The Impact of Online and Offline Results in Esports
The fast food boom is a modern irony. The ability to produce food quickly and easily has made us less capable. We consume reheated, greasy fast food without much thought. This $200 billion per year industry has taken its toll on our health.
Online and Offline Results in Esports
Any form of entertainment that is easy, inexpensive, or momentarily satisfying can be hard to resist. It is the same in the world of esports. The results of online and offline matches often differ from each other. But why do tournament organizers still rely on online matches to determine participation in offline events?
The Challenges of Misaligned Results
There are several factors contributing to the disparity between online and offline results in esports. The latency in online matches creates advantages for certain players. The casual environment of playing from home leads to riskier playstyles. Connectivity issues and cheating can also affect performance. These are well-known problems in the industry. Yet, tournament organizers still use online matches to determine who qualifies for offline events.
The Oversaturation Dilemma
The oversaturation of online and offline leagues, cups, and qualifiers has become a concern in the esports community. Pro players are burdened with too many matches, while fans are overwhelmed with low-stakes games between top teams. However, there seems to be a contradiction between this complaint and the industry’s embrace of leagues and extended qualification tournaments. Finding a balance is crucial.
Currently, online leagues conduct a full season of online play to determine participants at LAN finals. Offline qualifiers should be prioritized over online cups or fan votes. Online play should still be relevant in the professional scene, but its impact can be reduced. Multiregional online leagues can lead to small offline playoffs before the final international finals. Similarly, online qualifiers can be held as offline qualification tournaments.
The Minor Championship Series and the Main Qualifier for Valve Majors have already found solutions to the challenges of online play. Other tournaments should follow suit. Implementing an interlocking tournament system or partnerships between organizers can combat oversaturation by making tournaments more relevant and reducing superfluous online matches.
However, it is unlikely that such partnerships will occur as they require cooperation between competing parties. Individual organizers prefer to broadcast their own qualifiers. In esports and elsewhere, problems are often solved with short-term solutions. Online games are cheap to produce and provide constant small-stakes spectacles. It’s similar to choosing fast food over a home-cooked meal.
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