Video Game Tournament Making Gamers Millionaires

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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May 9, 2000
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Just think back when your parents were yelling at you for spending all day playing games on the computer, telling you that you can’t make money playing video games. Fast forward to present day and check out the $10.5 Million pot at stake for the five top players in the eSports Dota 2 tournament. Makes your Momma want to cry. :D

The players that will do the best at the International are the ones that aren't concerned with the money. You have to want to win because you love the game.
 
To note, the pot was supplied by the community itself. Money in, money out :p

Ultimately isn't that where all prize money comes from? the fans?

Tickets are bought by fans, merch is bought by fans, Fan patron vendors who advertise at events and thus contribute to the prize/pay. The list goes on and on. I am pretty sure that no sport happens and no prize/lottery happens without "fans" paying money into it.
 
Not quite millionaires 5 players on a team 1st place payout is what 46% of the total prize pool. Plus if they have any management that may get a cut along with taxes you'll probably have to declare in their respective counties possibly even the country they are playing in. But yeah alot of money for video game tournament. Still prefer HoN's game engine to Dota 2 game just feels so much smoother.
 
I don't get it, what game is this? Never heard of it. Is this World of Warcraft?

This has to be a joke. I don't even care for DOTA but even I know what it is. Next you're gonna tell me you never heard of Starcraft?
 
It's been pretty amazing to see the pool size increase for TI over the years, can only imagine how large the TI5 pool will be... I should probably watch some of that at some point (that being said I'm not much of a MOBA guy).
 
Makes sense to me. We pay people like Dennis Rodman $9 million a year to paint his hair green and bounce a rubber ball (still can't figure out how he blew all that money).

And we consider golf a sport, which requires so little athletic ability that its a favorite pass time for near retirement old white guys in silly pants.

Even poker champions that just sit there with a glass face counting cards are known to make $10 million.

So why the heck isn't it the norm for gaming? Certainly checking youtube you can see there are a TON of people that subscribe to gaming channels.

They just need to hire whoever was responsible for marketing soccer to Americans this year, where they convinced millions of people to pretend to care about a bunch of dudes prancing around for hours and accidentally scoring once a game.
 
Makes sense to me. We pay people like Dennis Rodman $9 million a year to paint his hair green and bounce a rubber ball (still can't figure out how he blew all that money).

And we consider golf a sport, which requires so little athletic ability that its a favorite pass time for near retirement old white guys in silly pants.

Even poker champions that just sit there with a glass face counting cards are known to make $10 million.

So why the heck isn't it the norm for gaming? Certainly checking youtube you can see there are a TON of people that subscribe to gaming channels.

They just need to hire whoever was responsible for marketing soccer to Americans this year, where they convinced millions of people to pretend to care about a bunch of dudes prancing around for hours and accidentally scoring once a game.

And this is what's wrong with the world. We would rather spend money on mindless entertainment versus paying teachers, scientists and people who benefit this world in the long term a proper salary.
 
It doesn't seem right but it does make sense. If you're responsible for pulling in a huge audience, then you deserve to get paid an amount that is proportionate to the profit that such a big crowd generates.
 
And this is what's wrong with the world. We would rather spend money on mindless entertainment versus paying teachers, scientists and people who benefit this world in the long term a proper salary.

People pay for what they enjoy. 90% of the cars and money spent on cars are a complete waste if you think about it. Almost everything we spend our money is technically a waste, but we enjoy these things. The reason teachers don't get a ton of money is because it's not the most difficult job in the world and there seem to be more teachers than there is demand. Pick the right field and you will be making a lot of money, it's just not always a walk in the park. (Think doctors)
 
People pay for what they enjoy.
I'm not sure its so simple. Otherwise, please explain to me why baseball is televised. Its more entertaining watching a spider build a web. You'll never convince me that so many people actually enjoy watching it... IMO its more just a social thing to do that you can talk about and enjoy a hot dog and beer over, because the sport itself is ungodly boring to watch.

Gamings problem is just an image one. Watching Lance Armstrong peddle a bicycle for hours and hours and hours is insanely repetitive and mind-numbing, but you can root for an alpha male type to win.

121011_EXP_LanceArmstrongEX.jpg.CROP.rectangle3-large.jpg

So alpha, turns lesbians straight.

But who is going to root for these beta/gamma males that possibly still live in their mom's basement, even if there's far more action and excitement and strategy going on with their games?

DRG-vs-Flash1.jpg
 
Ultimately isn't that where all prize money comes from? the fans?

Tickets are bought by fans, merch is bought by fans, Fan patron vendors who advertise at events and thus contribute to the prize/pay. The list goes on and on. I am pretty sure that no sport happens and no prize/lottery happens without "fans" paying money into it.

QFT this pretty much how the economy works. Payouts like these can happen when you have a lot of people buying into it.

Too bad I have absolutely no interest in Dota 2, LoL, Hearthstone or any other game of the sort.
 
I'm not sure its so simple. Otherwise, please explain to me why baseball is televised. Its more entertaining watching a spider build a web. You'll never convince me that so many people actually enjoy watching it... IMO its more just a social thing to do that you can talk about and enjoy a hot dog and beer over, because the sport itself is ungodly boring to watch.

Gamings problem is just an image one. Watching Lance Armstrong peddle a bicycle for hours and hours and hours is insanely repetitive and mind-numbing, but you can root for an alpha male type to win.

121011_EXP_LanceArmstrongEX.jpg.CROP.rectangle3-large.jpg

So alpha, turns lesbians straight.

But who is going to root for these beta/gamma males that possibly still live in their mom's basement, even if there's far more action and excitement and strategy going on with their games?

DRG-vs-Flash1.jpg

It is that simple..I struggle the same way with Soccer. I mean look how huge it is around the world. Yet to me all I see is a bunch of dudes in short shorts, running around a field for 90 minutes kicking a ball. It is so impossibly boring to watch that I think the only thing that bores me more is golf. Yet people by the millions eat that shit up..so yea it is that simple. eSports just appeal to a completely different segment of fan, nothing more. Also in our culture sure Flash and DRG might not be alpha males, but in Korean culture they are. It is just a culture difference nothing more.
 
QFT this pretty much how the economy works. Payouts like these can happen when you have a lot of people buying into it.

Too bad I have absolutely no interest in Dota 2, LoL, Hearthstone or any other game of the sort.

It's not that simple though. Take sports. A lot of our favorite teams are heavily subsidized by tax-pay dollars. Now, as a fan, sure, you voluntarily add into it, but many other people who have no interest pay too.
 
To each his own. I donated to the fund because the game is free, enjoyable and I wanted to give something back to Valve to encourage them to make more games. I know of other did it to get bonus experience in the game. Yet others did it to get the in games items. cheers to valve for doing free games right! I think its cool, that kids get to earn some cash for utilizing their ultra fast reflexes and ability to process and react to changing environments. Think that's wrong? I don't. It just as justifiable as pro-sports. Well, maybe not WWE. The jury is still out on stock car racing. :D
 
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