Thousands of gamers will descend on Paris over the next few days, to watch over 750 professional gamers compete in the Grand Finals of the Electronic Sports World Cup in Paris.
Tournaments include Counterstrike (including a womens-only event), Quake 4, Warcraft 3 and Pro Evo 6, with a total prize fund of 180,00$ USD (approx £90,000), not bad money i think you’ll agree. Since its start in 2003, the UK has never won an event, or even come in second or third.

The Event is praised for its enjoyment as a viewing audience, with the gamers performing on stage in front of large screens. Sounds daunting, especially with a camera focused on your Face alongside your game screen (see picture). Its probably worth it, with the small number of full-time professional gamers earning around 200,000$ in prizes. Become a recognized “star”, add sponsorships from companies such as N-Vidia, and you’ve got yourself a nice little earner.

The event also encourages video gaming as a hobby and a profession among women. with over 120 women in the Counter-Strike womens-only, its definately doing something right.

The Tournament runs from today until Sunday, and is expected to attract 30,000 spectators over the course of the event.

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