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**ToR.Arnor** · Tue, 19th-Feb-2013, 2:43 PM

Really good points highlighted in the article!

"then we need to start recognising sponsors not as a badge to collect for your pro-gaming resume, but a primary investor in our future"
I received a sponsorship request just the other that supports this point entirely

I will say some of your figures in regards to Olympic sports are a little skewed as there are more than just one event they compete in (Pan Pacs, World Champs etc) not to mention the numerous individual endorsements they receive from various companies from cereal, to clothing (both fashion and sportswear) to automobiles. whether it is just product endorsement or whether the cash they throw around is significant I couldnt tell you, but it exists nonetheless.

iM SundeR · Tue, 19th-Feb-2013, 3:04 PM

Absolutely! However its unfortunate that for each household name that gets those kinds of deals for side money, there would be a larger number of athletes that never reach that level of exposure in order to make that money. I'd say that the athletes who get those deals are the outlying exceptions to the rules, akin to the top progamers in the world. Definitely something to consider in the equation though!

syfMiley · Tue, 19th-Feb-2013, 3:18 PM

Loved it, like everything else you pump out.
Keep it fresh bro.

NOM · Tue, 19th-Feb-2013, 5:11 PM

I have always wanted to have e-sports calenders.

iM SundeR · Tue, 19th-Feb-2013, 6:26 PM

I just wanna say in further response to Arnor that I definitely should have made clear that I was using the Olympics as a reference point to compare with tournaments in e-sports, like a yardstick, but I glossed over it a bit too quickly I think. This is the kind of feedback that I'm looking for!

fur · Wed, 20th-Feb-2013, 9:52 AM

Another swell blog post, and I agree that we're far luckier than most of us realise.

Outside of the glamour sports such as Aussie Rules, Rugby and our handful of blessed Gold Medal winning athletes, the pickings in most competitive sports are slim indeed. Most sports get by in much the same way the e-sports community does, through the hard work and passion of those that make it happen.

There are times where I wonder if it's no bad thing if e-sports remains in the 'amateur' field. As a lover of the AFL, I'm really not sure the increased professionalisation and corporatisation of the sport that has taken place since the 1980's has contributed to much to the game, at least from the perspective of the average fan and player. Sure there is more gold at the end of the rainbow for the elite players, but try getting a grand final ticket as an entry level club member.

Now, not for a second would I deny a e-sports 'field' a cent. Every little bit count. But I would simply add that we must pay attention to what we lose along the way, and what it is about e-sports we really value. Should the goal be squads of high profile players earning large salaries, or a broader, more inclusive spectrum of competition? (Not that the two are necessarily mutually exclusive)

The example that I would use for this is MLG, and their decision to facilitate the Korean invasion that is now standard at the event. Sure, I got a huge kick out of watching Boxer compete at a huge foreign event. But how much does this influx of high profile players really benefit the US StarCraft community? I feel that it's a very real impediment to the development of a vital '2nd tier' level of competition that successful sporting competition has. What might have happened to a player like Kiwikaki had he emerged in 2012?

**syfChadMann** · Wed, 20th-Feb-2013, 12:29 PM

Such a good read man.
As someone that studies marketing and consumer behaviour I saw alot of correct assertions in this article.

However, I will add to

Quote:

The marketing concepts used here are interesting as it is directly connected to a sense of nationalism. If a company sponsors an Australian Olympic team, the allure to their brand is that they support our country on a grass-roots level. People will purchase those products with a sub-conscious desire to support the country that they love.

Brands associate with the Olympic team because of those factors your mentioned, but also because - 'I wanna be a fast runner and healthy, cut dude... That guy is fast, healthy and damn fit.. Maybe if I eat three Wheatbix a day I'll look like him?' The image that traditional athletes portray is alluring and desirable. However, not many people out there want to turn themselves into the basement dwelling sterotype gamer nerd. Sadly.

But top read boss, Enjoyed it

Fenner · Wed, 20th-Feb-2013, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fray`ChadMann

Such a good read man.
As someone that studies marketing and consumer behaviour I saw alot of correct assertions in this article.

However, I will add to

Brands associate with the Olympic team because of those factors your mentioned, but also because - 'I wanna be a fast runner and healthy, cut dude... That guy is fast, healthy and damn fit.. Maybe if I eat three Wheatbix a day I'll look like him?' The image that traditional athletes portray is alluring and desirable. However, not many people out there want to turn themselves into the basement dwelling sterotype gamer nerd. Sadly.

But top read boss, Enjoyed it

Simple solution: All gamers need to get ripped and wear rolex watches at tournaments.

This is interesting though, what can you market about pro gamers that people would actually like/aspire to? Without actually changing the gamers themselves.

Fenner · Wed, 20th-Feb-2013, 12:55 PM

I guess since its a strategy game, you could market that the highest level of gamers are really intelligent.

iM SundeR · Wed, 20th-Feb-2013, 1:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fur

Another swell blog post, and I agree that we're far luckier than most of us realise.

Outside of the glamour sports such as Aussie Rules, Rugby and our handful of blessed Gold Medal winning athletes, the pickings in most competitive sports are slim indeed. Most sports get by in much the same way the e-sports community does, through the hard work and passion of those that make it happen.

There are times where I wonder if it's no bad thing if e-sports remains in the 'amateur' field. As a lover of the AFL, I'm really not sure the increased professionalisation and corporatisation of the sport that has taken place since the 1980's has contributed to much to the game, at least from the perspective of the average fan and player. Sure there is more gold at the end of the rainbow for the elite players, but try getting a grand final ticket as an entry level club member.

Now, not for a second would I deny a e-sports 'field' a cent. Every little bit count. But I would simply add that we must pay attention to what we lose along the way, and what it is about e-sports we really value. Should the goal be squads of high profile players earning large salaries, or a broader, more inclusive spectrum of competition? (Not that the two are necessarily mutually exclusive)

The example that I would use for this is MLG, and their decision to facilitate the Korean invasion that is now standard at the event. Sure, I got a huge kick out of watching Boxer compete at a huge foreign event. But how much does this influx of high profile players really benefit the US StarCraft community? I feel that it's a very real impediment to the development of a vital '2nd tier' level of competition that successful sporting competition has. What might have happened to a player like Kiwikaki had he emerged in 2012?

This opens up a huge separate discussion that some people in the NA scene have discussed. It's my opinion that at the moment the Korean stars are bringing in the highest skill level and are integral elements in the storylines going on around the world in SC2, and to me those storylines are too important to the overall growth of e-sports to limit the environment they can breathe in.

I think if e-sports was ever going to be COMPLETELY mainstream then another conversation has to be had about how you support amateur e-sports on a local level (similar to how local, amateur football clubs operate at the moment), but we're a bit of a ways off this kind of discussion I reckon. Still very interesting to think about though.. storylines are a huge part of "E-SPORTS" marketing as a sport that I might touch on in a future article.

And Chadmann - extremely valid point that I could have delved into as well.. it's definitely something to consider and it's interesting that the overall 'marketing' of e-sports is rather limited to what keyboard, mouse and technology brand you use in your set-up, as fenner said there has to be other ways to market dat e-sports that perhaps haven't been utilised yet!

Cheers for the comments guys! Appreciate it a whole bunch.