Chapter 339: Looking Toward the Future
Bai Shunhua led Chen Mo further inside, introducing each division as they passed.
"The RPG games include the 'Moon Goddess's Oracle,' 'Sword Legend,' and 'Righteous Slash Three Kingdoms' divisions. The personnel in this area are less fixed because these aren't pure competitive games; they also involve things like farming equipment and participating in events."
"Then there are the RTS games. Currently, we have two divisions: 'Warcraft' and 'Legion Conquest.' 'Warcraft' is doing okay, but 'Legion Conquest' has very low popularity domestically now, so we're considering canceling that division."
"This is the training room for the 'Warcraft' division. President Chen, you might find this interesting, right?"
Chen Mo looked around.
The MG eSports Club seemed to treat everyone fairly, allocating a training room of the same size to the 'Warcraft' division. However, this room could seat fourteen people, yet there were only three players for 'Warcraft.'
The entire training room felt a bit empty.
Bai Shunhua explained, "Since 'Warcraft' is mainly focused on individual competition, we only need to scout for talented star players. We don't have to form a five-person team like with FPS games."
Chen Mo nodded, indicating he understood.
Bai Shunhua then took Chen Mo to see a few other places before finally returning to the meeting room.
"That's about it. Is there anything else you'd like to know, President Chen?" Bai Shunhua asked.
Chen Mo nodded. "Yes, I've basically got a good understanding now."
Bai Shunhua poured a cup of hot water from the nearby dispenser and handed it to Chen Mo. "President Chen, earlier you mentioned wanting to discuss the development of eSports. What specifically did you want to talk about?"
Chen Mo thought for a moment, considering where to start.
"Manager Bai, does the MG eSports Club have any plans to form a 'League of Legends' division?"
Bai Shunhua smiled. "Of course we do, President Chen. 'League of Legends,' as a very fair competitive game, has only been online for less than three months, and its popularity domestically is already rivaling or even surpassing 'Warcraft.' How could we possibly ignore such a critical area?"
"We plan to scout for some promising ladder players by next month at the latest—at least those at the King level—to come to the base for trials. As for officially forming a team, that might be delayed a bit further. We should be able to assemble a team by around June and start participating in some small tournaments."
Chen Mo nodded. "Good. Regarding the eSports model for 'League of Legends,' I have an idea. I hope that major clubs can work together to establish a long-term league system, similar to traditional sports."
Bai Shunhua was taken aback. "Long-term league? President Chen, what do you mean?"
Chen Mo said, "Manager Bai, imagine this scenario."
"Ten domestic clubs form ten first-tier teams and establish a long-term league mechanism. The league will have a Spring Split and a Summer Split, each with a regular season and playoffs. The playoffs will determine the champion."
"Based on the points from the Spring and Summer Splits, three teams will be selected to compete in the World Finals."
"In a large stadium, with tens of thousands of spectators cheering, the two best teams in the world will vie for the highest honor of the year—the World Championship trophy and a prize of several million US dollars."
"Major streaming platforms and even traditional media will provide full live coverage and follow-up reports on this eSports feast. At that time, tens of millions of viewers worldwide will watch through broadcasts."
"Manager Bai, can you imagine what that scene would look like?"
Bai Shunhua was stunned. Chen Mo's words hit him like a wave, leaving him a bit dazed.
Bai Shunhua even had a strange feeling, as if he were a fresh graduate entering the workplace, encountering a boss who was very good at feeding motivational speeches and painting rosy pictures, completely sweeping him up in a vision of the future.
However, as an eSports club manager, Bai Shunhua was very familiar with the domestic and international eSports landscape, so he quickly snapped back to reality.
He cleared his throat twice and said, "President Chen, that is indeed a beautiful picture, and I agree that the eSports industry is a sunrise industry. It might one day reach the heights of traditional sports. But given the current state of eSports development in our country, the scenario you're describing might take another decade or so to achieve."
"It's not that the technology isn't there; it's mainly an issue of influence. Right now, in the gaming world—or rather, the entire global gaming scene—there isn't a single competitive game as globally popular as soccer or basketball. MMORPGs have more players, but they lack competitive depth."
"Ultimately, it comes down to the number of players. If there aren't enough players, there won't be an audience. Hosting such tournaments would be a loss-making venture just for publicity. Losing several hundred million each time—even someone with your wealth, President Chen, probably couldn't sustain that."
"As you mentioned, having tens of millions of viewers means the game's player base would need to reach at least the 'hundreds of millions' level. From where we stand now... that's too fantastical."
Chen Mo smiled. Indeed, given the current state of eSports development in this world, it wasn't hard for them to understand his concept, but it was extremely difficult for them to believe it.
In Chen Mo's previous life, the 'League of Legends' Season 1 World Finals went largely unnoticed. By Season 2, over 8 million viewers watched via the internet and television. By Season 3, that number had skyrocketed to 32 million.
Indeed, if someone had told you during Season 1 that in two years, 30 million people would watch an eSports match held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, you'd probably think they were full of it.
Chen Mo didn't plan to explain too much. He simply said, "Manager Bai, sometimes we need to take a longer view. 'League of Legends' will develop faster and faster. That day may come much sooner than we think."
"However, the first step is to establish a long-term mechanism domestically, which requires the support of all major clubs. After all, a league with only an audience and no players won't work. I need the clubs to build a comprehensive system for talent scouting, development, and trading. This will require your cooperation, Manager Bai, as well as that of the other managers."
Bai Shunhua nodded. "No problem, President Chen. In fact, this is something the MG Club has been working on. But in the past, game developers didn't care about these matters, and there was no unified manager among the clubs, so it's been quite chaotic. If you're willing to put effort into this, I believe other clubs will be happy to cooperate with you."
Chen Mo nodded. "That's best. Please pass this on to the other club managers: the initial ten teams for the league haven't been fully decided yet. Which ten clubs are chosen will depend on their performance."
"Oh, and tell them this: this opportunity might seem like a freebie now, but if they miss it, they'll regret it for a long time."