This is an editorial opinion piece. Editorial opinions do not necessarily represent the opinion of GosuGamers.net
Signs are all on total dominance. The games League of Legends and Dota 2 evolve brilliantly. By now, both competing titles together represent a large share of the worldwide eSport fans. The MOBA genre is on the verge of ultimately outstripping the traditional eSport sectors Real-Time-Strategy and First-Person-Shooter. While LoL and Dota 2 flourish, Starcraft 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive struggle with minor and major problems.
It seems likely that this evolution will continue. MOBA games currently have almost everything that is en vogue in online-gaming in general and eSport in particular: Teamgaming combined with diversity in gameplay, a comparatively diverting entry combined with a high learning rate.
Additionally, publishers Riot Games and Valve spend insane amounts of money for their games.The prize pools at the world championships in LoL and Dota 2 by now have reached levels that are unreachable for almost any other eSport game for a long time.
It seems likely that this evolution will continue. MOBA games currently have almost everything that is en vogue in online-gaming in general and eSport in particular: Teamgaming combined with diversity in gameplay, a comparatively diverting entry combined with a high learning rate.
Additionally, publishers Riot Games and Valve spend insane amounts of money for their games.The prize pools at the world championships in LoL and Dota 2 by now have reached levels that are unreachable for almost any other eSport game for a long time.
Problems on team- and clan level
All this hints a bright future on both MOBA-games on all levels. Rapidly increasing player and viewer numbers as well as prize money which can only be dreamt of for other games, however, can not obscure the fact that, on a structural level, there are still partially immense deficits.
An example for this is the evolvement in the Dota 2 scene in the past weeks and months. It was already before The International that the turnover within the teams was pretty high, after that the situation has worsened drastically: Most of the teams downright fell apart, hardly any group of five was able to keep its original combination. On top of that the frequent usage of standins for official matches was continued. Sometimes the absurd situation appeared that one player was de-facto playing for two teams in an online tournament.
At the same time, many established teams currently find themselves without a financially strong organisation in their back. Many clans stopped their cooperation with their Dota 2 players after The International. Without the effective advertising platform of the main event, maintaining a quintet of highly talented players does not pay off. Of course, there are more tournaments in between, but these drop decisively concerning reach and prize money in relation to the all-shiny The International.
All this hints a bright future on both MOBA-games on all levels. Rapidly increasing player and viewer numbers as well as prize money which can only be dreamt of for other games, however, can not obscure the fact that, on a structural level, there are still partially immense deficits.
An example for this is the evolvement in the Dota 2 scene in the past weeks and months. It was already before The International that the turnover within the teams was pretty high, after that the situation has worsened drastically: Most of the teams downright fell apart, hardly any group of five was able to keep its original combination. On top of that the frequent usage of standins for official matches was continued. Sometimes the absurd situation appeared that one player was de-facto playing for two teams in an online tournament.
At the same time, many established teams currently find themselves without a financially strong organisation in their back. Many clans stopped their cooperation with their Dota 2 players after The International. Without the effective advertising platform of the main event, maintaining a quintet of highly talented players does not pay off. Of course, there are more tournaments in between, but these drop decisively concerning reach and prize money in relation to the all-shiny The International.
Lacking professionalism and bad financing
Fact is: The problems are complex and due to the fact that they partially are strongly correlated, they are difficult to eliminate. It is striking that many teams and players have taken over the teething troubles of DotA. Already in those days, frequent changes and lack of consistency was characteristic for the scene.
At the same time, the clans lack options for suitable chances to finance a quintet on long-term and to pay the travel costs. The problem is a general one and has been existing in principle since the early days of eSports. The dependency of sponsors is still acute. An end of this situation, though highly unpleasant for eSports, cannot yet be seen.
The consequence: A vicious circle. Clans want professionalism, but players want to get paid appropriately. Clans on the other hand are hardly able to ensure that payment, due to a lack of a platform and sponsors of a viable financing. Without input from external, it’s still hard to escape this malady. It’s not without reason that the - for a long time or even still - externally financed clans Natus Vincere and Invictus gaming played the main roles at The International and shone with high performance and persisting lineups even
out of the tournament phase. They are still pretty along with situation.
Fact is: The problems are complex and due to the fact that they partially are strongly correlated, they are difficult to eliminate. It is striking that many teams and players have taken over the teething troubles of DotA. Already in those days, frequent changes and lack of consistency was characteristic for the scene.
At the same time, the clans lack options for suitable chances to finance a quintet on long-term and to pay the travel costs. The problem is a general one and has been existing in principle since the early days of eSports. The dependency of sponsors is still acute. An end of this situation, though highly unpleasant for eSports, cannot yet be seen.
The consequence: A vicious circle. Clans want professionalism, but players want to get paid appropriately. Clans on the other hand are hardly able to ensure that payment, due to a lack of a platform and sponsors of a viable financing. Without input from external, it’s still hard to escape this malady. It’s not without reason that the - for a long time or even still - externally financed clans Natus Vincere and Invictus gaming played the main roles at The International and shone with high performance and persisting lineups even
out of the tournament phase. They are still pretty along with situation.
Attempts with downsides
A way out within these established strategies is hardly visible. A main reason for this is the lack of broad recognition and thus a solid base for sponsoring. Outside of the not directly gaming-affine industries, this recognition is still hardly marked. The Deutsche Post as a sponsor for the ESL or some energy drink bottlers are the mere exception.
Salvation possibly comes from a different side. Riot Games demonstrates it with the plans for the third season of League of Legends championship: The tight binding of clans, tournament organisers and players to the publisher provides primarily a financial framework for highly professionalized teams. The symbiosis leads to a player elite which can devote themselves completely to League of Legends and to a publisher who gets the high attention and enormous player level needed to generate more attention and thus revenue.
The crux of the matter is clear: The dependency from sponsors gets replaced by a dependency from the publisher. Clans and players are bound together in weal and woe by contract - the market power of the publisher is too strong to realistically expect a balanced contract relation between both parties.
A way out within these established strategies is hardly visible. A main reason for this is the lack of broad recognition and thus a solid base for sponsoring. Outside of the not directly gaming-affine industries, this recognition is still hardly marked. The Deutsche Post as a sponsor for the ESL or some energy drink bottlers are the mere exception.
Salvation possibly comes from a different side. Riot Games demonstrates it with the plans for the third season of League of Legends championship: The tight binding of clans, tournament organisers and players to the publisher provides primarily a financial framework for highly professionalized teams. The symbiosis leads to a player elite which can devote themselves completely to League of Legends and to a publisher who gets the high attention and enormous player level needed to generate more attention and thus revenue.
The crux of the matter is clear: The dependency from sponsors gets replaced by a dependency from the publisher. Clans and players are bound together in weal and woe by contract - the market power of the publisher is too strong to realistically expect a balanced contract relation between both parties.
Publishers as financiers: Currently the sole solution
Still the concept with the publisher as financial backer might currently be the only way to professionalize esports in the long-run and furthermore to give it a financially solid base, no matter what dependencies occur. A system like the Season 3 Championship in LoL cannot be compared to the oh so negative example of proximity between organizer and players, the CGS. There’s - simply said - too much money in companies like Riot Games or Valve to let the system fail in the blink of an eye.
Furthermore, large sponsors also have a market power which makes it difficult for clans and organizers to effectively demand money and other services from them. In the classic sponsoring, less dependency on an organizational level also means a higher uncertainty on a financial level. Delayed payments from sponsors have brought more than one organizer into troubles - even if that in most cases for sure wasn’t the only reason for bad payment practices.
Still the concept with the publisher as financial backer might currently be the only way to professionalize esports in the long-run and furthermore to give it a financially solid base, no matter what dependencies occur. A system like the Season 3 Championship in LoL cannot be compared to the oh so negative example of proximity between organizer and players, the CGS. There’s - simply said - too much money in companies like Riot Games or Valve to let the system fail in the blink of an eye.
Furthermore, large sponsors also have a market power which makes it difficult for clans and organizers to effectively demand money and other services from them. In the classic sponsoring, less dependency on an organizational level also means a higher uncertainty on a financial level. Delayed payments from sponsors have brought more than one organizer into troubles - even if that in most cases for sure wasn’t the only reason for bad payment practices.
Communication and own initiative are the keys
Currently it appears publishers are the only way to break out of the vicious circle of unmotivated, because underpaid players and financially limited clans. The alternative, a whole dozen of well situated, private financiers with long-term interest in eSport, is highly unlikely.
If the cooperation between publishers and esports shall work for a long time, two specific aspects are highly important: Communication and a realistic view on eSport and its opportunities. Expectations and wishes of both sides have to be said and considered much clearer than has often been the case up to now. History showed frequently that flawed communication between the different eSport protagonists was one of the major deficiencies. This has to change, if small irritations shall not lead to major problems.
On top of that, a different view on eSports has to evolve in western countries. Gaming on a high level is hard work, money does not grow on trees and own initiative is necessary in any job, be it full- or part-time, be it craftsmanship or office job. This applies to eSport as well. Professionalism does not start with structure, nor with financial strength, but in the head.
Currently it appears publishers are the only way to break out of the vicious circle of unmotivated, because underpaid players and financially limited clans. The alternative, a whole dozen of well situated, private financiers with long-term interest in eSport, is highly unlikely.
If the cooperation between publishers and esports shall work for a long time, two specific aspects are highly important: Communication and a realistic view on eSport and its opportunities. Expectations and wishes of both sides have to be said and considered much clearer than has often been the case up to now. History showed frequently that flawed communication between the different eSport protagonists was one of the major deficiencies. This has to change, if small irritations shall not lead to major problems.
On top of that, a different view on eSports has to evolve in western countries. Gaming on a high level is hard work, money does not grow on trees and own initiative is necessary in any job, be it full- or part-time, be it craftsmanship or office job. This applies to eSport as well. Professionalism does not start with structure, nor with financial strength, but in the head.
This opinion piece was originally published by Johannes 'hrb' Kallenbach on bestofgamers.de in German. Johannes Kallenbach is a German eSports editor and former Editor-in-chief of fragster.de. Translation by Christoph 'Malnor' Helbig.
