No doubt, Gaming has a future. The question is, will YOU be part of it? And if so, will you be just one of the million anonymous players? One of many thousands of anonymous e-sports organizations? One of the hundreds small game-development organizations which never will taste lasting success? Or one of the many national league-organizations, supporting some minor titles? All divided by personal interest, ego, individual interests or local domination? Or will you be – at any level - in the lead, be one of the influencers? Think it over.

At the moment we have two branches, still fully mixed up, which will be separated in due time. Gaming (developing games & playing e-sports) is NOT the same as Media (publishing Game related content). Gaming and Media are 2 specialisms which need both their own type of professionals to develop into adult branches, using their full potential. 

In the current Gaming branch we see various developments, with an uncertain outcome yet, but it tends to a future autocracy of a few companies. The current Media branch tends to cannibalize the whole chain (from producing to broadcasting), which will lead to a structural ineffective, loss-creating deadlock & an unbalanced risk/profit ratio. It is up to us to find better ways to realize the maximum synergy with Gaming and Media. 

We have predecessors

Both, Gaming and Media, have the advantage to have predecessors: sports and sports-media. The advantage is that we can learn from their long term development. We live in the information age. We have access to decades of detailed info. We can find the mistakes & successes in the media; we can find the financial and economic results in the obliged annual reports. We can trace down effects on our society. We have a history of almost a century to look back at, which shows us what can happen when we enter the same phases of development. And believe me, we need to do it “slightly different”!

We have competitors

Both, Gaming and Media, have the disadvantage that sports and sports-media are our competitors. Sports-media will discover the interesting market of publishing on Esports too. They will limit the development & growth of new media-companies because the already have the logistics, the environment, the money, the tools, and a network. And sports will continue to play an important role to attract fans, common people and commerce. Those fans will not leave massively to join E sports. They already built their loyal fan base and group of followers who want to be part of the (expected or experienced) success.

Lessons to learn

Let us focus onEsports and sports. Before Esports will even come near the successes of sports, we need to understand the lessons to learn.

Look at soccer. Billions of people follow the world championships each 4 years. European, African and Asian Cups are attracting many millions of TV-watchers, radio listeners and internet-users. National competitions are followed every weekend by the media on especially TV. It seems the success is undoubted. But is it? Last decays fans have taken care of a doubtful reputation of football. Players are accused of match fixing. Many pro-clubs have high debts and extremely high paid pro-footballers, income is too little and based mainly on media contracts, fan stuff, selling players and for a lesser part … on visitors.

Not a healthy situation and certainly not a long-lasting one, like in the past.

Look at pro-cycling. Quite successful major events like the Tour de France, the Giro of Italy and the Vuelta of Spain. BUT: dope as a major reason for individual success. A few teams playing a major role, many are insignificant. A little number of pro-cyclists stay famous during many years. Less media attention due to almost yearly revealed new scandals.

Look at pro-ice speed skating. Once successful at world championship and European championship, as well as the Olympic games, now under reconstruction. Too many world cup matches creates an overkill for the fans. Too many one-time heroes, often within a year or two. In only few countries fans still come to watch ice-skating live.  Result: desolated stadiums where you see on TV games with little, or even without public.

What went wrong in sports?

What went wrong in sports? Sports is focused on individual- or team success above all. Not on a healthy organization, not on an interesting fan-dedicated competition, not on strict financial restrictions and limitations. There is no focus on codes of conducts to support morality, not on limitations the earnings for the few best (the Messi’s, the Armstrong’s), no audit & control by independent organizations (Fifa/Uefa scandals). No pro-activity.

But who can blame them? They were the first to experience a fast changing society and they were the first to learn how to cope with it; how to develop the sports to fit in and to change accordingly. In less than 3 or 4 decays sports developed from an (slow-paced evolution-like) amateurish approach to a (demanding, fast changing) professional, commercial sponsored approach with scientific research. And … a lot of influence from sponsors at the enthusiastic but non-professional sports orgs. 

No one thought of possible disadvantages. No one understood the risk of the destructive attitude of business itself: eat or be eaten; doing everything to achieve more money & power yourself. Look at the bankers of Europe. Look at the salaries of the CEO’s of international companies. Look at the unscrupulous move of company-profits to tax-havens to minimize taxes. 

Integrity above all

So how do WE prevent those issues? What ARE the lessons learned? It starts with integrity. The rules for all pro- Esports should be simple, fair and clear. Living according those rules need to be rewarded. Breaking them must know only one punishment: life-long exile of the branch.

Lesson 1 we learn: do not rely on human nature. Enforce the correct behavior and let it be standard and generally accepted values

Enforcing the right values is step one. Enduring them is step two. Promote the right attitude, the right mentality, respect and fair play in an endless sequence. That is one of your few primary goals. Never a secondary.

One Structure only 

You need to be able to promote your product and your values in an unbeatable way. Top down you should create clear and impeccable structures:

• A worldwide democratic corporation in an umbrella world association (UWA) 
• Every continent needs to have its own umbrella continental association (UCA)
• Umbrella National Organizations (UNO) which take care of spreading the values of the branch to gamers, gamers-orgs and other involved parties

Lesson 2 we learn: Only with a fully implemented & functioning umbrella structure we can act integer and democratic. 

Sports did it well when it comes to structure (lesson 2). They failed when it comes to values (lesson 1).

Any org, which wants to play with teams or individual players needs to be free member of the local orgs. By being a member the org declares to fully and without any exception to commit themselves to the rules of these umbrella association(s). This is what we need to come to a basic democratic coordinating and steering structure to create a wealthier future for Esports, compared to the biggest example AND competitor: sports.

Serve your stakeholders well. ALL OF THEM

Fairly shared profit is the goal. Profit makes it possible to keep on improving the development of the branch (e.g. VR, Augmented 3D, multiplatforming) the physical environments (arena’s), physical welfare (reducing RSI risks, promote healthy gaming) and to organize yearly world-, continental and national championships to promote the branch. Amongst other goals.

When it comes to realizing profits you need to understand we have many stakeholders: Some of them?

• Players – enjoying their hobby in a recreative- and competitive way
• Organizations supporting gaming (The Fnatic’s, the NiP’s, the MYM’ers)
• Organizations supporting events (e.g. Dreamhack, ESL)
• Sponsors with their economic need to seduce people to buy their services/products
• Media with their need to attract people 
• Government, tax-administrations (you tried to forget about those, didn't you?)
• But the most important ones: the fans and equally all those who are not yet fan or player but might be in the future: the huge group of potentials! 

Lesson 3 to learn: Understand the needs of all stakeholders and fulfill them in a way they think well of you. All of them. Maintain your network and give more then you ask. Most companies up to today fail to service all stakeholders, however many pretend they do.

Entertain

Your biggest group of stakeholders (fans & potential fans) need to be entertained. Let me give you a example. You want to do an online ladder-match? First make a buzz of it. Tweet all over the world, ask others to re-tweet. Present it on the media. Attract attention. Second: Do not show them only the match online. Show emotions. Take care of a shout caster for the match. Analyze afterwards and take care of English translations in the chatroom for international visitors. Talk to fans afterwards, explain the match (not your strategy). Play a match with fans. Let other members of the team stream too now and then. Let your fans know that you will be available every week at the same day & time. 

And finally lesson 4: There is only business when there is show business. In short: if you entertain, business is a lot easier to achieve.

So: Gamers do you have a future? Develop your talent for show business. Know how to entertain. Empathise with your stakeholders. Be straight, honest & respectful. That is a good start of your career at Gaming. Thus Gaming has a future.

TsoaC.