What About That: dignitas ODEE

As we were just talking about sponsors. Let’s jump to the next subject being eSports in general. Sponsors play a very important, if not the most important role, in the development of eSports. Currently most teamsponsors are all eSports/IT related companies. Why do you think organisations have not been able to sign a more mainstream sponsor yet ?
It is all down to main stream media, the more media especially television that gets involved and hopefully enthused with gaming the better. Once gaming is on television regularly, I hope to see it on my cable sports channels with lots and lots of advertising money coming in for it.


How long do you think this will take ? Any speculations ?
I think the DirecTV series will have a big say in that, if it goes well I hope other channels will pick up gaming.


Under the motto: “Supporting smaller organisations and helping them to get going”. Can you as an experienced manager sum some of the most important factors that organisations need to be able to present to sponsors to create a chance of being successful ?
The main factor is simply understanding what your potential sponsor is looking for and then selling your organisation to them to fit their needs. This is not easy and sponsors do not grow on trees but teams are becoming more aware and more capable of giving the sponsors some real return on investment.


What is in your opinion the most important factor to run a good multigaming organisation keeping in mind what can also be very convincing when talking to potential sponsors ?
It not so much running the organisation it is more that your organisation is your brand and your teams and players are pretty much your products. You need to be able to sell your brand to the sponsors but adapt to fit exactly what they want. After all it will be their money and resources that you will be using.


We have already talked quite a bit concerning eSports, supporting smaller fish, and sponsors but now how is it you see eSports evolve in the future ?
I just hope eSports involves into a major mainstream industry, that is what I would like but if it will happen, let’s see. I believe it is on the right course right now.


How do you feel about the split up and somewhat rivalry between CPL and WSVG with their Quake 3 and Quake 4 decision last year and what about the rise of Counterstrike Source supported by DirecTV versus CPL, ESWC supporting Counterstrike’s older version (1.6) ? Do you think that this is positive for eSports or are you rather against the fact that these organisations are tearing the intensity of the "whole" apart ?
To be honest I quite like the variety it throws up, it means that it is never stale. I really don’t have that much of an opinion on it as we like to support all such organisations.


Would you like to see any big event-organiser to pickup another game such as Battlefield or Call of Duty as a game to be played with lots of cash prize money and why is it, according to you, necessary for those organisations to do such thing (if it is necessary) ?
We would love that of course, with Battlefield there is always the argument that it would be too expensive although BF 5v5 is quite common now. As for Call of Duty 2 well that is ready for big tournaments now. The COD2 tournaments so far have been fantastic and the community is excellent to support it. I hope someone takes a chance and goes for such a game it is superb to watch and I love it :).


The second edition of the Call of Duty 2 LAN organised by ourselves, Tek9, will probably take place around the same dates as last year. Are you finally coming our way this year or not ? I guess with such a high quality team playing for Dignitas you just NEED to be there don’t you think :D ?
Well, we did go last time taking 2nd spot I believe but yes we will be there again for sure. There are five LAN events coming up for COD2 between February and June I think. Also yes, we need to be there!


… and we will see their Managing Director at the venue as well ? :)
too early to say depends on my real job and Mrs ODEE :).


Ok, I guess we will just need to hope for the best ;).


If you would need to compare Team-Dignitas with other organisations out there in terms of budget, success, cooperations, media-attention, … where would you situate your own organisation in each of those domains separately ?
I wouldn’t compare us to any other organisation as we are very different to most of them from our outlook on things and the way we conduct our business. We have grown from a Battlefield 1942 team into a major player on the scene and we will continue to grow.