Clans in gaming never really took off until the advent of multiplayer PC games which were played over the Internet. Who could forget the great clans of the past such as Thresh’s DeathRow which comprised of some of the top Quake players in the world? As an avid gamer, I used to be in a clan myself. Unfortunately, I never made it to the dizzy heights of Thresh but that did not detract from the fun of being in a clan itself.
With wireless online play being introduced to both the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS for quite a while now, will any of the larger game tournament bodies take to task of starting a worldwide, online gaming competition?
Although handheld gaming clans are few and far between, I believe the potential for this idea is huge. There are more WiFi hotspots available today than ever before, and the number will go nowhere but rise upwards in time.
Just imagine winding the day down with a tense round of Mario Kart DS with your best mate against opponents who are somehwere halfway around the world with bragging rights and a lump of prize money at stake. Sure, the number of audiences will not be able to hold a candle to more established games like those on the PC platform, but it is a rather interesting thought. One thing though - don’t quit your day job just yet :)
Perhaps handheld gamers reading this who already are in a clan could shed more light on developing a potential niche in the world of e-sports?
