For a more accurate info, someone else should do an accurate translation... I'll just point out the main parts.
As most of you know, the 2007 Proleague was becoming a huge issue, and was starting to threaten the future of Brood War progaming as we know it. Some even feared it was the end of progaming.
For a more detailed explanation on what happened, check this news post.
Here's a brief story plot.
- With the start of the 2007 seaon, KeSPA claims the rights of Proleague, then auctions it off. - Arguing that they created and made Proleague, OGN and MBC refuse to recognize KeSPA's rights, and refuses to participate in the auction: IEG buys the rights. - OGN/MBC meet with KeSPA officials, but neither agrees to the deals the other proposes. Time goes by but neither is willing to give in. - With the future of Proleague being jeopardized, Proteams get involved, threatening MBC/OGN that they will not send their players to the individual starleagues if they do not accept the deals by KeSPA. - OGN/MBC continue to fight back, and with the deadline coming up, KeSPA and IEG turn to other methods of broadcasting. - Fans are furious, mainly at KeSPA... KeSPA/IEG have the support of proteams, while OGN/MBC have the support of the fans. - If OGN/MBC continue to refuse, Proleague would open with completely new casters and commentators, making it different and less people would watch. Meanwhile proteams would not send playser to OSL or MSL, ruining OGN/MBC... and ultimately destroying progaming as we know it.
BUT!!!!
It has been reported that OGN/MBC has given in and accepted to recognize the rights to KeSPA.
I dunno exactly what's now recognized, who owns what and who does what... but one thing is for certain: things will be all right.
Someone else with gosu Korean skills can translate it more clearly.
Kespa is an association funded by the pro teams right? Of course they will back them. This is good news, because it will provide more money for the teams and make it a more legitimate sports league.
On March 08 2007 15:27 mahnini wrote: Proteams should've stood behind OGN/MBC instead, it's not like KeSPA does anything for them really and without OGN/MBC they wouldn't have jobs.
I might be really off here but I think kespa has become a sort of union for progamers.. So as in all disputes the labourers will side with their union.
I don't think any of us really know the intricacies of all this. If someone really knows exactly how all this breaks down, please explain. I can't tell if KeSPA is the pro teams, or the sponsors of the pro teams, or what. If it's a group of the teams themselves, this is good news. If its just the corporations, that sucks.
I thought KeSPA was comprised of representatives from the proteams? well, their sponsors anyways. No surprise that they get heat from the proteams as well then, practically same thing.
Assholes. Fucking IEG makes out the best in this deal. Out of nowhere, they come in and now have all the rights by exploiting an argument between KESPA and OGN/MBC. I'm sure this strengthens fan support for OGN and MBC though, as we see now the sacrifices they make for the future of Pro-gaming.
I'm glad that the ProLeague is going to be coming back, but I'm fairly sure this is a bad thing for pro gaming, long term.
I don't know how profitable OGN and MBCgame are (obviously), but having to buy the broadcast rights from KeSPA is going to cut into that profitability. I hope we don't see a decrease in production values or, even worse, a loss of interest in pro gaming by the broadcasters parent companies.
On March 08 2007 17:34 muramasa wrote: I'm glad that the ProLeague is going to be coming back, but I'm fairly sure this is a bad thing for pro gaming, long term.
I don't know how profitable OGN and MBCgame are (obviously), but having to buy the broadcast rights from KeSPA is going to cut into that profitability. I hope we don't see a decrease in production values or, even worse, a loss of interest in pro gaming by the broadcasters parent companies.
I have absolutely no proof, but I think OGN and MBC have been raking in too much money with ProLeague. The fact that they have accepted the offer means that there are still tons of profits to be realized even after paying the fees. The introduction of new competition can only do good for the whole e-sports community. All the companies will try to be better than others, offer more attractive features, etc. Who wins? The consumers ^^ Even if OGN and MBC give up Pro League, other companies will be able to take their place (I'm not guaranteeing it will be as good) and continue the development of e-sports.
heh infinity that's the opposite trend i see in these kinds of arrangements. often in todays business world, projects go to the highest bidder, and that bidder immediately looks to recuperate that expenditure by providing the absolute skimpiest job it can do.
sure buddy, i'll build your skyscraper for 10 million bucks. with cardboard and aluminum from china! when you get fucked in the ear, you are taught that you have to fuck someone else in the ear to make up for it. it's a circle of fucking each other over, until the biggest money is in a few bits of paperwork while the actual product is as cheap as can possibly be.
Even if MBC / OGN are making a lot of money, Kespa was their creation, this entire business their idea. This is essentially a hijacking by IEG. I know there is nothing meaningful I can do about this, and it pisses me off.
On March 08 2007 17:34 muramasa wrote: I'm glad that the ProLeague is going to be coming back, but I'm fairly sure this is a bad thing for pro gaming, long term.
I don't know how profitable OGN and MBCgame are (obviously), but having to buy the broadcast rights from KeSPA is going to cut into that profitability. I hope we don't see a decrease in production values or, even worse, a loss of interest in pro gaming by the broadcasters parent companies.
I have absolutely no proof, but I think OGN and MBC have been raking in too much money with ProLeague. The fact that they have accepted the offer means that there are still tons of profits to be realized even after paying the fees. The introduction of new competition can only do good for the whole e-sports community. All the companies will try to be better than others, offer more attractive features, etc. Who wins? The consumers ^^ Even if OGN and MBC give up Pro League, other companies will be able to take their place (I'm not guaranteeing it will be as good) and continue the development of e-sports.
I don't think it's a matter of OGN and MBC making "too much profit" so much as it was their crappy negotiating position. Through slight of hand KeSPA "got the rights" to broadcast the proleague that OGN and MBC ran and then sold off those rights, and now the new company is making OGN and MBC pay to broadcast the pro league that they created and run, even if KeSPA provides more than superficial assistance.
This doesn't create more competition. It puts the broadcast rights in the hands of one company who can do whatever it damn well pleases with them. The old system worked. The companies that make the tournament have incentive to do a good job broadcasting it. And with multiple tournaments each tournament creator is going to do the best tournament they can. Merging the OGN and MBC proleagues was not a good thing IMO, and now the ability to broadcast them is in the hands of one company.
The consumer got fucked, hard. As did OGN, MBC, and all of pro gaming.
On March 08 2007 17:34 muramasa wrote: I'm glad that the ProLeague is going to be coming back, but I'm fairly sure this is a bad thing for pro gaming, long term.
I don't know how profitable OGN and MBCgame are (obviously), but having to buy the broadcast rights from KeSPA is going to cut into that profitability. I hope we don't see a decrease in production values or, even worse, a loss of interest in pro gaming by the broadcasters parent companies.
I have absolutely no proof, but I think OGN and MBC have been raking in too much money with ProLeague. The fact that they have accepted the offer means that there are still tons of profits to be realized even after paying the fees. The introduction of new competition can only do good for the whole e-sports community. All the companies will try to be better than others, offer more attractive features, etc. Who wins? The consumers ^^ Even if OGN and MBC give up Pro League, other companies will be able to take their place (I'm not guaranteeing it will be as good) and continue the development of e-sports.
I don't think it's a matter of OGN and MBC making "too much profit" so much as it was their crappy negotiating position. Through slight of hand KeSPA "got the rights" to broadcast the proleague that OGN and MBC ran and then sold off those rights, and now the new company is making OGN and MBC pay to broadcast the pro league that they created and run, even if KeSPA provides more than superficial assistance.
This doesn't create more competition. It puts the broadcast rights in the hands of one company who can do whatever it damn well pleases with them. The old system worked. The companies that make the tournament have incentive to do a good job broadcasting it. And with multiple tournaments each tournament creator is going to do the best tournament they can. Merging the OGN and MBC proleagues was not a good thing IMO, and now the ability to broadcast them is in the hands of one company.
The consumer got fucked, hard. As did OGN, MBC, and all of pro gaming.
I'm kinda confused though. You say this will create more tournaments with companies doing the best they can but it won't create competition between each other? Could you clear that bit up?
I'm also unclear of the amount of power that KeSPA has over ProLeague, OGN and MBC. Maybe that's why I'm supportive of this idea. Can other companies just create their own league and broadcast it on TV without the consent of KeSPA?
On March 08 2007 15:21 Wasabi wrote: I'm one of those furious fans. The folks at KeSPA are selling something they didn't put as much effort to compared to the broadcasters. Proleague became possible and has grown thanks to OGN and MBC. Remember, Proleague used to not count for KeSPA points. Now if the proteams didn't team up with KeSPA, Proleague would still be possible, it just wouldn't count for anything...
On March 08 2007 17:34 muramasa wrote: I'm glad that the ProLeague is going to be coming back, but I'm fairly sure this is a bad thing for pro gaming, long term.
I don't know how profitable OGN and MBCgame are (obviously), but having to buy the broadcast rights from KeSPA is going to cut into that profitability. I hope we don't see a decrease in production values or, even worse, a loss of interest in pro gaming by the broadcasters parent companies.
I have absolutely no proof, but I think OGN and MBC have been raking in too much money with ProLeague. The fact that they have accepted the offer means that there are still tons of profits to be realized even after paying the fees. The introduction of new competition can only do good for the whole e-sports community. All the companies will try to be better than others, offer more attractive features, etc. Who wins? The consumers ^^ Even if OGN and MBC give up Pro League, other companies will be able to take their place (I'm not guaranteeing it will be as good) and continue the development of e-sports.
I don't think it's a matter of OGN and MBC making "too much profit" so much as it was their crappy negotiating position. Through slight of hand KeSPA "got the rights" to broadcast the proleague that OGN and MBC ran and then sold off those rights, and now the new company is making OGN and MBC pay to broadcast the pro league that they created and run, even if KeSPA provides more than superficial assistance.
This doesn't create more competition. It puts the broadcast rights in the hands of one company who can do whatever it damn well pleases with them. The old system worked. The companies that make the tournament have incentive to do a good job broadcasting it. And with multiple tournaments each tournament creator is going to do the best tournament they can. Merging the OGN and MBC proleagues was not a good thing IMO, and now the ability to broadcast them is in the hands of one company.
The consumer got fucked, hard. As did OGN, MBC, and all of pro gaming.
According to the IEG guy, "KeSPA is and has been in charge of Proleague for awhile."
As I understand it, based on the FiFo translations and the news thread:
MBC and OGN had their own team leagues. They merged to form Voltron Proleague with KeSPA's help, and at some point (at the beginning?) KeSPA took over pretty much all the responsibilities except for broadcasting, which they left to MBC and OGN.
MBC and OGN are both represented on KeSPA's board. KeSPA is not stealing from them. They objected because they didn't like the idea of paying for what they've been getting for free.
Now the league (run by KeSPA) is fully independent of the broadcasters (and their respective pro teams), which makes everything more "professional".
The compromise they agreed to is that MBC and OGN will now pay for broadcasting rights, but they are guaranteed to be the primary Proleague broadcasters for the next 3 years.
Thanks for your insights SonuvBob. ^^ Now I think I know what's going on. And this event has lost a lot of its value for me. So KeSPA had been running the show the whole time? Maybe this is a good opportunity for other companies (like CJ) to host their own tournaments separate from KeSPA.
Ive always wanted to see a league were anyone with a pgamer license can participate, and everyone plays against anyone. Obviously it would last the whole year but it would help those who fail to get in osl/msl.
Totally predicted this. They were caught between a rock and a hard place so they had no choice really. Their stubbornness was not worth the potential downfall of progaming.
EPT
