And so we approach the end of our little history lesson. For now. The nice thing about history is that it keeps being made. (No, I didn't read that in a fortune cookie... though come to think of it, I should totally pitch that to Wing's.)

Anyway, that last couple posts have focused on PC gaming, but while computers may be the bedrock of videogame competitions, whenever pro gaming bursts into the greater pop-culture consciousness, it tends to be on the backs of consoles. It's no surprise, really. More people game on them. A lot more. Ultimately, competitive computer-gaming is always going to be a niche "sport" because computer-gaming itself is a niche pursuit.

This has been true since Nintendo first sent computer-gaming into intensive care after killing arcades. Meanwhile, the rise of Sony's and Microsoft's machines have only widened the gap between computer gamers and their console cousins. But let's go back to the NES for a second, because it brought competitive gaming into mainstream North America with e-sports first (and only) Hollywood film, The Wizard.

Starring a pre-Wonder Years Fred Savage and a pre-Rilo Kiley Jenny Lewis, this ridiculous pieces of '80s pop-cultural ephemera was basically a feature-length advertisement for Super Mario Bros 3 (awesome!) and Nintendo's Power Glove (not awesome!). But by featuring a plot that revolved around a videogame tournament, it helped sell the idea of gaming as spectator sport to the millions of families whose kids suffered from Nintendo thumb.

Professional PC gaming rose and fell in popularity, but even at its height was still largely for hardcore heads while gaming consoles have become part of an ever-increasing number of adult households.

When PC-style first-person shooters were ported over -- to the PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and the online-capable Sega Dreamcast which came with a built-in modem -- the seeds of competitive console gaming were sewn. As each gen evolved into the next, LAN and then online multiplayer turned consoles into highly-competitive machines as millions upon millions of gamers honed their skills on PSN and Xbox Live. Local LAN parties became bigger tournaments and eventually national and international events thanks to organizations like Major League Gaming, which began in 2002.

PC gaming has always been on the cutting edge of competitions, but even as their leagues began to crumble, MLG became the first league to have its pro circuit televised with a on USA Network. MLG has succeeded by keeping its focus on popular console games -- the 2010 circuit, which begins April 16, features Halo 3, Tekken 6, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

MLG has also teamed up with EA Sports, first to stage last year's EA Sports Challenge Series live tournament and just this month the two companies announced a deal that would create "the definitive ranking system for sports gamers in North America.” Online tournaments will begin later this year. Meanwhile, the annual Evo fighting game tournament in Las Vegas this summer boasts: "One Weekend, Six Tournaments, 60,000 Matches."

It's unlikely that competitive gaming will ever reach South Korean levels of popularity here in North America, but though purists will always prefer PCs, it's the sheer popularity of ubiquitous consoles that give competitive gaming its best shot at reaching the next level.

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Pure Pwnage premieres on Showcase this Friday, March 12th at 10pm ET/PT