EPTProleague is their main product, and a great product it is. while yes it's a 1v1 game, there's something that really works with team leagues.. the whole race specialist and sniping dynamic along with ace players is for a lot of people more interesting than individual leagues.
Let's say the higher rated teams/organizers in Europe and NA could form their own ruling body. It doesn't have to be all organized and run in similar fashion to KeSPA, but an organization with representatives of the teams makes perfect sense. Let's just say USeSPA or whatever, the teams and current tournament organizers could pool some resources to promote a team league themselves. So teams now have official players and what not, and are in an official league. With everyone hyping it, this alone could be a massive thing. It would still have to be online because of the amount of other shit going on currrently, but ideally you want to get everyone in; in my mind in the future things would be structured around the main league. And being online doesn't mean bad presentation or whatever necessarily, although the dream would be real team matches live.
So every week a round of fixtures happen between the top teams (or maybe have them spread over Saturday/Sunday, taking a lot of ideas from football/soccer here). In a format to really test team depth and preparation above all else like a BO9 or BO7 if that's too long. The idea being this would be the best of the best competing every week if everyone promoted it as this, and get the biggest sponsors with their names right out there. Transfers and new prospects would become a big deal, there would be loads of interesting elements too this and a whole new level of fandom beyond individuals like we see in the proleague.
Now assume a similar organization could be made in Europe, doesn't need to be identical but similar ideas. Everyone can have their own rules and decide on things like bringing players in/out of the team and when it can be allowed etc. Like UEFA running European leagues in football. After the first season is done, here's where the big money and hype will be at: the top teams would be now qualified for the World Proleague (would make sense to get a fourth region too if possible, so SEA prehaps). This would be the most hyped of all.. live event, and each teams traveling to play each other home and away, and hopefully many many fans turning up. May sound crazy to do this for one series but thats why it should be structured in a way fully testing the teams, like say bo7x3 or something. Basically 3 rounds and an event that lasts the whole day. This goes on in a way that allows the normal leagues to continue too, maybe with some schedule help for the champions - with both normal league and world league coming to a pinnacle the end of each season.
Not ignoring individual leagues either. In English football there is the FA cup & and the League cup for example which is knockout competition alongside the league. Well the equivalent here would be an individual league running alongside the team events. In the FA cup any level of team is allowed in the competition and it goes through a huge open qualification process, higher league teams are seeder into later rounds. The same can be done here, just for players (although no seeding help for teamkills, that should be part of it imo). Then once its whittled down to few you have a big weekend tournament like there already is, to decide this seasons individual best player. You can then have maybe showmatch between the top from even region, even more hype and fandom going to be created by this kind of thing. Sponsors would be lining up to host these things.
Now i know people might ask why this instead of current system? Well, many reasons i can think of.
- The main big thing: pooling of resources. Look at the prize pool of the NASL... the organization and production of IGN...and the rest of the NA tournaments. Think of the possibilities, to me it's huge. The advertising reach of all of them put together, dwarfs anything. They could make this THE league and event. No sponsor needs to be left out because theres plenty of avenues to brand things, ie: in the ideal situation where everyone traveled, the league would take place one week at MLG's venue, next week IGN, you know things like that. not to mention potential profits from streams and ads.
- Teams will get more money, and actually MEAN something - they will be much more wanted for sponsorships. Prize money per game as well as overall can be further incentives to really push things forward. So finally salaries can be normal as they are in PL.
- Will push competition to serious levels due to money and prestige involved. No 'pro's' simply slacking anymore because no reason not to find someone who will put the effort in. This will be the kind of environment where foreigners will be keeping up. And the level of play itself will be very very interesting with how much planning can go into a series against a certain team. Now foreign teams will actually have the need for a coach or other heavily strategic position.
- Transfers mean something now. Imagine Huk transferring in this system, it would be even bigger news than it was. This is one huge source of interesting stories, drama and huge fan appeal. Also Transfers or recruitment from lower teams. Everyone will be hunting for the next talent, and seeing new talent come up for your supported team and perform amazing is one of the best parts of it. But it's important there's rules regarding all of this, to stop poaching and allow smaller teams a chance.
- Room for expansion. With this structure in place, it's easy to add on lower leagues and other tournaments into the mix. Imagine a lower league, non-professional hardly-salaried team, with the chance to qualify up and defy expectations to fight in the top league? I wouldn't be surprised if there was even smaller sponsors who would like their name on those leagues too.
- A clear definition of what is official and non-official; rankings of players/teams and ability to use this data for seeding and to create special events between the best of the best in each regions.
While some of this may sound out of reach; i think the funny thing is, the resources and sponsors are already there - just spread out, everyone doing their own thing. All the money is stacked towards prizes and organizations simply trying to run their own thing. You have niche sports like say, handball in Europe: teams travel across their country, and sometimes the continent to play each other. Tons of countries have leagues for it. Starcraft is already bigger than this spectator wise.. the whole Barcraft thing shows how wide it's getting now. So how is this not feasible?
We just need people to work together more instead of just focusing on their tournament. Like take the 'ASUS ROG Stars Invite'. Instead of this just being a one-off random thing, they would approach the Europe organization and get to be a sponsor for one of the individual leagues and host the finals one season. Or host the team league as a venue and therefore sponsor it for a number of times per season.
So anyways if you can read all that what are your thoughts. I understand people might not really 'get' Starcraft as a team event, but this could be the one unified product that would cement it's status as a sport. Edit" This was blocks of text so here's just a theoretical little chart to show what i mean simplistically:
IGN Proleague
Dreamhack* Proleague
Shinhan Bank Proleague
1 team qualify to = World* Proleague
MLG* Starleague
ESWC* Starleague
Ongamenet Starleague
A set amount of players to = World* Starleague
* to be replaced by sponsors (IGN i guess is their own sponsor), but those groups would be the actual organizers, but a group of representatives in a ruling body to decide on rules, transfer restrictions, maps, any other issues that KeSPA would take care off; most importantly however being to allocate sponsor funds.
