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On November 22 2011 23:27 AveSharia wrote:Show nested quote +Player agents. At this time we have players negotiation six figure salaries for themselves and of course that is the extreme case but it will become more and more common.. additionally it doesn't take a six figure salary to necessitate the need for an agent. We have none though. Sports agents don't understand how to monetize a SC2 player. They don't know the first thing about our market. This is something someone could do and the first to do it would have all the business. Are you that person? Create. I've seen a few posts, and I can't help but wonder if we should form some kind of network for gamer-lawyers. I've worked on quite a few contracts at the outset of business relationships, but I wouldn't offer myself up as a go-to for these kinds of contracts. I imagine most SC2 players who are lawyers have never even seen a professional sports contract, let alone an e-sports contract. I know I haven't. I see the hurdle iNControl identities ("Sports agents don't understand how to monetize a SC2 player," I don't either,) and raise the multi-jurisdictional problem as well. If player contracts are governed by California law, you'll need to have a California lawyer. As far as I know, there aren't any major pro teams based in Michigan; so while I'd love to help, there's just not a lot I can do. I can draft an agreement with a team based in Britain, and have it, by its terms, be governed by Michigan law, but what international team would sign that? I can even represent a Michigan gamer (as his "agent,") in negotiating a California contract, but if it ever comes to enforcement of that contract, I'm going to have to outsource the lawsuit to a lawyer in California. So who wants to hire an agent that can negotiate a contract, but can't enforce it? I know I wouldn't. Maybe the starting point is to just get lawyers/agents who game talking. If we can network, and we can break the jurisdictional problems down with referrals, I'm sure we can monetize ( promise). Anyone want to share LinkedIn info?
As a lawyer, and starter of the SC2 LinkedIn Group (found here: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=4157219&trk=anet_ug_hm), I heartily approve of this idea. I've considered what it would require to establish an agency for players and I think it is a necessary step.
I have a background in labor economics (I did my master's thesis on unions) but I think the first step is data. I thought about this at Providence actually, and my first thought was to take the next few months (assuming most player contracts end in December, it is too late, I think, to start it for 2012) to gather the necessary salary, endorsements, etc. data. Information asymmetry is an issue for any player that wants to negotiate a superior contract, without that data. I follow sports fervently and looking to Boras and other top agents as an example, they can negotiate best for their clients when they are able to crunch the numbers, figure out the average, top-5, etc. salaries and so on.
In any case, if any of the other lawyers are interested, please PM me and we can all get started working on this. 
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InControl, you are so awesome
Amazing write up and just a good approach to anything in life. You are a true inspiration!
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Awesome blog post Incontrol! I've been doing everything I can as an up and coming Starcraft II caster to not only improve my own skills and promote myself but also promote the thing I love the game itslef. When I first came to college I was able to show my quadmates the beauty of starcraft BW I was able to get 7 out of the 8 people who lived there to play the game. With Starcraft II I made sure to go out of my way to talk with anyone and everyone about the game itself, about the community, and about my passion for eSports.
I hope everyone will do everything they can to spread as much information as possible!
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Sick blog.
For the e-mail thing, I think state of the game already mentionned this many months back, and I've done it. I had emailed Asus, kingston, monster(they sent me stickers!), sony erricson, and a ton of others.
I've spread my love of E-Sports, but this makes me realize I can do it even better. SC2 Used to be a thing for me and my friend, back in the beta- no one else. This is in stark contrast to the barcraft we just had for Orlando, where even my girlfriend tagged along, three friends that didn't even PLAY starcraft, and meeting the same regular montreal crew from other events. (LAN ETS, Sc2QC! Woot!) People that would no longer be playing sc2 without me are still doing it because I try to motivate them and help them improve or just help them enjoy the game. One of my friends is a silver player with no intention of really getting better. We still have a lot of fun, because we play team games and I keep him alive while he does something silly like void rays. I believe for this reason sc2 can be made really accessible. Sure, not everyone will be a masters-level practice partner, but everyone can enjoy it their own way.
Thanks Incontrol, I'll do mah best.
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Thanx for this write up InControl, I agree fully. After this weekends MLG and the completely overblown situation with Naniwa overshadowing his actual effort I especially like the part about trying to at least be civil in our feedback, be it good or bad.
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tldr version?
User was temp banned for this post.
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well said. Theres a difference between people around you knowing theres this community and that its growing explosively and actually showing them yourselves. A great call to action at the perfect time. Lets do this.
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On November 23 2011 01:40 Whitewing wrote:
Very well written, I would have preferred that the title be "A Modest Proposal" though, as it would have made my entire week.
That said, excellently done, I agree :D
"A Modest Destiny" would have been better! ..best webcomic of my youth.
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I personally think that local promotes/internet cafe's need to be encouraged to create more local tourneys, online or lans -(mostly Lans). One of the main reasons why SC is such a popular game, is because your average gamer can share in the glory (aka the scene is so tight). I feel like i'm part of the pro scene when I ladder, go to Barcraft, watch MLG and participate in a tourney myself. But out of all of the SC2 related events, I get most stoked for local lans.
I think that local lans are the best ingredient for growth because:
A) they create community - brining the nerds together to create relationships and respect, instead of having greasy nerds sitting alone in their dark room, unattached, and transforming themselves into racist, sexist pigs like Destiny or CombatEX (yeah, I said it).
B) they create player growth and experience - weather you win or lose at a tourney, you learn a lot. And you feel a need to get better! You feel the need to go home and practice so that you can either win again or go back and prove that you've got what it takes.
C) Local tourneys make SC2 just like any other sport. Kids who play any traditional sport are in a local league where they get to play with the people in their town. Why don't we have this for SC2 - or at least, why aren't we thinking to have this?! Why can't a kid tell his mom, "No mom, I don't want to do gymnastics (or whatever) this year, I wana play in the SC2 league." ?!?!
Anyways, those are some of my thoughts. I love that INcontrol made this post. IMO he is a much better promoter for SC2 than he is a player. Keep up the good work! There is a future for you even if you suck at the game!!
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I loved the blog and agree so much. Not many fans know they are the true voice of esports and the only way it can grow in regards to funding etc.
I would like to address just a section of the writing Geoff - player agents. It would be wonderful and to be honest, it's a big thing to what we need in order to legitimize esports to the world. However, speaking from true experience; I have personally had discussions with current MLB, NFL, NHL agents looking to see if they would be interested in representing players in esports. Each and every single one has said that it looks to be an amazing opportunity for companies, teams, and players. But what they recognized is the lack of structure, MLG, IPL, NASL, IEM, all have competing structures, most teams aren't structured competently. There is no legal system really set up.
In these agents opinions, we have some growing up to do. Players and teams in a central organization, establishing tournament standards, sponsors need to shell out more money in general to esports, revenue structures need to be built so that teams aren't 100% sponsor money, you can see what I'm saying.
These agents would have to establish new divisions of their companies, make their own connections to sponsors, hire esports educated people, make connections in a brand new industry, this is all a large capital investment....for anyone. But if their deal with a player is they get 10 percent of salary and in exchange they negotiate with teams and take care players other issues, then they sure as heck will be hoping players make more than 30K a year.
So that buildup in esports is what needs to occur, player agents are the cherry on top
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On November 23 2011 01:35 Nozzbozz wrote:
@MavivaM Although I think that you are right in some ways, I don't think it's a bad thing to grow (I know you didn't say it directly, I'm just referring to the last point you made). Football for example (or Soccer in America) is huge across the world, there are millions of idiots who watch it, but the sport is still strong, as is the culture that surrounds it. There is and will always be people who spoil it for everyone else, it will take getting used to if there is an influx of them but, with the influx of those people there will be even more people who are on the same page as most of us here. So, if this happens, the community as a whole will have to combat the 'retards' by showing them the way to behave and communicate.
Obviously my last sentence was just a sort of joke, but I get your point.
I'd like to be picky about your football example and say that fucking football it's the same sport where coaches teach their players to be unsportsmanlike just to get advantage of referee's mistakes, where team managers corrupt people just in order to fix games and with the most racist public in the whole world.
And the horrible thing is that most of the people accept it this way, just look at how people in the pubs never say "whoa Messi fell down on purpose such a bad attitude it's bad for sportmanship!".
Sigh.
It would be interesting to understand if this attitude is a direct consequence of how mainstream football is, if ">more public>more money>more tricks>less shame" and then look at Savior in BW or the Ipl in Philippines.
It's just a random thought, however.
Probably popularity doesn't mean anything, at least at this level.
I just hope that in the future it will come down to tournaments with professional players, instead of a supposedly gosu match between famous players who still haven't done anything significant, casted by the awesome commentator whose job is making witty remarks all the time for his crazy fanbase while a rude host insults random people just to create more drama.
Again, time will tell.
I don't want to create alarmism, it's just my random thoughts.
At the current moment I like what I get except for some minor bullshits, let's see if it will continue in this direction.
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I still think SC2 is in a bit of a bubble that will eventually burst. Just look at all the players not getting payed for their tournament wins, see players breaking their contracts without any repercussions...I don't know, I hope I'm wrong, but I expect eventually there's going to be a big crash if the scene doesn't get some things straight.
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Very well said sir.
I can't wait to see what we can accomplish as a community. Posted this article on FB and Twitter.
Dare to dream!
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Starcraft2 on the big screen at Cowboy's Stadium. Imagine that?
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You may call me a dreamer, but I am not the only one
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On November 23 2011 02:10 ComebackKid wrote: I love that INcontrol made this post. IMO he is a much better promoter for SC2 than he is a player. Keep up the good work! There is a future for you even if you suck at the game!!
EDIT: I wanted my last comment to seem sarcastic, but now that I read it, it just seems mean. Much love for INcontrol, promoter and player.
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On November 23 2011 02:27 Odoakar wrote:
I still think SC2 is in a bit of a bubble that will eventually burst. Just look at all the players not getting payed for their tournament wins, see players breaking their contracts without any repercussions...I don't know, I hope I'm wrong, but I expect eventually there's going to be a big crash if the scene doesn't get some things straight.
the big events make there payout, but from what ive heard about it the reason it takes so long is becuase theres not that much money being circulated in the community but i think that as it becomes bigger the tournaments will be able to more and more effeciently make sure they ahve taht cash on hand to get the payments out
as for the contract breaking, i dont think weve seen that many people break contracts, only one i know of is Stephano and the only cure that right now (until these teams become big enough to hire the lawyers to enforce them) is to (and i suppose this somewhat goes against some of incontrols points) is to seriously BASH these players, dont tune in to there stream, let them know that you think that breaking the contract is a terrible deed
but i dont think this bubble is in any danger at all of bursting especialy with the BW scene getting prepared to begin tranistioning over and foriengers starting to stand neck and neck with koreans, and not jsut the monster foreigners but more and more foriengers are jsut getting the experience to take games off the koreans
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On November 23 2011 01:59 Moai wrote:
tldr version?
There you go
+ Show Spoiler [TLDR] +
And I don't have much to add, except that I want this to come true. Not only for the US, but I want that to come true for Europe as well, and in the future that every country gets an e-sports center. This is possible, and this will happen.
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three words:
Madison Square Garden
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EPT
