Thoughts on ESL picking up Halo instead of MLG?

[MLGYOLOCULAN]

I'm completely biased but I can't stand MLG as a company. From dropping pretty much every major game besides COD to making everyone stream on MLG.tv only. ESL has always done amazing events for countless E-Sport titles from CS GO to Starcraft to Dota 2. What do you guys think about the chances of ESL picking up Halo instead of MLG?   

[TheRealCanadier]

No reason not to be excited about them picking up Halo so far with what they are doing, or what they have done with other games.

[Brutality]

It's not that they picked up Halo that's exciting. It's that they're partnering with 343.

 

#DevSupport

[Hitman]

Hard to really tell which gaming league would benefit Halo the most in the long-term if Halo e-sports really comes back, but MLG couldn't "carry" Halo like they used to any-ways with their much less frequency of LAN events. I am uncertain on whether ESL will be better because I dont know if they and 343 have a long-term plan worked out or what their plans for the future is. MLG obviously has a pretty huge edge on ESL in terms of marketing to the competitive console audience and I do love Puckett and the boys there, but ESL could be better in the long-term if they are serious about being part of the rebuilding process for Halo e-sports.

[zZunair]

i dislike how mlg works these days.  the mlg.tv site being one of the main reasons I dislike the company.

 

So many ads...so many

[LimeSoda]

MLG doesn't make you stream on their platform--even if you sign a contract with them. If you do not sign a contract, you simply can't stream their content (online tournaments) on other platforms, though, which is detrimental.. for all that leaves players to stream is pubs/scrims which isn't any fun to watch.

 

Overall I am simply excited for any company to host Halo events. 

[MLGYOLOCULAN]

MLG doesn't make you stream on their platform--even if you sign a contract with them. If you do not sign a contract, you simply can't stream their content (online tournaments) on other platforms, though, which is detrimental.. for all that leaves players to stream is pubs/scrims which isn't any fun to watch.

 

Which is pretty stupid. No other company forces you to stream their tourneys on their site instead of Twitch.

[Proto]

Just to clarify - MLG doesn't drop "drop" games left and right like many people like to believe. MLG is a business. Businesses have to make money to survive. If MLG is not making money from games they put on the pro circuit, they can't continue to host those games. Simple as that. However, I do think MLG focusing so much on CoD right now and then trying to bring in other games for 1 large event per year is not the way to go and it doesn't add anything to having 1 large event per year. It's sad to see that is how MLG chooses to run but again - business is business - I would just like to see them go back to what they became famous and known for: a season of events across the country with multiple games at each event. 

 

As for ESL, I fully expect nothing but excellence from them and it is very exciting to see how involved they already are with Halo before the MCC has even been released. Hokum said it best earlier on Bomb Planted - everyone at ESL works together as a well oiled machine. They run events better than almost anyone out there. They spare no expenses whatsoever and the people running ESL truly know eSports. It is why their events - no matter the game - are incredible. 

 

Going into the release of the MCC and forward into 2015, we need to support all the legitimate tournaments out there. Whether it be ESL, MLG, UMG, whoever. If it is a good tournament run by good people - watch it, support it, tell your friends - do whatever you have to to support the event. The Halo hype experienced this week has brought back feelings of the glory days for many people, myself included. We need to not waste the opportunities we could be given and really get the ball rolling when the MCC releases. 

[LimeSoda]

 

Which is pretty stupid. No other company forces you to stream their tourneys on their site.

What is another company that has their own streaming platform and hosts their own tournaments

[MLGYOLOCULAN]

Just to clarify - MLG doesn't drop "drop" games left and right like many people like to believe. MLG is a business. Business have to make money to survive. If MLG is not making money from games they put on the pro circuit, they can't continue to host those games. Simple as that. However, I do think MLG focusing so much on CoD right now and then trying to bring in other games for 1 large event per year is not the way to go and it doesn't add anything to having 1 large event per year. It's sad to see that is how MLG chooses to run but again - business is business - I would just like to see them go back to what they became famous and known for: a season of events across the country with multiple games at each event. 

 

Yeah, I do understand they are business and have to make money. To me though, they just seem to be 100% focused on money and hardly pay attention to what the fans that got them there want. Seems like a lot of people dislike what their doing with their website/ads yet they haven't changed or even seem to acknowledge it. If they really want money why aren't trying to get more Dota 2 or Hearthstone tourneys? I will give them props for supporting the Fighting game community.

[MLGYOLOCULAN]

What is another company that has their own streaming platform and hosts their own tournaments

No one cuz it's stupid Actually, the only one I can think of is azubu.tv for Starcraft. I know what you mean though. I will say it's great that Twitch has competition but I feel they could really improve their company/website by listening to the community and not following the "our way or the highway" mentality. They already offer a higher CPM then twitch why do they still need to implement this exclusive streaming rights rule?

[LimeSoda]

No one cuz it's stupid Actually, the only one I can think of is azubu.tv for Starcraft. I know what you mean though. I will say it's great that Twitch has competition but I feel they could really improve their company/website by listening to the community and not following the "our way or the highway" mentality. They already offer a higher CPM then twitch why do they still need to implement this exclusive streaming rights rule?

I know you acknowledged they're a business and etc, but once again it's not stupid in their eyes as they're making bank from MLG.TV. Also, the players control when to play ads during the streams, not MLG, although MLG could enforce a set # of ads the streamer has to play over a set amount of time.. but I don't think that's the case--I'll look into it (I forgot to mention that a forced ad by MLG plays when you first open a stream). At MLG tournaments (which happens not often now) they are loaded with ads, which is annoying. People not being able to stream their tourneys on Twitch is a bit tricky and I'm not sure what to think (they clearly have the legal right to do so but it doesn't help the growth of eSports). But they have it to make even more money, obviously. 

 

Overall I agree & I'm not necessarily defending MLG im just saying how it is. They're certainly very money hungry. I suppose I am simply not as bothered as 1.) I have ad block, so I don't watch any ads, and 2.) everyone I watch is already contracted with MLG.TV so I'm not missing my favorite streamer playing in an online tournament. The biggest problem with MLG.TV is the rebroadcasts, most definitely. 

[WARGOD]

MLG's business model is based on developers making competitive games.

 

Game developers since 2005 have decided to make games with lower skill curves to appease the main stream casual gamers, sell more copies, etc.

 

These 2 business models were like mixing oil and water.

 

343 has now changed the game by making a fresh halo CE and halo 2, with talks of making halo 5 more competitive in nature. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the competitive console landscape.

[MATCLAN]

I'm excited by it. There's hasn't been an ESL event for any game that I've watched that I've ever been disappointed by. Onward and upward for Halo, hopefully!

[Andy]

Never compare your ex to potential partners. New experiences, new opportunities, a new adventure. 

[Theory]

MLG

 

I'm good with ESL and UMG :weback: :weback:

[Lux]

I don't like the culture that seems to surround MLG. This might be good for the general mentality of the community.

[L0RCH]

I'm really confused, are we still in 07 where every top pro had an exclusive contract with one tournament organizer?

ESL working with 343 (like they do with Blizzard AND Riot) does not have anything to do with MLG's involvement. In pretty much every other eSport there are several tournament organizers (even in LoL where Riot tries to alienate everyone else) and I see no reason why that should be any different for Halo. MLG can still pick it up and run tournaments. Given that 343 chose Twitch over MLG.tv it is only logical to me that they'd run their tournaments with a different partner. MLG can still run as many Halo tournaments as they wish, it's not like ESL has an exclusive contract on being able to do Halo tournaments.

[Sam]

it's not like ESL has an exclusive contract on being able to do Halo tournaments.

We don't know that tbh.

[Ethereal Nights]

I don't care who hosts Halo events as long as they do a good job.

[Animosity]

Anyone who picks up halo is cool in my eyes.

[Spartan0S36]

I'm glad the competitive community is given a chance to further influence Halo 5's development for the better, skepticism or not.

[Antidope]

Couldn't care less as long as they do it right

[L0RCH]

We don't know that tbh.

 

UMG is still allowed to do their event in January, should be proof enough. ESL might have exclusive rights on hosting events for 343i, but they are sure as hell not the only company allowed to run halo events. Despite what Riot has made the modern eSport world believe, tournaments work perfectly fine without dev support.

[Vetoed]

Well I do know that it's a good thing not to count on a company that dropped us just as Reach had improved at least by 200%, and decided countless times to piss everyone off by picking piss poor gametypes when superior ones were available. That's over the course of multiple games too.

Believe it or not, but MLG is not the future for Halo. Especially with how non-competitive players associate the terms with self-entitled and condescending assholes. This will be good to bridge the gap between communities.