As a co-founder of Major League Gaming and an on air correspondent for ESPN there's a question that seems to follow me around wherever I go.

"Do you really think that anyone will want to watch people playing games on TV?"

For a while I would only bother answering whenever the question was in response to a discussion that surrounded the idea of televising an MLG event. Twelve months ago it could take as long as thirty or forty minutes to answer; these days I can usually get my point across in less than ten minutes. Back in the day I would usually begin by pointing out that until recently there had never been U.S.-based gaming leagues or competitive gaming events that were built from the ground up to be televised. I'd point out that video game tournaments had never really been what you would call "TV friendly" and that in order for the spectator value to translate to television you would have to treat competitive gaming like a sport. That would usually be the point where people would look at me like I had horns growing out of my forehead. While ESPN seems to be the place where most Americans turn to get their sports fix it's also been a Petri dish for alternative sports programming. Alternative sports like the X-Games, Street Basketball and Poker are all the rage due in some part to exposure on television. Add to that the fact that the world of television programming is insanely competitive and hit driven and you can start to see why gaming on TV is inevitable. Television programmers are always looking for the next big thing. With 20 million hardcore gaming households in the U.S. it's a safe bet that the folks who brought you Pro Skating and Poker aren't very far away from serving up Pro Gaming.

Now remember, we're not talking about what's been done in the past. We're talking about learning from the mistakes of past attempts to put gaming on television as well as studying what works on TV in general. We're talking about creating quality programming from the ground up that focuses on the competitors as much as it does the competitions that they're involved in. You need personalities that translate and that viewers can relate to.

Of course nowadays video games are as mainstream as it gets. Prize money continues to rise and attracts better gamers with bigger dreams and bigger egos. And many of these dreamers are now making a full time living playing video games.

Add to that the fact that there are a rapidly growing number of video game enthusiasts who would list being a "Pro Gamer" as their dream job and it seems pretty clear that the tide has turned. It's no longer a question of whether or not there are super stars in the world of gaming. It's a question of who has the biggest stars. You'll find superstars on every platform playing everything from Super Smash Brothers to StarCraft. The stars of Pro Gaming draw crowds whatever they play and wherever they compete. 2005 has been a year that has seen many of these rising stars get more TV time than Hillary Clinton (which may explain her agenda when it comes to video games). From Fatal1ty to KillaOr or Lim Yo-Hwan to the Ogre twins, video gaming stars are here to stay.

In fact, if it's a game that's played competitively for money then I can guarantee you that it's a game that has its own set of superstars. Competitive gaming finally has its Tony Hawk, its Michael Jordan and its Derek Jeter. The stars of Pro Gaming are young, amazingly talented, feverishly dedicated and in some ways most importantly, camera friendly. Care for some names to back that claim up? Well, there's Tsquared, Walshy, Saiyan, Zyos, KillaOr, Xena and of course the Ogres. All have been featured on national television (ESPN, MTV, CNBC) and all figure to have long careers on the Pro Gaming circuit.

Travel to any sanctioned tournament around the country. Speak with many of the gamers that are often spending more money than they would likely win getting to the tournament. It doesn't take long to find out why they are there: They know it's unlikely they will make it to the finals, but the opportunity to play against the world's best, to compare strategies and tactics with people that they've only met online makes it a trip worth making. Now add to that the chance to grab a few autographs and maybe even some one-on-one time with one of their favorite players -- gamers who are living their dream -- makes it all worth the expense to attend.

All these pieces are necessary to affect an audience that will continue to grow. No matter the level of game playing experience, and no matter where they are situated, star power and notoriety, coupled with the enhanced graphics offered up by the new round of present and future consoles...These key ingredients along with professional, exciting presentation and analysis that make the competition exciting from the most avid gamer to the uninitiated will combine to enhance the future of gaming on television.

Odds are that if you watch any networks with programming targeted at the coveted 18-24 year-old male or read traditional and emerging media that draws from the gaming universe or that you yourself play games you've at least heard of the prize money and the players that exist. If you haven't, the smart money says you will soon. In fact, it's my prediction for 2006. Just watch.