For a long time now, I’ve wanted to write an article about British gaming. Something along the lines of “The Fall and Fall…” The trouble is, it’s a very complicated issue and to say “we aren’t good enough” is far too simplistic. Also, I honestly belief it's untrue. I’ve got two half finished drafts on this computer alone and as I write this opening paragraph I wonder whether this effort will end any differently.

However, I feel I have recently hit upon the underlying reason for Britain's lack of success. It runs a little deeper than the “gaming is for nerds” theory but it’s along the same lines.

That theory is the best one to explain why America, one of the largest civilised populaces in the world produced only two championship winning CS teams, while Sweden – with a population of 9,000,000 has had several. The basic premise is that gaming is still seen in America as the pastime of basement-dwelling troglodytes. Unless you are incredibly dedicated it’s very difficult to succeed in something that everyone tells you is a waste of time.

The money involved in CGS might start to change people’s minds on the other side of the pond but the yanks have suffered for it in the past.

This is also true of the UK. After all, we are pretty much America’s 51st state. But the bad image of gamers runs a little deeper in British society than just cool kids looking down on nerdy ones.

Gaming across the world is seen as youthful endeavour and therein lays the problem for British gamers. The youth in this country are demonised by the media and politicians. Pick up any English newspaper today and you’re likely to see at least one story about hooded, cider-binging youths mugging an old granny or knifing their fellow delinquents. Everything young is bad, ergo gaming is bad.

Why is this a problem, though? After all, didn’t I just say that dedicated players can still make a go of it? Well, yes they can. That’s why the UK has had limited success in the gaming world. 4k’ CS, for all that they disappointed us, did make an awful lot of semi-final appearances and were practically guaranteed to cause one upset in major tournaments. DeMusliM does us proud in WC3L and NGL, without setting the world on fire and in duelling we used to be amongst the best in the world with Painkiller in patircular.

The problem is that these players don’t get the same sponsorship as their non-British fellows. Most countries that succeed in esports have at least one team with a “lifestyle” sponsorship. SK with adidas, WE just signed a deal with Pepsi and so on. 4k, on the other hand, has gaming sponsor after gaming sponsor. Adidas and Pesi don’t want their name associated with something which is seen in such a bad light. In mainland Europe and China gaming is something to be celebrated and enjoyed. Companies will put their name on the jersey of a team which has good publicity. They won’t support a British team seemingly comprised of anti-social wasters.

This almost leads me to think the CGS might not be as bad as I’ve always claimed it to be. Generally speaking, anything that succeeds in America has traditionally succeeded over here and if CGS can bring American gaming out of the cellar and into the living room then it might just do it for British gaming as well. After all, our teams actually did quite well in season one.

But then again, I’d rather have it the way it is than see gaming debase itself into a WWE clone, complete with attractive but pointless bimbos, flashing lights and bad commentary (did you HEAR Chris Kamara on the FIFA games?!). It seems like a fair few people in this generation feel the same way too. There is a strong, growing feeling of anti-Americanism in this country thanks to a certain Mr Bush. CGS has taken off slightly better in the UK than in Europe and Asia but that’s no real endorsement.

Sadly, what British gaming really needs is a fundamental shift in public opinion and attitude. It needs sponsorship and its players need support. This will only happen if the media stops making the entire group of 12-21 year olds look like harbingers of the apocalypse – their hoods like the cowls of the four horsemen. Until then we’re stuck with also-ran status and the bittersweet memory of that game.