In previous blogs, we have looked at how the athlete can best position themselves for success in the esports space. We have seen the powerful position that Game Developers occupy, and addressed their need to readjust their perspective and attitude as the landscape changes. We have also recognized that Intellectual Property (IP) affects every facet …

Tournament Organizers, Sustainability in Esports Read More »

In March of this year, Google unveiled its much anticipated video game streaming platform, ‘Stadia’. The company presented its platform as the next generation in gaming, bringing high-quality games to anyone with an Android device and sufficiently fast Internet. It has already sent Stadia development kits to more than 100 game studios, helping them get …

Game Developers: One Game, Two Versions Read More »

Since their inception, esport organizations have been focused on building an exciting reputation and compelling brand.  For a long time, the way this was achieved was attracting top talent and winning various events. The world of esports is changing and evolving almost daily, it looks vastly different today than it did 10 years ago.  Like …

Esports Organizations – Boldly Going Where No One Has Gone Before Read More »

In my very first blog, I introduced what I call the ECEsports Stakeholder Relationship Diamond. It is a visual representation of the four major stakeholders represented in the world of esports. Those stakeholders are the Athletes themselves, the Game Developers, Intellectual Property and Labour Relations or Player Associations. All four of these entities are in …

Esports – Misdirection and Misinformation Read More »

Esports and streaming are two new and innovative forms of entertainment.  Hundreds of esports organizations are being formed in the hope of capitalizing on this new wave.  As these organizations continue to shape the esports landscape, they all turn to the traditional sports for inspiration and have adopted the traditional sports business model.  Unfortunately, unlike …

The Esports Disconnect Read More »

Wednesday, June 12th, 2019, was a big day. As a Canadian, you may be thinking that I’m talking about the St. Louis Blues winning their first ever Stanley Cup but believe it or not, that’s not it. No, Wednesday, June 12th was the day that the Immortals Gaming Club (IGC) announced their acquisition of Infinite …

Houston, We May Have a Problem – A Perspective on the Overwatch League Read More »

Esports is here to stay. What started as late night LAN parties and friendly competition in a friend’s basement where the stakes were bragging rights and the loser got stuck cleaning up has exploded into a worldwide gaming phenomenon that envelopes every corner of the globe. Thousands of esport athletes from dozens of countries compete …

Esports, Gambling and Athletes Read More »

What started out as a generation of kids playing video games in their dimly lit basements has evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry. The world of esports has quickly become a world encompassing movement. The advancement of technology has allowed those kids to start playing ‘together’ by linking them to the world wide web; kids …

How Can Esport Athletes Control Their Careers? Read More »

Picture yourself in a large, well-lit room. The room is unfamiliar to you but you can see an exit on the far wall. There are couches, chairs, rugs, and lamps. There is even some art on the walls. Suddenly, the lights go out. How do you get to the exit? This is where esport athletes …

Contractual Issues for Esports Athletes Read More »

The dictionary definition of an athlete is ‘a person who is proficient in sports and other forms of physical exercise.’ However, the word athlete has its roots in the Greek word ‘athlein’ which simply means ‘to compete for a prize’. While there are some (and the number is steadily decreasing) who still contend that esport …

Competitive Esports Models – Where Does the Athlete Fit In? Read More »

Esports is establishing itself as a worldwide phenomenon and it is doing so at breakneck speed. Among the many challenges and issues are concerns about game ownership, compensation, and player health and safety. While these concerns would seem reasonably manageable in a ‘national’ or even ‘continental’ context, the global nature of esports presents massive and …

Esport Labour Relations: Key Players, Competitive Structures, and the Athlete Read More »

The esport landscape continues to grow at breakneck speed, with game-changing announcements regarding teams, tournaments, partnerships or profit projections being made on an almost daily basis. With so much going on in so many countries, impacting so many organizations, it can be difficult to process the ramifications of all of the events and activities.   …

How IP Affects Athletes and Labour Relations in Esports Read More »

The subject of Intellectual Property (IP) is an incredibly large one and it looms even larger in the wild and quickly evolving world of esports. In my previous blog – What Does IP Really Mean? And How Does It Affect EVERYTHING Esports? – I outlined the issues and concerns surrounding IP itself and where it sits in …

IP, Esports and Game Developers Read More »

The ECEsports Stakeholder Relationship Diamond is the framework that we have been using to understand the very quickly changing and ever-evolving world of esports. The relationships involved can be tenuous and difficult to navigate, to say the least. With the amount of money and reputations that are on the line, it’s easy to see the …

The Esport Athlete and IP Read More »

Once upon a time, it was the stuff of childhood dreams to play video games professionally. That dream is now a reality…but as with most dreams, the issues and complexities that accompany the dream’s realization are many…and growing. The rise of Esports over the past decade has made it possible for avid gamers to profit …

What Does IP Really Mean? And How Does It Affect EVERYTHING Esports? Read More »

As the esport industry matures, the relationship between these four main areas will become increasingly important: The Athletes, Game Developers, Labour Relations, IP.

Athletes put the time and hard-work into their craft, and they should be rewarded as a result. They shouldn’t have to fight with team owners over contracts or late payments.