Most esports formats at corporate events reach the people who were already going to take part. A format that reaches everybody else has three properties: the controls map to something the person already knows how to do, one turn is short enough to try without commitment, and the result is private until they choose to publish it.
The participation number hides who took part
A corporate tournament will usually report healthy participation, and the number is true. What it hides is that the people who played are the people who play: a self-selecting group that was never the reason the event was commissioned.
The colleagues the event was supposed to reach watched. From their point of view the tournament was a show, and a show makes an audience.
The three properties that change who joins
First, the controls have to map to something already in the person's hands. Driving is the clearest case: someone who has never held a controller has held a steering wheel, and the mapping is immediate. A game with a learned control scheme asks them to be a beginner in public, which is the thing they are avoiding.
Second, one turn has to be short enough to try without it being a commitment. Two minutes is a shrug. Twenty minutes is a decision, and people who are unsure do not make decisions in front of colleagues.
Third, the result must be private until the person chooses otherwise. A time that only goes on the board if they want it on the board removes the entire risk of taking part.
People do not avoid competing. They avoid being seen learning.
What to measure instead of participants
| Number | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| First-time participants | The only figure that shows the format reached beyond the people who already play |
| Share of the headcount that took part | Participants alone is flattered by enthusiasts taking many turns |
| Repeat turns per person | Whether it was fun enough to come back to, which is different from being tried once |
| Turns in the last hour | Whether the format held the room or exhausted its audience early |
Why this matters more in Japan than the numbers suggest
Japan runs more competitive gaming events, at more levels, than almost any other market, and the internal corporate version is a recognised format rather than a novelty. That makes the format easy to propose and easy to get wrong in the same way: the default design reaches the enthusiasts, who in that market are numerous enough that the participation number looks excellent while the room is untouched.
Questions people ask
- How do you get non-gamers to join a corporate tournament?
- Use controls that map to something they already know how to do, keep one turn short enough to try without commitment, and keep the result private until they choose to publish it. People do not avoid competing, they avoid being seen learning.
- Why do corporate esports events miss most of the room?
- Because the participation number is true and misleading at the same time. The people who played are the people who already play, a self-selecting group that was rarely the reason the event was commissioned. Everybody else watched.
- What should you measure at a corporate tournament?
- First-time participants and the share of total headcount that took part, rather than raw participation, which is flattered by enthusiasts taking many turns. Repeat turns and turns in the final hour show whether the format held the room.