Although, internationally, I think sc2 has already surpassed BW competitively. I don't know where you say the passion is missing in sc2. The Nestea vs sC match had everyone excited and passionate, the events like IEM and Dreamhack say otherwise aswell, the amount of streams and streaming shows like state of the game are drawing lots of interest. Honestly, how can you even say that no passion in sc2 right now? It's been 1 year only too...quite the opposite
While SC2 has reached competitive potential that many other games can only dream of, I think you are confusing passion with something else altogether. TSL3 and all the LANs pulling in number is not really passion, a lot of it is "SC2-is-new-so-I'll-check-it-out" kind of thing. Passion is pulling in stadiums full of spectators for a game that has been out for many many years. Passion is running a tournament like TSL2 for the foreigners, even though all the other players have given up ever finding a hope from the foreign scene. Passion is playing an old ass game with old-ass graphics even though newer games with newer graphics and more players stream out like there is no tomorrow.
Right now, I'd say most of the fans have yet to prove their passion for SC2. If you think all these fans that tune in for the TSL3 this year, then within months go on to play the next shiny new game is passion, then you insult the passion that fueled BW and allow it to live on for so long. Passion for SC2 will be when Dawn of War III, SupCom 3, WarCraft 5, MW10, and StarCraft 3 have come out, and people are still playing StarCraft 2 because they just love the game so much. Passion for SC2 will be when many of the sponsors have left SC2 because they just couldn't get rich quick enough with it, and there are still sponsors and players clinging on to the game because they just can't let it go. That will be passion, and until then SC2 is nowhere close to SC1 in terms of passion.
EPT
