An area of development that I have been very interested in is promoting EVE related esports to a wider audience, such as collegiate players. The AT has clearly shown that there is already a viable platform to build upon. EVE Online is such an awe inspiring game that just getting it onto the big screens would usher in new waves of interested users.
What are your thoughts on Esports in EVE?
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I'm all for it and agree with you that it would bring in a whole host of new players, but I have a bunch of questions about how you introduce professional teams and the constant tweaking to keep the meta fresh etc without hugely affecting the sandbox. I would not envy CCP that task.
If it's possible to not negatively impact the existing game, which I can't currently see, I'm in :)
Outside of the community that I have grown, the AT and the concept of esports within EVE is a huge reason I stay playing EVE.
I love the concept - I love the camaraderie that the AT garners when you really get to know a team, and your team members.
...its just a shame when you lose your flagship in 32 seconds and get knocked out!!
For the sake of content creation, views, etc, lots of potential.
So let's identify barriers.
Overhead. CCP labor hours for AT is HIGH, especially compared to the ROI (assumed) Even when events were nearly completely covered by player org Stream Fleet, even on their own dime, CCP couldn't sustain it.
I believe you'd have zero trouble getting folks even within CCP to agree the PvP events are fun and enjoyable. The trick is getting the people high enough up at CCP to authorize the spending. And that isn't going to happen unless they are convinced not only of a positive ROI, but a ROI more positive than other opportunities to put resources into.
Proving Grounds being cut for the year (at least?) also reinforces their current prioritization.
Again, in concept, love it! Want to get it out of concept phase? Prove to the CPAs or bosses that it'll not only bring in cash, but more cash than other areas they are working on.
Once you grasp this, you can start working toward actual progress. Try to side step it, and it'll go no where.
This is something that we would certainly have to introduce slowly. At the very least, I believe it is worth putting effort into conducting a study of sorts to generate feedback and for CCP Games to grow comfortable with that scene. I intend on bringing this up during the next Office Hours chat.
In response to Wadd EnderasAs far as keeping the meta fresh goes, I feel like that can easily be achieved with different rules for different events, much like the EWAR rules we have seen for this past AT. That can keep things lively and fresh without messing with the sandbox.
Personally, I feel like a big hurdle is accessibility for these new Esports Athletes. The current skill system works well, but new players entering the sandbox will be starting with nothing and it will be an uphill battle to gain any combat relevance in live server events. My current ideas about this particular point are to promote "starter" or "entry level" events on Thunderdome where players won't be inhibited by SP constraints or funds. This would also serve to encourage players to come to Tranquility to train for and experience the biggest event EVE has to offer: The Alliance Tournament.
Another big hurdle is going to be learning the game. Until EVE becomes a hot sensation among this wave of new players we hope to reach, it will remain a black box. EVE is a game that can filter out players that have no guiding hand. This is where I believe that myself and my fellow content creators can step up and plug the holes in their knowledge. Another solution is to promote the position of an ambassador of sorts help to educate fledgling teams and act as a "big brother" for their EVE journey.
My own thoughts on how to get this started is to start out with partnering with a university that has an esports program to build teams and act as a focus group. This will provide invaluable feedback to help structure a real EVE Online collegiate Esports competition. The ideal candidate would be a college or university with multiple campuses that have their own programs, but structured underneath one director.
At the core, this initiative is creative advertising. All it takes is for one to look at games like League of Legends to get an idea of how much CCP Games can benefit from carving out a niche for EVE Online in the Esports community. Instead of having an "ad" where an FC is screaming at their fleet during the biggest event of the year, CCP can gain meaningful revenue from advertisers wishing to reach the international audience that it commands. They can sell out venues where passionate gamers come to watch teams compete live on stage, which would also provide a platform for physical sales of merchandise, such as the new board game. Sponsorships from advertisers can fund prize pools for events, which then encourages more individuals and organizations to compete. Above all, the increased visibility and brand recognition related to EVE Online will result in more new players coming to the game, which will mean more revenue from subscriptions, PLEX, and packs. Hopefully this adresses Rushlock 's concerns about highlighting profitability.
I had an interesting interview with StarFleetCommander on the future of EVE esports after he won last year's AT.
tl;dr: He thought that EVE had all the ingredients for gripping esports (minus some friendlier UI), but it lacked the recipe for bringing it to a wider audience. He identified the challenge as finding a middle ground that kept the matches engaging, affordable, and accessible in regards to team sizes and prefits vs custom fits.
https://www.mmogames.com/articles/specials/eve-esports-starfleetcommander
That's a good read!
It seems I'm not alone in my dreams of making EVE relevant in the Esports scene!
Glad you liked it!
How's this for a start? just got funding on Oz Tank. First event is 9/9/23 19:00 New Eden Standard TIme
Rules and details in description. Hope we see you there. :D
I'll give a good look!
first event! Come check it out so we can make the next one even better :D
Checking this out now, looks very cool :)
Thank you! looking to have a wide variety of combatants and attendees. :D Come join us!
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