Korean Starcraft Tournament

[Human Shield]

Played outside infront of big crowd.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6648934043675888354&q=starcraft

Looks pretty cool with the whole setup with smoke effects and announcer.

 

[Atrokkus]

At least one person. me aside, here has a pretty positive attitude towards progaming.

You could download some more VODs. I would recommend 1st person VODs: they show either the player's screen with all the mad microing, or the player himself with his lightning-quick hands and his display. However, those are pretty rare, and mostly unofficial. You could also try ordinary VODs - there are plenty of them on replays.net and other SC-related sites. Hear the mad skills of the commentators!

Contrary to popular opinion in the non-Asian world, I think there's nothing wrong with progaming, just as there's nothing wrong with traditional sports. There are many people who love StarCraft. There are few people who are actually exceptionally good at StarCraft. One of such people, thus, has double pleasure: he enjoys his favorite game PLUS he earns a lot of money from the sponsors (and not just for tourney wins), plus he's getting due respect from his peers and has girls crushing on him, to boot.
Some can say: he's got no life (which is a pretty fucking lame comment i can think of). Well, why? The only drawback of such progaming is that without working out you can become pretty frail or fat. But hey, surveys show that most of the progamers do find time to work out, to hang out with girls and stuff.

But most importantly, you should ask yourselves: who are you to judge them anyway?

 

[obediah]

I was in Korea 5 years ago and the only things on TV were

1) starcraft
2) DDR
3) suction cup therapy that left giant knee-cap sized hickeys.

The only things korea has going for it are soju and chili paste.

 

[bryce777]

If someone make a DDR vs south korea RTS, they would be a bzillionaire.

 

[Section8]

Allow me to make the single most predictable response in the history of the internet:

That's kind of astounding though. I mean, even with my own unhealthy obsession with gaming, I can't see myself ever being in the "studio audience" for any kind of gaming competition.

Still, if the Koreans want to do that sort of thing, go for it.

 

[Walks with the Snails]

People like to watch this shit? I just can't see myself getting excited over an SCV rush. It's just cheap and boring. It's like crowding around and cheering the masterful skill of a lab rat that's learned how to press a bar to get some cheese. If he's trying to put on a show he could at least have waited for firebats or some such.

 

[kingcomrade]

Well, you could probably say the same thing about real sports too. Not that I'm going to defend people who would pay to see two twerps play a game.

 

[Nicolai]

It's no worse than watching a football match.

 

[almondblight]

The only things korea has going for it are soju and chili paste.

Yes, but Soju rocks and Koreans (real Koreans, not the crappy white Koreans you find a lot of times in the states) are really cool people.

 

[Kraszu]

People like to watch this shit? I just can't see myself getting excited over an SCV rush. It's just cheap and boring. It's like crowding around and cheering the masterful skill of a lab rat that's learned how to press a bar to get some cheese. If he's trying to put on a show he could at least have waited for firebats or some such.

You criticize something you have no idea of. SC have depth strategy and it is interesting when you know something about it. That series of game was little disappointment for me, boxer found perfect strategy to counter yellow on that maps (the maps change often it have flaws like that scv rushes but overall it makes the game more intresting) in leagues only few games was won by bunker rushes. - Coming whit new rush is not as simple as it seems, Boxer had to fell that this can work (on those maps) and time it right. Those maps were tested, many games was played on them before but Boxer was first to find that. -maps are changed after some time each league have some new maps, some are allive for longer, some are removed faster.

Interesting article about leagues in 2005:

http://teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=35899]

If you want to see good game watch Boxer vs Joyo on paradox:
http://teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=35799 -subtitles (translates commentators)

http://www.yaoyuan.com/show.php?SID=15094 - it dll very slow but i could not find this on faster server.

 

[voodoo1man]

It's no worse than watching a football match.

But with none of the homoerotic appeal. They should have minimum physical fitness standards for SC players and have them wear tight shorts and sit in chairs that prominently display their jutting buttocks. Pro-gaming will never take off in the States without this.

 

[Zomg]

I respect this kind of thing, but I don't understand it. I have appreciation for the depth of strategy, metaplanning, and execution-reflex of RTSes, but I still find them boring. I think I could watch pro-gaming FPSes *if* someone could implement a well-edited spectator camera, but as it is watching it from the perspective of the players is godawful. Pro sports simming is just embarassing.

I can watch fighting games all day, though.

 

[Atrokkus]

I respect this kind of thing, but I don't understand it. I have appreciation for the depth of strategy, metaplanning, and execution-reflex of RTSes, but I still find them boring. I think I could watch pro-gaming FPSes *if* someone could implement a well-edited spectator camera, but as it is watching it from the perspective of the players is godawful. Pro sports simming is just embarassing.

That's the biggest problem of cybersport right now. There is a need for as much attraction for audience as possible.
I mean, the popularization of a given cybersport game is required for the continuation of its fruitful existence, and the c-sports movement in general. Money, it's always a factor. If the game is fun to watch, and is great for the players to play, then there will be a lot of spectators (full stadiums, halls), and, therefore, good income for the sponsors and their representative progamers. This way, playing StarCraft becomes more than a hobby or an occasional profit: it becomes a career, just as football player or any other athlete.