Holy Cow! EG bought Loaded

[surhorse]

http://www.myeg.net/article/article_detail.php?article_id=878

Seems like the field keeps getting smaller and smaller. Loaded was shrinking every year, but I didn't expect them to be bought out like this.

[jdubya`]

they had a top CS team. =o( hopefully it only helps.

[KeyHunt]

I just don't understand this strictly from a PR perspective. They were just talking about how the field of organizations is shrinking, and how they need Loaded to survive, and how they wish coL wouldn't have picked up a Brazilian team because American teams need help. However, I still like EG a lot and have a lot of respect for anyone that can do what they have done lately..and they are great guys. I just hope there is more coming to this...that this isn't the end. That we are going to see some great community expansion and not just EG expansion.

[DchozN]

Some people, OK maybe just one, made it quite clear to his now former Counter-Strike 1.6 team, World of Warcraft team from Korea, Call of Duty 4 team, Quake Live team and majority of his staff what his true intentions are in eSports. His name rhymes with Preytag. Whoops.

[jdubya`]

no idea what the plans are...i really really hope this only helps..i'm honestly 100% surprised (as an outsider) to see this happen.

[JetBlk]

jdubya I don't see how this can help. We now have one less (able) organization to support and field a top American 1.6 team. The very small field of organizations in North America today doesn't give the up and comers of the American scene a chance to get support and show the world what they are made of. Loaded IMO had a decent/good 1.6 team and could've been a contender with lots of practice, but maybe organizations are seeing that American CS just isn't worth putting money into anymore. Regardless, there aren't enough able organizations around anymore willing to really give the American scene a fighting chance against the rest of the world.

[jdubya`]

jdubya I don't see how this can help. We now have one less (able) organization to support and field a top American 1.6 team. The very small field of organizations in North America today doesn't give the up and comers of the American scene a chance to get support and show the world what they are made of. Loaded IMO had a decent/good 1.6 team and could've been a contender with lots of practice, but maybe organizations are seeing that American CS just isn't worth putting money into anymore. Regardless, there aren't enough able organizations around anymore willing to really give the American scene a fighting chance against the rest of the world.

We say that without knowing what plans they have in store now acquiring the Loaded LLC, unless Freytag has no future plans running an organization and just sold out. Only thing I can think of personally. And if that is the case, that he just sold out or loss motivation to run an organization, then yes this is a crushing blow.

First Blight Gaming, allegedly lying to all their teams not funding where they said they would or found whatever loophole to crawl out of and nearly ALL of their respective teams dispursed. And if Freytag and the powers to be at Loaded just loss, drive, motivation, or whatever it may be..then i fully agree jet =o)

[JetBlk]

"Freytag will join EG’s highest level of management in continuing to grow and promoting the company’s brand globally. Additionally, in the coming days EG will announce new partnerships with former Loaded sponsors for Q4 of 2010 and Q1 of 2011." - Taken from EG's site.

Freytag is now a part of EG so he doesn't have any future plans of running an organization. He sold Loaded to EG and then joined them to become part of their management and brought along the HoN team. All other Loaded teams are without a home including their successful Korean Loaded.WoW team.

So in the end, yes it is a crushing blow as you said :\

[surhorse]

Any chance CompLexity picks up some of the former Loaded members? Didn't do so bad when you picked up their former TF2 squad.

[Naturphoenix]

Well eg is ridiculus? Who funds their team? Seems like moneys no object when the us economy is down the dumpster. All good things come to and end tho.

[JetBlk]

http://www.complexitygaming.com/index.php?c=news&id=2131

[genis09]

Not to sound condescending, but didn't JMC do the same exact thing with coL? Maybe it was the best choice for him.

[DchozN]

That was a totally, completely different situation. When coL had absolutely nothing JMC went to coL for the greater good, not money (remember coL had nothing), and helped re-build coL thereafter as a whole. A friend basically helping a friend in time of need if you will.

Preytag selling Loaded to the highest bidder in EG truly is a case of pure greed and brings some light to someone's true character. You can only disagree with that if you ignore all the remaining players and countless staff left behind who knew absolutely nothing about this until 24 hours before this announcement.

[DchozN]

OK, my apologies. I lied. They knew about this a few hours prior to realizing they would be fucked in a Ventrilo meeting at 7:00 PM EST. Some Loaded members heard rumors a day or so in advance but that's when it was made official - a few hours before the announcement.

Remember that one scene in Office Space where Lumberg and the Bob's were discussing the best day to fire employees and they came up with Friday so as to avoid confrontation with them? Yeah...

"This is good for all of us." - Preytag

[JetBlk]

OK, my apologies. I lied. They knew about this a few hours prior to realizing they would be fucked in a Ventrilo meeting. Remember that one scene in Office Space where Lumberg and the Bob's were discussing the best day to fire people and they came up with Friday so as to avoid confrontation? Yeah...

"This is good for all of us." - Preytag Wow he actually said that?

[Quartz]

Some people, OK maybe just one, made it quite clear to his now former Counter-Strike 1.6 team, World of Warcraft team from Korea, Call of Duty 4 team, Quake Live team and majority of his staff what his true intentions are in eSports. His name rhymes with Preytag. Whoops.

You're by-far the last person who should make even the slightest comment about this, and you know exactly what I'm referring to.

[DchozN]

Sorry for not adhering to your standards of excellence, Quartz.

I'll try harder next time just for you.

[Forever0]

NA cs/css is just going to turn into a big online fest.

i have no room to talk since im online as fuck when it comes to the source scene but I mean I been looking for a org for the past 2-3 weeks to help us get to ESEAinvite lan when or if we do make it.. and its just been a complete struggle. Mainly all we are looking for is just travel expense to esea-invite lan, which we all know is extremely expensive.. for example right now our one teammates plane ticket is 750 dollars.. the closer we get to esea-invite lan I can just see it hitting a 1000+

Maybe its because we have only been together for a little more than a month but still... were 6-0 in esea-invite and its just seems completely impossible to find a legitmate organization to support us.

currently im just putting in my own money to get our team out there (team movie in the works of our season of esea-invite), which would help promote us and whoever decides to pick us up... the plan doesnt seem to be working.


sucks to see a respected organization get bought out with the rest of it left in the dust.

/end rant

[Naturphoenix]

Quartz is such a fucking troll, go big or go home kid

[Quartz]

How do you go about calling me a kid when I'm four years older than you?

[RiF]

Maybe its because we have only been together for a little more than a month but still... were 6-0 in esea-invite and its just seems completely impossible to find a legitmate organization to support us.


The biggest problem with cs/css is stability in teams. Its really hard to get someone to sponsor you because its a huge risk. When i was talking to companies like steel series they're willing to sponsor a team, but they have to have a stable track record. Which is hard to do. You need money to get a stable roster to pay players to stick put. But you need players who are willing to stick put for 6months-1yr before sponsors will take a serious look.

Then again you guys just want travel frees which is normally much easier to get. And i would foot the bill for the travel fees if after we talked it still seemed like a good idea but i just bought a car, went on a trip to pax in seattle and my work is going on strike so im broke atm :(

[Forever0]

The biggest problem with cs/css is stability in teams. Its really hard to get someone to sponsor you because its a huge risk. When i was talking to companies like steel series they're willing to sponsor a team, but they have to have a stable track record. Which is hard to do. You need money to get a stable roster to pay players to stick put. But you need players who are willing to stick put for 6months-1yr before sponsors will take a serious look.

Then again you guys just want travel frees which is normally much easier to get. And i would foot the bill for the travel fees if after we talked it still seemed like a good idea but i just bought a car, went on a trip to pax in seattle and my work is going on strike so im broke atm :(


I have been in touched with one organization with the financial status to send us all to esea-invite lan, but they declined us due to us being a newer team and the risk was not worth it.. along with esea-invite lan being a little bit over a month away.. A month+ was not a far enough in advance I suppose.

[Naturphoenix]

How do you go about calling me a kid when I'm four years older than you?

Than start acting 4 years older than me punk. Lol so immature for a 24 y/o

[Quartz]

19 + 4 = 23.

What did I say that was so immature? I called DchozN out in public, that's not immature.. that's putting all the facts out there.

Want immature? Learn math you stupid fuck. Thanks.

[Naturphoenix]

Hey fuckhead regardless of what my profile says im 20 lol, does anyone on these forums even like you? all u do is flame and qq all day everyday "quartz useless fucking input of the day today" get bent kid.

[Quartz]

Lol... You're some random child that no one has ever heard of.. I barely post here as it is.. run along troll. My post history will show what I do, which is neither 'flame', or 'qq' all day. Go eat some cereal.

[Naturphoenix]

Lol... You're some random child that no one has ever heard of.. I barely post here as it is.. run along troll. My post history will show what I do, which is neither 'flame', or 'qq' all day. Go eat some cereal.

watch who u call a troll

[1]

Enough you two. We're not interested in forum wars here. Take it to a PM on IRC or something.

[Naturphoenix]

Haters gonna hate Jason.

[BradDick]

The brutal truth in NA eSports is this:

If you do not have top sponsors like EG with Intel or if you do not have the one big paycheck like Creative for coL, then it is hard to keep a profit in this industry in America, especially in Counter-Strike. Both use the sponsorship money they recieve to give to teams. Organizations that use their own money for funding, will keep losing moeny. The cost of getting a team to a LAN and then risking the chance of winning exceeds the prize. Therefore, you are in the hole even if you succeed. Teams began getting furious with me at the end of Eximius Sports becasue I told them that if I was to get them to the ESEA LAN Finals, I wanted to be re-paid whatever the price is was to get them there. Business is business and you have to either break even or make a profit to keep moving on.

In the end I had to shut down Eximius Sports because of funding issues. Four years ago Eximius Sports had a pretty good amount of sponsorship money flowing through it. Once the economy started going down, many sponsors started re-evaluating where their spending was taking them. EG and coL do a good job on their marketing, that is what keeps them afloat more than anything. We did well with our marketing in Eximius Sports, but we did not get the necessary traffic that EG and Complexity had because we did not have the #1 and #2 Counter-Strike teams. Ours were always around 6-10.

I commend EG and coL for staying around in this tough economy. I worked my butt off to keep Eximius Sports open the past year and a half; but I was not satisfied with $1,500 a month to use for Eximius Sports. I wanted more and felt that my teams deserved more money than that. Freytag at Loaded did not sell out, but he saw something that would benefit himself; business is business. I was going to do the same thing with the Championship Gaming Series with Chicago Chimera. You have to do what is best for your business in making money; hand outs are not part of the plan.