Original: DaigoTheBeasTV, publicized on February 18, 2018
2. Are Pro Gamer Licenses Necessary?
NOTE: I just briefly translated parts of the whole discussion, and I have no intention to make any opinion seem better or worse.
As you might already know, there's a context that Japan has laws that make it difficult for tournaments to offer a big prize money, and, to resolve that, the association called JeSU (Japan eSports Union) was established by consolidating three existing associations on Feb 1, 2018. The association is releasing "pro gamer licenses" for gamers to legally get high prizes. And it's been a controversial topic among us.
As you might already know, there's a context that Japan has laws that make it difficult for tournaments to offer a big prize money, and, to resolve that, the association called JeSU (Japan eSports Union) was established by consolidating three existing associations on Feb 1, 2018. The association is releasing "pro gamer licenses" for gamers to legally get high prizes. And it's been a controversial topic among us.
Daigo: Do you think pro gamer licenses are necessary?
pro: Daigo, Hameko, Nishitani, Nemo, Nyanshi, Akahoshi, Umezaki, Hamamura and about 27% of viewers
con: Fuudo, Gama, Raya and about 73% of viewers
neither: Kagecchi and Orikasa
Daigo: I think there's no one who 100% agrees or disagrees with the license system.
Hamamura (from JeSU): (*) The system was made to make it possible for IP holders to hold a tournament with big prizes to make their games more thriving.
Hameko (chairman of Evo Japan): I think if you had explained it to the community beforehand, such many people would've not been against the system. It's a shame.
Nishitani (father of SFII, president of Arika): I myself had a negative impression of the system as well. But, as Arika is a member of CESA (Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association), you explained most of it on Jan 16 to us, and the material and your talk changed my opinion. The start was bad, and I have the same feeling as Hameko has.
Hamamura: We must apologize for that.
* There was technical explanation about how the license system allows IP holders to give a big prize to a player from Hamamura before this statement.
Akahoshi (CEO of Wellplayed): Why did you (Daigo, Fuudo and Nemo) receive the pro licenses?
Nemo: I read an article about the establishment and there was a phrase "in cooperation with CESA." CESA holds Tokyo Game Show with Nikkei Business Publications, so I thought if it became big, like Tokyo Game Show, the surroundings would catch up with it, and I received the license.
Fuudo: I just thought it was a bargain.
All: Hahahaha.
Fuudo: I was like, if I was able to get it, I should get it. But I don't think it's necessary, so I'm against here (but not strongly). Actually I got ¥500,000 at Tokaigi tournament and absolutely thought "gooood" lol.
All: Lol.
Daigo: My answer's gonna be long and it's related to the last agenda "will eSports be able to vitalize Japan?" So I was keeping silence, but you all have said everything you wanted to say, haven't you.
I'm really sorry, but the discussion going on has become not interesting at all to me, who has little real-world experience.
I mean, even though we're trying to do something big, I'm not excited at all. I chose this way, a pro gamer, based on which would be more fun rather than which would be more beneficial. And I think our purpose is like to pull together things scattered. Of course it's important that we have those who do it and we pro gamers still can be interested in the discussion, but I think those who won't be affected by this benefit-wise don't care about this at all. Regardless of whether we're satisfied with the system, we're supported by people including them. I thought they'd think "hey, we're not interested in this at all," and I think they're thinking so. Then, let's talk about the reason why I received the license.
To be honest, I didn't care about it and thought I would be able to make a living without it for now. Rather, I thought I didn't want it if I lost these feelings of pleasure with it. But I can't give young players opportunities to be pro gamers, so I didn't want to get in the association's way.
This is my thought, or personal belief: anyone who gets in someone's way will never go ahead of people who walk straight. I want to go ahead, go further and further, so I received it.
The license system doesn't make me feel like "wow! it seems fun!" and I doubt that, for instance, a total of ¥20,000,000 prizes a year would change it much.
I became a pro gamer to change the situation where there were strong criticisms against games. But I think it'd be nonsense if the growth of games creates another group of people with the same feeling, or alienation, as we felt. It'd just be vengeance.
If the association, developers and players/community come together to make young people in Japan feel "this country is sooooooo much fun!!!" I'll want to go along with it so bad. It must be such a fun work.
When hearing U.S. and Korea are the eSports powers, I feel "wait, Japan is stronger than them?" I hope I'd be confident about what I do for Japan's eSports scene, so I'm on this side (agree with the license system).
If it doesn't make me excited, I, honestly, don't need the license.
Daigo: Do you think pro gamer licenses are necessary?
pro: Daigo, Hameko, Nishitani, Nemo, Nyanshi, Akahoshi, Umezaki, Hamamura and about 27% of viewers
con: Fuudo, Gama, Raya and about 73% of viewers
neither: Kagecchi and Orikasa
con: Fuudo, Gama, Raya and about 73% of viewers
neither: Kagecchi and Orikasa
Daigo: I think there's no one who 100% agrees or disagrees with the license system.
Hamamura (from JeSU): (*) The system was made to make it possible for IP holders to hold a tournament with big prizes to make their games more thriving.
Hameko (chairman of Evo Japan): I think if you had explained it to the community beforehand, such many people would've not been against the system. It's a shame.
Nishitani (father of SFII, president of Arika): I myself had a negative impression of the system as well. But, as Arika is a member of CESA (Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association), you explained most of it on Jan 16 to us, and the material and your talk changed my opinion. The start was bad, and I have the same feeling as Hameko has.
Hamamura: We must apologize for that.
* There was technical explanation about how the license system allows IP holders to give a big prize to a player from Hamamura before this statement.
Akahoshi (CEO of Wellplayed): Why did you (Daigo, Fuudo and Nemo) receive the pro licenses?
Nemo: I read an article about the establishment and there was a phrase "in cooperation with CESA." CESA holds Tokyo Game Show with Nikkei Business Publications, so I thought if it became big, like Tokyo Game Show, the surroundings would catch up with it, and I received the license.
Fuudo: I just thought it was a bargain.
All: Hahahaha.
Fuudo: I was like, if I was able to get it, I should get it. But I don't think it's necessary, so I'm against here (but not strongly). Actually I got ¥500,000 at Tokaigi tournament and absolutely thought "gooood" lol.
All: Lol.
Daigo: My answer's gonna be long and it's related to the last agenda "will eSports be able to vitalize Japan?" So I was keeping silence, but you all have said everything you wanted to say, haven't you.
I'm really sorry, but the discussion going on has become not interesting at all to me, who has little real-world experience.
I mean, even though we're trying to do something big, I'm not excited at all. I chose this way, a pro gamer, based on which would be more fun rather than which would be more beneficial. And I think our purpose is like to pull together things scattered. Of course it's important that we have those who do it and we pro gamers still can be interested in the discussion, but I think those who won't be affected by this benefit-wise don't care about this at all. Regardless of whether we're satisfied with the system, we're supported by people including them. I thought they'd think "hey, we're not interested in this at all," and I think they're thinking so. Then, let's talk about the reason why I received the license.
To be honest, I didn't care about it and thought I would be able to make a living without it for now. Rather, I thought I didn't want it if I lost these feelings of pleasure with it. But I can't give young players opportunities to be pro gamers, so I didn't want to get in the association's way.
This is my thought, or personal belief: anyone who gets in someone's way will never go ahead of people who walk straight. I want to go ahead, go further and further, so I received it.
The license system doesn't make me feel like "wow! it seems fun!" and I doubt that, for instance, a total of ¥20,000,000 prizes a year would change it much.
I became a pro gamer to change the situation where there were strong criticisms against games. But I think it'd be nonsense if the growth of games creates another group of people with the same feeling, or alienation, as we felt. It'd just be vengeance.
If the association, developers and players/community come together to make young people in Japan feel "this country is sooooooo much fun!!!" I'll want to go along with it so bad. It must be such a fun work.
When hearing U.S. and Korea are the eSports powers, I feel "wait, Japan is stronger than them?" I hope I'd be confident about what I do for Japan's eSports scene, so I'm on this side (agree with the license system).
If it doesn't make me excited, I, honestly, don't need the license.
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