Todd Harris, the Chief Operating Officer (a kind of manager) behind SMITE spoke in an interview with gamesindustry about eSports and the role players take there.
Making Money with Players – and for Them.
According to Harris, one must never lose sight of the fact that the players themselves bring the excitement and the content that make up such a championship. Without the talented and dedicated players, the individual games would be just a hollow shell. They might be fun, but they are not suitable for large events. If one wants to capitalize on this enthusiasm, then players must be involved – because most professionals do not play for fun, but to make a living out of it.
SMITE has taken a pioneering role here. There are thematic skins for some gods in the game that feature the logo of their favorite team. When players choose to purchase such a skin, the teams receive a certain percentage of the profit.
Stories Behind the Players
Harris is confident that many are interested in the stories behind the players. Because people are more than just avatars hiding behind a pseudonym. He draws comparisons to the Olympic Games and mentions that he often only watches because he is interested in the athletes’ pasts.
For the near future, he sees an increase in console eSports. Until now, there has only been Call of Duty, but the number of different genres is increasing. “Both console manufacturers (Sony and Microsoft) have become significantly more flexible when it comes to developers wanting to provide regular updates for their games.”
Whether Harris is correct with this prediction will be revealed in the future.
