Stephen Ellis (aka Snoopeh)
Ambassador & Consultant with 10+ Years in Esports. Previously competed in Asia, Europe & North America for League of Legends
Discussion
M
Stephen Ellis
@snoopeh · Esports Ambassador & Consultant
Hey - I'm Stephen Ellis, otherwise known as 'Snoopeh,' in the gaming world. I've been involved in the esports industry for over 10 years and competed professionally for 4 years in League of Legends. My passion is to shape the future of the esports industry; currently advising start ups and consulting with; developers, investors, broadcasters, teams, players, et al. Looking forward to talking esports with you guys-- ask me anything!
AMA OVER -- Thank you very much guys! I really appreciate you coming out and asking questions. Feel free to ping me on twitter @snoopeh or shoot me an email - iam@snoopeh.com - Have a great weekend!
upvotesharetweet・
Ryan Hoover
@rrhoover · Founder, Product Hunt
Welcome, Stephen! How will esports change in the next decade?
M
Stephen Ellis
@snoopeh · Esports Ambassador & Consultant
@rrhoover I believe we will see an large influx of traditional media and entertainment conglomerates getting involved (we already are, but this is just the beginning) - The world is going to accept esports for what it is, regardless of if they think it is a sport or not. The biggest change is going to be the ability for esports to monetize - throughout the past 20 years that esports has been around it has been riddled with a financially weak backbone.
Esports will have to monetize effectively to be a sustainable industry moving forward. Many game publishers/developers will use it as a continued market retention tool until it can be a self sufficient ecosystem.
Emily Hodgins
@ems_hodge · Community and Marketing, Product Hunt
What achievement are you most proud of so far?
M
Stephen Ellis
@snoopeh · Esports Ambassador & Consultant
@ems_hodge Despite competing on stages around the world - my proudest achievement isn't necessarily in my competitive accolaides. When you have a platform (regardless of how big or small it is) - you can really make a positive difference in others lives. A small message to a fan or follower in the community - can have a genuinely profound effect and I've seen that over the years.
Lejla Bajgoric
@lejlahunts · Intern, Product Hunt
Hi Stephen! What do you think is distinct to the esports experience that makes it special compared to other recreational or fun sectors?
M
Stephen Ellis
@snoopeh · Esports Ambassador & Consultant
@lejlahunts One thing that is really unique to esports is the ability of the fan to emulate what their favourite star has done. Imagine you were able to watch Steph Curry play a game, through his eyes (or any camera angle you can imagine really..) - then watch him make that half-court shot .. then you could instantly jump into a game right after that and try replicate it. In traditional sports, that's much more of an inconvenience.. you need to go find 9 other guys, get to a court, get dressed etc. In esports, it's as simple as logging into the game and you can be matched with people all around the world - it's truely a globally connected phenomenon that is very accessible.
Madelaine Page
@theblondedev · Software Developer @ ICF Olson
Hey Stephen - big fan, all the way back to CLG EU days! Although you are no longer playing games professionally, you're still heavily involved in the esports industry. Where do you see esports going in the next 5-10 years, and what advice would you give to those who want to enter this industry, not necessarily as a player, but as a developer, broadcaster, or investor based on your experiences?
M
Stephen Ellis
@snoopeh · Esports Ambassador & Consultant
@theblondedev thanks for the support all these years! I somewhat answered the 5-10 years question above with Ryan Hoover. In regards to those wanting to enter the industry, take the time to learn about it - there is many nuances to it which have developed over the years. Speak with people who have been involved in the industry for a while and perhaps even try get some voluntary work at a team or startup on the side just so you can learn how the ecosystem works a little more.
There is a wealth of opportunity in esports right now, this is really just the beginning. All those businesses that sprung up around the sports and entertainment world are mostly all possible in esports. Also because we are on a socially engaged and digital platform.. there are even more possibilities! The limits are honestly your imagination and the time to build something in esports is now.
dj cronut
@djcronut · djcronut
Hi Snoopeh! Huge fan of your online personality and loved watching your streams. What do you think about the possibility of scholarships for Esports in education?
M
Stephen Ellis
@snoopeh · Esports Ambassador & Consultant
@djcronut I believe scholarships will come for esports - however it's very much in it's infancy and there are only a few select schools offering it. I think there are major steps to be taken at universities and colleges around the world. Students need to work together to consolidate their clubs under one larger 'gaming' umbrella and then have esports (and other games) under that umbrella. Far too much fragmentation amidst college gaming clubs at the moment which is stifling progress.. (mostly because of politics / lack of leadership)
Seth Louey
@sethlouey · 🙌 2016 PH Maker of the Year Nominee
Thanks for doing the PH Live Snoopeh. I've been working alongside Riot for over 3+ years and have built a few eSports products related to LoL because I'm a huge fan (bronze 1... lol).
What type of startups are you advising with? And has there been anything in the social space for an eSports community?
M
Stephen Ellis
@snoopeh · Esports Ambassador & Consultant
@sethlouey The startups I'm excited to be advising are Repable (Human Insights & Analytics for the Gaming Industry), Unikrn (esports wagering platform) from Rahul Sood, Vibby (fast-growing video platform that enables users to clip, share and discuss the moments that matter) - you should check them out. Love working with these guys.
I wouldn't say there is anything reall;y prominent in social space for gaming yet - mostly reddit is the best source of discussion unfortunately! Twitter is where most of the day-to-day is and beyond that there have been some attempts at small slack/discord communities.
Lukas Beunder
@lukas_beunder
Which aspect or segment within esports could use some more development or growth? For example: Player Union/Assurances Board, New ways of monetization (any ideas?), Audience Participation/Activities or perhaps another type of game to go big in terms of esports to broaden the field of truly succesful and popular esports?
All the best!
M
Stephen Ellis
@snoopeh · Esports Ambassador & Consultant
@lukas_beunder While the other topics are really important (especially player protection, that is really close to my heart) - I would say that monetization is the most important step in the future of esports. We don't need more games to go big, we just need larger brands and developed revenue streams from (merchandise, broadcasting rights, advertising, endrosments etc)
Seth Louey
@sethlouey · 🙌 2016 PH Maker of the Year Nominee
With Rick Fox, retired NBA professional, purchasing and owning a League of Legends team and ESPN covering LoL, do you think that having more well known team owners and larger coverage source will push eSports into the next level of growth?
M
Stephen Ellis
@snoopeh · Esports Ambassador & Consultant
@sethlouey Not only has Rick Fox got involved in esports, it's also some of the owners in the sacramento kings - likewise Daniel Gilbert has expressed interest in the space with the launch of his new VC fund. Mark Cuban has openly been an advocate of esports and interest in getting involved.
The relationship between the NBA and LoL/esports is really exciting and I believe we will see more traditional sports owners and figures getting involved in the space because there are a lot of similarities in how both industries operate. I'm most excited about how both can learn from each other as we shape the future of esports.
We don't have to emulate traditional sports - we are creating a new kind of sport. We can take the good things sports has done over the past century and do it better.
orliesaurus
@orliesaurus · Lasers handler
Who are some influential eSports ambassadors to follow on Twitter?
M
Stephen Ellis
@snoopeh · Esports Ambassador & Consultant
@orliesaurus Adam Apicella (VP events MLG), Michael Carmac(VP of esports ESL), Tobias Sherman (head of esports WME), Rod Breslau (journalist), Duncan Shields (journalist), Bryce Blum(lawyer), Richard Lewis(journalist), Dailydot Esports, ESPN Esports, Scott Smith(old school esports) - there are loads more people, but these are just some of them that I can give you off the top of my head. :)