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The Armchair Athleticism critical series is an opinion-base article series regarding the issues and sociocultural deficiencies of the E-Sports and StarCraft scene. All articles are perceptive-base and revolving around my own experiences and understanding of the subculture.
+ Show Spoiler [summary introduction] +The Solo Trail – Unbeaten - Posted on October 20th, 2012Short version of credentials: - Manager of 5 progaming teams (50+ professional players)
- Writer for 11 E-sports websites (5 team sites + 4 organizations: 150+ docs/articles)
- Organizer or Contributor of 11 community events (74,000 viewers/attendants)
- Some video-editing for one or two organizations, nothing big, just twitch.tv highlight-editing, presentational writing, etc.
Why are you starting your own space? I was listening to the suggestions of several friends and I finally started this space after I hit a dead-end in my endeavours in E-Sports. I’m at a point where I am not really affiliated with anyone and now’s a better time than ever to do some opinion topics. Doing my own content meant I would be alone and would work around my own initiative, drive and interest. However, it also meant that I may do something that requires more work than I thought and I would be on my own. It meant that the community reception can be more direct and harsh towards me personally and my views as I would not be backed by some credible organization as when I was writer for some. In the end, this series that took me about a month of writing, editing, verification and re-writing will really be everything I’ve learned, observed and felt throughout my time. I started out with three pieces and ended up going to ten. All of them delve into inspecting the five perspectives of the scene: teams, tournaments, players, spectators and contributors. Ultimately, it aims to really take a strong look into the many issues that inhibit the StarCraft community and E-Sports culture.
Website Organization - Choice of Information - Posted on January 18th, 2013
I’m always mixed writing about E-Sport team and organization websites. On the one hand, all companies should have a proper representing websites both for their sponsors as well as a hub for all relevant information. Even if rarely used, a website for an org. is just obligatory regardless of its financial status (self-funded/financed or completely volunteer). However, some websites can be overbearing in terms of information that it turns people off or has them rely on more orderly places to get their news about your organization.
There’s an art to team and organization websites, especially when you have to take into consideration of the scene. For StarCraft II, Team Liquid and Reddit are often the commonplace to both reroute people to a team’s website as well as get the company promoted and noted in the minds of fans. Because of this, some areas become less important than others and often times clutter the front page. Dota 2 works similarly with JoinDota, PlayDota, /r/dota2 and TeamLiquid being the main faces of community discussion, news publication and exposure. These centers limit how much traffic one would get on their website, but they also help keep everyone informed and gathering to the same place. It’s a double-edge sword that constantly demands websites to be reworked overtime.
Information is the fine line between a commending and appealing website to one that is overflowing with redundancy. While some websites keep it lean and clean, others tend to plaster their entire front page with everything they can think of. What lead me to writing this piece was the constant teasing about how poorly managed Major League Gaming’s website is and how easy and accommodating IGN’s Pro League website can be.
One thing to note is that all teams have their main focus, despite MLG’s varied uses (the store, Pro Circuit, GameBattles/SC2 Battles) their main focus is both their events and progaming broadcasted matches. Unfortunately, they tend to show everything they do at once, making those looking for specific information disinterested in returning. IPL understands their strongest features and emphasizes it much more than their other areas:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/f32uP.png) As shown, MLG’s website highlights everything they are offering on their front page. Including Headlines, possible products, relevant news, their partners at the bottom, best videos of MLG (scroll down), Post season of 2012. Top bar includes: Video, Pro Circuit, GameBattles, SC2Battles, Community, Store, Support, Pro Circuit (again), VOD, Passes, Schedule, Players, Results, Photos, MvP.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/5jOxh.png) IPL’s website makes sure to plaster their stream in the middle, with an easy-to-maneuver initial bar for other broadcasts/games/history/live/on-demand. Schedule and Latest articles are filted according to the game and recent matches. Everything else is on another page and not redundantly placed. A clean and sleek website.
Unfortunately, event organizations are not the only ones suffering from this desire to fill their entire front page. Team sites also fall into the trap of putting everything (relevant or irrelevant) on their website:
Both Complexity and SK Gaming are renowned much older teams and their websites portray this with the need to show everything ranging from Forum threads, Upcoming events, Video Streams, Image Gallery, Team News, Recent Blogs, Latest videos, Featured Products, Polls and then links to their Galleries, Downloads, Media, Roster, Forum, News, Home. How did Complexity look before? Not that different to be quite frank. SK Gaming also suffers from similar issues where they post their News, Live Events, Facebook, Counter-Strike Videos, Facebook, SK 1on1 Videos, Coverage (scores), Betting, SK Fresh Pots Videos, Videos, Files (replay packs & configs), Forums, Albums, Twitter, Blogs with links to their Features, Videos, Albums, Files, Blogs, Groups, Community, Forums pages. That’s quite a mouthful huh? Want to know what their site looked like before? It suffers from the same issue of plastering everything they can in a collage of a front page with nothing really standing out more than something else:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/PIpIu.png) Although both organizations have grown since then, it has always been surprising how their site always invoked the same feeling of "drowning-in-information". This framing remained for SK Gaming and Complexity since 2005-2006 (as the screenshot portrays).
Websites like these suffer from the issue of trusting their visitors and netizens into a sea of excessive content. They put everything on there like a writer who spends too much time describing a setting just so you, the reader, gets the gist that it is a spring morning (I am guilty of this). My first rule when constructing your website is to trust your target audience. In the case of Complexity & SK Gaming, trust that they have or will check out your Twitter & Facebook and put what really matters on the front of your page. While the forums and general news are great and appealing, they take a backseat to what you really want to promote and what makes your organization stand-out. For IPL and MLG, it’s their in-person events and broadcasting competitions. For team organizations, it’s about the players, marketing and content that makes them stand out uniquely. This needs to be emphasized to show visitors what to look for and to better describe what the organization’s best-selling point is.
Cutting the team website’s front page can be a difficult and lengthy process: which areas are redundant; not pulling their weight to draw in new visitors (and have them returning)? It’s a question of balance in terms of how much resource an org is willing to devote as well as return on that input. Cutting the fat to make your front page a splash of renewed interest and priority is like keeping your menu short and sweet. Consider yourself a restaurant that has some recognition in its steaks and team of chefs (progamers). Do you surround the achievements of your team and their reputable meals with other complementary side-dishes such as community and forums when the customer can get that at any family restaurant? Figuring out what shows the team’s best foot is a question of evaluation and understanding of your scene (as previously said) as well as what your market wants to know (or looks for).
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Oxu0v.png) Recognize this website? EG’s website of 2010 resembles a lot of what we see with SK Gaming today. Clutter. I see a very useful storage space for everything Team EG related, but I don’t see anything more important than another.
If we look at EG’s website now, they keep things separated and clear-cut: Facebook, Twitter (and their players’ twitters) and Youtube to promote and push unique content that they can produce. News articles relating to their players and events are website-worthy. A concise description of their division teams and an isolated area for their sponsors really catches the eye on what matters and helps retain information better for the visitor. Team Liquid and Reddit are used to announce important events and happenings, funneling the community towards their website. Events and webshows (OneMoreGame.tv – though not necessarily “EG”, but closely associated by involvement) such as the EGMCSL, which has its own separate site (http://mcsl.evilgeniuses.net/), are all ways to divert and separate viewership to better evaluate what is worth continuing.
A proper system of promotion, redirection and dedication to your outlets are important to maintain a functioning site and its social media outlets. People remember where to go so long as there is a reason to and it’s repetitively done. Consistency and proper categorization of content is the key here and this is where TeamLiquidPro.com’s sections work. TeamLiquid is firm on the separation of community and their team content. Everything related to the team is kept in one area with major news, roster changes or sponsorships are announced to the community (as per all relevant news in the scene). What TL does with their team is keen on interactivity with the community (replay releases, interviews & feeds of their posts on the popular community forums) and constantly kept up-to-date by one magical being: Alex Schieferdecker (user: tree.hugger). News and the archives are found on one tab, replays on another, VODs from various youtube channels of event organizations on another page. While you can find this on nearly any other website, the site is organized with unambiguous terms and labels. As basic as this appears, on other sites we see terms used to encompass all of an area, but only be used partially. On Complexity’s website, there is an area for Downloads and another area for Media, but there is also an area for galleries and streams. All of this should be titled under one specific name and page. SK Gaming also likes to add one too many tabs for similar things: News, Features and Blogs all on the top bar of the front page for reading material. Videos, Albums, Files for Media and downloadable material. Blogs, Groups, Community, Forums for Community related aspects and so on and so forth. You can see these on other sites like Fnatic who have a separate page for everything, but all of everything on their front page as well (not as bad as Col. or SK Gaming).
Presentation is everything and despite how reputable teams are within our scene based on their history, achievements and roster, their website fails to emphasize their strongest traits. Sponsors and fans want to see what they know their team best, the goal is to know what it is, isolate it and spruce it up to a degree that retains its impression on first-time visitors and has returning fans feeling proud.
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This informed series of written pieces could not have been achieved without the help and opinions of my peers and friends. Below are the people I wish to thank for their insight, accuracy/consistency check or expert opinion on the numerous topics: thank you
- Alex Shieferdecker (Team Liquid Progaming Team Content Manager - tree.hugger)
- Brad Carney (Lefty)
- Chris Chan (Founder of ChanManV Production)
- Eric Grady (Cyber-Sports Network's Director of Events - Usurp)
- Flo Yao (Quantic Gaming’s Progamer - Flo)
- Jacqueline Geller (eSports Network Coordinator of Blizzard)
- John Clark (Cyber-Sports Network Executive Director of Operations)
- Josh Dentrinos (FXOpen’s Director - Boss)
- Marc McEntegart (Team Liquid Writer - SirJolt)
- Matt Weber (Team Liquid Director of Operations - Heyoka)
- Payam Toghyan (ROOT Gaming Progamer - TT1)
- Shawn Simon (Team Liquid Progamer - Sheth)
- Steven Bonnell II (Progamer/Entertainer - Destiny)
- Thomas Shifrer (ESFI World Senior Journalist)
If you'd like more information about the series (more pieces about different aspects of the scene will be released periodically), to contact me privately or to generously give me some siteviews on my website, you can follow the following link:
You can also follow me on Twitter where I tweet public news and information about the scene including roster changes, controversy and/or overall E-Sports news: @TorteDeLini
Thank you very much and I appreciate all feedback or corrections.
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I'd say this is one of your better articles. Definitely agree on separation but you also have to build a base. TeamLiquid did this over a ridiculously long period of time and it's not just about Brood War/Starcraft anymore either. Anyone remember the popcorn maker thread? Yeah, that's what I thought. You have to host a party that everyone wants to come to at the same time.
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I think your statement reveals that Col and SK don't know how to build a base moreso than it takes time to build a base  (both teams have been around forever).
TLPro is definitely new and we're talking about that. The layout for TL and their forums needs reworking by a mile.
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I've definitely been thinking about this lately; it's funny how easy it is to cram information onto a front page. But the best sites, not just eSports, are usually clean, simple, and efficient. They direct your eyes to certain things and make it easy to orient yourself on the page. I think if you look at eSports as a business, then it obviously presentation IS everything.
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well. I kinda knew most of these stuff cause I delved into web development in the past/etc
simplicity > complexity
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This subject is very important. Currently, I am taking some additional design courses and this very subject was discussed today in my web design course. Website designs changes every year as to whats more 'artistic' and trendy.. but the one thing that always remains is the importance of layout and direction. Most esports sides are php modules that someone just pops up and adds a bunch of information to it. They care very little about the importance of the layout and direction.
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I built sc2links.com with a lot of the points you mention in mind (minimize redundancy, target consumer preference, prioritization of space) - keeping your web space simple will always be the best practice (reddit and google are great examples), and it's great to see information visualization finally emerge as a topic in eSports.
The biggest problem with redesigning (or designing) a site is cost (both time and $) - it's incredibly important to do things right the first time, as redesign after redesign can really burn your budget.
I wonder if anyone has any free tools that can be utilized to plan out a web-space before pursuing development?
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It's nice to see someone write about the useless clutter on websites like MLG. It's to be a pain trying to navigate for old replays/vods that I just use r/starcraft for vods.
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Good read once again. While I don't visit websites of teams very often, I do like to keep up with my tournaments. The said fact is that for many tournaments, it's easier to just go to LP or the LR thread to get the latest results/standings than it is to go to the website of the event. In addition, the inability of many organizations to provide easy-to-find, spoiler-free VODs on their website removes a ton of the entertainment value of the event.
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Thanks for the responses guys ^^
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United States7481 Posts
What do you think about the coL website redesign? (what a happy coincidence of timing!)
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A well-argued article, and the subject is important as well. I agree with you on the importance of a well-seperated and simple design for team websites.
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On January 19 2013 06:54 Antoine wrote:
What do you think about the coL website redesign? (what a happy coincidence of timing!)
Oh crap, it just went up!
Let's take a quick look!
Overall, I still think it's too much.
- Off the bat, you notice their social media icons are just too small. Hardly noticeable and really make them seem smaller when they are becoming one of the most important aspects and marketing areas a team can display.
- Second, you notice they have a Social Media feed and the buttons again, that's redundant. I don't think it's really needed necessarily, especially with everything else you're putting out.
- Background image is misaligned and they still have those long borders from back in the day. I'm not sure if it's worth arguing as it could be just preference/better for their core audiences resolution.
- News front is good, though if you have a rotating news cycle, you don't need archival top 6 news as well. That's redundant.
- I think the top navigate bar should be larger, thicker
- Currently Streaming should be closer to the top as that is what you want to promote, but is it really necessarily to feature streams that aren't affiliated with your site? We talked about garners the most interest and do people go to your site to watch featured streamers seen on other, more popular sites?
- Site Map at the bottom could definitely use some filtering. Contact is good, Site Map could be smaller, Teams isn't necessary (you have roster link, choose how detailed you want to be), Latest News is also redundant.
- A lot of these areas should be merged or just outright removed: Media & Galleries should be merged, About Us & Roster could be merged (or Academy & Roster), Streams with Media perhaps as well?
Haven't looked at the other pages, but those are my initial thoughts It all depends on preferences as well, I enjoy the minimalist of things and putting what matters first and then offer the additional, but that isn't for everyone and I'm assuming Complexity knows their audience and what they like more than myself
Edit: Way better than before and a lot more breathing room ^^ I enjoy the sleek design more, I just want things maybe a bit bigger and less areas to scroll towards.They definitely made huge leaps here and I would be satisfied with this design!
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Canada1169 Posts
Definitely something important, image is one of the most important things as well as accessibility.
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While I can agree that their sites seem "cluttered," being the old-time gamer I am, it is done for a reason. Some new-age gamers and new entrants to the eSports scene might try and put a different spin on it, but one only need look towards Fragbite or the old GotFrag layouts (even Cadred) as well for the same kind of design, and the reasoning is rather simple.
Being minimalist and obfuscating towards your content only serves to confuse visitors to your site. While some stuff may be intuitive, having to navigate several pages to find my intended target is kind of annoying. The "collage" is meant to serve the purpose of being informative immediately (match scores, news), a sample of content (forum threads), and a gateway to the specificity of what the visitor truly wants.
If you'd like to speak in the future regarding topics, I'd be more than interested in helping out.
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On January 19 2013 12:19 divito wrote:
While I can agree that their sites seem "cluttered," being the old-time gamer I am, it is done for a reason. Some new-age gamers and new entrants to the eSports scene might try and put a different spin on it, but one only need look towards Fragbite or the old GotFrag layouts (even Cadred) as well for the same kind of design, and the reasoning is rather simple.
Being minimalist and obfuscating towards your content only serves to confuse visitors to your site. While some stuff may be intuitive, having to navigate several pages to find my intended target is kind of annoying. The "collage" is meant to serve the purpose of being informative immediately (match scores, news), a sample of content (forum threads), and a gateway to the specificity of what the visitor truly wants.
If you'd like to speak in the future regarding topics, I'd be more than interested in helping out.
Different organizations for different layouts. News Sites can definitely be bulked with information (but accordingly categorized and properly labeled). I think ESFI World's new layout was much needed, but also diminishes their hits on their site for visitors (but they take advantage of community hubs to compensate and attack groups most interested in their articles).
The demands of then are now saturation of information for now and with so many people doing it, is there a need to compete with what isn't necessarily your core interest or best marketable feature?
As we saw: EG had similar layouts since 2010, but have since revised their layout as the scene evolved. Other teams need to realize this as well.
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On January 19 2013 13:05 Torte de Lini wrote:
Different organizations for different layouts. News Sites can definitely be bulked with information (but accordingly categorized and properly labeled). I think ESFI World's new layout was much needed, but also diminishes their hits on their site for visitors (but they take advantage of community hubs to compensate and attack groups most interested in their articles).
The demands of then are now saturation of information for now and with so many people doing it, is there a need to compete with what isn't necessarily your core interest or best marketable feature?
Having been with a league, news organizations and a team, each have their own challenges about what you're trying to capture. In every instance, you want to be a place for people visit. In the age of ads, more is always what you're looking for in running a venture. You want more visitors, want those visitors on your site longer, you want them viewing more pages, and interacting more.
While I kind of agree that different sites need to promote different information, not every organization is willing to go down that road.
For CEVO, if the news/media sites weren't covering our league very well, we were losing a certain exposure. To make ourselves relevant, we had our own written features, power rankings, previews etc... This was especially key in the lower leagues that weren't followed by fans or news sites. (And this isn't much different from MLG, or even "real" sports, NFL, NHL etc..)
For Complexity, they were still big on providing general eSports news as a way of supplementing other aspects of their site, and that's what I had to write. Do I agree with that? It doesn't hurt, but it was implemented in the wrong way in my opinion.
Given the way the eSports landscape is, especially towards "journalists," whether freelance or part of a news site, it's hard to justify leaving it up to them if you're a league or team. They simply are not doing enough.
On January 19 2013 13:05 Torte de Lini wrote:
As we saw: EG had similar layouts since 2010, but have since revised their layout as the scene evolved. Other teams need to realize this as well.
Well, their site is a temporary Wordpress design as far as I know. We'll see the direction they go when they release their new one.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/kwkQa.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/4cltI.png)
