One of the most terrifying prospects the (eSports) world faces is the adoption of Asian principles to govern how and which competitive games we play, in particular, sinification. The thought of a clammy communist hand coming down hard on my shoulder, the shift of disproving slanted eyes, “What do you mean I can't call the [Asian equivalent of Angel Munoz] a whore? It's only a metaphor...” fills me with a sadistic sense of excitement matched only by the seriousness of reality.

Now this is purely self indulgent you understand. I can't stand real time strategy and I don't feel the Asian eSports model provides a place for me, but there's something exciting about the fact that the (Chinese) National Press and Publications Administration even exists. My liberal democratic sensibilities tingle at the prospect of sticking it to 'the man'. So I'm going to disagree with Jonas Alsaker 'BSL' Vikan and say I don't believe there's a global gaming community, nor a global agenda and you know what? I'm glad.

The fact that two sets of people with huge geographical distances between them play the same game is irrelevant in all honesty. Gaming doesn't transcend political, geographical or social boundaries, it never has and never will. This opinion goes against 'traditional' eSports journalism, Michal 'Carmac' Blicharz will no doubt be googling pictures of Electronic Sports League's Intel Friday Night Games and drawing comparisons between the Germans and the South Koreans by now. This is a half measure and doesn't reflect anything worth arguing for.

Each 'tribe' promotes its own agenda, whether it be American nostalgia and idiocy through Gotfrag, “I believe Americans are as good if not better than the rest of the world at Counter-Strike. Both versions.” [2], European protectionism over 'our' leagues and organisations, or the 'pillaging Mongols' stealing the WC3L LAN finals, the World Cyber Games and European money.

Anyone shrewd enough will notice the irony here, it was fine for European Counter Strike 1.6 teams to go and pillage North American tournaments, but as soon as European organisations like fnatic, mTw and SK Gaming start removing established players in favour of South Koreans (in Warcraft III), then we're suddenly crying “merc, merc, merc”. The ESL decides that it might be worth moving the WC3L LAN finals to Asia, uproar commences. The World Cyber Games decides Chengdu, (China) will be the venue of the 2009 event, uproar commences.

The over riding fact that 95% of WC3L LAN final players will be Asian, just highlights how poor the European scene has become. Let me remind you that less than two seasons ago an all European team lost the WC3L title in the last match up. We were capable, but now we're not. Please explain why the best team based league in the world deserves to stay in Europe if the majority of players aren't European? It's just good common sense from the organisers to bend to the teams' finical wishes.

The 'WCG debate' highlights the kind of intellectual confidence which we Westerners sorely lack at the moment. The WCG was and always has been an Asian event, it has Asian sponsors and the majority of its history has been in Asia. Yet we somehow think we're being robbed of our heritage and fall into the same routine arguments, which by and large have little if anything to do with eSports or the event itself.

At the same time the Chinese themselves have to help dismiss rumours. Your government has purposively perpetuated false Western stereotypes, you feel obligated to protect Chinese nationalistic pride by defending 'your country' from uneducated idiots who're just being intellectually lazy in most cases.

Why don't Asian event organisers hire Western eSports journalists to attend events, to explore China and give an honest image of what Asian culture is like? George Bernard Shaw style. It may not be right, but it's a compromise which shows that Asians are willing to work at the social issues which currently divide us, both in gaming and generally.

What I'm not willing to accept is arguments from perceived 'authority', given by the likes of Nick 'Tasteless' Plott, “I think the rest of the world will have to start mimicking the Korean scene for eSports to keep proliferating.” [4], simply because his motives don't match my own.

I believe each tribe has its own interests and own objectives, there will be an eSports model which suits each market, but given the current choice I'd gladly overlook the fact that China (and I) have some severe conflicts of interest, purely because they're hosting tournaments and investing heavily. We both advance eSports in ways we feel best suit our audience and I'm sure we both share an equal number of supporters and objectors, or is that wishful thinking?

[1] - Jonas Alsaker 'BSL' Vikan, BSL on the CPL's Legacy, Gotfrag, 19/04/08
[2] - Marc 'Singlecoil' Turner comment (#48) on Chris "radioactive" Kennedy's p0s Interviewed, Gotfrag, 24/04/08
[3] – Anthony Weston, A Rulebook for arguments, Deductive arguments, Page 45
[4] - Daniel 'Beemit' Jensen, Interview with Tasteless, Readmore, 16/04/2008