The first Esport Basketball league will be played on PCs?
The NBA 2K League, which is the NBA’s foray into the world of Esports, just made their first huge announcement today. As reported by Alienware, all of the games that will be played will be done so on PC. Yes, you read it correctly. This league will be run completely on PC, and not on either the PlayStation or Xbox.
This news is definitely interesting and I’m happy to see this actually happening. Now if only the fighting game community would take notice.
Provided by Alienware, each PC will include Intel’s 8th Gen Core i7-8700K processors, as well as Alienware’s 25-inch 240 Hz (Gsync) monitors. That’s some impressive power. These PCs will be provided to every player who will be participating in the NBA 2K League tournaments. In addition, being played on PC, this affords players to use any kind of gaming controller that they want. DualShock 3 or 4, Xbox 360 or Xbox One controller; it doesn’t matter as you can use them all on PC.
“Our partnerships with Dell and Intel give us the ability to utilize state-of-the-art hardware and technology that will optimize league play and the viewing experience for fans around the world,” said Brendan Donohue, NBA 2K League Managing Director. “The combination of Alienware and Intel will advance the elite gaming experience and we are thrilled to incorporate two of the top products and brands throughout the NBA 2K League during our inaugural season, and beyond.”
“Our commitment to enabling esports leagues, teams and professionals to perform at their best continues to excite and invigorate our team,” said Bryan de Zayas, Director of Dell Gaming, Alienware and Esports. “We are proud to partner with the NBA 2K League and Intel as the exclusive PC and displays provider bringing the best in class gaming systems and displays to the newly formed NBA 2K League and its players. Our partnership continues to close the gap between traditional sports fans and esports fans, while delivering the world-class gaming and viewing experience fans expect and deserve.”
“Intel plans to provide the best gaming experience for competitors and fans through its cloud to client solutions,” said John Bonini, Vice President and General manager of the VR, Gaming and Esports Group at Intel Corporation. “Intel has been a leader in the growth of the esports industry and community for more than 15 years, and the NBA 2K League’s fresh format will be a great showcase for esports.”
Alienware also posted some images of the PCs that will be used and I have to say that I’m super impressed with the offerings. Take a peek at them via Alienware’s tweet below.
Surprising news for some, the @NBA2KLeague will be run on PC! We can't wait to team up with @Intel + @IntelGaming, who are already innovators & leaders in the space.
Players will compete on AW Auroras + AW 240Hz monitors, which is used today across a variety of esports orgs. pic.twitter.com/O6ufAesx6T
— ALIENWARE (@Alienware) April 3, 2018
The first game for the NBA 2K League will take place from 4 PM – 6 PM EDT, during PAX East 2018. For those not in attendance, it will be streamed at www.twitch.tv/nba2kleague and www.twitch.tv/paxarena. Since I’ll be at PAX East, I’ll definitely try and make my way over to grab a few photos of the gaming setup.
Here’s to wishing the NBA 2K League as much as I can. May their venture be crash-free and show the world that gaming on the PC isn’t just reserved to just MOBAs, MMOs or RTSs. I’m really excited for this and can’t wait to see the reception of the league when it finally gets started.
For more news on the NBA 2K League, head on over to https://nba.2k.com/2kleague/blog/nba-2k-league-announces-landmark-partnerships-with-dell-and-intel.
