esports posts

Even though eSports isn't nearly as huge here in the US as it is in South Korea, it's clear that developer Blizzard gets a lot of money from the sales of their games in that country where eSports is a major entertainment business. This past week Blizzard signed a new deal with Korean-based GomTV to broadcast tournaments that use all of Blizzard's games, including the upcoming StarCraft II, for the next three years.

Current broadcast arrangements are apparently set to expire in August, according to web site Team Liquid (who has translated Korean-based news reports on the subject). It also has a message from Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime who said that previous arrangements with Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) had collapsed over issues of intellectual property rights. However it looks like KeSPA sees things differently. Team Liquid reports that in response to the Blizzard-GomTV deal, KeSPA believes Blizzard has over-stretched its rights over using their games in eSports event, saying, "Car Companies do not ask for usage fees from racing car contests."

World of Warcraft's Arena Tournament launched on March 31, 2008, letting players immediately create level 70 characters and equip them with high level skills and epic armor. Competitors from around the world battle for up to $200,000 in cash prizes. At the same time, the Arena Tournament underscores Blizzard's intentions of using WoW's PvP gameplay as a type of eSport. WoW rose to become the most popular MMO in the world primarily because of its PvE content, and using its PvP for eSports marked a sharp turn in the game's focus. We catch up with WoW's Lead Designer, Tom Chilton, Paul Della Bitta (Senior Manager, Global Community and eSports) and Joong Kim (eSports Manager) to get the inside story about balancing PvP and PvE gameplay and what players can expect to from the future of Azeroth.