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EA wants a slice of the eSports pie

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Esports

eSports is becoming increasingly popular. According to recent research by Superdata, 71 million people’s eyeballs were transfixed on eSports last year, and it’s something evidenced by the fact that tickets for this year’s Valve-sanctioned Dota fest, The International, sold out within an hour. It could become quite a bit more lucrative – so it makes sense that EA wants in on the eSports action.

“When we’ve just come off franchise reviews I looked at a number of properties that we’re doing that certainly have an eSports focus to it,” EA boss Andrew Wilson told Red Bull, who sponsor a number of eSports events, and whose product keeps many gamers from experience that blissful thing we call sleep.

“As a company, we believe this is something that’s going to continue to grow. We have some ready-made franchises for this in our sports properties, but we also have a number of other franchises that people may not typically think about as eSports opportunities, but we think there might be an opportunity in the future, so it’s something that you’re going to see more of from us.”

So they want to go at eSports, but go beyond the obvious. EA’s set to release its own MOBA, Waystone games developed Dawngate soon – though I doubt it will have much of an impact on Dota and League of Legends’ install bases. It’s all about creating your own champion, instead of using pre-defined heroes.

And of course, the obvious candidate for eSportification is the Battlefield series. Call of Duty’s made a fair number of changes to make it more suitable for the larger eSports arena, and I don’t see why Battlefield couldn’t muscle its way in. Of course, FIFA could be used more.

Interestingly, the now cancelled Command and Conquer was built from the ground up to be eSports focused, though that obviously didn’t work quite as well as planned.

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Last Updated: April 11, 2014

49 Comments

  1. UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy

    April 11, 2014 at 13:32

    As much as I think it will be interesting to play and see what they have done, I don’t think it will come anywhere close to beating or even challenging DOTA2.

    Reply

    • Grant [_G_] Hancock

      April 11, 2014 at 13:34

      Amen brother man !

      Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      April 11, 2014 at 13:47

      I played DOTA2. Twice. It’s a very deep game and the rounds take forever and I can see why people like it. One day if I have time I might actually get more invested

      Reply

      • UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy

        April 11, 2014 at 13:51

        This is something I will easily admit is that DOTA2 is an insane amount of information alone… Not even taking into account the “instinct” you start getting with experience.

        I would be more than happy to couch you a little if you ever wanted to. Just know that in the beginning you will feel pretty stupid xD As we all did.

        I was lucky/unlucky enough to be unemployed for a 5 month period at one point in I think about 2005? where I woke up, played DOTA, eat and sleep. That is where I got past that issue where you need to learn.

        Awesome game and as an eSport is it EPIC to watch! I love it!

        Reply

        • Kromas

          April 11, 2014 at 13:55

          I used too round of my week by watching dota fails of the week.But then it stopped about 7 month ago.

          Reply

          • UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy

            April 11, 2014 at 13:56

            lol! I tend to watch VODs when I get bored. I knew I was beyond saving when I started watching DOTA when not playing it xD

          • Kromas

            April 11, 2014 at 13:59

            Back when I was addicted to WoW I used to spend my “offline” time watching WoW vids. 😛

        • Kensei Seraph

          April 11, 2014 at 13:58

          • UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy

            April 11, 2014 at 14:00

            Hhahahaha! FFS I mess that up all the time! 😛

          • Kensei Seraph

            April 11, 2014 at 14:12

            At least he’ll be comfy.

      • Mossel

        April 11, 2014 at 14:20

        That is my feeling towards dota aswell. I just dont have 40min to play one match. That’s why I prefer CS, CoD and Loadout. I can jame one or two matches in 20 minutes.

        Reply

  2. Alien Emperor Trevor

    April 11, 2014 at 13:36

    Which says to me, more online-only games.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      April 11, 2014 at 13:46

      They have offline games?

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        April 11, 2014 at 13:48

        Yes, their GOG releases. 😉

        Reply

        • Kensei Seraph

          April 11, 2014 at 13:49

          Ouch.

          Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          April 11, 2014 at 14:27

          XD

          Reply

      • Kensei Seraph

        April 11, 2014 at 13:49

        Isn’t Sim City offline now?

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          April 11, 2014 at 14:04

          Oh yeah, so that’s one

          Reply

  3. Alien Emperor Trevor

    April 11, 2014 at 13:46

    They’d have to make something different to be really successful, can’t just clone something else. That’s why I think half these upcoming MOBAs are cash-ins waiting to fail.

    Reply

    • El Capitan del Blade

      April 11, 2014 at 14:12

      Well, SMITE looks fun, with the whole 3rd person perspective thing… and being able to run around as Loki or Anubis…..

      Reply

  4. Hammersteyn

    April 11, 2014 at 13:48

    Warfighter is getting a sequel. Calling it now.

    Reply

    • Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim

      April 11, 2014 at 13:52

      FoodEater. Hmmm. lunchtime.

      Reply

      • Rince Striving Abomination

        April 11, 2014 at 14:09

        At 2?!

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          April 11, 2014 at 14:11

          7:00am – Breakfast
          9:00am – Second Breakfast
          11:00am – Elevenses
          2:00pm – Luncheon
          4:00pm – Afternoon Tea
          6:00pm – Dinner
          8:00pm – Supper

          Reply

          • Rince Striving Abomination

            April 11, 2014 at 14:12

            No, what I meant was Gavin allows them to have LUNCH?! For fucksake, what kind of ship is he running?! Next he’ll let Daryl roam about the garden!

          • Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim

            April 11, 2014 at 14:13

            I actually usually take lunch at 4pm. 🙁

          • Rince Striving Abomination

            April 11, 2014 at 14:14

            Damn bro. I should send you some dumplings, wiz at making them.

          • Hammersteyn

            April 11, 2014 at 14:13

            He eats the same time as hobbits

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            April 11, 2014 at 14:41

            That’s not a bad idea actually. Some kind of garden security gnome.

          • Rince Striving Abomination

            April 11, 2014 at 14:55

            His attack? To wheeze at them?

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            April 11, 2014 at 15:09

            Sure it’s not very impressive now, but wait until he has his mega-evolution & puts on the Batman mask.

          • Rince Striving Abomination

            April 11, 2014 at 15:12

            Well, if his Batman mask comes out I assume his suit does. In which case wheeze attack turns to sweat-all-over-you attach? Indeed that is a mighty evolution!

          • Kromas

            April 11, 2014 at 14:37

            00:00AM Midnight snack.

          • Hammersteyn

            April 11, 2014 at 14:59

            XD

  5. Umar's Sin

    April 11, 2014 at 14:00

    Could seriously do with a pepper steak pie right about now

    Reply

  6. El Capitan del Blade

    April 11, 2014 at 14:11

    Wait, aren’t there already too many e-sports ready MOBA’s ? I mean, with so many millions of people playing LOL and DOTA 2, will they switch to Dawngate?

    It seems a bit late for EA to jump on into the E-sportsez….

    Reply

    • Kensei Seraph

      April 11, 2014 at 14:13

      What’s this Dawngate thing that you speak of?

      Reply

      • El Capitan del Blade

        April 11, 2014 at 14:32

        IT’s that thing in that there video somewhere above…. you know, that DOTA clone….

        Reply

  7. Rince Striving Abomination

    April 11, 2014 at 14:18

    I loved C&C, can’t believe they let it die 🙁

    Reply

  8. Dean

    April 11, 2014 at 14:21

    Well, Dawngate has a Teemo and a Zeus, so they got that going for them which is nice.

    Reply

  9. El Capitan del Blade

    April 11, 2014 at 14:33

    EA’s business Strategy now:

    Phase 1 : Release MOBA game for e-sports
    Phase 2: ????
    Phase 3: Profit

    Reply

    • HvR

      April 11, 2014 at 14:34

      Phase: 0.9 Copy game

      Reply

    • Kromas

      April 11, 2014 at 14:39

      Phase 4 DLC
      Phase 5: Delay DLC while fix is “In progress”
      Phase 6: Launch DLC anyways since “Fix” did nothing.
      Phase 7: Launch more DLC to confuse consumer
      Phase 8: More profit.

      Reply

      • HvR

        April 11, 2014 at 14:45

        There is DRM phase or always online phase missing

        Reply

        • Kromas

          April 11, 2014 at 14:50

          EA phases are too difficult to properly set up. I mean look at Valve.

          Phase 1: Release F2P game with no noticable bugs
          Phase 2: Sell Hats
          Phase 3: Profit and Brand Loyalty.

          Reply

  10. JustAnotherGamer

    April 11, 2014 at 14:36

    then they need to stop releasing broken games.

    Reply

  11. Robert Hart

    April 11, 2014 at 14:55

    2011: EA says it is focusing on eSport with bf3
    2012: EA says MOH will be big esport focus.
    2013: EA says Bf4 has big esport focus.
    2014: EA says it wants to focus on esport.

    Apparently we have such short memory, because every year they can say the same thing and we believe them every time.

    Reply

  12. B4d R0b0t

    April 14, 2014 at 10:47

    Pay to create team on Origin
    Pay to enter event
    Pay for team logos on skins
    Pay for eSports maps
    Pay to view game streams

    Reply

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