This just got announced today by Blizz.
What do you guys think? I'm one part into it, one part against it because I feel like a lot of these features should be included in an in-game spectating client. However, all of the behind the scenes content is really something that I'm interested in. I love learning about their production since it's so nuts. Also, ad-free stream = a blessing
The feature is free for everybody until the 15th, so I'm curious to see how well they implement these ideas.
I'm against it, plain and simple, some of those options should be available to all, and for free.
But I'm not surprised by it, as I still believe that if OWL keeps growing in a couple of years (once the orignal deal with Twitch will reach its end) it will become pay to view for everyone.
Being specific, paying for in-game content (skins) is fine, for Twitch emotes is fine as well, what we should all get for freee is the meaty stuff:
a second-screen match-day livestream, featuring alternate in-game camera angles, backstage cameras, player POVs, and real-time stats.
A bit weird for them to launch it officially during season one, as the guys who buy into it will pay for only 1 stage + playoffs? Unless of course for a full season it will be more expensive (60-80 dollars?), which would make it even worse imo, but eh... money is money.
It could still be that $30 for Season 2 or it could be higher, but that's just still speculating. I highly doubt that OWL (or any other e-sports) would go into pay-to-view in near future, but who knows in 10 years or so. Unless viewership goes into millions for regular season matches that simply won't happen.
30 dollars (or 20 dollars with Twitch Prime) for full season doesn't sound too bad. Also getting some skins(3), spray and player icon into in-game and some stuff into Twitch, but well it's nothing that special other than being some cosmetic. If price would be higher for season 2 then there should be also more benefits for price.
Yeah I'm with you on this. It seems like they packed in the features that should be free in with the premium stuff. Like I get paying for an ad-free stream, special AMA's with players, special twitch emotes etc....
But for a second screen that tracks stats and show's alternate angles? I'm pretty sure that's just the standard for other e-sports viewing experiences (somebody can feel free to correct me here if I'm wrong) like in DOTA and LoL. It just feels kind of shitty for them to do that, especially when they need to be cultivating all of the good well they can with their audience, and actively working to bring in new viewers. One of the big barriers to entry for new watchers has been being confused and overwhelmed, and not being able to keep track of the game. these tools would help that out so much, and it seems backwards for them to lock it behind a paywall.
I really loved the DOTA 2 model tbh, you want me to pay to have access to those tools?
Fine then you make them directly accesible to me, give me the chance to watch matches in-game, with all the tools casters have at their disposal, but if you make me pay so that someone else can pick which POV to follow for me, or which stat to present me, then no thanks give those for free.
Oh and yes of course part of the money you pay to watch the tournaments goes into the prize pool for the players.
Thank god someone else understands. Being able to control the spectator camera yourself would be the ultimate experience. It would take less bandwidth. It would require a bit more development because you need a server system that streams game data to clients. Some bugtesting and programming would be needed but that's all.
However I don't see this happening. OWL is going well and they want to go the traditional sports way of having organized broadcasts with tailored content meant to hype up the viewers. Just look at the way ranked works. You get seasons and placements. Sure they can modify the ranking algorithm and they have before and placements can help make a transition to an adjusted system. But the main purpose to to get people hyped over the game. A serious ranking system like the ones used for chess would want to maintain as much accuracy as possible and avoid re-placing players. Because the ranking system works based on the notion that a large portion of the players are ranked accurately. Once you have inaccurate ranks then it compounds the process of the ranks sorting themselves out. The only real benefit of placements to serious players is that in diamond and masters people tend to play on their smurfs less after the ranks reset. Other than that its more of a disservice to serious players than anything.
They will and have taken the same approach with OWL. They will miss key areas where they could cater to the more serious crowd in favor of a mass targeted hype building approach. And they have no reason to do otherwise. Initial investments came primarily from outside. Blizzard's own risk is low and the approach is working. Viewer counts are slowly rising. Models for price profiling have easily been built into pre-developed systems like the skin system in overwatch and the standard video editing / twitch broadcasting techniques. Their model can easily adapt to the established sports broadcasting norm and that is what their investors likely want. The ego of esports becoming like real sports is the validation they want and so they will easily miss greatness where it could be different and better. At least for now.
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