may refer to any of the following:*Dudley Boyz, a professional wrestling tag team in the WWF/E and TNA.*3D.NY, an American electronic sports club.*Final Boss, a team of professional Halo 3 gamers who compete in Major League Gaming .... Josh "Dominator" Sievers Mikey "Method" So Griffin "shaGuar" Benger Ron "Rambo" Kim Salvatore "Volcano" Garozzo |
 fnaticFnatic Fnatic is a professional electronic sports organization based out of Australia, UK and The Netherlands. Fnatic was founded in July 23, 2004. Fnatic is particularly well-known for its highly successful Counter-Strike team, which is the single most financially-successful Counter-Strike team in...  Oscar "Archi" Torgersen Patrik "cArn" Sättermon Harley "dsn" Orwall Patrik "f0rest" Lindberg Kristoffer "Tentpole" Nordlund |
Pandemic Chad "Daffsta" White Garett "grt" Bambrough Jonny "Ph33R" Schwan Hoang "s0nNy" Tran Mark "mastern00k" Torrez |
| Quake 4 Quake 4 Quake 4 is the fourth title in the series of Quake first-person shooter computer games. The game was developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. Raven Software has collaborated with id Software, the creators and historical developers of preceding Quake games... |
Johan "Toxic" Quick |
Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel |
Jason "Socrates_" Sylka |
 Anton "Cooller" Singov |
| Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne is a real-time strategy computer game developed for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and Mac OS X by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the official expansion pack to Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, requiring Reign of Chaos to play... |
 Manuel "Grubby" Schenkhuizen |
 Jung Hee "Sweet" Chun |
Dae Hui "FoV" Cho |
Dennis “Shortround" Chan |