For those still unaware, one of the most well known and loved gaming hardware brands SteelSeries recently announced the launching of the “SteelSeries eSports Foundation”. More specifically;
I will explore why generous marketing is wasted money, and despite their best attempts, this money could make eSports even more unstable if it gets in the wrong hands.
SteelSeries are one of these companies who have a brand image that is so strong that they can do no wrong. With initiatives like this they only build stronger and stronger ties to the community and ultimately their user base grows, and generates more income for them in the long run.
I'm not doubting SteelSeries reputation, they are in fact one of the companies that does seem to “care”. They sponsor and support just about every top team and event out there (as their press releases will often tell you), and it just seems like a case of smart marketing on their part.
But the problem lays here, why only invest the money into events? As badly organized and horrifically poor, events like
GameGune are, (they are using laptops for the Warcraft3 competition, and matches have been delayed because players have been running out of battery during matches.) they are established events which continue to grow in one direction. This year they expanded, and added two new tournaments outside of the normal Counter Strike 1.6 event, along side their normal byoc.
Now as pessimistic as I am, $100,000.00 isn't enough to start up any new off line events of the magnitude of say
SHG, (proof), although events like 
CDC which are rumored to run into thousands for the event rental could definitely benefit.
This is where the split comes. Does SteelSeries support competitive events which don't generate money (and depend entirely on sponsorship) unlike events like GameGune or the iSeries in the UK and thus aren't as secure and stable either. Or do they invest in a infrastructure which will last and continue to grow?
Online tournaments are some what frivolous as they don't push forward eSports in any regard, and generally are only a stop gap measure to stop games/communities stagnating between LAN events. Despite this I can see some of the money going towards online events and competitions.
Maybe SteelSeries shouldn't invest in events at all. Their strategy is more a protection than prevention action, because it's short lived and ultimately not solving the problem. What happens next year when there is no money from SteelSeries and LAN organisations who haven't invested in their infrastructure (because they haven't been forced to) simply crawl back to the old sponsors and investors who didn't hand out money? It's a vicious cycle.
Having more and more events, isn't the solution. It doesn't make gaming more competitive, and it will only have an adverse effect, as the majority of Counter Strike 1.6 players will testify to. They have suffered a drought in events in comparison to previous years.
Gamers in general have conditions ingrained into their mind when it comes to money and competitive gaming. Firstly the acceptance that certain games get the first bite of the cherry whenever money is involved (Warcraft3, Starcraft, Counter Strike and Quake generally). Secondly comes the unadulterated greed and squabbling. You see it whenever a Eurocup announces its LAN games and the prize pots. People crying about the unjust and betrayal that their game wasn't included or didn't get as much money as last year.
SteelSeries don't just have corporate social responsibility, it's more of a moral decision. Why pump money into gaming that will have no long term effect, they owe it to themselves to think about where and who their money will be going to, and spending the money on LANs and prize money isn't the way to go.
At the end of the day they will be improving their image even more so and building foundations for a much more stable platform for people to compete and invest in. It benefits the gamers, it benefits the business, and it just makes sense.
I will explore why generous marketing is wasted money, and despite their best attempts, this money could make eSports even more unstable if it gets in the wrong hands.
SteelSeries are one of these companies who have a brand image that is so strong that they can do no wrong. With initiatives like this they only build stronger and stronger ties to the community and ultimately their user base grows, and generates more income for them in the long run.
I'm not doubting SteelSeries reputation, they are in fact one of the companies that does seem to “care”. They sponsor and support just about every top team and event out there (as their press releases will often tell you), and it just seems like a case of smart marketing on their part.
But the problem lays here, why only invest the money into events? As badly organized and horrifically poor, events like
GameGune are, (they are using laptops for the Warcraft3 competition, and matches have been delayed because players have been running out of battery during matches.) they are established events which continue to grow in one direction. This year they expanded, and added two new tournaments outside of the normal Counter Strike 1.6 event, along side their normal byoc.Now as pessimistic as I am, $100,000.00 isn't enough to start up any new off line events of the magnitude of say
SHG, (proof), although events like CDC which are rumored to run into thousands for the event rental could definitely benefit. This is where the split comes. Does SteelSeries support competitive events which don't generate money (and depend entirely on sponsorship) unlike events like GameGune or the iSeries in the UK and thus aren't as secure and stable either. Or do they invest in a infrastructure which will last and continue to grow?
Online tournaments are some what frivolous as they don't push forward eSports in any regard, and generally are only a stop gap measure to stop games/communities stagnating between LAN events. Despite this I can see some of the money going towards online events and competitions.
Maybe SteelSeries shouldn't invest in events at all. Their strategy is more a protection than prevention action, because it's short lived and ultimately not solving the problem. What happens next year when there is no money from SteelSeries and LAN organisations who haven't invested in their infrastructure (because they haven't been forced to) simply crawl back to the old sponsors and investors who didn't hand out money? It's a vicious cycle.
Having more and more events, isn't the solution. It doesn't make gaming more competitive, and it will only have an adverse effect, as the majority of Counter Strike 1.6 players will testify to. They have suffered a drought in events in comparison to previous years.
Gamers in general have conditions ingrained into their mind when it comes to money and competitive gaming. Firstly the acceptance that certain games get the first bite of the cherry whenever money is involved (Warcraft3, Starcraft, Counter Strike and Quake generally). Secondly comes the unadulterated greed and squabbling. You see it whenever a Eurocup announces its LAN games and the prize pots. People crying about the unjust and betrayal that their game wasn't included or didn't get as much money as last year.
SteelSeries don't just have corporate social responsibility, it's more of a moral decision. Why pump money into gaming that will have no long term effect, they owe it to themselves to think about where and who their money will be going to, and spending the money on LANs and prize money isn't the way to go.
At the end of the day they will be improving their image even more so and building foundations for a much more stable platform for people to compete and invest in. It benefits the gamers, it benefits the business, and it just makes sense.
In the mentioned quote nothing is said on how the money is spend. You make assumptions. Only time will tell if they are correct. I say: The more the better (money that is).
I do however agree that they can spend the money better than they likely will.
setting up another location to host lans or what?
i dont really know what else they could do instead of giving their money as prizes :/
contradiction!
Looking at so called e-sports there is an evolution where games as Guitar Hero get taken up by big events who claim to go beyond the game or are made by gamers for gamers.
All decent competetive games were made back in a time when pc games couldnt just be installed and played. I remember the first computer games I played were pretty tough. Reading the manual, figuring out all the rules and things you could do, just learning to play the game. These days you boot up a game and even the biggest noob who never played a game will be able to have his kill or victory. Add multiplayer to the story and you got WoW or ETQW.
Competetive gameplay needs a limited set of rules which allow for interaction. Instead of creating solid gameplay, games use endless bells and whistles to hide the fact that their core gameplay just sucks. Having games with simple rules doesnt mean those games are gameplaywise poor, look at alltime classics like Starcraft, Quake or even Mario Bros multiplayer.
I think mario bros mp is the best example of a good game:
The rules are brilliantly simple, everybody played mario bross. Although there is a very limited amount of rules it still allows for an almost endless learningcurve. The problem with esports isn't that its not growing (halo?), the problem is that it is becoming mainstream. Companies dont make games for a small group of people who want skill in their game. Games, just like movies, are made to sell to an an audience as big as possible. Whereas games used to be bought by 12-20 year olds, they are now being played by your grandmom (damn you wii).
ok read
Exactly. Instead of putting effort into making games competitive and skilled, companies make games that will sell to a wider audience. Just like with TV you get those absolutely terrible reality shows that seemingly everyone watches, as opposed to something decent. :)
You can clearly see that SC2, will probably be aimed at a bigger audience than SC was. We still have a year to wait though.
BTW Fix your router idiot, I want to play SC. :/
- over 400.000 euros to rent the Bella Center?
- 67.064 euros as income from the gamers? (with an estimate of 13.000 ppl there this comes down to an average of a little over 5 euros per person. Even given the fact that not all of those 13.000 were gamers it's still hard to swallow that they just generated 5 euros per person as income)