Will professional gaming change the World of Warcraft as we know it?
by Elizabeth Harper 
Apr 3rd 2007 at 9:37AM
With the arena system introducing a new kind of competitive PvP to the World of Warcraft, we're seeing our first professionally sponsored WoW arena teams. While Blizzard continues to market WoW to a core casual audience, the introduction of paid professionals into the arena brackets is anything but casual friendly. (Not that I've ever been a good enough PvPer to hit the top levels, but it was always nice to look at the arena gear and dream!) And the truth is we've probably only just seen the beginning of such sponsorships. Says Stephen Schoder of Check Six (sponsors of team ZERG IT UP):
In the future you will soon find that Blizzard has tweaked the game to near perfection [in regards to game balance] in preparation for mainstream eSports competition.
There's a whole new world of gaming out there, and Blizzard is only just getting its feet wet.
[Via 1up, with thanks to Dave for the tip!]
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, PvP
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Elbows Apr 3rd 2007 9:44AM
I'm pretty sure you mean ZERG IT DOWN
BaboonNL Apr 3rd 2007 9:53AM
I think RPGs, with their different classes, are inherently flawed for competetive gaming.
WoW is also too far developed to be able to be completely balanced.
They'd have to completely rework all of the professions, remove races, possibly remove some classes, etc.
freehugz Apr 3rd 2007 11:25AM
There are a lot of other games out there that are made for competitive gaming that fail miserably in the e-Sports world. WoW just doesn't stand a chance.
Dyyne Apr 3rd 2007 10:25AM
@ BaboonNL
thats like saying Only 20 something white males with the exact same weight should be allowed to play sports. You gotta introduce skill in your logic there.
Jani Apr 3rd 2007 10:33AM
Pro-gaming. Hmm, makes me wonder.. There's a truth what BaboonNL said, but I think that's not the whole issue. Wow is very finely balanced and perhaps the only contester for a pro-gaming MMORPG. But this competition-stuff demands a more skill-based view. Teamwork is one where wow really shines, in the end, and that what makes the case. Perhaps the actions of a one character versus another can be optimized so that the perfect player would ultimately be a bot programmed to make decisions upon what happens around it. But good teamwork cannot be optimized that way. The unit the pro-gaming world sees is a team, not a single player.
Haha, let's see when Blizz will be "forced" to do patches onto wow because of the pro-scene.. :)
..just my 2 cents
Jani Apr 3rd 2007 10:39AM
The last sentence on the original article is classic! :D
"if Blizzard has proven anything to us in the past two plus years, it's that if you have the population larger than that Switzerland paying you $15 a month, anything can be accomplished and done right."
All I can say. that we'll see a lot of big thing coming to wow in the future. That's a fact.
Mylena Apr 3rd 2007 10:46AM
If Esports in Azeroth are in the near future, does this mean that we will have to request an old school Olympics rule system, where amateurs are separated from pros? I can't see it being fair in any respect for a paid player to come up against those who play in their spare time. It brings a whole new meaning to the term "hard core."
Elbows Apr 3rd 2007 11:07AM
@6
With the way the arena matching system works, you should never come into contact with the top rated teams unless you yourself are on a top rated team.
In the event that you did go against one of these top rated teams (let's say you were the only 2 queuing) then you would probably only lose 2-3 rating per loss.
Jodou Apr 3rd 2007 11:10AM
WoW is a trash game for PvP, even worse for CAL Pro.
Arenas are a joke, as a majority of winning teams are cheese (4 mages, one paladin, etc). WoW is heavily dependent on gear/enchants/consumables creating a gap between skill and time input. IF WoW is to enter the professional gaming world, they have to level the playing field. Team make-up, gear, talent spec, etc. would all need to be analyzed and set in stone for competing teams.
Doesn't sound fun does it? It's a necessary evil if you're trying to uncover real skill in WoW. Otherwise all they're sponsoring is the best geared, time-invested, PvE scrubs from around the world who most likely wouldn't last one round in StarCraft, Counter-Strike, etc. This is a strong generalization, but as a retired two year veteran (for lack of good PvP), these are my thoughts.
Rich Apr 3rd 2007 11:16AM
@Elizabeth: You don't need to dream about Arena gear. Make a team and go get it. Sure, teams with 2000 ratings will get it faster, but even with a 1600-rated 3v3 team you can easily get your gloves in three weeks, for just an hour a week.
@8: No consumables in Arena.
Alch Apr 3rd 2007 11:29AM
Quake and CS teams have been in this world for along time. GotFrag will cover WOW just like any other game.
http://www.gotfrag.com/wow/home/
Hey look another one
http://www.gotfrag.com/wow/story/37172/
Elbows Apr 3rd 2007 11:32AM
@8
Dude was it hard work fitting that many wrong assumptions into one paragraph?
Most high rated teams aren't gimmick teams, almost all the top teams have at least War, Pally, Priest. Gimmick teams get stomped quick in 5v5. There are no consumables in arena and at the high level of play almost everyone has the same gear so no, it's not about who has better gear. Also, since you only need to play 10 games a week to get rated, it does not strictly reward time invested. Try again.
Jodou Apr 3rd 2007 1:08PM
Reading comprehension must not be your strong suit, similar to your flaming.
Unless they removed healthstones from arena matches, I still count that as a consumable. More to the point, you assumed I was strictly posting about arenas; the statement I made was about WoW in general.
Gear is everchanging -- new instances and items will come, so your comment about 'almost everyone has the same gear' is irrelevant. Unless of course you really think all players enter arenas only wearing gear earned through points, LOL!
Alch is correct in the fact that sponsors have no shame -- they will cover events that are profitable, can't really blame them for that.
Freehugz has summed it up the best in just two sentences. Honestly, anyone that interested in watching instanced PvP have most likely contributed to the success of youtube/google video. Sad really.
Anroth Apr 3rd 2007 1:33PM
it's obvious that if one day the arena scene gets really pro (and i mean tournament and prize moneys) the model won't be as it is now.
i do believe that special servers would be put on and tickets would be sold for peeps to go there and see the fighting live (think gurubashi arena).
the teams would be chosen from the top teams in the regular game but they would have to create special chars for the tournament with pre-determined gear they could choose from a list.
hell, i would pay a few € to be there watching two great teams ducking it out.
Anroth Apr 3rd 2007 1:35PM
and am i sad for enjoying watching well played PvP?
where strategy at the highest level is used and not mash-mash-mash...
wowtard Apr 3rd 2007 1:42PM
Guild Wars is the only competitive PvP game out there right now. WoW PvP is a joke in comparison.
Warhammer and Fury are also very PvP oriented and more likely to attract serious competition.
Lori Apr 3rd 2007 2:57PM
I agree with 14. Needs a way for online spectating. And....GAMBLING. Even if it is only vertual.
Clem Apr 3rd 2007 4:49PM
17. I agree with 14. Needs a way for online spectating. And....GAMBLING. Even if it is only vertual.
That would catapult things, all right. I imagine a really pro arena team will be a bit like NASCAR; there will be an even bigger team behind the scene. They’d probably have guys who grind the characters in regular PVP to get the best gear. They’ll have a need for gold, so there’ll be farmers. And even without consumables, other profession such as engineering and jewelcrafting will be key to improving performance, so they’ll have to grind those up too.
Serenity Apr 3rd 2007 6:15PM
It's a bad thing, Blizzard caters enough to the PvP crowd as it is. Take a look at hunters for example, PvE damage-wise, we're lacking. Why? Well that nerf shortly after our buff/mechanics change in 2.0 didn't help. It was all because of the mages crying about getting 1 and 2 shotted, when the reality was, we were dealing our level 70 damage.
There are *numerous* other problems with other classes in PvE as well (Priest's Prayer of Mending got nerfed because of PvP as well) that are being sidestepped, made worse or were caused by PvP whining.
The problem is, the game was made as a PvE game, the PvP system is inherently flawed, and the balance between PvE and PvP is something that is very hard to achieve. I just hope that they don't just disregard PvE in the future...