Competitive gaming is all about marketing. The goal should be to lift eSports out of a niche status for a small demographic and make it a mainstay in pop culture. To an extent this has been happening in the last decade.
MLG made strides to do this in the early 2000s with Halo and Smash tournaments, at least in America. Obviously in Korea, competitive gaming has been a major part of their culture for years. But in America, eSports has been looked down upon because video games are viewed as a hobby, a waste of time, etc.
The image MLG started to market in the early 2000s was one that elevated competitive gaming out of the "basement dwelling nerd" stereotype and opened the door for eSports to not only be taken more seriously, but also made people aware that competitive gaming is serious. I remember in 2006/07, MLG Halo 2 would make it on ESPN. Not ESPN3 or ESPN8 "The Ocho" (lol), but ESPN's flagship channel. I saw this as a HUGE accomplishment for the scene.
MLG isn't nearly as popular or powerful as it used to be, but I think it opened the door for eSports to enter pop culture in America. Back then it was the only show in town for major gaming tournaments that would reach the masses. Now, there are countless leagues and countless tournaments.
Marketing an image that can appeal to the masses is the best way to pump more money and sponsorships into competitive gaming, and ultimately attract more viewers.
