It’s too accessible. Lacks the human vs real sports. Only a few ppl can play sports bc you have to be a physical level and in person. Once games really merge that dimension then there will be more of an emotional connection to tell
I gotta give League of Legends credit, they didn't rush it. They let it grow organically before they started to invest in it. Other devs just threw money at their epsorts scenes hoping it would work (looking at you fortnite). That is a huge reason LoL is still the most popular esports, and it popularity as a esport is only growing. They set the viewership record for an esport event at this past World Final.
@@newmobile1455 yeah I think that putting a name and face on the high score removed some of the magic because that score could’ve been anyone and it could’ve been you
it shows that Valve and Riot actually know how eSports works. League had its highest viewerships ever. Theres more hype than ever, and if devs know how to monitize it correctly (again riot and valve being prime examples regardless of how mess their games are) they know how to get an audience and the right audience.
Are you sure about that considering the riot layoffs, saudi sugar daddy takeover, and valve dropping dota's dpc? I recommend Richard Lewis and Last Free Nation if you have not heard of these incidents.
Giving teams their cut for selling in game cosmetics would be massive. In Apex Legends, when orgs asked EA for a split of skin sales, EA said "Hah, you get like $30k for letting us use your brand and we keep all the rest." These publishers make hundreds of millions of dollars but they can't imagine allowing the companies that partner with them also being profitable.
CSGO players and, likely due to stipulations in contract, the orgs they're partnered with getting a chunk of earnings from the stickers they sell in majors have actually significantly helped the teams and players in making a real profit. Valve is really good in this one particular aspect. Riot does the same for Worlds winners with their champ skins, right? Though they dont really offer much else outside of the prize pool for anything else.
Riot does that with the teams in VCT (their main Valorant league), but that's like a 50% cut. Indirectly, Valve does it, most of the cash prize for the Dota worlds is from the battlepass. There is a base prize pool of a bit over a million, and everything else is a revenue share. This is what made top dota players millionnaires.
The reason why esports is failing is because it was never meant to be profitable, it was about the love of the game and competition that comes with it. It was great for bringing the community together once in a while to witness the top players go against each other at the highest level of competition. It was great for building an audience around the best and entertaining players, but it was never meant to profitable long term
Most sporting leagues were created by accident. We as humans just tend to like sporting competitions so much that big corps got involved and made it a viable business. We just don’t see it that way because these big leagues have been with us our whole lives while esports is barely getting started.
Esports is a fetus when compared to most traditional sports. Leagues like the MLB went through over a century of development to get where it is now and even more if you incude the late 1800s before the franchising model was established. Esports has only really been around for the past 20 years if you don't include the little tournaments people had before the 2000s. Sure some leagues, teams, and even entire games will come and go, but eventually there will be specific games that will last for generations beyond us. Even with the recent failures of the OWL and soon CDL, there are also a lot of traditional sporting leauges that failed (CBL, CSL, BAFL, etc.). The future of esports or any form of entertainment isn't doom and gloom just because of a few setbacks and failed experiments. The day esports truly dies is the day PvP multiplayer dies and I just don't see that happening anytime soon if that were to ever happen.
True. investors only invested what they can afford to lose and since few if not no one invested, there'd be something to gain. Idc about esports if not leaning a bit towards disgust but if there's anything to gain, as long as it's not illegal, I'll invest on to it. If I had the money afford to lost.
Its going to take sometime but I believe in about 5-10 years esports will get bigger and more profitable. The only reason it hasn't is because 90% of its viewership are kids and teenagers with no disposable income.
@@RavenGG. no they just picked where pro sports owners had their teams Bobby's buddies. We need them to be in areas where the orgs HQs are or where the scene organically grew to a larger size. Especially in a domestic sense. We never built up domestic infrastructure for the long haul, just wanted fast cash. CWL had a studio and apt for players in Ohio, we had TBS ELEAGUE studios in atlanta right where Nba on TNT is filmed and finally Blizz and riot in Cali. Then that would make sense for Target and P&G etc to actually sponsor esports. Devs and Org owners wanted quick cash from VC, gambling, crypto sponsors. Greed has set us back twice now, Championship Gaming Series way back when and this shit now.
@@Coach_Clutchit’s exactly what KCorp is doing now with their French based community. They seem to make it work as avant-garde. Building up a local French scene with a local stadium. Let’s see what the next 1-2 years bring, especially regarding the ultra flop in their first season in LEC
CS is a great example of an esports that is thriving on storytelling AND allows monetizing at the same time. The nature of the game allows almost anyone to succeed with the right group of players and a bit of good luck, almost every major some new team no one has heard of makes top 8. And combine that with the longevity of the game and the insane hype moments, you get an esports that’s really interesting to watch. I barely play and still watch almost every major qual games, especially if it’s a new team from my country or an old player finding redemption with a new team. Every year there’s a new cracked insane kid from nowhere that just immediately finds success as well. This combined with how skins and stickers work with team makes it a very stable and growing esports. Some teams even turn a profit from these skins and stickers (ENCE for example). While salaries are less stable and venture capital isn’t as lucrative (since it’s 100% tournament-based instead of a league), the esports is STILL growing and outperforming most other esports.
ngl, even am quitting cs since 2021,am still enjoying the esports scene a lot ,like u don't need to play the games/understanding the mechanic to enjoy watching some majors ,counter strike will always gonna be the top tier competitive fps to enjoy
I’m so grateful I was at the MLG Columbus Major in 2016 for CSGO as VIP. That was the most electrifying experience I’ve ever had. If only I could have seen cloud 9 win at Boston in person.
I've been to many sporting events, MLG Columbus was my only esport event. The energy in the stadium has been unmatched. The big noticable difference for me was that everyone was there to have fun. With "real" sporting events people care too much about if their team wins or loses that half the stadium is in a shit mood. But at MLG Columbus you could tell, most the people were there because they loved the game.
@@isaiahl7727 I found a picture of me on Reddit after the event cheering as Liquid won a round where all the Luminosity fans were sad next to me and it was hilarious. Being down on the floor was so cool for the same reason though. I got to hug Hiko, talk to Summit and Shroud and all the casters. Met Stewie and got a headset signed by S1mple. Incredible memory. Glad you got to be there. I cant believe that was 8 years ago.
I think the Dota 2 prize pool works from a unique position. It's the only of the big esports titles that doesn't need to worry about their company's overall financial sustainability. Valve doesn't have to release a new title to continue to be sustainable, they're in an Amazon-like position where their own AWS (Steam) can prop up all of their businesses. So in this example, Dota 2 would be like the Amazon retail site, the prize pool would be all the benefits you get for subscribing to Prime. An annual payout that's mostly propped up by players buying it--otherwise the base prize is very comparable to their competitors. And even with that fact, the prize pool has fallen recently.
Valve literally leads everyone and turns the media to look into esports by giving a million prize pool (never heardof before) Created a battle pass to fund the event without marketing and the sponsor makes the tournament more passionate and authentic and even profitable. Even leading everyone how to create documentaries of the tournaments (Free to Play, TRUE Sight) shows the human side of these players and what they are going through in the tournaments. Showing the heartbreaks of the losing teams and the glory of the winning teams.
I'd say it's entering an age of maturity. The games that tried to force esports have basically all flopped and the only ones left are the "originals" or games where it wasn't forced. All those other games have moved onto the next big thing they think will make money. I think those original games will be here for a long time to come. CS has only just released a new game and i think will maintain strong viewership for a long time because of that and because it's actually a good game to watch. Overwatch by comparison was awful to watch even though it was a game i played a lot more than CS
Esport teams should also attach themselves to cities. I think that's where teams will also become locally backed. So far teams are backed by companies mostly.
Great video, seeing esports dramatic growth from 2015-2018 was crazy to see. Really hope that people can work together and make esports profitable soon
League’s 2022 World Championship was the best. The rise of DRX from the 4th seed of South Korea to the Finals facing Faker was insane. Best year of League.
Glad you touched on loving players and not teams. With how often teams are traded and how unimportant teams themselves are and the general impossibility of a team making themselves stand out beyond branding, it makes it hard to rly give a fuck about orgs. If I become a team fan cause I like 2 players but in a year those players retire cause most pros don't last very long or are traded cause rosters are small and always shifting, why stick around? Another one of the biggest issues with esports is the amount of games. No one seems to rly appreciate that most games can't support an esports structure because there is just not enough infrastructure for it all. One of the reasons Korean esports are so successful is not only bexause of the culture surrounding the scene, but also the stricter focus on whoch games receive institituonal backing en masse.
Its also just funny seeing pro gamers wince about not having $500k+ salaries or only making X amount for placing well at events that lose money to run and for orgs who are operating on pure speculation money. Ur good at games, chill
Who would want to give money just because someone is so passionate? grow up a little and read your comment again in a few years. Try to follow your own opinion and give money to someone so passionate about something.
A lot of news and companies would start shut up about something that thinks its stupid until 1million is on the table. Investors will invest and make sure the media would put a good light on them for the same of $$$.
I would highly recommend looking into the rising popularity of esports in Spain and France. There's a potential new connection being made regionally with teams and from their owners, such as Kamet0 from KCorp who also co-streams. Though costreaming in general seems to be the way to get an entry point back into esports for people who lost touch with the games or competitive scene, the biggest examples being Caedrel and Tarik.
The history of olympics was suppose to show off indirect military might by displaying athleticism and strength, you don't use just fingers in a real war. The only time the government would allow it is when it's taxed. And that's just the start.
14:00 On this part, there are teams that are profitable, but they grow just that much slower. One example would be Mandatory, a French team. They only compete in two games, WOW (world champions) and Valorant (2nd in the French league rn) but are fully profitable through sponsorships. They are, however, carried by a streamer, which helps a lot for visibility. But it shows having a sustainable model is possible for esports, it's just not something teams are willing to do. It's a slow but steady growth that's just that much further from the typical American success story.
The biggest problem with comparing sports and esports, is that sports are extremely popular with common people, very accessible, and down to reality. Meanwhile esports are relying on niches that are a lot less relatable and straight up inaccessible depending. No matter the effort, it will never be comparable. And I say this despite not liking sports culture.
So we dont add how most big sports have field/stadium/court in whicb they get revenue from sells (seat tickets, merch, consummables) which just straight up doesnt exist in esports?
It does exist with irl events, I'm not sure what you mean to say here. They do tend to be smaller though yeah. But even then it's not related to my point, because I'm purely talking about the user side of things, yours is about profits.@@edymiguel4247
Maybe in the West but not in the East. China and Korea treat their pros like you normally would an athlete. It's not uncommon to hear stories of how a player was raised by their parents to be pro gamers, even hiring personal coaches to train them. You're not gonna see that in the west.
That's what I was about to say. Esports teams were overvalued and now investors are mad that they can't get their money back. If they just spend within their means these teams would actually break even.
Esports was made for the players to make profit off of their skills, not for their skills to make someone or something else profitable. The developers that arrange esports events don't make money off of it, but they gain attention and expand their player base in exchange for that money spent on the esport
that's why I like the fighting game scene, there's no franchising model like lcs, the major tourneys are open to everyone which can make a lot of great stories from unknown players.
Apples to oranges comparison for that. Fighting games are usually 1v1 with the exception of Doubles in Smash. In games like LoL, Rocket League, CoD, or CS:GO, you are only competing as a team. An organization in these games requires a team with a minimum amount of players: 3 for Rocket League, 5 for LoL and CS:GO, 4/5 for CoD (it has changed depending on which CoD title they use, it's usually 4 iirc). The franchise model implicitly fits with team-based competition because professional organizations in a team-based game require a higher degree of commitment, coordination, and investment.
While I don't like franchising (always been more supportive of promotion/relegation), this comparison makes no sense. When it comes to the fgc, competitions are between individuals, not between teams, so obviously franchising wouldn't be a thing.
What most people simply refuse to comprehend is viewers--EMPHASIS on BOTH new and old--must be able to understand what they are watching. What is good and what is bad (the obvious) as well as SOME nuance. Example: A person who has never watched baseball can understand a home run is good for the team hitting. That same new viewer can also understand a bad missed strike 3 call. Most games today are overwhelming to new players, much less viewers. ESports will never flourish with complex games. Fortnite is as complex as you can get, and then you battle the obvious and natural reaction from a majority of people, which is being unimpressed and simply don't care. Making a crazy play in Overwatch is not the same as an impressive NBA dunk. It never will be.
I don't think that Esports can grow above traditional sports in the short term. Complex as traditional sports are, they all have that simplicity which people can gain an understanding of at a glance. Compared to Esports like League of Legends or Rainbow Six, that complexity extends to characters with varying levels of unique ability and I don't know many older adults (and some younger ones) willing to learn basic video game mechanics. But in time, death would be a complete surprise.
I see eSports teams going the way of F1 and cycling teams. The teams are named for their primary sponsor that sees it as a marketing expense. These team names alone can't sell enough merch to make money. The best case for current teams is to build a sustainable related business like McLaren did by venturing into road cars.
Anyone who thought OverWatch was going to succeed with what moves they were doing in the beginning... I think some people bought too much into the initial hype, but I think by season 3 everyone kinda knew
Esports wasn’t about being a profitable business. The esports community or industry was just about the best of the best gamers from a game, coming together and playing each other. It was cool when they got sponsors, when someone won. But it was never a major factor to include million-dollar business owning teams. Esports was gonna fail since what do most gamers even care about? This isn’t some music artist or kpop artist. Gamers care about games, they care to support their favourite team or player, but they aren’t gonna spend random ass money for the team or what is sponsoring them. It’s like how everybody wonders why ads are even still a thing since a majority of Gen z hate ads, if you show me an ad of your product, I’m never buying that shit. But there’s a market since old ass people will see ads and actually buy that shit.
Amazing video raising the pain points of the industry. It'd be interesting to see the different solutions proposed or otherwise implemented in a follow-up video, especially broadcasting as there is no actual "attendance" such is the case with filling football stadiums as well as the fact that the audience tends to be much younger and won't have the same purchasing power of traditional sport-goers. Maybe a case study on Riot's approach with Valorant as its new "flagship" esports expanding across multiple regions such as the pacific market, unlike CS, and franchise model that emphasize the actual organization rather than what the OWL did with say the SF shocks and LA gladiators. Lastly, if you guys could expand on the development of Starcraft and the off-hand approach Blizzard had with the scene in regard to its impact and growth would be great. A little recommendation in terms of strategy for future development of other esport titles and comparison with Majors seen in Valve games like Dota and CS relating to the incorporation of third-party organizers. Keep up the great work
The main issue with esports is that, unlike sports, they have owners. In the end, players are playing in favor of the game's shareholders, not fans. Nobody own football or basketball. So for example, Riot keeps pushing for LoL, but as soon as they stop, it will collapse. We need to have opensource games and platforms to make teams around a publicly owned game, not a product of a company.
@@birchpc Very American comment LOL! In the USA yes, but once you go international, they have 0% control over the sport. Unlike with esports, wherever you go the company will have 100% control of the game
The problem with eSport is that there's so many games of esports. Gamers and fans usually only have one or two games that they love and most of them bash the others. For example some people like Counter-Strike but that doesn't mean that they'll love call of duty. And so they definitely are not going to watch a call of duty match. The world hasn't globally love one thing yet. It would be like watching the NFL but watching it play over 20 different types of NFL
Well if you think about it, there are many national sports that are different that common people like such as Football or Basketball or Baseball and so on. Just like there are many different video games.
@@DreamyAbaddon those market sports have been established for decades though. It's not comparable yet. They have garnered tons of loyal fans throughout.
It sounds far fetched but maybe broadcasters could implement something like the F1 Sky Glass feature for viewers who pay extra, where the viewer could chose who to spectate or listen to the team's comms realtime.
I think Esports, or at least the OWL, was close to being profitable for everyone involved in 2020 with the initial homestand model. It more closely resembled traditional sports in the sense that because you had all of these more local events teams could make a lot of money off tickets and merch that simply isn't there online or is significantly less on neutral ground only. This would allow revenue from events to greatly increase, which in turn should've made the teams profitable.
Super interesting how this was so hyper focused on League. Dota used to have fans raise money for TI with in-game purchases. I feel like that is what the riot dude was failing to think of.
In my opinion esports is not dying because everybody wants more esports and esports just does not feel like it will die in the future and great video Going Indie :]
I loved the analogy of the NFL, I had no idea it was so young! I've been noticing the exact same timeline around COVID, and this helps me explain a lot of it, great video!
True, the only IRL reason why investors invested not because they were touched by who-tf-is's story it's because there was profits to be gained. And what they invested was only something they can afford to lose, and when their decades experienced stock market companies says there's little to nothing gained, they all pull out like nothing happened.
One crucial thing that many eSport leagues are missing is "Relegation". (same as e.g. in European soccer) This goes into the same topic of telling interesting stories. If teams need to fight to stay in the top league/division, it makes every game more important. It also allows new and lower league/division teams build of great stories of working their way to the top. Of course, to have successful relegations, you need a healthy league ecosystem with multiple levels of leagues with actual different teams (not just academy teams of upper league teams). Maybe this is only possible at some point in the future.
This is so true, I remember a couple of years ago we played BO3 tournaments a lot in SA and we had casters flying over and sponsorships rolling in, fast forward, they franchised Call of duty, and now my scene feels dead, something we built from black ops 2.
Facts, MLG had a grasp on how to run a tournament. Now majority of these tournaments are run by the gaming companies itself and they don’t know how to do it or market it.
The problem is game companies always just want the "major events" without the grassroots, the profit risk of smaller events, and "wasting" money on "none mainstream" marketing. I think most normal players can see esports is fine when TO's can builded regional scenes that can create/support "majors" when everything works out. Just whole cloth'ing a NA pro sports league because you want franchise fees and streaming rights isn't it chief.
Best thing for esports rn is building a fanbase who can attend events. Take football for example people travel to see their team play. If esports teams can emulate that with a pay per view or ticketed local events in person then match day income will rise
Ginx esports and dota true sight are the best example I had seen after covid they decline a bit, but they were a local gaming channel with various shows, at night they would play tournaments like black ops, overwatch league and Dota 2 true sight documentaries. My love of the team liquid, vitality etc roasters came from those documentaries I loved the sport and the teams. Anna's legendary Io, their second TI win all documented, coaches, players ceo perspectives I'm sure it may have been a bit investment but every 6 months I refresh the dota 2 page praying for the next one. I think it's a perfect example of these 3 things lining up to create a bond with the game. Even though I never ever played dota until this year I watched dota and TI finals every year since then even when I was an active league player and found it way more interesting to watch the casters for those finals never disappoint. More entertaining casting and round Analysis between rounds would also help. Great video!
I had even forgotten that TI is mostly community funded, and players earn salaries comparable to top tennis players. I am not sure if that remains true after 2020 however
I think the main reason for this happening is due to the companies that made the games. The fact that these games change so much is almost the entire reason why people step away from it due to its changes and, over a period of time of constant change, it becomes a different game which is unrecognizable. Traditional sports never really change much, so pretty much everyone knows whats going on, allowing for generations of people to be interested in whats going on. For lack of a constantly shifting scale of skill and experience, traditional sports remains the same game everyone always knows. Its cultural relevance, which is something that esports shares even if nowhere near as large comparatively, could have been the very thing that made it grow, but instead was the very reason it wasn't able to or wasn't allowed to.
The reason I root for 100T is because I was always a fan of Call of Duty and Nadeshot. OpTic and other teams then were so exciting to watch. I remember going to XGames Austin and watching Nadeshot live and getting to meet Pamaj and Scump. Forever fan after that! Even got them to sign my gear. What a great memory.
This video hit the nail on the head. The only teams i really care about are Liquid because of their history as a starcraft site, and SKT1 because of legendary players like Boxer from the classic BW era, and Faker from the modern LoL era. Make me care about the teams and the players, improve your storytelling. Thats why FGC esports is still growing. It has all that rich player history.
As an outsider that used to be into Valorant tournaments, I can tell you that the constant roster changes and drama between teams is what bored me out of the scene. It would be better if a team stuck together and tried to make it work instead of getting rid of players every few months…
While they aren't major players like TSM or Liquid, the fact that multiple Streamers/UA-camrs are getting into esports with their own teams like the Charlie/Ludwig video you used or DisguisedToast with his own team is also helping since they truly don't care about the money pit that is esports. They are here to just have fun and burn some money while at it.
Crazy that riot managed to get a dragon into the stadium. The most hype tourney ever bar none. Ain't no other games can get dragons to do that kinda stuff
This isn't adding up to me. So let's say that eSports starts telling better stories, lower salaries. What's to stop this star player from just moving onto streaming with their fanbase that the eSports scene invested in building, having a cashier job and making more money? I mean sure some players have a love of competing, but investing in player stories when they have such a high chance of just moving on is just hard.
Esports is more of a marketing tool. Directly it may operate at a loss but overall its impact can greatly help the growth and long term life of the game itself.
Not long ago I watched a TGI video where he explained that the reason the LCS wouldn’t be better in a best of three format being because it wasn’t viable to broadcast more days. That got me wondering how can the economics in esports be so broken that making more content isn’t at least able to break even.
naaaa idc about e-sports being or becoming a big industry (again). there will always be driven players willing to compete without big money behind it. NA LCS is the best example of a bunch of players only in it for the money: you done with your carreer? peaked already? go to NA and collect some retirement money. we dont need more money in esports, just skill and passion.
I follow SC2 and Team Liquid is such a great team. For players, signing with TL means they will retire with TL. TL player have more stability than is the norm. When young Clem signed with TL, as a French as was really excited, thinking it was the best team for a young player. I was sure they would make him a great player, and I was right, he quickly became one of the very best!
I'm sorry, there is no faster way to get people to stop watching esports than to make the broadcast pay to win. That is one of the most out of touch statements I've ever heard and I can't believe you kept that guy in the video at all after hearing him say that. "Hey chat, whoever tips the most in the next 60 seconds decides which team the casters are biased towards for this game!"
What if they started selling features to a broadcast? Like selling superchats allowing viewers to ask presenters, casters and analysts questions as matches are being played. Hell maybe even sell a post game interview question (subject to moderator approval ofc)
Why can't Esports stay small if that is all the community can support and that be OK? There are Semi-Pro scenes in every sport you can imagine (Ultimate Frisbee, Darts. etc.) Companies that make competitive games have incentive to fund some prize pools which already gives Esports a leg up. Let the scene grow organically with semi pros and prize pools funded by first devs then the community if the scene is big enough. My current favorite Esport to watch is Classic Tetris and that is a tiny grass roots scene.
I can fix this E sports problem , Its very simple and easy. Some adjustments with the current business model. If I can find somebody to speak to about this in just a couple of months it can be fixed.
The reason why I stopped caring about esports was because of the barrier to entry. Fighting games still do this where anyone can sign up and play, so it’s about who can be the best. With other games like league or CSGO, you need a huge money backing just to get in. You see try hard streamers playing like their lives depend on it just to get in. That’s not fun. I prefer the old days were some guy from the middle of nowhere might show up and beat the best players just because he’s better, not because he paid more
Thing is about E-Sports people get tired of the same games with some exceptions, any good competitive games aren't really produced anymore, because game companies don't give a shit about quality anymore, the hype dies and the money goes.
Franchise is the worst model for esports. Makes AM impossible and pros with no Fire under them . Is the game Lanable without internet? If no esports is a problem for that game
First and foremost they need to promote the league that players and teams are part of. That is the platform and brand they are needing. They have skip this entirely.
There are 2 main problems with esports. 1. When you show someone who has never played league of legends an LCS match, they are so confused. The barrier to being a knowledgeable fan willing to pay for tickets, buy merch, etc is so high. It leads in to point 2 which is: 2. Most casual people do not connect with gamers. Most people who watch sports either played as a kid, know someone who plays, or can appreciate the talent it takes to throw a ball 60 yards in the air like Mahomes. These leagues and players have intrinsic value because they are the best in the world at a thing tons of people have played and understand. Would you pay for tickets to watch the worlds best back end engineers compete in coding challenges? No, you have no idea what they are doing and have probably not done it yourself. Many people might watch accidentally but the games (especially overwatch) are so hard to understand if you've never played and the people who are attending LCS/CDL matches are limited to people who play the game. In traditional sports, that is not the case. You can casually appreciate and understand the skill level of the players and don't have to have played the sport to know what is going on.
Eaports may not be dying per se but i dont see it growing. Even a simple game like fortnite requires an understanding of the game to enjoy or appreciate whats going on. Even if youve never played football, you can appreciate a huge play with a hail mary throw or a reciever going for that huge touchdown. Also, crude as it may be, its easier to understand and appreciate a top tier sports athlete by their asthetics. Muscle, agility, cognitive function are all visibly apparent. Appreciating the skill and "hard work" of an esports competitor is much harder. Also sports have great storylines. Kid grew up with nothing worked and trained hard, thrived in college sports and finally made it. I mean quite frankly a lot of esports players whether true or not give me the appearance that their parents subsidized their hobby and i cant equate sitting on your gaming chair with the struggle. And finally, sex sells. A large majority of athletes are fit and attractive and are at the minimum aestetically pleasing. The best esports players look like malnutritioned goofballs.
The siege pilot program has been doing the pay teams with the skins with their names on it they save money by making the teams design their own skins so the publisher dont have yo pay for that and in exchange teams get 30%
Do you think Esports will ever be bigger than the NBA?
No.
One day, in the far, far future. But likely not in our lifetimes.
Idk about *bigger*, but esports will probably be at the same level in the somewhat near future
It’s too accessible. Lacks the human vs real sports. Only a few ppl can play sports bc you have to be a physical level and in person. Once games really merge that dimension then there will be more of an emotional connection to tell
To do that would require shutting the masses in again.
Remember when that happened the first time?
My opinion on esports is that people over estimate where esports will be in 5 years and underestimate where it will be in 30
mic drop
In the end, the only people who would care are the ones who can gain/lose money xD
Probably that's it
he problems is the gambling honestly, so much matchfixing
Ah yes, the natural transition from Stracraft to Poker.
from skill to RNG
It was either that or League 😂
They're similar games I guess, both games with imperfect information. Yellow (Hong Jin Ho) is doing great in Poker.
@@naenae2350tell me you know nothing about poker
@@TheProswagonistvomit
Esports tried to rush something that took ever other sport 50+ years
I gotta give League of Legends credit, they didn't rush it. They let it grow organically before they started to invest in it. Other devs just threw money at their epsorts scenes hoping it would work (looking at you fortnite). That is a huge reason LoL is still the most popular esports, and it popularity as a esport is only growing. They set the viewership record for an esport event at this past World Final.
I remember when everybody wanted to beat the high score you were not trying to be better than someone else you just wanted to beat the highscore
@@newmobile1455 yeah I think that putting a name and face on the high score removed some of the magic because that score could’ve been anyone and it could’ve been you
it shows that Valve and Riot actually know how eSports works. League had its highest viewerships ever. Theres more hype than ever, and if devs know how to monitize it correctly (again riot and valve being prime examples regardless of how mess their games are) they know how to get an audience and the right audience.
Are you sure about that considering the riot layoffs, saudi sugar daddy takeover, and valve dropping dota's dpc?
I recommend Richard Lewis and Last Free Nation if you have not heard of these incidents.
@@duelme1234yeah they laid of the shitty studio that made non profit trash games
@@duelme1234for League, Riot loses money in esports and mainly uses it to advertise the game to casuals which they probably do for their other games
@@duelme1234they hate you for telling the truth.
@@Hilight277
If esports didn't make money, they wouldn't have a worldwide league lol.
Dont be an idiot.
Giving teams their cut for selling in game cosmetics would be massive. In Apex Legends, when orgs asked EA for a split of skin sales, EA said "Hah, you get like $30k for letting us use your brand and we keep all the rest." These publishers make hundreds of millions of dollars but they can't imagine allowing the companies that partner with them also being profitable.
CSGO players and, likely due to stipulations in contract, the orgs they're partnered with getting a chunk of earnings from the stickers they sell in majors have actually significantly helped the teams and players in making a real profit. Valve is really good in this one particular aspect.
Riot does the same for Worlds winners with their champ skins, right? Though they dont really offer much else outside of the prize pool for anything else.
I mean its EA what did u expect
@@Pyxyty riot also pays for a secondary league, as well as subsidizing their facilities lol
@@dogsbecute ah i see, my bad!
Riot does that with the teams in VCT (their main Valorant league), but that's like a 50% cut.
Indirectly, Valve does it, most of the cash prize for the Dota worlds is from the battlepass. There is a base prize pool of a bit over a million, and everything else is a revenue share. This is what made top dota players millionnaires.
The reason why esports is failing is because it was never meant to be profitable, it was about the love of the game and competition that comes with it. It was great for bringing the community together once in a while to witness the top players go against each other at the highest level of competition. It was great for building an audience around the best and entertaining players, but it was never meant to profitable long term
Ok business guy
@@Redpanda1214 tell me I'm wrong
I doubt football or golf was ever "meant" to be profitable if you use this logic.
Most sporting leagues were created by accident. We as humans just tend to like sporting competitions so much that big corps got involved and made it a viable business. We just don’t see it that way because these big leagues have been with us our whole lives while esports is barely getting started.
Well sports aren't built for money also. So, your statement is somewhat false.
Esports is a fetus when compared to most traditional sports. Leagues like the MLB went through over a century of development to get where it is now and even more if you incude the late 1800s before the franchising model was established. Esports has only really been around for the past 20 years if you don't include the little tournaments people had before the 2000s. Sure some leagues, teams, and even entire games will come and go, but eventually there will be specific games that will last for generations beyond us. Even with the recent failures of the OWL and soon CDL, there are also a lot of traditional sporting leauges that failed (CBL, CSL, BAFL, etc.). The future of esports or any form of entertainment isn't doom and gloom just because of a few setbacks and failed experiments. The day esports truly dies is the day PvP multiplayer dies and I just don't see that happening anytime soon if that were to ever happen.
+1
True. investors only invested what they can afford to lose and since few if not no one invested, there'd be something to gain.
Idc about esports if not leaning a bit towards disgust but if there's anything to gain, as long as it's not illegal, I'll invest on to it. If I had the money afford to lost.
Its going to take sometime but I believe in about 5-10 years esports will get bigger and more profitable. The only reason it hasn't is because 90% of its viewership are kids and teenagers with no disposable income.
Thats why T1 make Faker part owner, and last year viewship is a new record.
woahhh is that true? even after that whole debacle with players quitting left and right? Nice. glad to see the league is still going strong.
@@dogsbecute new dreamers will always be available to take their place- whether that'd be in a year or in 5 years.
I think there’s an important connection in the US between cities and teams that is missing in e-sports.
*esports
I think connecting teams with universities would be a good start
Overwatch League tried that and failed miserably.
@@RavenGG. no they just picked where pro sports owners had their teams Bobby's buddies. We need them to be in areas where the orgs HQs are or where the scene organically grew to a larger size. Especially in a domestic sense. We never built up domestic infrastructure for the long haul, just wanted fast cash. CWL had a studio and apt for players in Ohio, we had TBS ELEAGUE studios in atlanta right where Nba on TNT is filmed and finally Blizz and riot in Cali. Then that would make sense for Target and P&G etc to actually sponsor esports. Devs and Org owners wanted quick cash from VC, gambling, crypto sponsors. Greed has set us back twice now, Championship Gaming Series way back when and this shit now.
@@Coach_Clutchit’s exactly what KCorp is doing now with their French based community. They seem to make it work as avant-garde. Building up a local French scene with a local stadium. Let’s see what the next 1-2 years bring, especially regarding the ultra flop in their first season in LEC
CS is a great example of an esports that is thriving on storytelling AND allows monetizing at the same time. The nature of the game allows almost anyone to succeed with the right group of players and a bit of good luck, almost every major some new team no one has heard of makes top 8. And combine that with the longevity of the game and the insane hype moments, you get an esports that’s really interesting to watch. I barely play and still watch almost every major qual games, especially if it’s a new team from my country or an old player finding redemption with a new team. Every year there’s a new cracked insane kid from nowhere that just immediately finds success as well. This combined with how skins and stickers work with team makes it a very stable and growing esports. Some teams even turn a profit from these skins and stickers (ENCE for example). While salaries are less stable and venture capital isn’t as lucrative (since it’s 100% tournament-based instead of a league), the esports is STILL growing and outperforming most other esports.
ngl, even am quitting cs since 2021,am still enjoying the esports scene a lot ,like u don't need to play the games/understanding the mechanic to enjoy watching some majors ,counter strike will always gonna be the top tier competitive fps to enjoy
I’m so grateful I was at the MLG Columbus Major in 2016 for CSGO as VIP. That was the most electrifying experience I’ve ever had. If only I could have seen cloud 9 win at Boston in person.
I've been to many sporting events, MLG Columbus was my only esport event. The energy in the stadium has been unmatched. The big noticable difference for me was that everyone was there to have fun. With "real" sporting events people care too much about if their team wins or loses that half the stadium is in a shit mood. But at MLG Columbus you could tell, most the people were there because they loved the game.
@@isaiahl7727 I found a picture of me on Reddit after the event cheering as Liquid won a round where all the Luminosity fans were sad next to me and it was hilarious. Being down on the floor was so cool for the same reason though. I got to hug Hiko, talk to Summit and Shroud and all the casters. Met Stewie and got a headset signed by S1mple. Incredible memory. Glad you got to be there. I cant believe that was 8 years ago.
Not mentioning dota2 and it's organic growth and the battle pass was a missed opportunity to highlight a good eSports example
I think the Dota 2 prize pool works from a unique position. It's the only of the big esports titles that doesn't need to worry about their company's overall financial sustainability.
Valve doesn't have to release a new title to continue to be sustainable, they're in an Amazon-like position where their own AWS (Steam) can prop up all of their businesses.
So in this example, Dota 2 would be like the Amazon retail site, the prize pool would be all the benefits you get for subscribing to Prime. An annual payout that's mostly propped up by players buying it--otherwise the base prize is very comparable to their competitors.
And even with that fact, the prize pool has fallen recently.
Prize pool isnt every thing for a sport, try to be more professional first.
Valve literally leads everyone and turns the media to look into esports by giving a million prize pool (never heardof before) Created a battle pass to fund the event without marketing and the sponsor makes the tournament more passionate and authentic and even profitable. Even leading everyone how to create documentaries of the tournaments (Free to Play, TRUE Sight) shows the human side of these players and what they are going through in the tournaments. Showing the heartbreaks of the losing teams and the glory of the winning teams.
DOTA 2 is dying, only Southeast Asians and Russians cared about that MOBA.
@@AccipiterSmith Sorry but DOTA 2 is FAR from dying. You're literally just upset that THE INTERNATIONAL brings in more viewers than LoL 😂😂
I'd say it's entering an age of maturity. The games that tried to force esports have basically all flopped and the only ones left are the "originals" or games where it wasn't forced. All those other games have moved onto the next big thing they think will make money. I think those original games will be here for a long time to come. CS has only just released a new game and i think will maintain strong viewership for a long time because of that and because it's actually a good game to watch. Overwatch by comparison was awful to watch even though it was a game i played a lot more than CS
Esport teams should also attach themselves to cities. I think that's where teams will also become locally backed. So far teams are backed by companies mostly.
No the overwatch league tried that and it failed miserably
@@Deadshot1956no they didnt they attached to existing team owners not the cities themselves,
Great video, seeing esports dramatic growth from 2015-2018 was crazy to see. Really hope that people can work together and make esports profitable soon
League’s 2022 World Championship was the best. The rise of DRX from the 4th seed of South Korea to the Finals facing Faker was insane. Best year of League.
FGC still going strong tho ngl
Faker is definitely one of the pioneers of esports superstars
Glad you touched on loving players and not teams. With how often teams are traded and how unimportant teams themselves are and the general impossibility of a team making themselves stand out beyond branding, it makes it hard to rly give a fuck about orgs. If I become a team fan cause I like 2 players but in a year those players retire cause most pros don't last very long or are traded cause rosters are small and always shifting, why stick around?
Another one of the biggest issues with esports is the amount of games. No one seems to rly appreciate that most games can't support an esports structure because there is just not enough infrastructure for it all.
One of the reasons Korean esports are so successful is not only bexause of the culture surrounding the scene, but also the stricter focus on whoch games receive institituonal backing en masse.
Its also just funny seeing pro gamers wince about not having $500k+ salaries or only making X amount for placing well at events that lose money to run and for orgs who are operating on pure speculation money.
Ur good at games, chill
I 100% agree, I remember watching the overwatch league cuz of Jake and his junkrat, but once he left I didnt watch it again
Who would want to give money just because someone is so passionate? grow up a little and read your comment again in a few years.
Try to follow your own opinion and give money to someone so passionate about something.
A lot of news and companies would start shut up about something that thinks its stupid until 1million is on the table. Investors will invest and make sure the media would put a good light on them for the same of $$$.
I would highly recommend looking into the rising popularity of esports in Spain and France. There's a potential new connection being made regionally with teams and from their owners, such as Kamet0 from KCorp who also co-streams. Though costreaming in general seems to be the way to get an entry point back into esports for people who lost touch with the games or competitive scene, the biggest examples being Caedrel and Tarik.
Imagine having eSports Olympic Games when the scene matures 20 years from now
there is eSports asian games
i think it depends on Olympic Host Country, they wont add Esposts if their country dont have Pro game league
No
I mean the IOC is already working on an Olympic Esports Games...
The history of olympics was suppose to show off indirect military might by displaying athleticism and strength, you don't use just fingers in a real war.
The only time the government would allow it is when it's taxed. And that's just the start.
14:00 On this part, there are teams that are profitable, but they grow just that much slower. One example would be Mandatory, a French team. They only compete in two games, WOW (world champions) and Valorant (2nd in the French league rn) but are fully profitable through sponsorships. They are, however, carried by a streamer, which helps a lot for visibility.
But it shows having a sustainable model is possible for esports, it's just not something teams are willing to do. It's a slow but steady growth that's just that much further from the typical American success story.
The biggest problem with comparing sports and esports, is that sports are extremely popular with common people, very accessible, and down to reality. Meanwhile esports are relying on niches that are a lot less relatable and straight up inaccessible depending. No matter the effort, it will never be comparable. And I say this despite not liking sports culture.
So we dont add how most big sports have field/stadium/court in whicb they get revenue from sells (seat tickets, merch, consummables) which just straight up doesnt exist in esports?
It does exist with irl events, I'm not sure what you mean to say here. They do tend to be smaller though yeah.
But even then it's not related to my point, because I'm purely talking about the user side of things, yours is about profits.@@edymiguel4247
Maybe in the West but not in the East. China and Korea treat their pros like you normally would an athlete. It's not uncommon to hear stories of how a player was raised by their parents to be pro gamers, even hiring personal coaches to train them. You're not gonna see that in the west.
On Rainbow Six siege you can buy team skins to give some money to the teams you support
Investing 101 only invest incrementally based on merit and time. Really what happened was the investors fault for not aiming for innovation
That's what I was about to say. Esports teams were overvalued and now investors are mad that they can't get their money back. If they just spend within their means these teams would actually break even.
Esports was made for the players to make profit off of their skills, not for their skills to make someone or something else profitable. The developers that arrange esports events don't make money off of it, but they gain attention and expand their player base in exchange for that money spent on the esport
Person whose job depends on esports not dying selling you the idea that esports is doing perfectly fine
Good thing the bubble is already gone, otherwise people would believe this shlock
@@courieroftvs XD
Bruh did you even watch the video?
The train won't stop🗿
Person who didnt watch the video trying to point out the irony in the content of aforementioned unwatched video 🤷
that's why I like the fighting game scene, there's no franchising model like lcs, the major tourneys are open to everyone which can make a lot of great stories from unknown players.
Dota also don't have franchising model
Apples to oranges comparison for that. Fighting games are usually 1v1 with the exception of Doubles in Smash. In games like LoL, Rocket League, CoD, or CS:GO, you are only competing as a team. An organization in these games requires a team with a minimum amount of players: 3 for Rocket League, 5 for LoL and CS:GO, 4/5 for CoD (it has changed depending on which CoD title they use, it's usually 4 iirc). The franchise model implicitly fits with team-based competition because professional organizations in a team-based game require a higher degree of commitment, coordination, and investment.
While I don't like franchising (always been more supportive of promotion/relegation), this comparison makes no sense. When it comes to the fgc, competitions are between individuals, not between teams, so obviously franchising wouldn't be a thing.
What most people simply refuse to comprehend is viewers--EMPHASIS on BOTH new and old--must be able to understand what they are watching. What is good and what is bad (the obvious) as well as SOME nuance. Example: A person who has never watched baseball can understand a home run is good for the team hitting. That same new viewer can also understand a bad missed strike 3 call. Most games today are overwhelming to new players, much less viewers. ESports will never flourish with complex games. Fortnite is as complex as you can get, and then you battle the obvious and natural reaction from a majority of people, which is being unimpressed and simply don't care. Making a crazy play in Overwatch is not the same as an impressive NBA dunk. It never will be.
How is Fortnite complex when it appeared simple to many?
I don't think that Esports can grow above traditional sports in the short term. Complex as traditional sports are, they all have that simplicity which people can gain an understanding of at a glance. Compared to Esports like League of Legends or Rainbow Six, that complexity extends to characters with varying levels of unique ability and I don't know many older adults (and some younger ones) willing to learn basic video game mechanics. But in time, death would be a complete surprise.
You need to watch rocket league bro
@nickniten I forgot that game existed lol. I am now reminded of csgo as well
Tbf league is actually HUGE l.
I see eSports teams going the way of F1 and cycling teams. The teams are named for their primary sponsor that sees it as a marketing expense. These team names alone can't sell enough merch to make money. The best case for current teams is to build a sustainable related business like McLaren did by venturing into road cars.
you literally missed one the biggest and most influential tournament for esports. The international and DOTA
What? lmao
Anyone who thought OverWatch was going to succeed with what moves they were doing in the beginning... I think some people bought too much into the initial hype, but I think by season 3 everyone kinda knew
Esports wasn’t about being a profitable business. The esports community or industry was just about the best of the best gamers from a game, coming together and playing each other.
It was cool when they got sponsors, when someone won. But it was never a major factor to include million-dollar business owning teams.
Esports was gonna fail since what do most gamers even care about? This isn’t some music artist or kpop artist. Gamers care about games, they care to support their favourite team or player, but they aren’t gonna spend random ass money for the team or what is sponsoring them.
It’s like how everybody wonders why ads are even still a thing since a majority of Gen z hate ads, if you show me an ad of your product, I’m never buying that shit.
But there’s a market since old ass people will see ads and actually buy that shit.
Amazing video raising the pain points of the industry. It'd be interesting to see the different solutions proposed or otherwise implemented in a follow-up video, especially broadcasting as there is no actual "attendance" such is the case with filling football stadiums as well as the fact that the audience tends to be much younger and won't have the same purchasing power of traditional sport-goers.
Maybe a case study on Riot's approach with Valorant as its new "flagship" esports expanding across multiple regions such as the pacific market, unlike CS, and franchise model that emphasize the actual organization rather than what the OWL did with say the SF shocks and LA gladiators.
Lastly, if you guys could expand on the development of Starcraft and the off-hand approach Blizzard had with the scene in regard to its impact and growth would be great. A little recommendation in terms of strategy for future development of other esport titles and comparison with Majors seen in Valve games like Dota and CS relating to the incorporation of third-party organizers.
Keep up the great work
The main issue with esports is that, unlike sports, they have owners. In the end, players are playing in favor of the game's shareholders, not fans. Nobody own football or basketball. So for example, Riot keeps pushing for LoL, but as soon as they stop, it will collapse. We need to have opensource games and platforms to make teams around a publicly owned game, not a product of a company.
you do realize that NBA, NFL, MLB etc are all unofficial owners of their sports right
@@birchpcshut up burger
@@АртёмТор-к2ю nvm ur tf2 enjoyer were good
@@birchpc Very American comment LOL! In the USA yes, but once you go international, they have 0% control over the sport. Unlike with esports, wherever you go the company will have 100% control of the game
traditional sports dont need money to creat or develope tho, its hard to compare esports to traditional sports.
2013-2016 was the best era of esports
The problem with eSport is that there's so many games of esports. Gamers and fans usually only have one or two games that they love and most of them bash the others. For example some people like Counter-Strike but that doesn't mean that they'll love call of duty. And so they definitely are not going to watch a call of duty match. The world hasn't globally love one thing yet. It would be like watching the NFL but watching it play over 20 different types of NFL
Well if you think about it, there are many national sports that are different that common people like such as Football or Basketball or Baseball and so on. Just like there are many different video games.
@@DreamyAbaddon those market sports have been established for decades though. It's not comparable yet. They have garnered tons of loyal fans throughout.
It sounds far fetched but maybe broadcasters could implement something like the F1 Sky Glass feature for viewers who pay extra, where the viewer could chose who to spectate or listen to the team's comms realtime.
I think Esports, or at least the OWL, was close to being profitable for everyone involved in 2020 with the initial homestand model. It more closely resembled traditional sports in the sense that because you had all of these more local events teams could make a lot of money off tickets and merch that simply isn't there online or is significantly less on neutral ground only. This would allow revenue from events to greatly increase, which in turn should've made the teams profitable.
Super interesting how this was so hyper focused on League. Dota used to have fans raise money for TI with in-game purchases. I feel like that is what the riot dude was failing to think of.
i mean the author of this channel doesn't even mention a slightest about dota or Valve, lol.
In my opinion esports is not dying because everybody wants more esports and esports just does not feel like it will die in the future and great video Going Indie :]
E-sports failed in western countries because of those PC and consoles elitist, in south east asia mobile e-sports are very big.
REALLY WELL SAID!! very much agree and spacestation gaming will continue to create stories for real communities!
I loved the analogy of the NFL, I had no idea it was so young! I've been noticing the exact same timeline around COVID, and this helps me explain a lot of it, great video!
After a decade of esports in over it and never coming back.
True, the only IRL reason why investors invested not because they were touched by who-tf-is's story it's because there was profits to be gained. And what they invested was only something they can afford to lose, and when their decades experienced stock market companies says there's little to nothing gained, they all pull out like nothing happened.
Not talking about Dota 2 is kinda wild
One crucial thing that many eSport leagues are missing is "Relegation". (same as e.g. in European soccer)
This goes into the same topic of telling interesting stories. If teams need to fight to stay in the top league/division, it makes every game more important. It also allows new and lower league/division teams build of great stories of working their way to the top.
Of course, to have successful relegations, you need a healthy league ecosystem with multiple levels of leagues with actual different teams (not just academy teams of upper league teams). Maybe this is only possible at some point in the future.
This is so true, I remember a couple of years ago we played BO3 tournaments a lot in SA and we had casters flying over and sponsorships rolling in, fast forward, they franchised Call of duty, and now my scene feels dead, something we built from black ops 2.
I feel like MLG is way too underrated. It was pretty big from 2006-2012. Riot LCS is the only thing that passed it (talking about the west here).
Facts, MLG had a grasp on how to run a tournament. Now majority of these tournaments are run by the gaming companies itself and they don’t know how to do it or market it.
Great content all around, I will watch every video you put out now keep em coming.
The problem is game companies always just want the "major events" without the grassroots, the profit risk of smaller events, and "wasting" money on "none mainstream" marketing. I think most normal players can see esports is fine when TO's can builded regional scenes that can create/support "majors" when everything works out. Just whole cloth'ing a NA pro sports league because you want franchise fees and streaming rights isn't it chief.
Fantastic video, extremely knowledgeable and well put together 👏
Best thing for esports rn is building a fanbase who can attend events.
Take football for example people travel to see their team play. If esports teams can emulate that with a pay per view or ticketed local events in person then match day income will rise
Ginx esports and dota true sight are the best example I had seen after covid they decline a bit, but they were a local gaming channel with various shows, at night they would play tournaments like black ops, overwatch league and Dota 2 true sight documentaries. My love of the team liquid, vitality etc roasters came from those documentaries I loved the sport and the teams. Anna's legendary Io, their second TI win all documented, coaches, players ceo perspectives I'm sure it may have been a bit investment but every 6 months I refresh the dota 2 page praying for the next one. I think it's a perfect example of these 3 things lining up to create a bond with the game. Even though I never ever played dota until this year I watched dota and TI finals every year since then even when I was an active league player and found it way more interesting to watch the casters for those finals never disappoint. More entertaining casting and round Analysis between rounds would also help. Great video!
I had even forgotten that TI is mostly community funded, and players earn salaries comparable to top tennis players. I am not sure if that remains true after 2020 however
Story telling is why the Smash Brothers Documentary revitalized the competitive Super Smash Bros. Melee in 2013/14, a now-23 year-old game
Great video! Looking forward to much more from you!
Joe rogan and asmongold probably don't have the best opinions on these kinda things lol
Asmon has a better understanding then majority of people,
@skriptchazonline1321 he's kind of a moron, and gets upset pretty easily
@@WarchiefTua He probably has the best understanding of repeating rightwing talking points like a parrot and smearing his own blood on his walls.
I think the main reason for this happening is due to the companies that made the games. The fact that these games change so much is almost the entire reason why people step away from it due to its changes and, over a period of time of constant change, it becomes a different game which is unrecognizable. Traditional sports never really change much, so pretty much everyone knows whats going on, allowing for generations of people to be interested in whats going on. For lack of a constantly shifting scale of skill and experience, traditional sports remains the same game everyone always knows. Its cultural relevance, which is something that esports shares even if nowhere near as large comparatively, could have been the very thing that made it grow, but instead was the very reason it wasn't able to or wasn't allowed to.
It's crazy, in football leagues like the EPL, they have so much money but still can't spend it.
The reason I root for 100T is because I was always a fan of Call of Duty and Nadeshot. OpTic and other teams then were so exciting to watch. I remember going to XGames Austin and watching Nadeshot live and getting to meet Pamaj and Scump. Forever fan after that! Even got them to sign my gear. What a great memory.
When there is emotion, drama and gap in the market, there is money.
Not single mention to DOTA and TI lmao
i feel like counterstrike was even earlier than league with showing it could work esports
yeah, kinda like cs was made for competitive
This video hit the nail on the head. The only teams i really care about are Liquid because of their history as a starcraft site, and SKT1 because of legendary players like Boxer from the classic BW era, and Faker from the modern LoL era. Make me care about the teams and the players, improve your storytelling. Thats why FGC esports is still growing. It has all that rich player history.
As an outsider that used to be into Valorant tournaments, I can tell you that the constant roster changes and drama between teams is what bored me out of the scene. It would be better if a team stuck together and tried to make it work instead of getting rid of players every few months…
While they aren't major players like TSM or Liquid, the fact that multiple Streamers/UA-camrs are getting into esports with their own teams like the Charlie/Ludwig video you used or DisguisedToast with his own team is also helping since they truly don't care about the money pit that is esports. They are here to just have fun and burn some money while at it.
Crazy that riot managed to get a dragon into the stadium. The most hype tourney ever bar none. Ain't no other games can get dragons to do that kinda stuff
This isn't adding up to me. So let's say that eSports starts telling better stories, lower salaries. What's to stop this star player from just moving onto streaming with their fanbase that the eSports scene invested in building, having a cashier job and making more money?
I mean sure some players have a love of competing, but investing in player stories when they have such a high chance of just moving on is just hard.
Great video essay. Love it absolutely love it. ❤
Really well produced and interesting film man!
Great video and an even better mustache.👍😁
Esports is more of a marketing tool. Directly it may operate at a loss but overall its impact can greatly help the growth and long term life of the game itself.
NA esports is dying, lets not trick ourselves lol
I mean they have a very clear and good example in Korea to follow. The E-Sports here is thriving. Its just the west that can't get it right lol
Not long ago I watched a TGI video where he explained that the reason the LCS wouldn’t be better in a best of three format being because it wasn’t viable to broadcast more days. That got me wondering how can the economics in esports be so broken that making more content isn’t at least able to break even.
naaaa idc about e-sports being or becoming a big industry (again). there will always be driven players willing to compete without big money behind it. NA LCS is the best example of a bunch of players only in it for the money: you done with your carreer? peaked already? go to NA and collect some retirement money. we dont need more money in esports, just skill and passion.
I follow SC2 and Team Liquid is such a great team. For players, signing with TL means they will retire with TL. TL player have more stability than is the norm.
When young Clem signed with TL, as a French as was really excited, thinking it was the best team for a young player. I was sure they would make him a great player, and I was right, he quickly became one of the very best!
19:05 This is why there is no LAN anymore. Game publishers have a monopoly on the servers. No servers? No games.
Amazing work! Congratulations
Really nice work very informative
I'm sorry, there is no faster way to get people to stop watching esports than to make the broadcast pay to win. That is one of the most out of touch statements I've ever heard and I can't believe you kept that guy in the video at all after hearing him say that. "Hey chat, whoever tips the most in the next 60 seconds decides which team the casters are biased towards for this game!"
What if they started selling features to a broadcast? Like selling superchats allowing viewers to ask presenters, casters and analysts questions as matches are being played. Hell maybe even sell a post game interview question (subject to moderator approval ofc)
Why can't Esports stay small if that is all the community can support and that be OK? There are Semi-Pro scenes in every sport you can imagine (Ultimate Frisbee, Darts. etc.) Companies that make competitive games have incentive to fund some prize pools which already gives Esports a leg up. Let the scene grow organically with semi pros and prize pools funded by first devs then the community if the scene is big enough. My current favorite Esport to watch is Classic Tetris and that is a tiny grass roots scene.
I can fix this E sports problem , Its very simple and easy. Some adjustments with the current business model. If I can find somebody to speak to about this in just a couple of months it can be fixed.
Siege has a thing called r6share where if you buy pro skins 50% of the money will go to the team you bought the skin for
I wouldn’t say it’s in decline. I would say that it’s in its infancy and what we are experiencing is growing pains.
(17:15) Agreed, it is crazy that any player's salary is above a million dollars.
The reason why I stopped caring about esports was because of the barrier to entry. Fighting games still do this where anyone can sign up and play, so it’s about who can be the best. With other games like league or CSGO, you need a huge money backing just to get in. You see try hard streamers playing like their lives depend on it just to get in. That’s not fun. I prefer the old days were some guy from the middle of nowhere might show up and beat the best players just because he’s better, not because he paid more
Very insightful video!
Thing is about E-Sports people get tired of the same games with some exceptions, any good competitive games aren't really produced anymore, because game companies don't give a shit about quality anymore, the hype dies and the money goes.
Franchise is the worst model for esports. Makes AM impossible and pros with no Fire under them .
Is the game Lanable without internet?
If no esports is a problem for that game
First and foremost they need to promote the league that players and teams are part of. That is the platform and brand they are needing. They have skip this entirely.
There are 2 main problems with esports.
1. When you show someone who has never played league of legends an LCS match, they are so confused. The barrier to being a knowledgeable fan willing to pay for tickets, buy merch, etc is so high. It leads in to point 2 which is:
2. Most casual people do not connect with gamers. Most people who watch sports either played as a kid, know someone who plays, or can appreciate the talent it takes to throw a ball 60 yards in the air like Mahomes. These leagues and players have intrinsic value because they are the best in the world at a thing tons of people have played and understand. Would you pay for tickets to watch the worlds best back end engineers compete in coding challenges? No, you have no idea what they are doing and have probably not done it yourself.
Many people might watch accidentally but the games (especially overwatch) are so hard to understand if you've never played and the people who are attending LCS/CDL matches are limited to people who play the game. In traditional sports, that is not the case. You can casually appreciate and understand the skill level of the players and don't have to have played the sport to know what is going on.
Eaports may not be dying per se but i dont see it growing. Even a simple game like fortnite requires an understanding of the game to enjoy or appreciate whats going on. Even if youve never played football, you can appreciate a huge play with a hail mary throw or a reciever going for that huge touchdown.
Also, crude as it may be, its easier to understand and appreciate a top tier sports athlete by their asthetics. Muscle, agility, cognitive function are all visibly apparent. Appreciating the skill and "hard work" of an esports competitor is much harder.
Also sports have great storylines. Kid grew up with nothing worked and trained hard, thrived in college sports and finally made it. I mean quite frankly a lot of esports players whether true or not give me the appearance that their parents subsidized their hobby and i cant equate sitting on your gaming chair with the struggle.
And finally, sex sells. A large majority of athletes are fit and attractive and are at the minimum aestetically pleasing. The best esports players look like malnutritioned goofballs.
I was waiting the mention of Dota Esports but well, I think it wasnt that important.
high win prize but so unprofessional
@@namfingerstyle8403 how come?
Fighting Game Community😎
Fgc thinking they are in a different boat is so funny
The FGC players are the ones who have had the most shame and scandals in the entire history of eSports XD
The siege pilot program has been doing the pay teams with the skins with their names on it they save money by making the teams design their own skins so the publisher dont have yo pay for that and in exchange teams get 30%