When I first saw this posted on Gotfrag I didn't expect to pay money to enter the tournament. As like the XFX Qualifier hosted by iGames I was sure that no fee was involved and this was purely a sponsored event. Granted I did not go to the XFX Quali's but I thought that was free as well. My question is that why would this tournament sponsored by such a big name as Alienware force us to pay. It's $150 a team and more than likely $30 per person and that doesn't even include buying time. I went to Howies a few weeks back and was forced to pay $20 for a tournament that was advertised as a "free" one. Add up the total and that's $50 a person. Add also the fact that one team advances to the next day and second place breaks even with a $250 prize. The organizers would take home a grand total of $3000. $250 x 6 teams that do not advance. That's ridiculous and that's for only one center. Let's say the other 7 do the same. A total of $21,000 would be gained by even organizers for a $7,500 OPEN tournament? I don't know, it just doesn't make sense to me. I do not mind paying $20 to play at the center because we are technically using their computers the whole day but to pay an extra $30 on top of that? Most big name LAN's like Buy.com and Newegg LANFest which were promoted 3-day tournaments with prizes from top companies and non stop entertainment was only around $40-50 if you add the $10 for BYOC. We're paying more for what looks like a more than likely one day thing. I just don't see any logic to that and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

While I don't know the whole situation, I am loathe to judge another in this regard. How much does this event cost them?

Sponsors don't necessarily pay the bills, and rarely all of them. You can speak with the organizers of the tournament, and that would be  my first suggestion.

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Good in theory, lousy in practice - it implies that I'm expendable. I am many things. I am bright, personable, charismatic, and not a bad dancer, but expendable? No.

Lead Technical Operations
Redhammer's G & C

The entry fee should include time on the computers.

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Martin "MrFurious" Kruse
Xtreme Gaming Cybercafe
www.goxgaming.com

IGames Community Member Since 2003

Well I'm not sure if any other center is charging but I know Westminster is and I see no reason why only 1 center would do it. If the charge is THE actual play time then they should say that instead of making it sound like a fee.

MrFurious:

The entry fee should include time on the computers.

Not necessarily. Our tournament entry fee varies by the length of the tourney, but you get that back if you (or your team) show up every week. We charge for the PC time, but you don't have to worry about lag between matches (we'll end session/lock the machine for you). The COD tourney, we actually made more money because the team quit in the middle. I told them of this in advance, and they still quit anyway  

As I said, I don't know the exact situation and am loathe to judge it. 

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Good in theory, lousy in practice - it implies that I'm expendable. I am many things. I am bright, personable, charismatic, and not a bad dancer, but expendable? No.

Lead Technical Operations
Redhammer's G & C

kawagucHi:

When I first saw this posted on Gotfrag I didn't expect to pay money to enter the tournament. As like the XFX Qualifier hosted by iGames I was sure that no fee was involved and this was purely a sponsored event. Granted I did not go to the XFX Quali's but I thought that was free as well. My question is that why would this tournament sponsored by such a big name as Alienware force us to pay. It's $150 a team and more than likely $30 per person and that doesn't even include buying time. I went to Howies a few weeks back and was forced to pay $20 for a tournament that was advertised as a "free" one. Add up the total and that's $50 a person. Add also the fact that one team advances to the next day and second place breaks even with a $250 prize. The organizers would take home a grand total of $3000. $250 x 6 teams that do not advance. That's ridiculous and that's for only one center. Let's say the other 7 do the same. A total of $21,000 would be gained by even organizers for a $7,500 OPEN tournament? I don't know, it just doesn't make sense to me. I do not mind paying $20 to play at the center because we are technically using their computers the whole day but to pay an extra $30 on top of that? Most big name LAN's like Buy.com and Newegg LANFest which were promoted 3-day tournaments with prizes from top companies and non stop entertainment was only around $40-50 if you add the $10 for BYOC. We're paying more for what looks like a more than likely one day thing. I just don't see any logic to that and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

 

I'm not sure where you have been and what tournaments you have been to, but the 150 dollar per team registration fee includes the time you need on the PCs during the tournament.

 If a center tries to charge you additionally for other fees or time for play in the tournament then please contact Wayne at 1-650-917-9888 ext 219 as its not allowed.

 

As for the prizing Alienware pays for the prize. They do not on the other hand pay for renting out the centers or for any other staff necessary to run the event. The registration fee you are paying goes to the lan center to pay for the cost of renting out (what in many cases is the enter facility) for a large portion of one of what is typically a lan centers busiest days of the week.

 So at best the center makes $1200 for having a large portion of their pcs in use most of the day. On an average saturday for many centers that might be what they typically make or a little less.

 

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Chad "Mwarhead" Rippey
Events Admin - iGames.org
Manager - Gigabits LAN Center

Hi kawagucHi,

Thanks for posting your concern.

Mwarhead's explanation is accurate.

It is standard for game centers (and all other tournament organizers) to charge an entry rate for tournaments. It is to cover the cost of systems and administrators at each individual LAN center.

For this tournament, the charge is the commonly used $30 per person. There is no charge for time above and beyond that. That rate will cover the entire day Saturday, and then also Sunday if your team advances. For this particular tournament, you'll also get a t-shirt out of it.

The exact same rates were used for the XFX Qualifier which we ran last September.

Please let me know if you have any further thoughts.


 

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Events Coordinator