Professional console-game league Major League Gaming (MLG) is adding a new category to its 2004 season--N-Gage tournaments. The announcement followed Nokia's agreement to be MLG's presenting sponsor for the 2004 season.
As of last weekend, players who register for one of the console-based games in the 2004 MLG tournament series--which currently features Halo, ESPN NFL Football 2K4, Gran Turismo 3, and Soul Calibur II--can also sign up to compete in the N-Gage series free of charge. Winners of the N-Gage bouts, which will feature Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, FIFA Soccer 2004, and NCAA Football 2004, will have a chance to win a $1,000 prize.
At the end of the 2004 season, the two highest ranked N-Gage players will receive an MLG management contract and will become the first professional team for the N-Gage game deck, Team N-Gage.