Blues looking at an eSports presence

[Jatz]

While I get the appeal to eSports, I just don't see how it translates to an AFL club. Football (soccer) clubs make sense as Fifa is absolutely massive and you can sponsor players to represent your club - I don't really see how that applies here.

Is the plan to sponsor a team or player, playing something that isn't an AFL game? If so, why bother?

 

[Blue__Balls]

While I get the appeal to eSports, I just don't see how it translates to an AFL club. Football (soccer) clubs make sense as Fifa is absolutely massive and you can sponsor players to represent your club - I don't really see how that applies here.

Is the plan to sponsor a team or player, playing something that isn't an AFL game? If so, why bother?

Sounds more like a financial investment than anything else.

Buy a stake in a team while the scene is still in its (relatively) early days, sit on it while its value grows, take a percentage of earnings relative to our investment...then do what we want with it later (ie. sell if financially viable).

Diversifying the club's investments is a good thing, and if the price is right then this is a market/industry with lots of growth potential.

 

[Jatz]

Sounds more like a financial investment than anything else.

Buy a stake in a team while the scene is still in its (relatively) early days, sit on it while its value grows, take a percentage of earnings relative to our investment...then do what we want with it later (ie. sell if financially viable).

Diversifying the club's investments is a good thing, and if the price is right then this is a market/industry with lots of growth potential.

So you think they'd invest in someone playing something random?

 

[Blue__Balls]

So you think they'd invest in someone playing something random?

A bit vague...

I think they'd invest in an existing team with a strong competitive presence in the eSports scene. That financial investment funds equipment, apparel, merchandise, travel, accommodation etc. for the team in question, and in return we'd presumably take a percentage cut of team earnings.

eSports teams themselves are becoming more like brands, with different teams playing different games in myriad events across the world. I'm not suggesting we create a team ourselves, or sponsor a few mates looking to get into the competitive scene - if there is an existing team/brand on the hunt for a sponsor or financial backer then, simply put, there is a strong case for us to give it due consideration as an investment opportunity.

 

[kjr8]

I understand eSports is big business, but I worry about these kinds of tie-ups.

The suits will talk of growth rates, synergies, leveraging off fan bases, younger audiences, digital trends.

But in reality most people at the club will have NFI idea about what makes this tick and how to extract value (on both sides).

Could very well be wrong, but gut says it ends up as more of a distraction than a valuable add-on for clubs that go down that path.

Have to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

 

[ferrisb]

Have to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

I know you're not necessarily serious, but in business that approach usually leads to losses.

Companies that branch out beyond their core competencies often not only screw up the new venture but can easily cause major damage to the financial state and/or operations of the core business too. And I think the failure rate would be even higher when the new venture is some emerging market or product.

Of course you have to evolve and adapt, otherwise you get left behind. But if/when you move, you have to do so with a real business case for what you are doing and have the people with the right expertise to make it work. In reality most organisations run with 'X space is hot right now, we need to get on board' and often have NFI what they are doing. Dangerous.

 

[katmanblue]

Yah I'd say that pokies and video games are not really comparable.

Buying a game is much the same as buying a TV/DVD.

Serious question though, do you play video games?

Buying a game is absolutely NOT like buying a DVD.

Gaming has been shown to improve reaction times, hand eye coordination, cognitive functioning, problem solving and language learning abilities in gamers in many studies.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5332359/

https://books.google.com.au/books?...s=uMyGP6upXO&sig=Wua8SpoZkllZsuj38JSytvuk-xI

http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/44371/1/18_02_chik.pdf

http://search.proquest.com/openvie...80f0/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

http://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2014/posters/153/

On SM-N920I using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[katmanblue]

Have to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

My leg has gone numb and my back is killing me. Does that count?

 

[Masqualero]

Buying a game is absolutely NOT like buying a DVD.

Gaming has been shown to improve reaction times, hand eye coordination, cognitive functioning, problem solving and language learning abilities in gamers in many studies.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5332359/

https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=eCElDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=gamers+learning&ots=uMyGP6upXO&sig=Wua8SpoZkllZsuj38JSytvuk-xI

http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/44371/1/18_02_chik.pdf

http://search.proquest.com/openview/864697a45ff55ce0688d582f855c80f0/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

http://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2014/posters/153/

On SM-N920I using BigFooty.com mobile app

I meant in terms of its purpose, to entertain.

No one takes up gaming to improve reaction time.

 

[Jatz]

I meant in terms of its purpose, to entertain.

No one takes up gaming to improve reaction time.

Surgeons do. Improves dexterity.

 

[Masqualero]

The thing I wonder a our is how much cross pollination there will be between the AFL team and the eSport team. It would be a tricky path to navigate between being very lame and off-putting for gamers who aren't into footy and actually getting value for money. Unless it's a purely financial investment with little or no branding.

Bolton will make sure they feel welcome and everyone knows how ******* cool they are.

 

[ShanDog]

Bolton will make sure they feel welcome and everyone knows how ******* cool they are.

View attachment 427401

Isn't Bolton telling you that you're cool kinda a bit like your mum doing it - nice to hear but not really carrying much weight?

 

[Masqualero]

Surgeons do. Improves dexterity.

Fair point however, I feel my point still stands in that the majority of gamers buy games for entertainment purpose. There are exceptions such as a student watching an educational DVD.

 

[BluStreak]

thylacine60 will love this thread.

has he got ADSL yet?

 

[Aphrodite]

has he got ADSL yet?

He's still on dial up.

 

[Wickzki]

Honestly, I've been hoping that the club would go down the eSports line for a while now. I've worked intimately with over 700 video game development and publishing companies for several years now (including all of the big 4 and their associated dev companies).

There's a lot of easy money and mass appeal that can be attained through eSports. If done right the club can increase its membership base, product and brand awareness among the 12 to 40-ish age bracket comparatively cheaply.

If they're serious about this then the club would be wise to contact guys like Wookie and myself. They'd do well to get some specialists in. eSports is a very different kettle of fish than traditional businesses and sports. I personally find it quite incredulous how your standard business person fails to comprehend all of the different intricacies that make the industry so different than the ones that they are more accustomed to. Generally it results with a spectacular failure.

I hope the club does well.

 

[Arr0w]

He's still on dial up.

I thought it was more like this

 

[mediumsizered]

I thought it was more like this

I assume this is wireless.

 

[ShanDog]

I assume this is wireless.

Yes, but you are forced to use a crude stylus which puts a lot of people off.

 

[KnaveyBlue]

Ready to represent the Blues in DOTA2 and Starcraft. I'm not very good tho. Can I claim I'm going through a rebuild?

Also, is Bubble Bobble an e-sport?

 

[j-top]

I assume this is wireless.

Look like encryption keys to me


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Cripps 'n' Blue Bloods]

I thought it was more like this

Not sure about 4G. Looks more like 4KG to me.

 

[The_Wookie]

If they're serious about this then the club would be wise to contact guys like Wookie and myself. They'd do well to get some specialists in. eSports is a very different kettle of fish than traditional businesses and sports. I personally find it quite incredulous how your standard business person fails to comprehend all of the different intricacies that make the industry so different than the ones that they are more accustomed to. Generally it results with a spectacular failure.

I hope the club does well.

Guy I know in Melbourne has already been involved in meetings with the AFL.