Like poker and skateboarding, some say gaming is the next big sport - or cybersport.

Major League Gaming or MLG recently signed five players to some of the biggest professional contracts ever awarded gamers, including one four-person team to a $1 million, three-year contract. Taylor, 19, signed a $250,000, three-year deal in 2006.

Taylor, or "Tsquared," is a far cry from the stereotyped computer nerd trapped in his parent's basement. He's one of a handful of teens who have made their own fortunes in the $7 billion a year industry in the U.S.

 - a sales figure that's almost doubled since 1996, according to the Entertainment Software Association.

Thanks to the Internet, a handful of magazines, cable network devoted to gaming and corporate-sponsored tournaments attended by tens of thousands, the video game industry has cemented its place in pop culture. And by promoting the best gamers as professionals, the industry helps push its product - much the same way the visibility of pro golfers sells clubs and balls.

The financial rewards of video games are immense. For example, Halo 2 grossed $125 million during the first 24 hours of its release, according to Microsoft sales statistics. At a retail cost of $29.99, that's more than 4 million units sold.

"The folks that grew up with games are now getting older, and having kids who are growing up in an environment where it's a preferred entertainment choice," said John Davison senior vice president of 1UP Network, a multimedia network for gamers. "Culturally it will have an impact across the board with expectations from entertainment and pop culture, and potentially beyond too."

In South Korea, where the industry has boomed for years, the pro video gamers are celebrities mobbed by screaming fans at contests.

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