RIP ESEA TF2 Competition

[staticvoid]

Well as all of you may or not know, there has been a huge stir up over on teamfortress.tv about ESEA. I really don't feel like typing everything, so here's basically what happened:

Spoiler: warninglong

- On or about April 3, 2013, ESEA, through its employees, further created code to
monitor the programs that ESEA end-users ran on their computers, even when those end-userswere not using ESEA services and the ESEA Software was not turned on ("ESEA Monitoring
Code").

- To play on ESEA hosted game servers, end-users must download and install
ESEA Software onto their computers. Once installed, the ESEA Software enables ESEA full
administrative access of end-users' computers.

- At least defendants Hunczak and Thunberg had fuIl administrative access to all
end-users' computers. The ESEA Software enabled Defendants to not only monitor end-user
computer activity but also view and upload any and all end-users' computer files.

- The ESEA Monitoring Code monitored computer activity even
when end-users were not using ESEA services and the ESEA Software was not turned on. ESEA
concealed the ESEA Monitoring Code in the ESEA Software driver on end-users' computers.
ESEA also programed the ESEA Software to reload the ESEA Monitoring Code even if end-users attempted to "unload" the driver.

- Prior to implementation, Thunberg approved the ESEA Monitoring Code and
allowed the ESEA Monitoring Code to be place on end-users' computers via the ESEA
Software.

- In at least several instances, ESEA employees used the ESEA Software to copy
files from ESEA end-users' computers.

- Once executed and running on end-users' computers, the ESEA Bitcoin Mining
Code was set to mine for bitcoins only when end-users' were away from their computer. Among
other methods, the code detected whether end-users were active on their computers by
monitoring end-users' mouse movements and/or mouse location.

- Defendant Hunczak created at least four bitcoin wallet addresSes where he
deposited bitcoiàs mined from the ESEA Botnet.

- Defendant Hunczak then sold the bitcoins from the ESEA Botnet, converting the
bitcoins into U.S. dollars. The proceeds were then deposited into Hunczak's personal bank
account.

http://nj.gov/oag/newsreleases13/E-Sports_Complaint_Consent-Judgment.pdf

Eric "lpkane" Thunberg
Sean "jaguar" Hunczak
Craig "Torbull" Levine

All we wanted was to reschedule a match..

After hearing how ESEA has been using their anticheat client to farm bitcoins and harm your machine, many have decided to quit ESEA after the current season. Their discussions can be found here:
http://teamfortress.tv/forum/thread/14025-the-esea-abuse-thread

There has also been recent discussions/suggestions for ETF2L, a popular European TF2 Competition, to create a 6v6 league here in North America. This can be found here:
http://teamfortress.tv/forum/thread/14024-etf2l-north-american-division



So, what's your thoughts/opinions on this? ESEA has been around for such a long time, but now has it really come to this?

 

[mittens]

I thought this happened a while ago.

 

[CiNiC]

The admins were douches, and anyone who is up-to-date on the PYYYOUR situation knows that the admins are high unsympathetic to any variables in the rules, especially since they had altered schedules in the past for other circumstances. They're dicks, they are not giving people a functioning product that they have paid for, and it's really not acceptable, as many agree.

 

[Sarcasm]

This did happen a while ago.

 

[CiNiC]

Apparently it's happening right now-ish. Looking at a post where Nahani announces she's dropping all her sponsorship with ESEA involved.
http://teamfortress.tv/forum/thread/14006-meatshot-8-vol-5/6#post-160

 

[CiNiC]

 

[Sarcasm]

The lawsuit started in april.

 

[CiNiC]

A big member of the community and a sponsor just spoke against them, and the amount of people being open that this is their last season with ESEA - along with those who have already left - is happening within a few hours on active threads.
That's what he made this thread for.

 

[sboles]

The admins were douches, and anyone who is up-to-date on the PYYYOUR situation knows that the admins are high unsympathetic to any variables in the rules, especially since they had altered schedules in the past for other circumstances. They're dicks, they are not giving people a functioning product that they have paid for, and it's really not acceptable, as many agree.

What exactly happened to PYYYOUR anyway?

 

[staticvoid]

I thought this happened a while ago.

This event did happen awhile ago, however legal actions are just now happening, and so is the migration of the community players

 

[staticvoid]

Also, to those stating this is old:
This thread was created in reaction to the entire community turning against ESEA, the included information was more for background than anything. This thread was created for discussion, not to be informative.

 

[jwso]

etf2l master race :^)

 

[staticvoid]

etf2l master race :^)

There's been a suggestion for ETF2L to branch out to NA. Wonder what that'd be like.

 

[staticvoid]

http://teamfortress.tv/forum/thread/14053-league-change-poll

Looks like ETF2L and CEVO are going to have an influx of players. Also, RIP UGC.

 

[Sarcasm]

Cevo is probs next, honestly.

Kinda in the back of my head wish for TWL to come back for purely nostalgic reasons, but either would be great.

 

[Pinker-tan]

CEVO has been around for many years and should've been their first choice in the beginning.. not even my older brother likes ESEA and he's been in IM and main for almost 5 years

 

[HeadfulOfSandvich]

Nahanni, as well as a myriad of upper level teams (teams that draw the spectators, so to say) have decided to show their full support for CEVO, even if lan won't be there right away. On top of that, thanks to generous contributions from a community member known as pine_needle, the prize pool for the first season will actually be somewhat reminiscent of the ESEA prize pool, so the switch is actually worth it for basically all parties. Finally glad the community is done with ESEA, they're an awful company who takes advantage of thousands of gamers across North America, and only makes the profits that they made because they were the only real option around. With CEVO getting support from AG, the community, and other gaming communities as well, it's great so see a league that cares about its players to finally coming to prevalence.