Source: http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1405608

Note: Due to my limited knowledge on Chinese corporations and organizations, I tried to use direct translation when I couldn’t find the English name.

“When I first entered into the esports scene, I mainly thought that the players and the teams within this scene were not living very well. I wanted to help them and increase their salary so that the esports scene would grow better and better”

On December 5th, Wanda Group’s chairman Wang Jian Lin’s son, Wang Si Cong, who was in the backstage rest area after attending a conference for WangYu Esports (Fish Net Esports)* at Beijing, spoke to PengPai News.

*Note: I’m not sure what the English name for WangYu Esports is, but a literal translation would be Fish Net. I believe it’s a gaming coffee shop)

“If not, players won’t have money. The teams won’t have money either. The esports industry would just slowly die out. At that time, nobody wanted to join the scene. Thus, I decided to join.” said Wang Si Cong.

In 2011, the Chinese esports scene was bleak. Many sponsors were backing away. Esports organizations were disbanding. During August 2011, Wang Si Cong wrote on his Weibo “Going in strong, Consolidating Esports”

You can say it was a turning point for Chinese esports when Wang Si Cong joined. After that, more and more capital was invested into the esports market. However, this also lead to some problems. The salaries and transfer pay outs of professional players increased dramatically. The disclosed salaries started to go into the millions. This led to vicious competitions between different organizations. The cost of operations started to increase drastically and the middle to smaller size teams started to die off.

Wang Si Cong has also come to realize this issue. “Regarding my involvement within esports, looking back, it might not have been the most rational decision. Because after I joined, many rich children of entrepreneurs (FuErDai) also started to come into the scene. This caused the cost of this industry to increase drastically. Looking at it right now, I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.” Wang Si Cong spoke with a hint of frustration in his voice.

As for Wang Si Cong, many people only see how much he focuses on the entertainment industry through Weibo and how he criticizes so many people. Netizens have given him the nickname “GuoMinLaoGong (The People’s Husband)”, “WangHongXiaoWang (Prince of the Internet)” or “(YuLeQuanJiWeiShuJi) Secretary of the Disciplinary Committee of the Entertainment Industry”

However, behind all of that, other than than being the son of Wang Jian Lin, the chairman of Wanda Group, Wang Si Cong, as the chairman of the PuSi Investment Company, has utilized methods of merging and investment to work with the supply chain behind esports. So far, he has carried out many projects.

According to the founder of WangYu Esports Huang Feng, he has been discussing with Wang Si Cong regarding the build up of the esports ecosphere as early as 2012. In October of 2015, in order to better consolidate the different aspects within esports, China’s Mobile Esports Association (also translating this literally) was formed. Wang Si Cong himself became the chairman for the first term.

From 2011 till 2015, Wang Si Cong’s esports empire slowly began to form.

When you become the strongest in the industry, you begin to have the power to establish the rules. It’s obvious that Wang Si Cong wants to become this person.

When we mentioned the future of esports in China, Wang Si Cong told us that “I hope to better organize this industry. I hope that the esports profession would be able to see ‘light’ in the end. I hope it won’t be a very obscured profession and that it would be able to develop well.”

On December 5th, Wang Si Cong, who just finished a conference with WangYu Esports, kept talking about how much he wanted to go play a match. Thus, he rejected all interviews from the media. After communicating with him multiple times, Wang Si Cong finally agreed to talk to PengPai News. After our interview, he immediately went and started a game.

Q: Why did you first decide to enter into the esports scene?

Wang Si Cong: When I first entered into the esports scene, I mainly thought that the players and the teams within this scene were not living very well. I wanted to help them and increase their salary so that the esports scene would grow better and better. If not, players won’t have money. The teams won’t have money either. The esports industry would just slowly die out. At that time, nobody wanted to join the scene. Thus, I decided to join.

Q: Misaya told me before that you drastically changed the Chinese esports scene.

Wang Si Cong: Regarding my involvement within esports, looking back, it might not have been the most rational decision. Because after I joined, many rich children of entrepreneurs (FuErDai) also started to come into the scene. This caused the cost of this industry to increase drastically. Looking at it right now, I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.

Q: From 2011 when you acquired CCM and rebranded it as iG, to investing into WangYu, to establishing Panda TV and hosting tournaments, you pretty much planned out the entire esports ecosphere. Did you decide to do this from the beginning?

Wang Si Cong: To be honest, the reason why I decided to invest into this industry is because it’s was my hobby. It the beginning, it was only because i liked it. I didn’t think I was going to change things on such a large scale. Things only started to slowly build up later on.

Q: Why did you choose to invest into this type of industry? (Referring to WangYu, their cafe gaming coffee shop)

Wang Si Cong: I’ve always been involved in esports. As an investor, WangYu is only a portion of my involvement in esports. After having a esports facility will help connect the different aspects within the esports industry.

Q: When you’re in the midst of reorganizing this industry, how do you choose which project to invest in?

Wang Si Cong: Of course we would choose the strongest one. One example is WangYu. It’s a start up that has an unique model, has a professional management team and has the potential to become the first of its type in the industry.

Q: After going through four years of developing this scene, do you have any plans for the future of Chinese esports?

Wang Si Cong: I just want to help this industry to be more regulated and standardized. I want it to be a real profession and not some unorganized career. Everyone can see that in the past few years, the number of people who watch esports has dramatically surpassed the number of people who watch basketball or soccer. Since there’s so many people who enjoy it, I hope that the esports profession would be able to see ‘light’ in the end. I hope it won’t be a very obscured profession and that it would be able to develop well.

Q: When you first entered into this scene, the Chinese esports scene was still very unregulated. How about now? What do you is the biggest problem within the Chinese esports scene?

Wang Si Cong: I think the biggest problem is still that it’s very unregulated. However, it’s much better now compared to before.

Q: You play games quite often with Lin Geng Xin, Angelababy, and other celebrities. Were you able to help more people understand esports through playing with them?

Wang Si Cong: First of all, they also really like to play. That’s why we would always play with each other. However, playing with them can indeed help bring esports towards a larger audience. They really do have a large influence.

Q: Last month, after establishing China’s Mobile Esports Association, other than trying to organize the different aspects of esports, what else are you planning to do? What do you plan to do as the chairman for this term?

Wang Si Cong: I can’t reveal too much about this. You’ll know later on.