Why we need inter-provincials in eSports

2014 Protea eSports Team for DotA 2

As Desmond Kurz stated:

"The greater media (Supersport, SABC, eTV, Sunday Times, etc.) does not understand

Clans and Guilds and concepts like that. Take it from me, I have tried. However, they do understand the concept of Western Province and Protea teams because it falls into their frame of reference. So, its much easier to get exposure for gamers when they are part of a Protea Team or Provincial Team. Ok, so this is why a gamer should care:

The more media coverage, the more the players involved can become known to the "non-gaming" audience and the more noticed they are by potential local sponsors. These gamers become known, go back to their clan or guild with a degree of fame that then makes the clans more attractive to potential local sponsors.

I saw this happen with the Cape Town vs Gauteng (North vs South) event last year - we had 5 TV crews covering the event including SABC Sports who aired the segment in the sports section of the main news bulletin at 8pm. When last did a competitive gaming event get that coverage? It really was an experiment to see if we could get gamers that coverage if we packaged the event in a way they (the media) could understand...and it seemingly worked.

I know we can already compete in overseas events, this is true and we will get international coverage which will translate back to sponsor interest but I think that's a longer process that what I have described above (hard to feature in competitions overly subscribed with properly salaried professional teams when we are not yet at that level) .

Does this make sense or is my logic flawed?"

From what Desmond has to say, just another thing MSSA is getting right!

SA clans fail the SA professional eSports gamer

In South Africa, at the moment, practically every gamer who plays eSports claims to be a professional gamer.

What we already know is that South Africa has few, if any professional gamers,

But why?

Gamers immediately blame competition organizers for not providing enough prize monies. However, it is not prize-money that makes a professional gamer.

What does make a professional gamer is nothing more, or less, than a salary.

Looking at the clans in South Africa there does not seem to be a single clan that has made any real effort to become a viable business that employs their gamers as employees in order to play for them.

Sure there are the clans (or MMO's) that accept all sorts of freebies to make their members feel like they are getting something worthwhile.

But are they getting anything worthwhile?

In my opinion they are not!

It is all just 'smoke and mirrors'.

The freebies, hardware and other gifts do not put food on the table.

Nor do the gamers get the same benefits as other employees do under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.

Without healthcare, fixed vacations, and a salary that at least meets the minimum wage criteria, gamers are not, nor will they ever be, professional gamers.

Gamers must therefore stop deluding themselves to be professional gamers when the clans that they play for fall so far short themselves.

When the gamers stop deluding themselves, the gamers will be able on putting pressure on their clans to 'pull finger' and start delivering.

Until then, gaming in South Africa will only be of an amateur status, and those that enter the DGL for their prizes and prize-money will continue to be part of a great delusion wherein clan owners do nothing for their gamers from a professional point of view.