Live Streams with Commentators In Lieu of ESports

[Kurtz]

There has been a lot of debate about opening up PS2 to ESports. By definition ESports are closed matches between two clans or outfits on an instanced servers where comps(classes) are known prior to the match and matched closely by competing teams.

It is important to note that ESports wasn't introduced into WoW until after arenas were entered into the game. At one point in beta and up until slightly after the games release, WoW was open world PVP. And it was fucking amazing. You could fight the other faction anywhere. After a few massive pvp fights in selected areas slowed and crashed servers instanced pvp was born which opened the door for ESports in WoW.

Planetside 2 by contrast is a massive open world that currently has no instanced servers. The idea is to have 2000 people fight anywhere they want on the server, even if it means all at one place at one time.

If SOE can pull this off (where Blizzard couldn't) then there we are looking at massive scale warfare in an open environment that has never before been seen. There is absolutely no reason to instance any of it. Nor is there any reason to remove the vehicles or close off any part of the population for a Clan Vs. Clan "match".

What is the draw to ESports? I think everyone likes the idea of being E-famous - or being shout casted or streamed live or whatever you want to call it. Folks like the idea of sitting at home watching other teams strategies and getting on social media and chatting about a current match in progress on IRC or whatever.

The two most exillerating gaming experiences I ever had was:
1. playing Planetside 1 before the continent population caps, when SOE broke the world record for most players on a single FPS server a
2. My team was being shoutcasted in a Quarter Finals Cal Match for BF2.

I honestly feel that both of these great experiences can be combined in PS2.

My solution is rather than create instances of certain areas for closed clan v clan matches, SOE just shoutcasts Planetside in all its glory. If SOE could hire someone like TotalBiscuit to stream Planetside one night a week he could give essentially a play by play of what is going on inside the game at that given moment and even get in there and film the action much like at E3 but with a devoted camera that can be moved.

Multiple cameras could be placed at different locations and a producer could cut between cameras while a commentator or three (one for each faction) make comments.

Something like a tech plant battle could be covered in depth to who has it, who is holding it and who is trying to take it (outfit names would be used as well as individual players). The cast would cover one server a week, but could cover the global war.

Obviously this would draw huge crowds to any area being casted at any given time, so the trick is to keep moving the conversation between the global conflict, to the continental conflicts to the actual base battles. Moving around quickly would be key, cutting back and forth as the action dictates.

This would be very easy to achieve but would be considered a technical feat by the industry as SOE would be a first to do this inside a Massive open world MMO. This feature would get publicity that could be used as marketing. These shout casts could be posted on the PS2 website daily as well as social media outlets, enticing new players to join the game.

Of course, anyone watching from home could get social about what they're watching either on the forums, on twitter or on IRC. All wins for SOE.

This solution combines the best of both worlds. Everyone has a chance to be known or have some ridiculous stunt or kill streak witnessed by viewers and we don't have to instance any part of the game, create infy only continents or split populations.

Thoughts?