Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 and Games for Windows will sponsor the World Cyber Games (WCG) global tournament through 2008, providing hardware, software and marketing support for the events.
Microsoft’s sponsorship will encompass all WCG events including three pan-regional championships, the Korean Championship, the USA Championship and the Grand Finals in Monza, Italy in October.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
“Over the years, we have admired the incredible growth of cybersports and WCG’s role in expanding the reach of these worldwide tournaments,” said Peter Moore, corporate VP- interactive entertainment and devices division, Microsoft in a statement. “Because of WCG’s history as a truly global gaming competition, it was a logical choice to team up with them and extend the reach of these events even further.”
Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 will be the exclusive gaming platforms for PCs and consoles. The Redmond, WA-based company will also provide peripheral equipment for all WCG events.
International Cyber Marketing, Inc. (ICM), a Samsung Electronics-backed company based in Seoul, Korea, produces WCG.
National championship games featuring online and offline preliminaries are scheduled to start this month in participating countries.
According to Yankee Group Research, about 112 million of U.S. gamers are age 13 and up. By yearend 2008, the number of gamers is projected to grow to 148 million (PROMO February 2006).
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