i've been pondering an issue close to my heart.
it has been quite a while, and i think i need to put my thoughts in order - something i do best through writing.
of course there have been recent events which have triggered this off, but i wouldn't pin it down to any PARTICULAR event. more... long term simmering thoughts and recent issues. [so, no offence, or personal attack is intended. yes i'm referring to YOU. ]
how do you draw the line between self gain and the good for the community. the gaming community in particular.
k lets put this in context.
1) singapore is more or less monopolised by one gaming events company, or a couple.
2) singapore has plenty of gamers, mostly of a high standard - competitive level. this means that there IS a market, there is room for a gaming industry to grow.
3) most gamers are teens / young.
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next, let me share the issues, in the form of questions which i have been mulling over.
1) a gaming events company is not the same as an events company simply because it specialises in gaming. it is a subset, if you wish, but not totally so.
2) customer is king, but what happens when your customers are kids who aren't exactly mature, but DO have spending power.
3) which customer do you satisfy - the sponsor or the gamer.
4) when given a sum of money by the sponsor, to use as you deem fit - ie, as a manager, as an organiser - exactly how much of it should you give back to the community/team, and how much should you be keeping and spending on yourself.
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after you've digested these questions, maybe you'd like to think about how you would answer them...
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i wonder if these issues have even occurred to us (the collective community).
certain disturbing (to me at least) trends on my list :
1) these kids are just wasting my time, if they don't know how to follow instructions then i'm just going to save time and hand out a double walkover, and i can also treat them like shit because they are kids, they don't have power.
- if, the gaming events company was just an events company, i might overlook this. however, you, as an organiser, claim to be SPECIALISED in handling gaming events. if you don't even know how to satisfy/gain the respect of the people you seek to reach out to, why should the sponsors trust you to be able to market their brand to that audience?
2) if they want to boycott the competition, go ahead. i will have other teams coming to fill up the slots.
- this will only survive as long as there is a monopoly (of sorts). many gamers take part in competitions organised because there is simply... only THAT competition to take part in. boycotts, HAVE been happening recently. i'm interested to see, from a sociological point of view of course, definitely no malice intended here, the outcome of a particular tourney which many have decided to boycott.
3) this is a full time job for me, i deserve the largest cut.
- well, yes, i do believe that you need the money to feed yourself, house yourself etc. and obviously you cannot be surviving hand to mouth. but at least, try not to SEEM greedy while doing that. people CAN do the maths, and they WILL question. trust me, they will. they're in it for the $ as well, for some gaming is their full time job as much as organisation/managing is your full time job.
4) i was thinking about team things with dawn, and we both agreed that if we got ourselves a manager, it would be someone who doesn't game. then again. WHY?
- our version of a manager would be someone who handles the admin stuff, the coverage, the website, the registration, plane tickets, hotel bookings. decisions about the team, gameplay, we'd prefer to keep to ourselves. its about control, and carving our own paths. if we want a coach, we'll get a coach, and call him/her a coach. not a manager.
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of course, i could be idealistic in my views. and my position as a gamer might cloud my view.
but let me make this clear, i'm as intolerant of inefficiency and "idiots" as any other person, in fact i think i'm more impatient than most. BUT i think i DO know when to be professional.
but i do believe there is a certain amount of professionalism required, and a great amount of understanding of the community, before you will be a respected and supported leader of the community.
of course, we're going around in circles aren't we.
who wants to be a respected and supported leader of the community, i just want to make money right? i mean, who doesnt? and there are so few competitiors! i can do more or less what i want.
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i'm getting tired, so i'm going to let you mull over this as i sleep.
i'll prob follow up with another entry.
but let me leave you with the words a wise person once said,"the people you piss on on your way up, are the same people who will piss on you on your way down."
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