EPTAnd here I am, nearly 13 full years later still playing StarCraft. I don't need to tell you why, we are all here because we know that this game is something special. There is a magic to playing StarCraft, it has withstood the test of time and shown itself to be deserving of respect from the entire gaming community. The proscene in Korea is the ultimate testament that e-sports is a very real possibility in our time. I know that I only got interested in following professional StarCraft in the last three years, but ever since then I am completely enamored by the idea of it.
It was only recently however, while listening to djwheat's Weapon of Choice #20 that I realized that e-sports needs all of our support in order to rise. Sure, it's great that we all enjoy playing the game, watching streams, and writing on TL. But what else can be done? Surely you have something to offer the scene that you haven't tapped into yet.
My own personal journey of spreading e-sports has begun recently, and I thought I would share my story and see if it may spark some of you to do something similar.
After years of playing StarCraft, I had never really made much of an effort to try and get my friends to play. Most of them had little interest in computer games, there was Playstation to be played after all! Sure I had some friends who played with me, but for the most part my interaction was based on anyone I ran into on battlenet US West. In college, I met more people who had similar interests as my own who pointed me towards Team Liquid. From there, I was immersed in a world of professional BW, taking in everything I could about e-sports and StarCraft
It wasn't until this year however, that I decided it is time I give something back to this community that had given me so much. While I had never played on a successful team, I joined up as a division administrator for the Collegiate StarLeague (CSL). I've always thought the CSL is one of the best examples of how there is a passion for competitive gaming and e-sports in NA, and I've found being a part in helping it in whatever way I can to be extremely fulfilling.
While helping with the CSL is great, I wanted to do more for this community. So many people have done fantastic projects and it was with that in mind that I created the Warp Report. The Warp Report is my daily show on youtube where I commentate and analyze replays that I either find online, or that my viewers send in to me. I've found the show to be a lot of fun, and I feel like I finally have my little slice of the community that I can provide for. If you want to check it out sometime, just check out my channel and subscribe for updates. I try to keep it updated with a new show everyday. And as an added bonus, everything is in 1080p HD
http://www.youtube.com/user/Thegilaboy
Lastly, in about two weeks I will be hosting an "introduction to e-sports" night at my condo where I will be inviting a lot of my friends over to show them what competitive StarCraft is all about. We'll be watching matches on my TV, I'll order some pizza, and who knows, maybe I'll get some people interested in this game we've all fallen in love with!
And that's where my own e-sports journey has taken me so for. Over the years countless casters and contributors have helped me both improve my play and draw me further into competitive gaming. But that is just my story, and with that I hope that it inspires some of you to start your own journey. With that I challenge you, how can you spread StarCraft and e-sports? It can be large projects like mine and others who creating casting channels for others to watch, and it can be as simple as telling a friend or co-worker about your passion. Because that's the key ingredient that really gives this so much potential. We, the StarCraft community, are one of the most passionate communities out there, and we have the potential to do even bigger and greater things than we've accomplished so far (and trust me, we've done a hell of a lot).
So I say get out there, don't be the passive enthusiast anymore. Spread the word, don't be embarrassed to tell everyone about how you stayed up super late to watch the GSL finals, or that epic SKT1 vs. KT Rolster match. We can do this everyone, we can make e-sports a bigger reality. So what do you say, will you join me on this journey?
