For Better or Worse?

Over a period of unknown time and using a quantity of unknown installments, we will put on our thinking caps and tackle hot topics that have, should, or could occur in our world of eSports. I will illustrate the situation at hand, offer the contrary sides to the topic and finally offer my opinions that can be portrayed analytically, emotionally and most often, controversially.

In our modern world, knowledge is a freebie, yet the fact that it comes so modestly we often disregard this cheap acquisition with little or close to no analysis of how it affects us and our community. Little do we know the power and authority we have over changes, as constant as change may be. The community as a homogeneous entity can control the direction of which the change flows – all it takes is to absorb the knowledge given and eventually ask ourselves: is it for better or worse?


The Scenario

Recently, there’s been an announcement by Valve that advertisements would be included into the competitive maps we play in. There would be advertisement images on specific part of maps as well as water-mark advertisements when players enter Spectator mode.

Feel free to head over here for the information you need.

Nonetheless, it only makes sense for some company to finally place in advertisements. According to statistics, Counter-Strike has over 5 billion player minutes per month (Source) which means it rivals my favorite show: The O.C. The question is not whether it's happening or not anymore, but more of whether it should happen, and if so, is it for the better or for the worse?


Why not?

Any dollar thrown into our community is a good thing, whether it becomes a loss or a profit depends on unfamiliar waters. Companies these days have rather crude marketing strategies to generate revenue in the short and long run. One of the many long-run strategies is known as “name branding”. This can be done through sponsorships, good will and charity etc.
Companies would expense their equity in supporting local teams or cancer foundations in hopes of getting their name out. Usually they target the younger generations – the pee wees that are still trying to understand how the world works around them. Nike and Tim Hortons are excellent examples that love to target their name-branding strategy on the younger children. One day when these young children become profit-turning machines, they will remember the kindness that Nike or Tim Hortons have provided them when they were children and pay back by buying their products. Of course this works in the short run as well, as shown by Subway’s strategy when coming into our E-Sports world by sponsoring teams like Pandemic. Their hope is to make you think of them the minute you get hungry while playing your video game or at a LAN event – not exactly to make you think eating their sandwiches would make you ub3r 1337 like some think so.

This means it is perfect for smaller companies that are only seeking spontaneous spurts of success and need the funding to finance their operations. That’s where sponsorships fit in.

Who knows what Valve may be doing with those few extra bucks they now have in their bank account from these new advertisements on our competitive maps. In all honestly, who cares? At least we know the commercial world is starting to see the massive potential we have as a market, and what that means is that we can expect more money coming through into our view. And trust me, money can definitely buy happiness, at least for those who care enough about this sport.


For Better or for Worse?

I am completely for the use of advertisements in our competitive maps. However, it should be used in a fashion that would not make players like you and I become uncomfortable while playing the game we love and got used to. Can we expect commercials while we load the game we play? Animated banners running across the maps?

Who knows, but we have to ask ourselves, is this for better or for worse?


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