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uhjoo - very good and thoughtful questions and I will do my best to answer them all to the best of my ability without stepping on anyone's toes.
1 - If I didn't think it was ready to have bidding on proleague matches, IEG would not have bid for these rights. To my knowledge, the schedule will be sorted out with exactly which dates and times for each station, so I do not think any of you will need to go channel surfing to find your favorite Proleague matchup. Obviously without you fans, there would be none of this so we are trying to make it as easy as possible to tune in. Expect more online coverage of StarCraft, especially in the States. No more youtube VOD's  .
2 - I am not aware of anyone trying to bid for OSL or MSL. I think that would be plain wrong to do so due to both of those leagues having the namesake of their broadcast organization. To my knowledge the content for OSL and MSL are owned by each respective company so I don't think rights bidding would happen anywhere in the near future if it even happens.
3 - Proleague will go on as it has over the years. Solutions will be found in even the most dire situations and trust me when I say we want Proleague to be a resounding success just like the rest of you fans.
4 - KeSPA is and has been in charge of Proleague for awhile. I do not understand why so many people think OGN/MBC do the majority of the work. It is inherently the job and purpose of the broadcast organization to provide all of those things you mentioned. OGN/MBC should only be a broadcast organization and should not have any say in how the league is run except for which angle to get the best shot from. Excuse me for being blunt but problems only arise when media has a stake in the day to day operations of a league.
5 - I guess you could say that IEG will be a broker in this situation. We bought the rights so we can expand the reach and scope of Proleague and professional StarCraft to other regions who have interest in this sort of content. We will not become a broadcast station. I hope that explains enough for you to understand. We will in no way, shape or form change how Proleague is broadcasted or the format of the league. We only want to enter these contents into new markets whether its online, TV or new media (think cellphones). We think this is a great step but has gotten a lot of bad press because people do not understand the situation and how business in real sports work.
6 - I am sorry I cannot really discuss any of those details except for discussions are going on between KeSPA, IEG and the broadcast organizations.
On a side note, I will try to release a press release about some of the upcoming StarCraft events that are currently planned in the near future. Things are in motion that will reinvigorate the worldwide StarCraft community so there should be more opportunities to play in competitive leagues as well as more events to watch. That is all I can say currently.
I'd like to thank the TL community for being considerate and not rushing to judgement of me or my company. I keep track of community sites like TL and GG and I truly appreciate the maturity most of the members of the SC community have shown so far.
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On February 21 2007 19:59 IEGbrooks wrote:
OGN/MBC should only be a broadcast organization and should not have any say in how the league is run except for which angle to get the best shot from.
Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't OGN and MBC have complete control over how their respective leagues are run? I understand how this arrangement might not be in the best interest of the sport over the long run, but it has certainly worked out all right so far. If this arrangement has worked for the OGN Starleague, why wouldn't it work for the Proleague?
Can you elaborate on specific conflict of interests that may arise from a broadcast company that controls and runs a league as well as airing the programming as well? What are the benefits to seperating the broadcasting and control of the league?
Let me also add that I applaud IEG's efforts at increasing the scope of e-sports beyond Korea and into new markets. I remember several years ago I think back in 2002 or 2003, paying my Korean roommate money so that he could have his cousin in Korea establish a paid OGN account for me so that I can watch live OGN matches. I also had him translate the commentary and I was thinking how great it would be to have an english broadcaster with the insight of announcer Um. I longed for the day that this sport would accessible to people outside of Korea and I'm very excited to hear that it may be coming in the near future.
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Kennigit
Canada19447 Posts
IEGbrooks. You sir, are a saint. I dont care if you change proleague into a documentary about power puff girl cosplayers, this is seriously some of the best news ive heard for the community in many months.
Also on a side note, because im such a fan boy, his name is Nick "Tasteless" Plott and he is the revolution of western starcraft commentary.
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I guess this could be really good in the future if some of these plans pan out. Imagine being able to watch starcraft on cable tv in other countries and all the new fans it would create. I think western countries are just about ready for this. If it doesn't, well, we'll still have the MSL and the OSL, this would not effect them. Its funny just last night as I was trying to sleep I was thinking about how if I had lots of money I'd try to get progaming broadcast in other countries and then today I read this. I must be a psychic, bro .
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Thanks IEGbrooks, we all appreciate your answers and the attention as we are usually used to being left out of the Korean SC scene. It's nice to know that IEG is looking at the International market seriously. It's obvious that marketing the amazing product you have to the world is the right way to go.
That being said Mr. Brooks is making PR for his company. It is obvious to me that there is more than one way to show this story and getting the stations oppinion about this will help us understand this subject better.
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Locke -
You could call my posts PR for my company I guess. I had to let the TL community know about our intentions as the first few posts were making us look evil and greedy. I doubt many of you knew who our company was or what we do on a daily basis. Obviously what we think and say would be completely different than what OGN or MBC would say. They are upset and rightfully so but this is how sports evolve and this sort of thing needs to happen in order to make e-sports grow. I deeply respect what OGN and MBC has done in the e-sports industry and I continue to respect what they do today.
Why do you think my posts is a type of PR for IEG? I feel I'm just answering the questions that were asked to be answered and gave you guys tidbits of some of the things we are planning to do for the StarCraft community.
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Korea (South)1740 Posts
I for one appreciate you taking the time to answer our questions, although you will always have to fight the perception, whether true or false, that you are conducting PR for your company. But it's definitely good to have your voice here.
I should also say that since I started this thread, and although I definitely had a strong negative bias in the beginning, I can now better appreciate what IEG's stated purpose is. It seems that in the long run there's a real convergence of interest. The members of TLnet would of course invite more open access to the SC scene and the international expansion of the e-Sport. Everything you are promising about more events is obviously music to our ears, as TLnet (and GG, I imagine) have always felt like we were the last bastion of SC in the western world.
The concern is of course the timing. It's hard to sit back without knowing more details whether this move is a more or less unilateral power play (as it seems) that would alienate the two entities, OGN and MBC, that have more or less single-handedly made the SC progaming scene what it is today, far before KeSPA and IEG or anyone else existed and/or cared. It seems like all the work they've done and everything they've built up is on very thin ice with these new developments. That is the scariest thing from my perspective. In short, is it an evolution or a forced recreation? That to me is the crux of the matter, because in my view things don't always happen very neatly like Darwin predicted when it comes to corporate restructuring and strategy, and profit motive often gets the better of good intentions.
I would also love to get the OGN/MBC side of the story. I'll work on getting it.
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I think it is evolution. All of you have to understand that before any bidding even took place the KeSPA board (owners from each team) discussed selling the content rights and voted on it. This discussion included MBCGame and OGN and they gave the OK. Both of them said nothing until after the bidding was over.
I understand you guys think that it was forcefully taken from the broadcasters but as I have mentioned before, this is a much needed evolution for the sport. Hopefully all of this will be announced soon so you TL readers can prepare for the upcoming Proleague season.
More information on the upcoming StarCraft projects will be announced in the near future right here on TL
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Aotearoa39261 Posts
I'm glad i reserved judgment until i heard both sides.
Im going to have to side with IEG on this one, and can only hope for a speedy resolution.
GL
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IEGbrooks you didn't answer the question why OSL(and also MSL) can be such a success with only the broadcast entity involved in its operation. It's against your theory about sport business running style ,right?
I am not depreciating KeSPA as a neutral organization supporting the progaming scene. Actually I agree with you that these bidding things need to be there to make eSport more professional and competitive IN THE FUTURE. You can't use this argument backing your auction movement AT THE MOMENT. Because, as bw players ourselves, we all know the importance of TIMING.
KeSPA ARE 4-POOLING OGN/MBC. I am not saying it's undoable, but you are taking too much risk
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i just read the thread
i wrote this before i read:
+ Show Spoiler +
dunno if anyone said this so far, so i'll just say what i got.
Everyone here complains if the dump Kespa they wont have the sponsors. fuck that. u do know how sponsor system works?
If OGN and MBC form an entirely new thing, and start broadcasting, u think there wont be companies willing to advertise?! Big companies need marketing, and sponsoring Proleague is not "OMG KESPA; WE'LL LOSE SPONSORS" its a normal event, watched by many many people and its perfectly natural to expect many offers to advertise within those events.
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Kespa just go pay OGN/MBC a hefty sum to settle it.
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On February 21 2007 17:55 IEGbrooks wrote:
Also to whomever said OGN and MBC run the league..they have not done so in a few years. KeSPA referees all of the matches, provides the controller of spectator mode and actually allowed Ongamenet to use the IPARK Stadium.
Thats disingenous. The entire culture of progaming, the mapmaking, the technical know-how were all built up by OGN and MBC. Its not just about rights or writing a few checks, the whole groundwork upon which proleague rests is done by those two broadcasting stations.
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On February 21 2007 23:29 IEGbrooks wrote:+ Show Spoiler +
Locke -
You could call my posts PR for my company I guess. I had to let the TL community know about our intentions as the first few posts were making us look evil and greedy. I doubt many of you knew who our company was or what we do on a daily basis. Obviously what we think and say would be completely different than what OGN or MBC would say. They are upset and rightfully so but this is how sports evolve and this sort of thing needs to happen in order to make e-sports grow. I deeply respect what OGN and MBC has done in the e-sports industry and I continue to respect what they do today.
Why do you think my posts is a type of PR for IEG? I feel I'm just answering the questions that were asked to be answered and gave you guys tidbits of some of the things we are planning to do for the StarCraft community.
I think it is great that you decided to answer our questions and tell us how this matter evolves. I just pointed out that because you work for IEG your view of the subject and the way you present it is bound to be from IEG's point of view. I am in no way saying that it is 'wrong' to do that I just said this kind of situations usually have more than one right way of looking at them.
Also when I mentioned you were doing PR I meant you were here to create a better image for your company in front of the foreign SC community. If you didn't do it with that intent it still created the same effect.
Professional SC is totally connected to 'OGN' and 'MBC', in our minds it is them who made it happen. Kespa to the average SC fan here is just the quite odd ranking system and the people who come over when a gamer pause the game.
Therefore you can understand that hearing about Kespa selling rights of Proleague to IEG and forcing OGN and MBC to pay sounded shocking to us.
That being said I don't even like ProLeague  SC is an individualistic sport and I don't really care which corporation gets the prize money in the end.. But I do understand the importance of the teams and I do hope that after all this is over they will still want to put the money into training and paying professional SC players.
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hmm, so is it true that KeSPA pays for and organizes ALL the proleague matches? (every aspect of them as well, besides the actualy 'broadcasting' of course;o)
If so, then I would have to side with IEG/KeSPA.
If not, then I think that KeSPA need to take responsibility and start doing so, THEN it can sell its rights.
Thanks for giving us more info on the subject Stuart^^
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United States33610 Posts
deferring judgment until I have information from more than one side
it's general consensus that OGN/MBC do most of the work in Korea for a reason
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not a big deal
just drop proleague
and make a whole new league and name it something else..
if their the ones who make everything, then it's pretty simple..
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MyLostTemple
United States2921 Posts
On February 21 2007 17:32 IEGbrooks wrote:
To all who have posted in this thread:
I am the International Business Manager for IEG. I'm also an American working here in Korea. I think you guys are overreacting completely about this situation. You all have to understand that KeSPA is the governing body of e-Sports in Korea. They have every right to 'professionalize' e-Sports by making it more competitive or in this case, selling content rights. I don't know about you guys, but a media organization whether its online, print or TV, should never hold power over a league. It creates too many problems. Yes, both OGN and MBCGame can be attributed with the explosion of professional gaming and really gave competitive StarCraft the boost it needed by putting it on TV.
KeSPA was created to govern e-Sports with support from KGDI (Korea Game Development Institute, which is a branch of the Korean Government). These companies gave KeSPA the power to do this sort of thing..competition is a very healthy thing in any sport. Every company involved in KeSPA and e-Sports understands that in order for e-Sports to be professional, it has to be a standalone governing body that has no other motives besides making e-Sports better here in Korea. MBCGame and OGN could have bid on the rights if they wanted to. We even had a second bidding because the first one OGN and MBC declined to bid. Everything done so far has been done to create a more competitive atmosphere. We aren't just trying to muscle out OGN and MBC. There is a bidding process for each game since there is now enough games a week to make it similar to baseball where different TV stations bid for the games they want. I can't stress enough how wrong you guys are about Proleague dying. We are trying to reinvigorate the StarCraft community by spreading the Proleague contents to the US and Europe, whether its online or TV. We are working on getting StarCraft hosted at other major events (besides just WCG) as well as creating a new StarCraft league that players in North America, South America, Asia and Europe can all participate in.
We care about expanding e-Sports globally and this is only the first step. I hope you guys change your mind about this whole situation being so grave for Proleague. It will carry on as it has and continue to get better.
If any of you here would like some answers and are willing to have an intelligent discussion about this, feel free to email me at stuart@iegroup.co.kr.
No flaming please. Only intelligent responses.
Stuart Brooks | International Business Manager
International E-Sports Group Inc
Tasteless on TV ASAP!
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Bill307
Canada9103 Posts
Thank you Brooks for giving us the other perspective on this issue and for helping to clarify what we did not understand. I think all of us were under the impression that OGN and MBC were still doing most of the work for the Proleague. If the KeSPA can run it on their own, then their move makes much more sense.
You make some very good points about the benefits of this move. It's unfortunate that we don't have anyone from OGN or MBC to offer their own perspective, because they might have equally-good points. Still, at least we can now rest easier knowing that this decision was probably not as ridiculous or as damaging as we first saw it (and it may even be beneficial).
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EPT
