Chapter 356: Ticket Sales
September.
In the fourth-floor experience center, inside Chen Mo’s own studio.
Sitting across from him was a slightly overweight middle-aged man who looked under forty. This was Zhang Kaiwen, the chairman of Yanhuang.
Zhang Kaiwen had come to the imperial capital this time for two reasons: first, to see how the "League of Legends" matches would look in holographic projection, and second, to discuss some specific details about the finals with Chen Mo.
Regarding the ticket prices for this finals event, Zhang Kaiwen and Chen Mo had some differences of opinion.
Based on Yanhuang’s previous experience hosting esports competitions, ticket prices were generally set between 100 and 300 yuan, with 150 yuan being the middle ground.
However, because the venue rental costs for this event were extremely high, and various equipment and investments were substantial, following this pricing model might result in a loss.
Of course, Zhang Kaiwen knew that Chen Mo planned to turn the "League of Legends" competition into a series—a long-term goal. So his suggestion was to take a slight loss on this world championship, set lower prices to boost popularity, and use it as a promotional tool.
But Chen Mo insisted on setting ticket prices between 100 and 580 yuan. For the front-row seats in particular, where spectators could clearly see the big screen and holographic projections, and even make out the players’ facial expressions, Chen Mo felt that 580 yuan wasn’t expensive at all.
Zhang Kaiwen hesitated slightly. "Mr. Chen, I think your pricing is a bit too high. Right now, there simply aren’t that many esports spectators in the country. Based on our past experience, even 300 yuan for front-row seats was already a bit pricey. After all, in traditional sports—like some basketball games—front-row tickets sell for 200 to 300 yuan. Esports is still too niche. This pricing..."
Chen Mo smiled. "Mr. Zhang, this is the 'League of Legends' World Championship. It only happens once a year, and this is the first season. To be honest, I think this price is too cheap. I wouldn’t be surprised if future finals tickets get scalped for two or three thousand yuan, let alone just 580."
Zhang Kaiwen still looked uncertain. "But Mr. Chen, you also need to consider the number of spectators..."
Chen Mo said, "Right now, the global player base for 'League of Legends' is about to surpass 7 million. That scale far exceeds all previous competitive games, including 'Warcraft III.' They’re not even in the same league. Moreover, 'League of Legends' gameplay is different from first-person games. Its third-person perspective is perfect for spectating, and the visual effects of the matches far surpass any other game."
"Also, this global championship will feature a series of linked events, like giving away skins with ticket purchases, team-exclusive icons, limited-edition figurines, and so on. In reality, the commemorative value of this ticket is huge. There’s no need to worry about people not buying it."
"Setting the highest price at 580 yuan is already very cheap."
Zhang Kaiwen still hesitated.
Chen Mo smiled again. "Mr. Zhang, I understand the current popularity of 'League of Legends' far better than you do. So don’t overthink it. Just follow my pricing."
Zhang Kaiwen thought it over carefully and realized he didn’t really have any other strong arguments to counter Chen Mo. So he could only nod and accept Chen Mo’s proposal.
"Alright, then the ticket prices will be set at 100 to 580 yuan. I’ll contact the relevant ticketing companies. As for the promotional methods for this event, besides the standard advertising, do you have any other good ideas, Mr. Chen?" Zhang Kaiwen asked.
"It’s fine. You at Yanhuang can just use the standard promotional methods. I’ll handle the rest." Chen Mo thought for a moment and then added, "Also, remember to use electronic tickets. Spectators should enter by scanning their ID cards."
Zhang Kaiwen was taken aback. "Electronic tickets? The system for electronic tickets costs a lot more."
Chen Mo nodded. "Yes, even if it’s expensive, we need electronic tickets. To prevent scalpers."
Zhang Kaiwen hesitated. "Mr. Chen, would scalpers really target an esports competition? Based on our past experience hosting events, even some 100-yuan low-price tickets might not sell out. If there were scalpers, it might actually increase our revenue..."
Chen Mo shook his head. "Listen to me. Use electronic tickets."
Seeing Chen Mo’s firm stance, Zhang Kaiwen didn’t insist further. After all, it wasn’t a major issue. They had already compromised on so many bigger matters; there was no need to hold out on something this small.
Still, Zhang Kaiwen felt a bit uneasy inside. With such high ticket prices and electronic tickets, just how high were Chen Mo’s expectations for this Season 1 World Championship?
Would these tickets even sell out?
If the high-priced tickets didn’t sell, they might have to hire extra people to fill the seats just to make the venue look good for the live broadcast.
If that happened, it would be quite embarrassing.
But Zhang Kaiwen also knew that Chen Mo had the final say on the entire event. He didn’t have much decision-making power. So the relevant plans were quickly finalized, strictly following Chen Mo’s specifications.
...
On September 8th, the news that the "League of Legends" Season 1 World Championship would be held in the Magic City spread throughout the entire "League of Legends" player community within a single day. It quickly reached the European, North American, and Korean servers as well.
In addition to standard promotional methods, Chen Mo posted the Season 1 World Championship information on the homepages of both the Chinese client and the overseas clients. This included the match times, venue, list of participating teams, schedule, and more.
Furthermore, Chen Mo set up a dedicated section on the official "League of Legends" website, continuously releasing news about the world championship. This section would be updated regularly throughout the event.
During the world championship, there would also be a dedicated live-streaming page on the client’s homepage, broadcasting all matches in full.
Chen Mo also specifically wrote a long Weibo post introducing this Season 1 World Championship.
"Tickets for the 'League of Legends' Season 1 World Championship are now officially on sale. You can click the purchase link on the official website to buy tickets."
"This world championship will be held at the Magic City Yuanda Plaza. Sixteen teams from around the world will compete for the highest honor in 'League of Legends': the Season 1 Championship Trophy."
"All players who watch the matches live at the venue will receive a brand-new skin in-game: Championship Riven. Players who purchase VIP tickets will also receive a limited-edition Card Master figurine."
"At the same time, all team icons will be available. Players can purchase icons in-game to support their favorite teams (limited to two per summoner). If that team wins the championship, you will receive additional chest rewards."
"This Season 1 World Championship will be the highest-spec and best-visual esports event to date. We will provide every summoner who comes to the venue with the most exciting esports viewing experience!"
The news of the "League of Legends" Season 1 World Championship immediately caused a huge stir among the player community.
Although they had already heard about it before, seeing the specific schedule and arrangements made players shocked at how much Chen Mo was willing to spend.