“eBASEBALL Pro League” 2020 Looking back at the battle between Orix and Buffaloes

Hello, my name is Fujisawa, and I'm in charge of public relations and recruitment, and my hair is purple because I was influenced by K-POP.

is the second interview article with the Orix Buffaloes of the eBASEBALL Pro League , which we sponsor !

Click here for the previous article

There is a drama in eBASEBALL. Professional e-sports player Orix Buffaloes Yu Takagawa 10,000 character interview

This season, the postseason was postponed due to the effects of the new coronavirus infection, but the e-Japan Series has come to an end and the 2020 season of the eBASEBALL Pro League has come to a close.

Looking back at the successful 2020 season of the Orix Buffaloes, who finished second in the Pacific League, we asked four players to talk about the pre-recorded game distribution, which was different from previous years, and their future prospects. Ta!

Orix Buffaloes: Seiya Ibusuki, Yu Takagawa, Yosuke Fujimoto, Kyohei Maeda

self-introduction

-First of all, please tell us about your background and how you became a professional.

Mr. Ibusuki: This is Seiya Ibusuki. I started playing games seriously after participating in a PowerPro tournament in 2016. A professional league was established as tournaments are held every year, and since I hadn't had very good results up until then, I decided to participate because I wanted to become a professional and be number one. I've been buying PowerPro every year for a long time, and I think it was in 2016 that I turned my attention to competitive play. I think the first one I played was the PlayStation version. Around that time, I started playing real baseball and learned the rules.

Mr. Fujimoto: This is Yosuke Fujimoto. He is now 25 years old. The story of how he became a professional player is that he started in 2018 while taking preliminary rounds and was involved in game commentary, and after thinking, ``I want to play as a player myself,'' he increased his practice. After that, I participated as a representative player for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the 2019 season, and as a representative player for the Orix Buffaloes in the 2020 season. There are quite a few people who became professional players from commentary, and on the other hand, there are also former professional players who unfortunately didn't pass the draft or qualifying and turned to commentary.

Mr. Maeda: My name is Kyohei Maeda. As for my background, I've been playing PowerPro ever since I was in the 5th grade of elementary school, and when I was in middle school, I thought I was the best in the world (lol).At that time, there was a national tournament, but I didn't win the lottery. If you don't have one, you won't be able to participate, or because you're a teenager, you won't be able to participate due to location issues. He participated in the national tournament held in 2016 and lost in the first round that year, but won the national tournament the following year in 2017. Since 2018, we have been participating in the professional league. When I was in middle school, I was one of the best players when playing PowerPro with my friends, so I would look out the classroom window and think, ``If there was a national tournament, I would definitely win'' (lol) I was happy that I was able to realize what I had always wanted to do as an adult.

Mr. Takagawa: My name is Yu Takagawa. I've been playing PowerPro ever since I was a kid, and I used to play with my siblings, but as I got more serious about playing baseball in junior high and high school, I stopped playing PowerPro as much. When I grew up, my older brother became a professional Power Pro player, and while I was rooting for him, I thought I should try it myself, and as I played online matches, I realized that I wanted to become a pro.

 

-By the way, did Mr. Fujimoto and Mr. Maeda also play real baseball?

Mr. Fujimoto: I played soccer all the way through junior high school. I got addicted to watching baseball games in middle school, and did gymnastics in high school, but even back then I loved professional baseball and would always go to Jingu to watch Yakult games. I thought it was about time for me to try baseball, so I joined the baseball club at university. At first, I started playing PowerPro that a friend lent me and learned the names of professional baseball players, so PowerPro was the reason I started playing baseball.

Mr. Maeda: Originally, I didn't know anything about the rules of baseball, and I wasn't particularly interested in it, but when I was in the 6th grade of elementary school, there was a page introducing the game at the beginning of CoroCoro Comic, and I often read it. Even though PowerPro was being introduced to me, I really wanted to try it out. I learned the rules of baseball from PowerPro, and from there I tried playing softball, and even joined a friend's baseball team, but back when I was really serious about baseball. There is no such thing.

Looking back at the “eBASEBALL Pro League” 2020 season

-Have you changed anything from the 2019 season going into this season's games?

Ibusuki: Personally, I decided not to change the way I fight. In the 2019 season, we had a good result of 6 wins and 0 losses, so I basically decided not to change things like practice and preparation before games. However, I have learned that I should have changed my communication with my teammates, so I will try to be more proactive in the 2020 season, analyzing my opponents and discussing things I should have learned from previous games. I was making time.

Mr. Fujimoto: The 2020 season was my second year, so I wanted to have an advantage over the 2019 season, but since the team changed from the Tokyo Yakult Swallows to the Orix Buffaloes, which is quite a different team, at first I didn't think so. I couldn't. So I went into the match with the intention of increasing my tactical options. When it came to the actual match, I was able to use tactics that suited the match, so I think it was a good thing that I was able to prepare well.

-How do you think about tactical options?

Mr. Fujimoto: Basically, it's a baseball game, so when I watch a professional baseball game, I often think to myself, ``Is there a strategy like this?'' or ``I wish I could hit the ball in this direction in this situation.'' So I can use my experience even when I'm not playing PowerPro. There are a lot of things that are completely different between professional baseball and PowerPro, but the tactical options are basically similar, so I think it's influenced me quite a bit.

Takagawa: The 2019 season was my first time playing professionally, and when I got there, I felt like my ability wasn't up to those around me, so I was just trying to do it haphazardly and thinking, ``I just have to do it.'' But in the 2020 season, I felt like I had more leeway, and instead of trying to make great plays or show off my strengths, I thought about ``What should I do to win?'' I think I was able to prepare well by thinking about the opponent's countermeasures and where I was lacking.

- Mr. Takagawa said that his favorite strategy is ``defensive maneuvers that take away hit-prone batted balls,'' but your batting was also amazing this season, right?

Takagawa: In the 2019 season, I wanted to show off my batting skills, but I wasn't able to hit at all because my level was lacking. We lost the first game, but there were a few fine plays using Shunta Goto, and an introductory video that said, ``This guy's fine plays are amazing,'' was used from the second game onwards. So, I think that impression became the tagline for this season.

Maeda-san: In my case, I practiced obsessively, and as a result, I ended up spending two years switching back and forth between practice and actual performance. So when I was in my third year, I realized, ``I can't do it the same way I've always done it.'' But even while practicing, I didn't feel inferior to other players, so I didn't just practice, I read books on mental health, tried making some changes to my lifestyle, and changed my approach leading up to the match. Being able to change things up was a plus. This season made me realize how important it is to be in good condition, even in the world of esports.

-Specifically, how did you change your approach?

Mr. Maeda: In my daily life, I usually work, so I do things around the house after I get home, and then I practice PowerPro until late at night, even if it means cutting back on my sleep. I have always lived a life of practicing. Starting with the 2020 season, I started changing things in my daily life outside of games, such as going to bed at a set time and exercising a little more. The biggest thing was that I was nervous the day before the match, but I was able to stay calm by trying not to feel any pressure on a daily basis, and was able to approach the match with that same tension.

-It's also important to adjust the conditions in your life.

Maeda-san: I'm the oldest active professional player at 34 years old, and compared to other players in their 20s, my physical strength and reflexes are somewhat weaker, and my play tends to drop when I feel tired. So, in an effort to eliminate this condition, I focused on getting enough sleep and adjusting my condition.

―Was there any impact due to the coronavirus pandemic and the postponement of the e-climax series?

Ibusuki-san: Personally, I think the good thing about this season was that my condition wasn't very good this season, so I had a period of time to correct that. Also, if it hadn't been postponed, the e-climax series was originally scheduled to be pre-recorded, but since there was a gap in time, it was streamed live, so I think that would be more motivating, and it would be a good idea for people to be able to watch it in person. I think it happened. Personally, I don't see any bad points. It's not really a good thing, but the interruption was a good preparation period.

-I think you were marked by other players, but did that affect you?

Mr. Ibusuki: Ah, at the opening, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters' player Kiname said something like ``I've been watching and studying me for a year'' (lol) I guess that's what the 2020 season will be like. I thought so, but in that sense, I think we should reflect on not changing our tactics from the 2019 season. There are parts of me that got addicted to it because I didn't change it, and PowerPro is updated every year, so I feel like I should have been more flexible and prepared.

Fujimoto: It would be difficult to come up with new tactics and strategies in just one or two weeks, but since we had two months and the opponent team was already decided, we were able to try out various patterns of strategies. In particular, my pitching style has changed, and the percentage of fastballs has decreased considerably and the number of breaking balls has increased. My strategy also changed, so I think that was a good thing.

What are your future prospects?

-Finally, please tell us about your future prospects.

Mr. Ibusuki: As expected, this event was held during the coronavirus pandemic, so there are some things that have changed, such as pre-recording, but I think it's best to let the audience in and watch the match live. I think so. Also, in the first tournament in 2016, it was fun to compete against people whose names I didn't know, so it was a tournament that even non-professionals could enjoy, and conversely, it was a one-shot tournament and a stage where even pros could challenge themselves. I think it would be fun to have one.

―Are the players more excited about live streaming rather than pre-recording?

Mr. Ibusuki: Well, I think there are probably both. I think there are some people who would prefer not to stream live because they get nervous when there's an audience, but listening to people talk about it, it's better for us to have them cheer us on in real time. Please support me!'' It's easier for me to broadcast live. When it comes to live streaming, there is plenty of seating for the audience, and up until the 2019 season, I had the opportunity to shake hands with the fans who actually came after the game, give them player cards, and talk to them. I was really happy when someone said to me, ``Please, please,'' so I think it increased my motivation.

Mr. Fujimoto: The term e-sports has become popular, but I think eBASEBALL Pro League still doesn't have many fans, even though it bears the name of a professional baseball team. There are sponsors like Beyond that you wouldn't get easily in regular e-sports, and there are quite a few people who support us because they're fans of the Orix Buffaloes, an actual professional baseball team. There are some people who are not interested at all or don't like the use of the team's name in the game, so I would like as many professional baseball fans as possible to watch it.

Mr. Takagawa: When it comes to playing PowerPro, I'm interested in how strong I can become in the future, so I hope I can practice more and more and eventually be able to say, ``He's the strongest player.'' I think so. I have a long period of time off, so during that time I would like to continue communicating through social media and live streaming so that I can get attention.

Maeda-san: I'm a much older player, so I often think about how far I can go each year, but I don't think it's a good thing to be criticized because of my age. I think the fact that you can compete against younger players no matter what your age is will motivate people who are aiming to join the professional league in the future. In the past, I only did it because I wanted to win, but in the past year or two, I've been thinking that it's not just about me, but that I can stand in front of it and serve as a guide for the young people who come after me. . I think I'm old enough to think about things like that, but I want to continue to be that type of player, wanting to continue as long as possible and leave the rest to the younger players and smile when I see them.

- Do you use your physical strength during practice?

Maeda-san: In the past, it was normal to work until 2 a.m., wake up at 6 a.m., and go to work again, but starting in the 2020 season, it's hard to play games or stay awake after 24 p.m. It's hard to sit and stare at a game screen late at night, but I think it's something everyone can't avoid. If you're a professional, it's important to know how much practice you can do under such conditions, and unlike real sports, e-sports has a wide age range, so I think that's what makes it interesting.

Conclusion

I was fascinated by the fact that ``age doesn't matter in e-sports,'' and I also felt the depth of the game in that ``condition is important'' in e-sports, just like in regular sports.

In order to continue playing PowerPro as a professional, it is necessary to analyze the team's communication and tactics, and it is not enough just to be strong, but to increase the number of fans of "eBASEBALL Pro League", we need to increase communication and interaction on SNS. If things go well, I think the esports industry as a whole will become more exciting.

As games in the 2020 season were streamed, it was not possible to interact with the audience or feel the excitement at the venue, but players and fans alike were able to watch on YouTube and interact on Twitter. Beyond would like to explore ways to have fun together.

By the way, during the off-season, we discussed within the marketing team whether we could do something with Beyond, and ``What if four members of the Orix Buffaloes and Beyond engineers played against each other in a real baseball game?'' If we were given permission, we would I would like to rent a stadium and try it out (lol)

This is the second part of our interview with Orix Buffaloes!

 

© ORIX BUFFALOES

©NPB

© Konami Digital Entertainment

 

• eBASEBALL Orix Buffaloes Official Page
• eBASEBALL Pro League 2020 Season Orix Buffaloes Support Site