As looking at the natural disasters occurring around the world, it strikes me how fine situation I am facing, what I despond of the current position for, and if the situation itself that I can try at least is the happiness. Wouldn’t it be the right thing to look for if there is anything left for trial, before we whine for being stuck in the trials of life? We may need to rather have another hope than regrets when we trip on a hurdle of the life, even at the end of our best shot.
Now, I’d like to take a short to reflect what I have in my hands as the secretary general of IeSF. There are, not sufficient enough though, fiscal supports from the government and the presidential company. I have experiences in this field accumulated for the past 10 years, and friends and colleagues from in and out of the country who listen to my words. Also, there are universities interested in cultivating human resources, a broadcasting company well disposed to us, and game publishers who would like to support us for good. When considering all these attention and supports, I may need to count my blessings and stop complaining.
Rethink one by one as going back to the time when there was no infrastructure of e-sports. Wipe out all of the useless agonies, anxieties, and regrets. Imagine if it is empty hands as releasing all the worthless interests. And I ask myself if I really did my best or selected right devices in the given circumstance. I reflect myself if this is just my own desperation after only few times trial. Now, my reflection brings me back to my first intention. What are the people’s expectations on me regarding e-sports? What are my duties and specialties to meet these expectations?
To talk about the relationship between e-sports and myself, I should go back to end of 90’s. In fact, when I first met e-sports, I was a bit aloof on it, because I had been more like general sports oriented person with less interest in gaming. Preferably than gaming itself, I was just fascinated by somewhat nonsense vision,
which we could organize international game tournament for the very first time in the world, or could establish an international organization such as IOC. I remember that the pride and sense of duty as a pioneer somehow attracted me as well. To me at the time, it was not an important matter whether e-sports have the potential to grow up as a sound industry. I just felt good with that I could dream cool and challenge drastic. Moreover, the promise of companies triggered my decision, which would support a good sum of sponsorship with considerable interest in this unfamiliar field.
It went pretty well at the beginning. It was the world’s first attempt and unique, but, for last 10 years, it has ended up with the current crisis as it met the limitation of profitability and creating human resources. In those days, I somehow overlooked the fact that sustainability may get threatened when fails to secure long term profitability and fine human resources, howsoever the idea was unique and attractive.
Thus, for the better future of e-sports, I deeply contemplate these two missions. First of all, since e-sports have several aspects differed from general sports do, e-sports organizations should arm themselves with more business oriented mind than other sports organizations do in order to position themselves as reputable sports organizations. Also, they need to design and create things for ROI with dedicated attitude getting rid of dictatorial behaviors.
Even a moral obligation clearly justified works only when there is fundamental demand. We need to realize that anything is worthless unless there are needs of consumers. For realization of sports-wise of e-sports, even if it is hard to establish a commercial basis, yet we should practically consider transforming the system to business-friendly, which would satisfy ROI of stakeholders or consumers’ needs. Whichever we take for a direction to transform, I think we need to listen earnestly to developers, publishers and sponsors’ voices. Although we have to take hardship, transformation is essential.
Secondly, it may take time, yet development of high skilled human resources must be resolved with answers. As the saying, ‘garbage in, garbage out’ states, a field can sustain longer in the market when best products are derived by best manpower. This is truly not to denigrate current professions in the field, yet this industry should be led by more professionals who have studied deeply and dedicated to the field intensively.
I believe that there is a way, for sure, where there is a will, with the best shot. Of course, it may be beyond one with a lone hand, yet, wouldn’t it be possible if all the parties and colleagues in this field found a kindred spirit?
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