Wonder Cow

Award-winning product innovator, writer & creator ✵ Making stuff in esports/gaming for decades ✵ Former Shoutcaster & Analyst ✵ ❤️ Pinball

[Wonder Cow @TheWonderCow]

After ~8 years away, I've made a foray back to Dota content! I'm challenging myself to answer questions I've always wanted answered. Starting with this one.

If you remember me, then you'll enjoy this excessively specific analysis of Hand of Midas.

https://t.co/xikWvLelJh

[Wonder Cow @TheWonderCow]

@D2BOWIE @XcaliburYe Was changed about 2 years ago, just flame guard. It wasn't hidden.

Here's the patch notes: https://t.co/XE8bmIUyYH

[Wonder Cow @TheWonderCow]

@dragondropdota I agree with you in principal, but I also think you underestimate the number of people for whom commentary is background noise.

There's also really cool applications for audio-based summaries of every game as a podcast or radio feed (which we did manually back in the day).

[Wonder Cow @TheWonderCow]

@solarrsystem FWIW, fiction writing is really difficult. Nobody is good at it when they start. Many scifi authors started as nonfiction authors and transitioned as they learned more about narrative, exposition and character.

If you still want to write fiction, there's many ways to get there!

[Wonder Cow @TheWonderCow]

@esportslaw Good conversations, I appreciate you putting up with my pleb-size character limits and your perspective.

I know it can be frustrating the have a conversation when you don't know when one side will be finished talking xD

[Wonder Cow @TheWonderCow]

@esportslaw All notable esports are closer to Tennis or Golf than they are to the NBA. Players in some sports are generally independent, managing their own affairs and competing of their own accord.

There's indication that golf will subdivide into player-controlling orgs as it matures.

[Wonder Cow @TheWonderCow]

@esportslaw This means teams, in the NBA, are not competing directly players (for a variety of reasons, which is where the mixing-matching comes in -- Twitter not the best for delicate organization).

Esports teams are and always will be in direct market competition with indie players.

[Wonder Cow @TheWonderCow]

@esportslaw And, more importantly, you'll never need any of that to go and make gaming content, professional or amateur.

In gaming, there's no way to stop a player from participating in the content market fully independently of a team. There's no equivalent to that in sports.

[Wonder Cow @TheWonderCow]

@esportslaw That's not true, it's a matter of fact. Sports are physical games. You need high-quality arenas to play in, you need players to travel, you need large gyms for physical training.

You don't need any of that in esports. It can be an edge, but none of it is necessary.

[Wonder Cow @TheWonderCow]

@esportslaw In other words, the team brings more relative value to the relationship in the NBA. Players need teams in sports.

No matter how big an NBA star gets, they need an NBA team to play professional ball. For esports, that's not true.

[Wonder Cow @TheWonderCow]

@esportslaw A YouTube channel from a basketball star is not the same thing as one from a Dota player.

The Dota player is able to go to market with the exact same product with or without a team. For the most part, the basketball star can only be a basketball star if they are on an NBA team.

[Wonder Cow @TheWonderCow]

@esportslaw I don't see how one reliably scales a business where the brand's primary draw is always threatening to directly compete with the brand itself.

They can definitely be successful, but the cost to grow & sustain an esports brand seems like it'll always stay high relative to sports.

[Wonder Cow @TheWonderCow]

@esportslaw For example, there was no risk of Kobe Bryant leaving the NBA to play basketball independently.

That will always be a risk for orgs trying to staff up with players. There are some limited spaces (like LoL) where franchising reduces this, but it never goes away.

[Wonder Cow @TheWonderCow]

@esportslaw So, in the NBA (or equivalent league), players need orgs to get going.

Compare to gaming, where orgs will always need to offer a player more in value than the player can make on their own. That means high-value gamers get inflated very quickly, and it undermines the org's growth

[Wonder Cow @TheWonderCow]

@esportslaw Compare to esports, where you basically need some talent, a little luck, and a computer or mobile phone.

Many more gamers build brand with their personal professional or recreational play than those who get their brand from an organization.

Sorry, this is almost the last one...