EVE General Discussion

from http://poeticstanziel.blogspot.ca/2012/10/boycott.html

I was going to post this a couple weeks ago, but then a couple directors expressed interest in entering Fweddit into the cash money tournament. Wanting to be supportive of community-building in Fweddit, I put these thoughts aside, decided I'd donate a plex to the cause if it became reality. The interest from Fweddit members was minimal and the idea of entering a team is dead. Considering our chances of winning even a single match would be slim, at best, hard to argue with the disinterest.

Thank goodness.

I'm actually not all that impressed with the tournament organization. Especially the entry fee. Twenty plex minimum.

What bothers me the most is that Own3D is putting up the $10000 prize money. So the fact that CCP is trying to pull enough plex out of the system, equalling $10000+ dollars, is quite annoying to me. Sure, CCP will have costs. Employee overtime, the folks in front of the cameras and the folks behind the cameras. Fifteen employees total, I'm guessing, to run the show. Then the alterations to the previous Alliance Tournament set (safe assumption that they aren't going to build an entirely new set.) Costs associated with the stream (though it's only a single stream to Own3D, who will then deal with the much larger bandwidth issues of serving it out to the 10k+ viewers.)

It annoys me that the costs are so minimal, when taking into account CCP's annual revenue, that they feel the need to have players cover their costs at all. The players didn't beg for this tournament. It actually came as a bit of a surprise. This is simply a case of CCP seeing eSports as an effective advertising venue, but unwilling to foot that advertising cost themselves.

I understand the need to collect plex to ensure that serious teams enter the tournament. But I disagree with the premise that players should directly cover the costs of the tournament. CCP should write the tournament costs off as a marketing expense, because the tournament is advertising. Any plex CCP collects as entrance fees should be re-inserted back into the tournament as additional prizes.

Which is why I'd love to see a boycott of the tournament. Will it happen? Probably not. Not sure enough people really care. Not even sure if that's a shame or not.

It would be a LOL worthy event, if only four or five teams entered the auction. Then to watch the mad scrambling afterwards by CCP, all the back-pedalling to change the entrance requirements, try to save the tournament, get an additional 28 teams to join. I'd imagine cancelling the event would be a last resort.

Why wouldn't they have a PLEX fee? It obviously helps CCP with covering costs and it ensures that the teams that enter are somewhat serious about participating.

And the costs aren't huge ... a pittance compared to annual expenditures.

And why not take the entrance fee plex and insert it back into the tournament as prizes? $10K is piddly, but by adding all the entrance fee plex, you at least double the prize money (in essence).

You're right, but it's not boycott worthy.

The bigger purpose of having the plex entry fee is to weed out "less-than-serious" players. If there were no entry fee at all, there would be a lot of no-show teams, and even more weak teams that would get steamrolled.

Your attempt at putting a team together (very similar to my corp's attempt) is a perfect example; if there were no entry fee, you would very likely show up with 8 characters, of questionable skills, in a decent setup and get crushed by the real teams. These real teams focus their skills, ship setups, and team training time on these tournaments; they are infinitely better than the hodgepodge groups that would enter for free.

CCP is putting us on a big stage, the want competitive matches that can show the world what eve can be.

Oh get over yourself. Let the kids play their internet spaceship game... 10k is chump change. What do you think CCP could do with 10k? Put a down-payment on one of their workstations? This tournament is for fun. There's a free frigate tournament happening elsewhere in new eden as well. You're just being an obstructionist... seems like a call for attention.

And I said exactly that. So why not put the plex back into the tournament as additional prizes?

Sounds legit.

Uprising! Wait what are we....never mind.

I cannot support your call for a boycott, however I would have no objection for people to make a point of voicing your suggestion of reinvesting part or all of the PLEX cost back into the tournament prizes.

As they have voiced the intent to expand upon this and the prizes being offered, I think they might be receptive to the idea. But I think they are treading carefully right now, as it is a very large investment of time on their part if nothing else.

Edit: I personally also think they should have a segment perhaps during one of the longer breaks where they play and allow people to vote on the "Best Player made EvE video" submitted and offer prizes for that as well.

Not only would it be interesting, it would show non-EvE players watching a glimpse of how things work in the "wild" as opposed to the more controlled tournament environment.