But there is no limit to perfection. The corporation Activision-Blizzard latter is responsible for the dominance of the PC market, and on this platform leads the way for billions in eSports.
The path, built of Starcraft , began to expand. Hearthstone shifts the focus from the “get-togethers with friends in a cafe” in the direction of high achievements. On the MOBA market is trying to break into Heroes of the Storm . So far, however, she was too far to the “killer Dota 2 “, but the work continues.
The next item in the plan of conquering the world began their own studio shooter – Overwatch . Concurrently, the first new universe by Blizzardsince 1998.
The risks were huge: the strange cartoon project at the intersection of genres, trying to squeeze the severe market, so even on a paid basis. Especially the year was fruitful for various hybrid MOBA. But a huge marketing campaign, loyal audience of high quality standard and did their job. Overwatch has been recognized and repeatedly called the game of the year.
Overwatch – eSports or dummy?But for the development of e-sports is not enough just success. Required and appropriate entertainment community.
With the first in Overwatch is not a problem. The audience more than the participants: in comparison with the classic MOBA shooter much clearer to the casual person, and three-dimensional space, and the first-person isometric view spectacular.
The structure of the game in the Overwatch requires constant movement, even from snipers, and an abundance of characters of contact creates a space for continuous adrenaline mixes. Pauses between collisions do not last more than ten seconds. Superpowers system generates a lot of “wow moments” that wants to revise.
Developers deliberately laid the potential for broadcasts and championships just banal boasting their best moments.
But where is the brilliant success? Last year, the Overwatch World Cup did not have prize money in 2017. He will make $ 360 000. There is progress, but no comparison with two dozen million set by the KOH The International 2017 .
All the matter in the first half of the equation – the audience. And not only the audience, but also a good player, behind which will follow, which will love. And the audience has yet to grow. Overwatch gathered many stars of Team Fortress 2 , the Quake and other shooters, but this is not enough.
Moreover, individuals, in principle, is not enough, the team needed. Not be able to quickly create them. But over the past year Overwatch has become a full-fledged discipline: professional teams, sponsors, players in salary and a separate section on the relevant sites. Heroes of the Stormwith a handicap of 11 months has fallen behind, not to mention competitors from other studios. Blizzard is definitely growing.
To strengthen and develop an audience, developers have decided to appeal to the classical schemes. Even the very first World Cup stood out by the fact that the participants in it have become national teams, partly selected by voting viewers.
In 2017 the same way formed the national teams of the top 32 countries. Cunning approach that hurt “for their” much easier and more enjoyable, especially for the inexperienced viewer or a random person. Who’s playing? Russia with the United States! And it is immediately clear that the matter important.
For Asian countries, the changes are minor: there the majority of the compositions and so national. A change in individual countries of the European Union faceless blue icon on your favorite bands (or crosses) can be a huge impetus to the promotion of e-sports and for Europe Overwatch in particular.
Overwatch – eSports or dummy?And the cherry on the cake is not World Cup , and the creation of Overwatch League – ecosystem for the creation of professional teams. Player honors in all regions were invited to talk about themselves. At the same time until October 30, 2017 Potential sponsors can apply with reference to any city.
If Blizzard considers them reliable enough, then formed another national team, in which you can select candidates from existing lists. It has been announced about nine of clubs. Sponsored by existing organizations, but “automatically” anybody there does not fall, everyone will have to renegotiate the contract by Overwatch League.
Rules stipulated by contracts, the minimum salary of $ 50,000 a year, plus some bonus, health insurance and retirement savings. Serious protection rights! On the other hand, contracts for certain limit vzbryki a series of “I’m tired, I’m going to the competitors before the competition.”
No national restrictions: anyone can play for any country. Representative of the individual cities are becoming the team and sponsors are themselves choose what is best for their business purposes: to gather a dozen Bostonians-born or buy the best from around the world. And developers will give him the right people data, it was not necessary to seek out the nuggets in local tournaments.
It turns out, of Blizzard regulates the legal relationship between the parties, creates a system of foreign players and developing the principles of national eSports. And counting on a new approach is much more than the classic: in the promised competition for Overwatch League 2017 prize pool of $ 3.5 million, of which one million will have champions.
Overwatch – eSports or dummy?The active regions like the US, China or South Korea laid a huge potential for the development of domestic competitions. Typically, the higher the level, the more interesting, but the meeting conditional “Dalassovskih kiberkotikov” and “nagibatorov Tallahassee” cause a surge of local interest.
And interest in attracting sponsors and advertisers, say local network of pizzerias that are not so important to win the world championship as regular appearances in branded t-shirts.
Now you either walk into the world top 30, or sit without money. The Overwatch League may occur mid-level groups and the growing number of participants. The more people on the payroll for days training, the greater the competition. As in South Korea, where eSports popular along with traditional disciplines.
If successful, the Overwatch League for developers would be wise to give up the national system at future World Cup . It is better to open it for mixed groups, which have a sponsor yet, but there is a willingness to act and show the class. So Overwatch will combine the usual online competition format and classic league system.
Overwatch – eSports or dummy?For Russia, Overwatch League will be the chance for the emergence of worthy teams. At the World Cup in 2017 we could not get out of the group stage. Strong Russian players are usually in favor of mixed teams of other countries, active national structure is now no.
For performances at the World Cup they combine temporarily, while the backbone of the favorites have often played originally. The cost of creating the club Overwatch high by Russian standards, but eSports in the trend, and we look forward to the opening of the clubs at least in major cities. Look forward to!
