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General7 years agoGosu "GosuGamers" Gamers

GosuGamers Weekly Business Review, 21/1 -27/1

January isn’t a massive month for eSports at present, but we’ve had a few big events nonetheless, and one in particular stands out. Obviously we are referring to the Turner - WME/IMG owned Counter-Strike Major, officially titled ELEAGUE, which began last weekend and has just concluded the group stages of the event, and the tournament really does stand proud in the world of eSports, circa early-2017.

When season one was announced back in the first half of 2016, there was a lot of interest in ELEAGUE, and headlines talking about $2m of sponsorship deals being sewn up shortly after did nothing to cool the flames. What really makes ELEAGUE pop for this observer though is not the advertising, the fact it’s on TV or even the way they’ve filled their main cast with mainly British voices, similar to Rogue One, but the production values they have been able to deliver to this point.

Image credit: ELEAGUE

The studio used for the first week of the event is owned by the company themselves, meaning costs for location are kept low until the action makes its way to the Fox theatre for the latter stages, but you’d never look at it and think ‘cheap option’. A sports-style presentation desk features host Richard Lewis alongside Jason ‘Moses’ O’Toole and Duncan ‘Thorin’ Shields, while the players are a short distance away at bespoke setups.

To our eSports minds the setup looks incredibly good, and to be honest it is, aside from the occasional culture clash. By that we mean the moments when eSports and TV sports values seems to not quite match, like seeing a professionally suited and booted interviewer talking to a mumbling teenager, or the times you can hear the whelps of joy from players that have just won a round.

However, to a company like Turner it is incredibly cheap television, whether you compare it to drama, news, sports or anything else. All they need to run the group stages are some PCs and peripherals, players, a desk and the talent, and in return they are provided with hours of entertainment in a sector where they look almost godlike for bringing decent TV production values.

The hope is that other production companies looks at what Turner have got for their investment and decide to follow suit, and if that is the case eSports is set for an exciting 2017 and beyond. ‘Standard’ TV production values will bring in more TV viewers as opposed to the normal denizens of Twitch, and that is the market that needs to be explored for the next big boom to occur.

 

 

Kinguin do the right thing

It’s not uncommon for articles and videos focussed on the business side of eSports to regularly features phrases like ‘potential conflict of interest’, but we’d like to take a moment this week to praise a firm for nipping such an issue in the bud before it can arise. ESports has long had an attitude of doing the minimum, be that in respecting rights, avoiding conflict of interest or paying employees, just to pick three examples, but Kinguin have decided to buck that trend.

The Polish firm were signed on as a sponsor of European organisation G2 until very recently, but have ended the League of Legends part of that deal due to the somewhat unexpected success of their own team. Recently, the team’s in house League of Legends outfit secured qualification to the European Challenger Series via the open qualifier, and while that doesn’t bring them into the same sphere as G2, they are close enough to feel the potential for heat.

The actual regulations are not prohibitive of shared financial interest, but Kinguin cited the League of Legends Championship Series Team Participation Agreement in justifying their decision, which states the following: “The Team Owner shall not (and shall ensure that the Team Managers shall not) (a) own, have or control, directly or indirectly, an equity or financial interest in more than one team engaged in play of the LoL Game in a professional e-sports league…”

It may be that they don’t view the investment as worthwhile, it may even be that Kinguin aren’t interested in supporting a team that is a potential future rival, but on the face of things this move seems designed to show the company as transparent and ethical, and that’s a good thing. It also speaks of a growing recognition that these issues can no longer be ignored or worked around, and who knows, may signal a change for the better in 2017.

 

Smash experiments with a new order

Elsewhere there was a minor furore around the game lineup for Evo 2017, the FGC event, as popular non-fighting game series Smash Bros once again got two titles in, but in the ‘wrong’ place. Melee, the fifteen year old title regarded by many as one of the greatest eSports ever, has been given the prime time slot on Saturday while Smash 4, the latest iteration of the series will appear on the Sunday schedule instead.

While this initially drew the ire of many players, it will provide an interesting test opportunity for future events. Smash tournaments have a tendency to run over, and this combined with the normal Sunday finals has historically made it very hard for European fans to enjoy the play live, especially if they have work in the morning. Last year Melee had more viewers than any other game at Evo, breaking the 200k mark, and if it manages the same again this year that will answer a number of questions.

The first is about the overall popularity of the game, as some of the more classical FGC types have claimed Melee piggybacks on other games to gain views. With William ‘Leffen’ Hjelte being his normal shy and retiring self on twitter and telling the world Melee doesn’t need Evo any more, this conversation has rather blown up, but if you’re in the Smash scene you’ll know that while Leffen is right, Evo would be a massive loss for the Smash scene, and should be cherished.

The second is whether TO’s can benefit from making their events more Euro-friendly. If Melee once again ends the weekend as the most view event, it will be food for thought for the TOs at the likes of Big House and maybe even CEO going forward, that catering to an increasing European demographic might not be the worst thing ever.

 

Another milestone for Overwatch

If you’ve followed the meteoric rise of Overwatch in the last eight months the following might not come as a surprise, but according to Blizzard there are now 25m players enjoying their colourful murderfest. This number has been achieved by clever marketing, good interaction with social media and many other tactics, but all of that is built on a foundation of fun provided by the game itself, and the phenomenon shows no sign of slowing.

With the big plans Blizzard have for the game in 2017 there is still a long way to go before Overwatch becomes an eSport comparable with the likes of Dota or CS, but the potential has been fully demonstrated, and it’s now in the hands of the developer as to just how far the FPS can go.

 

Roundup

ESL announce IEM Katowice invitees

NetEase will carry out their own investigation into the 'Dirty Rat' incident

Evil Geniuses are crowned DotaPit 5 Champions, defeating OG

Heroes of the Dorm returns, with a new commercial partner for 2017

Year of the Rooster introduces Capture the 'Flag' to Overwatch

 

Matches of the Weekend

coL vs LG at Trinity series sees two Hearthstone giants clash

Na'Vi debuts their new roster vs Team Liquid at Starladder

Dig need to beat Synergy to avoid going 0-2 in HGC Europe

Unsponsored Kungarna take on compLexity.OW at the Winter Premiere

Virtus.Pro take on North in the ELEAGUE Quarter-finals

 

Events to catch

Starladder i-League Starseries season 3 sees the Dota2 calendar spring back into life

Check out the Winter Premiere LAN finals at PAX South for some elite Overwatch

The ELEAGUE Major moves to the latter stages, where $1m will be won and lost

 

ESports Careers

ESL are looking for a production manager for their offices in Leicester

The ESports Observer would like to hire a full time community manager

SEA-based Catalyst Esports Solutions need a talent manager3

Team Dignitas are looking to hire a freelance Video Editor ASAP

Alternatively, ESL need an accountant to work for them in Cologne

 

Giggles

Not really a funny this week, more a 'balls of steel' moment from ELEAGUE, nothing but knife...

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