The X games are a spectacle of extreme sports that occur twice a year, every year. This year’s ESPN X Games will be held in Austin Texas, and are receiving more hype than in years past.

Many motocross, rally car, skateboard and other extreme sport enthusiasts watch the X Games every year, but this year, a new crowd will be drawn to watch the action. The X games will now be holding a Call of Duty: Ghosts tournament hosted by Major League Gaming in collaboration with ESPN X Games.

The tournament will be hosted on the Xbox 360 and will consist of the five best Call of Duty: Ghost teams based on their rankings during prior tournaments. Major League Gaming and ESPN will present the gamers with X games medals just as they do for other events.

Many people throughout the gaming world have been excited to hear this news because they feel as though their passions are being recognized on a national level now.

Major league gaming is a very difficult event to be successful at though, because it requires a lot more than athletic ability. Many gamers spend days learning maps, weapon combinations and strategies to ensure survival and victory.

Ben James and Logan Chowning, two of Elder’s very own students and Call of Duty enthusiasts, were very excited to hear that Call of Duty will be played at the X games and await to see what the experience will be like.

Personally, I think that playing video games at an extreme sporting event is a bit odd, but I too am excited to witness this spectacle of gaming.

Don Reilley, MLG EVP Sales said, “The popularity of competitive gaming and the MLG Pro Circuit is at an all-time high with millions watching the best gamers compete each month on MLG.tv”. The games will be broadcast on MLG.tv so that anyone may watch the games as they would for an extreme sport event.

Though the event being held at the X games will be a sure cause of controversy, it is nice to see that professional video game players are being recognized because the X games are now expanding their viewing base to more than just extreme sports fans.