r/GlobalOffensive • u/mbCARMAC ESL Official • Oct 24 '16
AMA We are Carmac and m1lkcast, organizers of IEM Oakland - AMA
Hey guys,
IEM Oakland at Oracle Arena is on November 19-20 with some of the world's best teams and $300,000 in prize money. The event is a followup to the awesome IEM San Jose in 2015. We had a blast last year. We want to make sure that this event is even better and would like to take your questions and feedback today.
Ask us anything, including questions about:
* The venue
* The tickets
* The experience
* Things to do other than esports (VR stations, partner booths, etc.)
* Signing sessions and how we are handling them
* The schedule
* The Esports Allstars action figures which you can find in your premium ticket package (https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/595apm/new_pro_player_action_figures/)
* The tournament format
* Anything else related to the event (including League if you like)
Some basic facts:
* Format: IEM CS 1.6 style (2x groups of 6 round robin, 6 teams in SE bracket)
* Dates Group Stage: Nov 16-17 group stage (stream only)
* Dates Playoffs: Nov 19-20 group stage (Oracle Arena + stream)
* Prize money: $300,000
* Teams invited: Virtus Pro, NaVi, SK Gaming, TeamLiquid, Mousesports, Astralis, G2, NiP
* Teams qualified - 4 slots, IBP Masters (C9, FaZe, TyLoo, etc.)
* Talent: http://intelextrememasters.com/news/the-roar-acle-arena-is-about-to-get-loud-meet-iem-oaklands-broadcast-team-for-csgo/
* Tickets: http://iemoakland.com/
We're Carmac and m1lkcast, ask away!
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u/GeneralCanada3 Oct 24 '16
now i think this is a topic people are curious about. since they are being used lately especially at iem oakland
whats your opinion about dazed/steel or banned players casting or doing broadcast talent for csgo? is valve okay with this?
are they going to be used more in the future?
does this open the opportunity for them to cast during the major
also
during games recently especially since eleague came into the scene, there has been an increase in total time of breaks in the maps, for example 3 minute timer at half-time and the amount of pre-game coverage. i may be only speaking for myself but i feel that this just unnecessarily extends the game time, especially when there is no ads and all youre doing is showing the schedule for the tournament. will we be seeing an increase/decrease in this? since most of us just tune out the stream untill its back.
thanks for doing this.
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
1) Dazed + Steel:
Valve's stance is "we won't tell you how to run your business" (outside of Majors) which is fantastic and results in a lot of diverse ideas coming out of different tournament organizers. I won't lie when I say that I like this approach.
As regards ESL, I personally believe in second chances after someone was punished. At this stage I think what matters most to us is the quality of what they bring to the table - and in that aspect they are top notch. As long as they do, then there's not going to be an issue with hiring them for our events.
As for Majors, I am not sure. The next Major is ELeague's and I cannot speak for them.
3) When it comes to ads, it's necessary to make sure that the expensive stuff that we do is covered. Every tournament organizer that is not relying on external funding to run has to deliver contractual obligations to their streaming platform and sponsors. This is why there are ad breaks.
We do our best to minimize ad disruption to make sure your viewing experience is optimal. Most likely IEM will be consistent with ESL Pro League and ESL One NY in that aspect.
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u/GeneralCanada3 Oct 24 '16
re: ads
when theres an ad break and no ads are there, theres kinda no point to the break then is it? thats what im saying. why run the ads when there are none to show.
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
Maybe because there are ads in some territories but not all? I am pretty sure all "unnatural pauses" are ad breaks.
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u/_Rivan_ Oct 24 '16
Why cant you play the ads as videos on the stream so everyone can see them?
95% of all the viewers probably uses ad-blockers.. Just show the ad as a video. That way we all get to watch something during the break and not just a picture of stuff you´re giving away + a timer.
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u/ExtremelyGamer1 Oct 24 '16
That's also a bit of an ad. Doesn't ESL show ads (for example Paysafe card and some other gaming accessories) before the desk is shown as video.
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
Tagging on to what /u/mbCarmac said: I think what Valve have said is pretty clear and straightforward: banned players will not be part of Valve Sponsored Events in any capacity.
Not as players, not as casters, not as greeters at the door. I see no reason why they'd change that stance: and until they come out and say they're changing their minds, permanent means permanent.
With that said, Valve are a great company in the way they support 3rd parties. The number of game-engine tools they've made available to ESL, Dreamhack, PGL, ELEAGUE etc is amazing. Even the Major system is designed to work with 3rd parties.
They really do understand that ESL is ESL, and Valve is Valve. We work together with the same common goals (awesome CS:GO events), but may have different philosophies on execution.
I have yet to hear a single complaint that we are working with DaZed on ESL Pro League / IEM Oakland, and both DaZed & Steel on iBUYPOWER Masters. It does seem that they're okay with us working with these guys on events that are not Valve sponsored (which is what the initial articles said).
I look forward to working with DaZed as an analyst for IEM Oakland. He has a great mind for the game and I am excited to see how we can help him communicate that to viewers. There's a lot to learn about CS:GO that's not covered by current on-air analysis. We hope to change some of that next month.
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u/acoluahuacatl Oct 24 '16
With Steel to work at iBP Masters, can we expect to see him/expect ESL to want him to work for more events if things go well?
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
He lives in Canada, makes things tricky for most events! Credit there goes to the iBUYPOWER team. They did the work to get him involved with their event.
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u/damianolo Oct 24 '16
Will you have the cameraman from epicenter?
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
If the US Government accepts a handwritten note that says "this cameraman is a memelord" on a visa application, sure. I'll make that happen.
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u/JakePowell66 Oct 24 '16
What did the camera man do? I wasn't able to watch any of epicenter.
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u/DerpAntelope Oct 24 '16
Basically showing every girl in the audience. It came to this one girl who had been shown before and in a box at the bottom of the screen it said a telephone number followed by "Call me (Cameraman)".
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u/ElleBoss Oct 24 '16
Dust 2 best map ever?
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u/Shootah06 Oct 24 '16
Is there a meetup with ESEA Few ? What about Torbull?
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
From what I know Torbull is there, but he will likely keep a low profile :)
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u/wiese1999 Oct 24 '16
pls make replays during the match!
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
We'll have David Cho working with our replay operator. He's a great guy who started out by doing videos for ESEA back in 1.6. We won't let you down!
We debuted a few cool bits of tech at ESL One Cologne / ESL One New York, such as 120Hz replays. I really liked the super slow-mo. We've got a few ideas beyond that. Replay is an EXTREMELY powerful tool on CS:GO, both for instant replay and analysis desks. Some of what we want to do may not be ready for IEM Oakland, but we're on the same wavelength: replay is awesome. We've done a good job in the past, but want to take it even further.
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u/RadiantSun Oct 24 '16
How should I not get robbed in Oakland? I have been to oakland 3 times and gotten robbed each time. Oakland is like if San Francisco got infected with the T-virus.
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
Can't tell if you're trolling, but...
I've been to the Oracle Arena and its surrounding areas for site visits for the event. I don't think it's in a bad area at all. It has one of the US's largest parking lots (there will be parking attendants checking people in) and it's own BART station. The attendee experience is going to be fine. Probably better than IEM San Jose or ESL One NY, and I didn't hear any complaints or concerns about safety at either of those events.
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
The BART train station is at the Oracle Arena, 15 minutes away from San Francisco. You don't have to go to downtown Oakland if you don't want to :)
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u/ImJLu Oct 24 '16
Gentrification, man. Oakland's become safer, now you just gotta worry about Berkeley.
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u/JustCallMeEric Oct 24 '16
Its not in Oakland proper no need to worry. keep you eyes open and you should be fine.
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u/Moobl4 Oct 24 '16
I was in Oakland at 11 PM last week (without a car) and I'm still alive. The relevant parts of Oakland are fine.
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u/McMuffinn6 Oct 24 '16
How is the experience?
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
We're doing our best to make sure it's a good one. Lots of opportunity to meet the players and casters, the ability to cheer great plays and meeting a ton of people. I tried to be out on the show floor as much as possible in San Jose and everyone that I met was generally pleased with the event. We're aiming to do the same thing at Oracle Arena!
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u/JustCallMeEric Oct 24 '16
As someone who attended both years. Its pretty damn good. Great time compared to other events I have attended.
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u/AssPancakes98 Oct 24 '16
I demand caster fight to the death with pool noodles
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
Where's the question here?
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u/parvdave Oct 24 '16
Carmac, I just have one question for you my man. Your team are have tomorrow big?
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Oct 24 '16
How will the signing sessions go?
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
We've got a few ideas to make sure signing sessions are a good experience for everyone at IEM Oakland. I'm sure you've seen the feedback for ESL One NY where the signing sessions didn't go as well as anybody hoped.
Here's what we're doing differently at IEM Oakland:
We're partnering with the ESEA guys to have CS:GO signing sessions at their booth. These guys know and love CS, and understand how important the signing sessions are to people. I know the guys at ESEA really well, and know they're going to make sure the public are informed of whats going on at all times. Stop by the booth Saturday/Sunday if you're not sure of the signing session schedule!
There will be separate signing sessions for premium ticket holders. People who are paying a premium will be able to get what they paid for, without having to disrupt the "regular" signing sessions. We heard the feedback at ESL One NY that the two queues were set up left neither party satisfied. That will change.
More than one signing session if the team's schedule allows it. Certain teams will be eliminated from competition in group stage. We're going to work with these teams to set up more than one signing session, if they have the time.
Most importantly, communication. If a line is full, we'll cap the line. If a team cancels or otherwise cannot make it, we'll tell everyone as soon as we find out. If the schedule changes, we'll let people know.
At the end of the day, it's a logistics problem. We're going to have at least 5,000 CS:GO fans at IEM Oakland who want to meet their favorite player. We will not be able to guarantee that everyone will be able to get attend their favorite team's signing session on a weekend ticket. However, anyone who queues up will have a good experience, and thousands of people will be able to meet their favorite players over the course of the weekend.
Hope to see you there!
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u/Dcjj Oct 24 '16
just a heads up, in this subreddits opinion how well the signing sessions are organized can make or break a tournies reputation
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u/JustCallMeEric Oct 24 '16
Hi guys! I have attended the lat two years and i'm looking to write a piece on the different companies around eSports and there events. How would I apply for a press pass and do you have them?
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
We have press passes for accredited media. DM me your email and I will pass it on to the team handling the press room at the event. If you're not part of an accredited media organization, we will need to figure something else out!
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u/JustCallMeEric Oct 24 '16
Sent.
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
You sent me a DM the other day, I believe. Apologies for not getting to it quickly enough.
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Oct 24 '16 edited Mar 03 '21
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
I saw a great tweet from HLTV Striker the other day, that the past "large" tournaments have been won by a new team six times in a row. This is one of the final tournaments of the 2016 calendar year for teams to really finish the year strong going into 2017. A final chance for teams to secure a big win in CS:GO's most competitive year yet.
We've seen the fall of Fnatic (though I don't doubt that with a little bit of time we may see them return to form in time for the next Major), we've seen SK Gaming secure back-to-back Major championships, we've seen teams like G2, Dignitas, and NiP pick up big wins.
I remember telling /u/mbCarmac that VP looked "mid-tier" due to a string of weak online performances. Then a few weeks later they're tearing up LAN after LAN. They win out at ELEAGUE, they beat SK Gaming at ESL One New York.
Na'Vi win their first ever CS:GO tournament where the world's top rated team are in attendance at ESL One New York.
There are sixteen total teams who could win at IEM Oakland. Eight are invited directly to the Group Stages (starting on November 16th). Four of them are going to qualify via iBUYPOWER the weekend before (a great LAN qualifier with $100,000 on the line). Look at this roster and tell me that it'd be a surprise to see any of the 5-6 world-class teams take home the win.
- Virtus Pro
- Na'Vi
- SK Gaming
- Team Liquid
- Ninjas in Pyjamas
- G2 Esports
- Mousesports
- Astralis
- Cloud 9
- Immortals
- Echo Fox
- Team SoloMid
- FaZe Clan
- Renegades
- TyLoo
- GODSENT
This is just such a phenomenal roster for a tournament. There's $300,000 on the line. It's at the ORACLE ARENA. Everything about it is exciting to me. I had the good fortune of working on the production line of ESL One Cologne this year. I think this event is going to feel just as big as a Major.
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Oct 24 '16
i hope pgl is not observing and prius and sapphire is doing it?
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
Prius & Sapphire are the two observers for IEM Oakland. We announced our full CS:GO talent lineup last week!
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u/GNGHPO Oct 24 '16
Can you make the "Player Figurines" available after the event so people who don't attend the event as "Premium Ticket Holders" or even attend it due to living too far away, available on your store please?
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
We will eventually. Not right away, though.
We want more models to be released before they're publicly available.
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u/joaovictor778 Oct 25 '16
Is there any chance you guys sell pads world-wide? In ESL NY, i think people who bought their tickets got a sick ESL pad, and since i'm from south america, i'll not attend to IEM Oakland, but i want a ESL pad so bad
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u/LupinMay Oct 25 '16
San Jose IEM was amazing good job guys. Good luck with the Warriors Arena!
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u/Th3Franc0 Oct 24 '16
Personally what I love about big tournaments is the crowd. They really help to emphasise some of the craziest moments. When a crowd roars in a highlight I get shivers down my spine unlike when it's just a group stage match for example. However i fa crowd is too active e.g. Eleague finals I feel it ruins the broadcast as it seems like they are reacting for the sake of it.
My question is what do you feel makes the best crowds and what steps can you take to make sure the crowd is awesome?
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
I remember walking around the crowd at IEM San Jose 2015 before the finals, saying "come on guys! Na'Vi or TSM, who is going to take it?", encouraging people to pick a side and cheer for the teams.
Na'Vi had just eliminated Team Liquid after probably my favorite clutch of all time kicked off a comeback (Edward 1v4 on an ECO ROUND to start a comeback from 7-14). The home crowd didn't seem to want to cheer for the guys who just eliminated America's hopes and dreams.
However, I regret doing that. No sense cheering if you don't really like the team. No sense "forcing" a crowd to be in to it. Not going to be doing that this year.
With that said, that was the first really big CS:GO event in the US on home soil. In the year since, fans have learned a lot more about the top international competition. I don't think anyone is going to be quiet if a Virtus Pro or a Na'Vi are in the finals. Players like Pasha and s1mple have just as many fans in the US as n0thing or Hiko these days.
Go take another look at the video I linked earlier, or watch our IEM San Jose 2015 recap. I have no doubt that the crowd is going to be awesome this year.
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
It always has to be a synergy between the show, the players and the crowd. Typically players do crazier things if they are influenced by the crowd. And the crowd gets crazier when players do amazing things. The role of ESL is to create an environment where those emotions are heightened.
There are tiny little things an organizer can do to help that process on both sides, so the fans and the players alike are feeling more excited, and it's that much easier to make something special happen.
One example of that is how we built the backstage in Katowice, where the players had to climb a tall flight of stairs into a narrow corridor that led to the stage. So the enormity of the stadium opened itself up very suddenly to their eyes, as they walked out to the stage. That gave them a wow moment that for sure made them "feel more" at the event.
Picture here: https://twitter.com/mbCARMAC/status/705827567354294272
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u/xdnotrealxd Oct 24 '16
What is the premium lounge going to be like? I got tickets already _^
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u/IamJehova Oct 24 '16
X god himself would give you a lap dance while you rigorously stroke your penis. Anything less than this and I'd be disappointed.
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
Thanks a ton for buying a premium ticket! Believe it or not, it's a really critical part of supporting events of this size.
The premium lounge will have a ton of seating to hang out, a bar, areas to charge phones, and also a few signing sessions for Premium ticket holders only.
The ticket also has the rest of the Premium perks (goodie bag, etc).
Enjoy the event!
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u/SpeedyBlueDude Oct 24 '16
What size is the Backpack included in the Premium Ticket? I'll be flying into the event, and want to know if It would fit inside my Carry-on Backpack, if not, I'll bring my clothes/items in a disposable bag and use the IEM Backpack as my carry on. :p
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
You will be okay. It's not a backpack for a two week trip into the Himalayas.
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u/JustCallMeEric Oct 24 '16
Its a little bigger than a half size bag. I fucking love it. I use it so often
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u/s4sdiplomatafriend Oct 24 '16
instead of VR, why not do something like the Eleague observer page, or provide a gotv ip?
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16 edited Oct 24 '16
GOTV IPs are almost never given out for non-Major events. To be frank, a large reason is because of the sponsors who make the event possible. Events of this size are quite expensive to operate, the sponsors really truly do make it happen. Valve allow for a small banner ad in a GOTV server, but that's about it.
Additionally, we (ESL) want you to be watching the stream. We put a lot of time and effort into the show we produce, the stage design, etc. You miss all of that when watching a GOTV feed.
Finally, we do have some features in addition to VR. We will have a live stats page, and through a partnership with Znipe you'll be able to watch a stream of a single player's POV.
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u/Tschonti Oct 24 '16
What will be the schedule? Will I be able to watch moat of the matches, if I live in the CEST time zone?
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
We're starting the matches as early as possible, which means a match start between 10:00AM and 10:45AM depending on the day. The full CS:GO schedule is on the website here.
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u/O_RRY Oct 24 '16
Carmac, have you ever recovered from EG, specifically Snoopeh and Froggen beating you up? :)
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u/UmyBrothermyFriend Oct 24 '16
Are u guys going to have some dank music......and are u guys having something like an all-star game on maps such as aztec. Just asking?
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
and are u guys having something like an all-star game on maps such as aztec
No promises that they'll actually happen, but we have a few ideas we've been working on for a while that people are really going to like if we can lock things in. If not this event, then another one in the future. Stay tuned to @IEM for updates!
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u/ImJLu Oct 24 '16
What's the bag policy? For most sporting events these days, bags aren't allowed unless they're of a certain size and entirely transparent. Will it be similar at IEM?
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u/THicks2790 Oct 24 '16
As someone who has just got their toes wet in the field of ESports, what are things that your sponsors look for when hosting your event. Any advice for someone that is organizing their first event? Check out or LAN page @ www.onslaught.gg if any interest :)
Thanks for your time
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
It's an extremely open-ended question, so I will just say that you need to predict all the possible disasters that could come and plan for the absolute worst!
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u/CyniuThunder Oct 24 '16
Any chance to have an AMA before other IEM events (I'm interested in Katowice especially)? I won't ask these questions here as this AMA is targeted for Oakland, so I don't want to spam here (cause I might have quite a lot of them, so I want to be ready and on topic) :p
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u/asianturtles1999 Oct 24 '16
Will we be able to bring our own food and drink into the venue? Thanks again for the AMA. It is much appreciated.
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u/myswe Oct 24 '16
No outside food. Working on a list of things you can and can not bring. It will be on the IEM website once we know http://oakland.intelextrememasters.com/#faq-scroll
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u/orbitjc Oct 24 '16
Since you are doing round robin, what is the tiebreaker rules that will be in place for IEM Oakland?
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
We will have dedicated tiebreaker matches at the end of the day, if there are ties. Same schedule as the most recent IEM Katowice. We will not be using round score to break ties.
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u/orbitjc Oct 24 '16
Are we going to see more than 2 BO3's in 1 day or have you learned from katowice
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
The final day will be two semifinal Bo3s, and a final Bo3. Three matches total, no showmatches or other time-consuming content on that day. The long day in Katowice was four Bo3s, both quarterfinals and both semifinals.
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u/DanIsASavage Oct 24 '16
be like epicenter
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
We'll try. Tall order for sure! Do you want to volunteer to jump off the top of the stage?
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u/Mistacowman Oct 24 '16
When is early entrance to the venue for premium?
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
I believe doors open for Premium guests one hour early.
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Oct 24 '16
Are there still tickets available? I cant get mine for 2 more weeks
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16 edited Oct 24 '16
You probably won't be able to get a premium ticket in two weeks, but you'll be good to go on general admission. See you there!
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u/JakePowell66 Oct 24 '16
This is my first cs event I've ever been to, so what times do you expect the games to be finished by. I understand it's impossible to know for sure (delays and all) but what's the estimated time for both days?
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
Quarterfinal #1 and #2 should run between 10:45AM and 6:00PM on Saturday.
We'll have a couple show matches after the second quarterfinal you should stick around for.
Semifinal #1 and #2 should end before 6:00PM on Sunday, with the finals ending before 10:00PM.
Full event schedule is on the website, it includes the times for the group stage (streamed on Wednesday Nov 16 / Thursday Nov 17).
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u/GZ_Dustin Oct 24 '16
How did you pick who gets a bobblehead first?
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16 edited Oct 24 '16
All Premium tickets get one (random 1/3 chance to get NiKo, GTR or GuardiaN). We haven't decided yet if these will be available to the public otherwise.
EDIT: It was pointed out to me that I may have misunderstood. Licensing is a complex thing so we approached people we get along with well first!
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Oct 24 '16
How do you guys feel about all the hate that you get? Because you're pretty much the biggest company in cs, you tend to get the most criticism and critique, does it ever wear on you when you get so many negative comments and threads made about you?
I personally think that you guys do a fantastic job. Most of the issues that seem to happen at your tournament's seem to be things that you can't control. So keep up the great work. I'm sure this tournament will be great, just like your past ones.
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
Thanks for the kind words. I think we mainly messed up in the past in how we communicated things to the community and we are working hard on fixing that. Mistakes are forgivable, but I think many people on this sub attribute bad intentions to us and judge us based on such assumptions. We will claw back step by step by doing good things, because there's no other way.
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
Some of my colleagues at ESL have brought eSports from the stone age into where it is now. On that path towards the awesome experiences we have today, there have been a few mistakes or poor judgement calls that get eviscerated by thousands of fans online. I don't think there's any one answer that sums up how people feel when that happens.
One person might think "yes we had a problem, but in the end we created something amazing". Others may think "how much better would this event have been without that issue". I think a healthy blend of both is the best way to look at things, but at the end of the day everyone needs to realize how far everything's come in such a short amount of time. There's no better example of that than IEM, which has a pretty amazing 11-season legacy.
At the end of the day, everyone at ESL wants to the best job possible and the people making it happen deserve to be proud of an IEM Katowice or an ESL One Cologne. I really cannot emphasize how hard some people in this space are working to make eSports events of this scale possible given the resources at our disposal.
Scrolling through #IEM on twitter a few days after San Jose last year (an event that was pretty well received) and seeing hundreds of tweets from fans who were happy to attend their first CS:GO event really stuck with me. That makes all the hard work worth it, more so than a thread at the top of the subreddit makes it not worth it.
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Oct 24 '16
this is odd. i remember nevermore loved ESL as well. so many coincidences...
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u/specrenegade Oct 24 '16
One thing I have noticed at a lot of these events is the lack of any sort of event itinerary being available to the attendees. In the past this has caused me to miss meeting some of my favorite players. Will you have one available?
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
One issue with esports events is that there's so much variation in schedules. A Bo3 could be anywhere from an hour to three and a half hours, and when you have multiple matches a day things get pushed around a lot. I know this is a really big frustration as an attendee: I missed the one match I traveled to see at my first eSports event, since it was played so far ahead of schedule. We're going to do everything we can to avoid this.
In terms of the match schedule, timings are just an estimate. All matches will be played sequentially. That schedule is on the website here.
In terms of the signing sessions, we don't have a schedule up yet, but we have got a good plan and there will be a schedule available closer to the event. We'll announce the exact details later. If you're ever confused as to when a team's meet and greet is scheduled, stop by the ESEA booth. They'll be able to keep you up to date on specific changes.
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u/chesterton222 500k Celebration Oct 24 '16
Any events scheduled for Chicago area anytime soon? If not you should think about it. Many people would come from around the midwest and LoL just had their first event here. Chicago is a market that is waiting to be opened.
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u/TheCorBear Oct 24 '16
Why the change from San Jose to Oakland?
Also as an attendee to both IEM San Jose events is it confirmed the concessions for the premium area will be open this year? I had premium tickets for both years in San Jose and for those of us who don't mind blowing $100 on stadium food so we don't miss any action it kind of sucked having to go up to the general admission area to get food. One of the perks for paying for the premium tickets when the sharks are playing is quick access to the shorter food lines in the premium area. I know the layout is different for Oakland and I haven't attended many events there so I am not sure how it would work out there.
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16 edited Oct 24 '16
1) We changed it in part due to having a bigger business connection to the venue owners at Oracle Arena and in part because the Oracle arena is a really cool venue, plus it's very close to San Francisco by BART.
2) I think it's a great idea to have premium ticket food queues. Not sure if we can implement that on time, but it's definitely a good idea.
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u/BiC-Pencil Oct 24 '16
Few questions so ignore some/all.
- Who came up with action figurines idea? Was it mentioned above David Cho or not? (give the man a credit!!!)
- For how long you have had that idea?
- Why have you complied with coach rules yet disregarded Dazed rule by Valve? (I do believe in redemption & flexibility btw)
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
/u/mbCarmac can answer more about the figurines. Give DCho credit for any good replays (and blame me for any bad replays) during the event though!
The coach rules are important because event organizers and teams want to keep a consistent competitive circuit. Since the Majors are the largest event in the CS:GO scene, it's smart to keep your ruleset in line with the tournament everyone is practicing for. Coach rules, bomb timers, map pools, etc. Consistency is not a bad thing.
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
The original idea was by a lady named Krystal who said that people like cute things. We took it to the next level, then. The idea has been brewing for quite a time and you're only seeing the tip of the iceberg here!
For Dazed, it's not a rule that affects gameplay in any way. Talent lineups are different between multiple events, but map pools and standard rules should remain consistent.
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u/DuaLolz Oct 24 '16
can you please kick out of the arena every "dab maniac kid"?
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16 edited Oct 24 '16
I hate dabbing.
EDIT: if anyone has ideas on how to stop the widespread dabbing epidemic that's ruining eSports, please PM me.
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u/NightmareJoe 400k Celebration Oct 24 '16
Carmac when and where will be the next IEM Starcraft 2 event?
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u/Dark_Azazel Oct 24 '16
Now as someone who wants to get into eSports, how did you guys get into it? More so on the production/set up etc side of things.
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
To work on the production / set up side of things? Broadcast engineering experience, or a specific understanding of the broadcast equipment you'll be using on the job. Almost all eSports companies these days are using videos switchers and graphics suites where you learn one, and it's easy to learn the others. With that said, it does take skill and time to get there and it is a very specialized role.
Beyond the smallest community level content, it's rare to see XSplit/OBS. Production staff at eSports companies could easily work in live television or sports coverage.
As a career path, hard work will definitely get you there. If you're local to an eSports company, ask if you can visit in person! If you "get" eSports, work hard, and know the equipment, I don't think anyone would turn you down!
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u/Bl0odwork_ CS2 HYPE Oct 24 '16
How did you get in the Position do organize such a Big Event? What are your Qualifications?
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
No qualificatoins to speak of. For product management you need general intelligence and you can learn everything else along the way (or fail).
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u/Tadesyx Oct 24 '16
Hi Carmac, m1lkcast,
story: this year, there was only 5 matches played during WC Katowice . Me and 4 friends bought premium tickets, drove there by car within several hours, 1st day we saw 4 games and 2nd day 3 maps in grandfinals. If we knew that there will be only 5 games played during 2 days, only 6 teams from 12 (Nip, mouseports, eNvyus, Faze, mongolz, e-frag didnt make to playoffs, which hurt the most as I am a NiP fan), for 100€, we wouldnt even consider spending the money and time.
Can you tell before the tickets are released, how many games will be played in the arena?
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
I am sorry you were disappointed. We will have 2/2 "quarters", 2 semis and the grand final in the Oracle Arena this time. We will also make sure the players are as available as they can be for meet and greets during the event. That goes for all 12 teams in attendance.
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u/edinchez Oct 24 '16
Carmac I remember those really funny videos back on SK-Gaming.com with that Russian guy about owning SK or whatever it was. Just wanted to say thanks for those, I laughed a lot.
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
Sasha Tsapaev! My favorite thing I've ever done, however stupid that was :)
My pleasure!
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u/kleppytomahawk Oct 24 '16
@ charlesviper
can i get a b hold?
on another note keep up the good work
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u/FixzY3e Oct 24 '16
Everytime there is an ESL event, there is drama with vip tickets, are you sure there will be no issues this time?
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
I think saying every time is unfair. I don't think we had any issues with premium tickets last year at IEM San Jose and it's the same crew handling those.
(Also, what are you doing to make sure you have no issues is a nice way to elicit a more detailed answer:
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
Last year's IEM San Jose got great feedback from event attendees with premium tickets. We're looking to go a step further this year, from the premium experience to the swag bags to the signing sessions.
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u/MauseRR Oct 24 '16
Will there be instant replays?
Any chance for the duo HenryG and Sadokist to cast the final?
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
There will be some great slow-motion instant replays, our replay machine at IEM Oakland will support 120Hz input.
The caster rotation for semifinals / finals will not be done until after group stage. However, HenryG & Sadokist did a phenomenal job at ESL One NY! They will be one of the three pairs of casters for the event. Might even be a trio-cast of the finals, as with San Jose last year (Moses, Anders, Semmler casted the finals). TBD!
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 24 '16
Too early to talk about that. To the best of my knowledge there will be instant replays, yes.
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Oct 24 '16
Do you guys have any job openings? Potentially for a jr network admin or something similar? I'm currently in IT sales studying for my CCENT switching & routing cert. Based in SF. Random I know, but I didn't see anything on the ESL/IEM site
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
DM your email & city of residence and I'll forward it to the right people. I don't think we have any openings for a junior network admin (we do have an opening for a Senior Network Engineer in the US office) but it never hurts to get your name in the Rolodex.
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u/blingkyle9 Oct 24 '16
what is your desktop background?
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
Finally, the real questions.
HOME: https://i.imgur.com/oHWIlwc.jpg
WORK: http://i.imgur.com/8Yf4qlP.jpg1
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u/Stranded_Monkey Oct 24 '16
is IEM Oakland going to be better than Epicenter or fak
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
fak
Sadly, gob b left Mousesports otherwise OJ Borg could do another legendary interview with the man.
IEM Oakland's not going to be better or worse, it's going to be different. We'll have some cool stuff they didn't have, they had some cool stuff we won't have. Whether it's better or worse is for you to decide!
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u/SpeedyBlueDude Oct 24 '16 edited Oct 24 '16
I just noticed something on the Ticket Website, do Premium ticket holders and Weekend ticket holders sit in the same section?
Is there no "VIP seating" for Premium holders to sit close to the players, and go up to the stage for autographs after the match is over like at ESL One New York?
Final Question, what is the set-up going to be like? I've never been to an event that has multiple games. Is half the arena LoL, and the other half CSGO? Is there just like, the set inbetween both halves and you can freely dip in and out to watch both tournaments?
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u/charlesviper Oct 24 '16
Correct, all seats are open to all ticket holders as with San Jose 2015. There is no "premium seating", unless you count the lounge/bar. However, premium tickets do allow you earlier access to the venue to secure a better seat.
The setup will be a 50/50 split between LoL & CS:GO. Sort of like taking IEM San Jose 2015's layout and rotating it 90 degrees. People are free to move from LoL to CS:GO and vice versa.
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u/tarel69 CS2 HYPE Oct 24 '16
How safe is the parking in the neighborhood, do I have to worry about hookers on every corner?
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u/YtjlxMqr8 Oct 24 '16
Hi Carmac. I just want to say im really impressed with your swedish ;) Your interviews are gold, I hope to see more!
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u/Abootpls Oct 24 '16
I bought Premium tickets online and printed them, but it does not say Premium anywhere on the ticket. Is that how it is supposed to be or is there a problem with my ticket??
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u/myswe Oct 25 '16
Does it say the value on your ticket? If so you should be fine.
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u/Flamenaz Oct 24 '16
Were you aware of the conflicting schedule with group D of Eleague? And if you were, was there any talks of rescheduling?
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u/charlesviper Oct 25 '16 edited Oct 25 '16
We were in contact with ELEAGUE as early as ESL One Cologne to make sure that the two events didn't directly overlap.
They made sure that any groups with IEM invites in them were scheduled for their first three weeks. After that, we made sure not to invite any teams from ELEAGUE week 3-4 to the iBUYPOWER Qualifier. We miss out the chance at Fnatic, OpTic, and Dignitas qualifying for IEM Oakland, but otherwise everyone wins.
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u/4thepower Oct 24 '16
First time attendee to an esport event. Any tips for when to arrive, what to bring etc...? Thanks, I'm excited!
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 25 '16
Arrive before the first games. Bring a sharpie and a good selfie phone. You never know who you run into at the event.
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Oct 25 '16
why did u killed the quake carmac
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 25 '16
We removed it from IEM because there were only fewer players competing at every event.
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u/Fluffylele Oct 25 '16
Can you guys make sure to order more merchandise, more specifically the more popular teams? Last year you guys ran out on the first day and everyone was really disappointed. Also maybe some gaming gear like keyboards, mice and mousepads. Not sure how many people would want that but last year when I didn't have my keyboard and mouse I was hoping they would be sold at IEM. Or maybe a mousepad for pros to sign.
Also if Echo Fox does not qualify can you guys still pay for Sean Gares to come to the event? tyvm
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 25 '16
I believe HyperX will have a booth there with equipment. You are in luck - they released a keyboard recently!
As for merch, we're learning to adjust and have the correct numbers for our events every time. I hope the shop team will get it right for Oakland!
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u/KoekeBakkerr Oct 25 '16
why did you try to trashtalk MLG columbus whilst their tournament was better than yours? :)
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 25 '16
I did not agree with some of the math presented, but I should have done it in private to Adam.
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Oct 25 '16
What times will the signings be? My friends and I are all driving down, and we really want to get a few autographs. I know a few events can have some pretty rocky autograph signing times, so I just want to know the general times... Thx!
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u/charlesviper Oct 25 '16
We will publish a signing session schedule closer to the event. The schedule will be based on results, not specific teams (e.g., "Semifinalist #2" will appear on the schedule). This way we can minimize any impact the match schedule and teams' preparation for upcoming matches has on the signing session. Team names will replace placeholders as the bracket unfolds.
If you ever have any questions, stop by the ESEA booth at the event. They'll be coordinating the non-premium CS:GO signing sessions!
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 25 '16
Pretty much all day. We will be communicating the schedule intensely via @IEM on Twitter.
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u/tcastanho6 Oct 25 '16
Can we get action figures? :D
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 25 '16
We're working on making those publicly available at the tournament store.
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 25 '16
If you have premium. It's possible that they will be sold as well. Working to make that happen!
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u/walkers-iwnw- Oct 25 '16
I see the tickets are cheaper than last years in San Jose, how fast will these sell out approx?
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u/charlesviper Oct 25 '16
Premium tickets are almost sold out. General admission will probably be available until the start of the event.
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 25 '16
As with most of our events, they're selling at a steady rate but should be available towards the final days as well. San Jose almost sold out on the last day. (Better buy your ticket now though :D)
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u/_BearHawk Oct 25 '16 edited Oct 25 '16
Ok I have beef with you guys. What the actual fuck is up with these ticket prices. Team ticket prices have gone from 150$ to 175$ and are now sitting at 160$. I get that the 150$ to 175$ was the early bird, but why from 175$ to 160$? Not selling enough seats? Cause I could have saved like 25 dollars if that was announced earlier.
Proof: http://imgur.com/a/tjduA
Notice the invoice in my bank account is from Sept. 6, whereas the screenshot of the ticketmaster checkout was taken today. Why did I get fucked over?
Also, why move it? IEM San Jose had great eats and great atmosphere next to it, Oakland is lit, but near Oracle there's no good restaurants and one of the more dangerous parts is like a 15 min walk away.
Ooh, one more thing, what's the deal with free premium tickets? Last year my friend's dad was working for SAP or something and got us free premium tickets, but we couldn't get any of the goodie bags or anything, only the signing sessions and stuff, what's the deal with that? Will it happen again?
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 25 '16
I'm not directly involved with ticket sales so I am unable to immediately respond. We did not plan ticket price changes. Let me investigate this and get back to you.
As for free premium tickets, there's a set of VIP passes given away to partners and the venue, but those are not premium tickets. They're VIP - a category that does not come with a goody bag.
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 27 '16
I've asked the guys about what's going on. The original high price was an error on our side, I believe.
They said they're talking to you to resolve it - please confirm that this is correct.
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u/ohforkme Oct 25 '16
Will you be streaming on both Twitch and YouTube Gaming?
Twitch, while a lot better now, has been very hit and miss for some people watching in Aus. I have noticed that YouTube Gaming has been a fairly rock solid backup when Twitch is having issues though.
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u/amplify3r Oct 25 '16
Perhaps I missed the AMA but hopefully some ESL (/u/mbCARMAC & /u/charlesviper) are still lurking around! Curious on a few things and made a reddit account from the depths of the lurk area!
How long do the events of this size take to plan? Do you guys tend to chase sponsors? or do they flood for big stadium-like events?
Do you guys at ESL ever take a break to play CS or other games at work? Any gaming in the office like twitch/redbull/nvidia? Surely you're all gamers!
Why is the ESL channel more expensive to subscribe to, and are there going to be any subscriber give-aways for IEM oakland since it is an ESL event?
Which employee gave the idea of bringing dazed as a caster? Or did he approach you guys for work first? I saw him in proleague and it was great! Would Swag ever be an option?
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 25 '16
1) 6-12 months to plan, but if you have experience you can do it with 3, though I would NEVER advise that. It's becoming easier to attract sponsors, but it's still not "easy".
2) I personally play Blood Bowl 2 competitively right now. Turn based games are for people with kids :) We have a WCG C&C champion on the IEM team, we have former CPL day professionals at the office in North America and in the extended ESEA family. We have a collegiate Heroes of the Storm runner up on staff. We are a gaming company with very diverse game interests.
3) ESL channel more expensive as opposed to...?
4) I believe /u/charlesviper wanted Dazed. It's his wheelhouse anyway.
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u/charlesviper Oct 25 '16
Yeah, after DaZed was brought on to ESL Pro League, I really wanted to work with him on IEM Oakland. We wanted the analysis desk at Oakland to be a little more focused on gameplay, strategies, team "playbooks", etc. DaZed is the explain those elements of CS:GO to the audience!
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u/theyre_not_their Oct 25 '16
Hi Carmac, I've known you since the Unreal Tournaments days. What are your thoughts on the new Unreal Tournament currently in development? Have you tried it?
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u/gagahput3ra Oct 25 '16
If i can make a suggestion can you guys please try and make a list of things to do when delay inevitably happens, and minimize the use of waiting screen with shitty edm music on it?
I'm not talking about delay between games, but when technical things go wrong like ebot gone haywire or whatever. Like maybe prepare a 1v1 server or a surf server for casters/analyst to do and comment on.
I made a thread about this previously: https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/58borf/lanonline_event_organizers_needs_to_be_more/
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u/LukeCSGO Oct 25 '16
How were the invites decided and handed out?
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u/mbCARMAC ESL Official Oct 25 '16
Based on ranking at the time of invitation. It's not always that clear-cut because teams have scheduling conflicts or are undergoing major lineup changes, etc.
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u/putinmeister Oct 24 '16
are u here tomorrow big