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[D]The GSL - too top heavy in the prize payout? - Page 6

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 Tournaments
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Liquid`Nazgul
Profile Blog Joined September 2002
22427 Posts
October 11 2010 23:24 GMT
#101
I would just like to discredit the theory that a big first place would motivate players. It doesn't (unless they're in the final obvious). If the same prizepool is more spread out it would attract many, many more motivated players who will consider SC to be a potential job.
Administrator
kzn
Profile Blog Joined June 2007
United States1218 Posts
October 11 2010 23:31 GMT
#102
On October 07 2010 01:52 FakeSteve[TPR] wrote:
Show nested quote +
On October 07 2010 01:51 proxY_ wrote:
I think the problem that hes alluding to is that it discourages people from becoming pro-gamers and ultimately it can lead to lower quality games because the best players are logically going to play games where they have the highest opportunity cost in terms of winnings. If I'm at the crossroads that I assume a fair number of Koreans are at where they can try to become pro-gamers or go to a university or get some kind of job training, I would have to be relatively sure that I could make a decent living off of pro-graming. If the money is too top heavy and there are already a small group of players dominating that scene it just wouldn't be a great decision to try to break into it and I wouldn't be surprised if that's what we see unless we get more tournaments and just more large prize pools.


this is retarded too, you must not have noticed the hundreds of licensed BW progamers who have never had a TV appearance. the talent pool will not shrink and anyone who takes themselves and their game seriously will be practicing their heart out for that $85,000


This isn't an argument. You have no way of knowing what the talent pool would have been like if money was distributed more evenly in BW, just like we have no way of knowing what it would be like in SC2 if the prize money was distributed more evenly.

Top-heavy prize ratios are good at this stage in SC2's life, because, as everyone has mentioned, you can advertise a massive first place prize and attract a lot of spectator attention. But, if you look at pretty much every other well developed sport of any kind, you can make a living on it if you're one of the best 64 players in the world (which, at this point, is pretty much what GSL ro64 represents, barring issues like travel costs and such that overweight korean appearances there).

There is of course another point which is that if SC2 goes towards a televised team league like BW did, a lot more money will be coming in from sponsors and whatnot, which will likely be distributed more evenly and may fix the issue.

If that doesn't happen, however, and the majority of income for players comes from prize winnings, massively top-heavy prize pools like GSL's now will retard the development of the game, not accelerate it.
Like a G6
ragingfungus
Profile Joined September 2010
United States271 Posts
October 11 2010 23:34 GMT
#103
I think we would see alot more foreigners with a more spread out prize pool.
Logic>Everything
Grond
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
599 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-10-11 23:38:47
October 11 2010 23:38 GMT
#104
I think it made sense to put that huge first place prize out there to grab everybody's attention. It would problematic to reduce first place money now but as more money becomes available I'd like to see all the other brackets boosted up. Ideally RO64 would be about 2k. More than enough for a Korean to support himself for a month and enough for a non-Korean to pay for his trip.
floor exercise
Profile Blog Joined August 2008
Canada5847 Posts
October 11 2010 23:42 GMT
#105
I think it's too top heavy for sure. Especially if they are really having like 12 a year or whatever it is. The likelihood of being a repeat winner is so much lower than continually placing in say in the top 8. It would make it the lifestyle much more sustainable.
mango_destroyer
Profile Joined August 2010
Canada3914 Posts
October 11 2010 23:45 GMT
#106
Could someone give a number of how spread out the money should be? Even if it was more spread out it is not enough to consider as a potential job unless you were semi-finalist and greater.
EleanorRIgby
Profile Joined March 2008
Canada3923 Posts
October 11 2010 23:47 GMT
#107
lol it doesn't matter if its 60k or 85k the players will work just as hard
savior did nothing wrong
eggs
Profile Joined August 2010
1011 Posts
October 11 2010 23:50 GMT
#108
On October 12 2010 08:42 floor exercise wrote:
I think it's too top heavy for sure. Especially if they are really having like 12 a year or whatever it is. The likelihood of being a repeat winner is so much lower than continually placing in say in the top 8. It would make it the lifestyle much more sustainable.


doesn't that counter your own argument? you're saying its more likely that there will be many different people winning each season rather than a few people repeating wins. so then in the long run the top heavy prize pool does in fact get distributed among the top 8 players.
tree.hugger
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
Philadelphia, PA10406 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-10-11 23:55:14
October 11 2010 23:53 GMT
#109
I actually had no idea the prize set-up for GOM was so dumb, nice job bringing this up, OP.

If the first place prize dropped 20k, it would still be a ton of money, nobody plays for 80k and not for 60k. But if the Rd. of 64 prizes doubled or tripled, then that would make participation significantly more worthwhile, and would provide a stepping stone to players who could support themselves at the low levels, but for whom the higher levels would still be something to aspire towards.

On October 12 2010 08:34 ragingfungus wrote:
I think we would see alot more foreigners with a more spread out prize pool.

This is also true. If you could finance your trip to Korea just by getting in the Rd. of 64, then you wouldn't have to worry so much about the risk you'd be taking with that trip.
ModeratorEffOrt, Snow, GuMiho, and Team Liquid
eggs
Profile Joined August 2010
1011 Posts
October 11 2010 23:56 GMT
#110
On October 12 2010 08:45 mango_destroyer wrote:
Could someone give a number of how spread out the money should be? Even if it was more spread out it is not enough to consider as a potential job unless you were semi-finalist and greater.


"should be?"? it's a matter of opinion. for comparison's sake here's an example of MLG Dallas' SC2 payout (128 players):
+ Show Spoiler +
1st Place: $6,250
2nd Place: $3,750
3rd Place: $2,500
4th Place: $1,750
5th Place: $1,250
6th Place: $875
7th Place: $625
8th Place: $500


i personally prefer big venue tournaments where first place matters a lot. a spread out prize pool might make sense for things like Poker tournaments where there is a lot of randomness and "luck" involved, but i think it's fair to have a top heavy payout for starcraft.
toadstool
Profile Joined May 2006
Australia421 Posts
October 12 2010 00:00 GMT
#111
Unless you have sponsors putting out full income for teams, a lot of people considering a career in sc2 would be turned away.

Having such low pay for top 64 means that people cannot rely on it for income, and so it will never be anything more than an amateur league rather than true professional e-sports.

I mean, look at Tester. He got knocked out even though he is considered by many to be the best Protoss in the world. There are no certainties.
NEWB?!
DarkPlasmaBall
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
United States45270 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-10-12 00:02:39
October 12 2010 00:01 GMT
#112
On October 12 2010 08:45 mango_destroyer wrote:
Could someone give a number of how spread out the money should be? Even if it was more spread out it is not enough to consider as a potential job unless you were semi-finalist and greater.


Well, do keep in mind that players can get salaries or get paid through endorsements as well, so it's not necessarily the case that the *only* money that a SC player receives will be through the tournaments they win. That being said, in a ridiculously huge tournament (like the GSL), I would like it to be something like:

1st place: 40% of total prize pool
2nd: 20%
3rd: 10%
4th: 8%
5th: 6%
6th: 6%
7th: 5%
8th: 5%

(The bottom 4 could be staggered more; I didn't really put too much thought into those in particular.)
I wanted to include prize money throughout the top 8, as an incentive to those who recognize that they probably won't *win it all*, but feel that they could get Top 8. I feel this would motivate many more players to play.

(On a sidenote, my last name is Mango so I *totally* take offense to your name!)
"There is nothing more satisfying than looking at a crowd of people and helping them get what I love." ~Day[9] Daily #100
eggs
Profile Joined August 2010
1011 Posts
October 12 2010 00:05 GMT
#113
On October 12 2010 09:00 toadstool wrote:
Unless you have sponsors putting out full income for teams, a lot of people considering a career in sc2 would be turned away.

Having such low pay for top 64 means that people cannot rely on it for income, and so it will never be anything more than an amateur league rather than true professional e-sports.

I mean, look at Tester. He got knocked out even though he is considered by many to be the best Protoss in the world. There are no certainties.


exactly. these are Open tournaments. there aren't even seeds yet. it's a bit premature to be asking to give better payouts and salaries to people who made the round of 32 when a lot of top players haven't even played yet.
eggs
Profile Joined August 2010
1011 Posts
October 12 2010 00:08 GMT
#114
On October 12 2010 09:01 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:That being said, in a ridiculously huge tournament (like the GSL), I would like it to be something like:

1st place: 40% of total prize pool
2nd: 20%
3rd: 10%
4th: 8%
5th: 6%
6th: 6%
7th: 5%
8th: 5%

(The bottom 4 could be staggered more; I didn't really put too much thought into those in particular.)
I wanted to include prize money throughout the top 8, as an incentive to those who recognize that they probably won't *win it all*, but feel that they could get Top 8. I feel this would motivate many more players to play.


GSL is single elimination. there is no 3rd place match, let alone matches to differentiate 5-8. and your layout only pays out to the top 8 in a "ridiculously huge tournament"?
snowdrift
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
France2061 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-10-12 01:10:31
October 12 2010 00:13 GMT
#115
The real issue is whether there will be teams similar to BW proteams, which housed and fed players and thus allowed second tier A-teamers (with a meager salary) and B-teamers (with no salary) to devote themselves to progaming even without any tournament winnings to support themselves. Until such teams appear, prize pools like the GSL's will seem pretty harsh.

It should be noted that BW tournaments had prizes for the first and second places only -- 40 million and 20 million respectively, if I'm not mistaken.
NaDa. Our Lord and sAviOr shall return. Learn to nydus you scrub
guitarizt
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
United States1492 Posts
October 12 2010 00:37 GMT
#116
tbh the payout looks flatter to me than I thought it actually was
“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” - Hemingway
floor exercise
Profile Blog Joined August 2008
Canada5847 Posts
October 12 2010 00:39 GMT
#117
On October 12 2010 08:50 eggs wrote:
Show nested quote +
On October 12 2010 08:42 floor exercise wrote:
I think it's too top heavy for sure. Especially if they are really having like 12 a year or whatever it is. The likelihood of being a repeat winner is so much lower than continually placing in say in the top 8. It would make it the lifestyle much more sustainable.


doesn't that counter your own argument? you're saying its more likely that there will be many different people winning each season rather than a few people repeating wins. so then in the long run the top heavy prize pool does in fact get distributed among the top 8 players.


It kind of does just because of the way I poorly worded it, but if the prize pool was less top heavy it would ultimately benefit everyone barring one incredible sc2 bonjwa who is still going to do really well for himself.

There's just more chances for the consistently good players to make money to support themselves and for the random players who have a good run and finish high in a given season without feeling like they have to make it to the finals to justify their lifestyle
Subversion
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
South Africa3627 Posts
October 12 2010 00:45 GMT
#118
players should be making their livings from sponsored teams etc., not from prize pools.

i dont think they should be trying to live off GSL winnings...
NuKedUFirst
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
Canada3139 Posts
October 12 2010 00:56 GMT
#119
On October 12 2010 08:24 Liquid`Nazgul wrote:
I would just like to discredit the theory that a big first place would motivate players. It doesn't (unless they're in the final obvious). If the same prizepool is more spread out it would attract many, many more motivated players who will consider SC to be a potential job.


I agree with this.
They should up the R064, R032 and potentially the R016 prizes aswell as the the increase the prize for second.

When I see the prizes for R064 and R032 as a foreigner I think "oh ok wow I pay X^5 to fly to Korea, etc and I lose in the R032 and only get X.. It is much less appealing $$ wise.
FrostedMiniWeet wrote: I like winning because it validates all the bloody time I waste playing SC2.
eggs
Profile Joined August 2010
1011 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-10-12 01:10:00
October 12 2010 01:06 GMT
#120
On October 12 2010 09:56 NuKedUFirst wrote:
I agree with this.
They should up the R064, R032 and potentially the R016 prizes aswell as the the increase the prize for second.

When I see the prizes for R064 and R032 as a foreigner I think "oh ok wow I pay X^5 to fly to Korea, etc and I lose in the R032 and only get X.. It is much less appealing $$ wise.


but on the other hand the RO64 and RO32 to some extent matches in GSL1 were awful to watch. i doubt any of the games played in the first round attracted any new subscribers for season tickets.
why should they pay out more to players who earn them less?

and for a "foreigner" who doesn't think they'll advance past the RO32, something like MLG might be more appealing but anything outside of top 4 in that tournament barely covers travel expenses.

this isn't a gambling tournament. it's not like poker where the prize pool is covered by the entrants who are only there to try to win money. it's a unique opportunity to showcase skill and play against the best in the world. do you think Flash and Jaedong cared about the prize pool of WCG?
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