Some hold an opinion that Korean players are less interesting or have no "storyline". In pro Starcraft, the term "foreigner" is equivalent to "non-Korean," so when someone says the wish to see more foreigners, they are really saying, "I don't want to see Koreans." This underlying prejudice bothers me so I'm venting about it in a blog post. My responses will be included in spoiler tags.
I don't watch the GSL so I don't care about Korean players.
"GSL comes on too early for me so I can't get to grow as a fan of the Korean players outside of Boxer or Nada."
"i don't care about these players apart from boxer and to a lesser extent mvp for his stars connections, as i don't watch gsl"
So is the GSL "their" tournament and MLG is "our" tournament? As a GSL watcher, I'm excited to see the skill level of GSL contextualized with the rest of the world. I was also honored to witness an unprecedented level of skill coming to MLG
Koreans have no "storyline"
"the Koreans are, for the most part, just faceless names to me."
"I know the non-Korean players better. Games are just games; I think it's the players who are controlling the game that make things more interesting as well as their story line if they have one."
"korean vs korean finals are boring because there is nobody to root for."
"I think the KvK is actually sometimes dull, the background story can almost be removed since often there isn't one."
"I feel less connected to Koreans in general and I felt I didn't really care about who won."
"i actually turned the finals off because there were no foreigners. I want to watch people from my country. "
Here are some storylines for you: Donraegu: Comes to America for the first time in his life. Donraegu was featured in the first "message from Korea" in which he promised good results in the future and expressed his desire to attend overseas tournaments. Both those prophecies became true as he became the most successful player in the GSTL and dominated his group at MLG.
BoxeR: The Emporer and the son of the Emporer. BoxeR, in an interview at MLG, says something like "I don't normally play this well, but because of all the fans cheering for me, I'm on fire." BoxeR, who had just lost his spot in code A, went 5-0 in his group defeating idra in his first game. What could have be a better environment for the return of the Emporer?
Ganzi/Rain: Their team took the financial and time risk to travel from Korea and participate in MLG for their first time. 4-1 and 5-0 in their groups. Seriously, if this was a European player taking the same risk, this would have been quite the "story."
I don't see any financial risk with rain, who is moving to live in new york/has fnatic probably pay for his costs. ganzi also had his team slayers pay I assume. I don't see koreans coming seeded into group play and winning as being much of a story, as it is expected. Open bracket koreans would make more of a "story", and except for Alicia that meant just playing some more bo3s until getting into group stages.
If you ask me, people tend to like foreigners instead of Koreans because if a foreigner, who practices only 3 hours a day can make it big, it means that the average Joe can do it too. But a Korean, who gives up his life and plays 8+ hours a day makes it impossible for a person to just slide into professional gaming on a whim.
On August 04 2011 07:25 N.geNuity wrote: I don't see any financial risk with rain, who is moving to live in new york/has fnatic probably pay for his costs. ganzi also had his team slayers pay I assume. I don't see koreans coming seeded into group play and winning as being much of a story, as it is expected. Open bracket koreans would make more of a "story", and except for Alicia that meant just playing some more bo3s until getting into group stages.
Open bracket koreans would make more of a story than Ganzi and Rain? When I watched MLG I got the impression that Ganzi and Rain were both open bracket koreans... and they were unseeded, and fought their way into the pool play through the open brackets, right?
I think all the koreans got their trip payed for or sponsored by some company or another. But I'm pretty sure this is the same for a majority of foreign pro players as well as long as they're on a well known team.
On August 04 2011 07:25 N.geNuity wrote: I don't see any financial risk with rain, who is moving to live in new york/has fnatic probably pay for his costs. ganzi also had his team slayers pay I assume. I don't see koreans coming seeded into group play and winning as being much of a story, as it is expected. Open bracket koreans would make more of a "story", and except for Alicia that meant just playing some more bo3s until getting into group stages.
Open bracket koreans would make more of a story than Ganzi and Rain? When I watched MLG I got the impression that Ganzi and Rain were both open bracket koreans... and they were unseeded, and fought their way into the pool play through the open brackets, right?
Yeah, Ganzi and Rain made it through open bracket play and also did really well in group play. Pretty amazing considering how many games you have to play on the second day.
On August 04 2011 07:30 Emporio wrote: If you ask me, people tend to like foreigners instead of Koreans because if a foreigner, who practices only 3 hours a day can make it big, it means that the average Joe can do it too. But a Korean, who gives up his life and plays 8+ hours a day makes it impossible for a person to just slide into professional gaming on a whim.
I think the assumption that foreign players only casually play the game is extremely misleading. Even the average diamond player is likely to play more than 3 hours a day, if their life allows it.
Obsession with "storylines" is really irritating. It's a competition, not a show. Starcraft is a game. Watch the games.
Real storylines will develop based on someone's style of play, record against a race or another player, or after really exciting games or someone's unexpectedly good run through a tournament. Korean players do provide these stories - and a lot more memorable ones than foreigners do.
And seriously, where are these foreigner "storylines"? Some random trashtalking, a bunch of kids getting hyped up every time Idra has to play HuK or MC or Cruncher (or really anyone), usually followed by awful games you'd want to forget as soon as possible.
Anyway, agreed with most that's said in the OP. Just adding in some more venting.
I would have to agree with your sentiment. I don't know though, maybe it's just that I only got in to the SC scene after BW (a month or so after SC2 release) and have thus not been witness to the complete Korean domination for as long as some others? Personally though I absolutely love seeing the best do what they do regardless of where they're from and I really find it hard to empathise with people who're only interested in non Koreans.
TvT's and more TvT's with some TvT's to split them up though, that's another matter.
On August 04 2011 07:25 N.geNuity wrote: I don't see any financial risk with rain, who is moving to live in new york/has fnatic probably pay for his costs. ganzi also had his team slayers pay I assume. I don't see koreans coming seeded into group play and winning as being much of a story, as it is expected. Open bracket koreans would make more of a "story", and except for Alicia that meant just playing some more bo3s until getting into group stages.
Open bracket koreans would make more of a story than Ganzi and Rain? When I watched MLG I got the impression that Ganzi and Rain were both open bracket koreans... and they were unseeded, and fought their way into the pool play through the open brackets, right?
I never wrote they weren't in the open brackets. I compare open bracket koreans to the seeded koreans (talking in generalities), and my point is for either case I don't see it as a story. As I said, and open bracket korean makes a "story" (in quotation, meaning not a real story) by just going right on through.
every open bracket korean at MLG except for alicia and choya pretty much went straight through (july from last MLG applies), but to most people choya not making it to pool play isn't too shocking. Alicia is really only surprise. The point of my post is to agree with the point there isn't much of a story about koreans. The OP claims they do, and I am disagreeing with the OP. Koreans are expected to dominate and they did. Not really a story for me. The OP also implies a "financial risk" is part of the story, and I don't think it was.
So yeah.. one of the statements you referenced in the OP caught me off guard.
"I stopped watching when it became korean top 6. If I want to watch koreans smash everyone else Ill go and watch GSL. "
I actually didn't start watching the MLG till the top six because I already knew from the start the people I watch on GSL would dominate all other opponents. I watched a few foreigner vs foreigner matches for fun but it's no shock to see people who train for and compete in the hardest tournament beat other players who do not.
On August 04 2011 07:30 Emporio wrote: If you ask me, people tend to like foreigners instead of Koreans because if a foreigner, who practices only 3 hours a day can make it big, it means that the average Joe can do it too. But a Korean, who gives up his life and plays 8+ hours a day makes it impossible for a person to just slide into professional gaming on a whim.
K Sarah Palin.
And the idea of someone who plays 3 hours a day defeating opponents that play 8+ hours every day completely invalidates the competitiveness of the sport.
Ppl should just be less spoiled. This isnt some shit drama tv show where we worship our favorite personalities. If your watching it for the people and not the game you really shouldn't be watching it at all.
On August 04 2011 07:25 N.geNuity wrote: I don't see any financial risk with rain, who is moving to live in new york/has fnatic probably pay for his costs. ganzi also had his team slayers pay I assume. I don't see koreans coming seeded into group play and winning as being much of a story, as it is expected. Open bracket koreans would make more of a "story", and except for Alicia that meant just playing some more bo3s until getting into group stages.
Open bracket koreans would make more of a story than Ganzi and Rain? When I watched MLG I got the impression that Ganzi and Rain were both open bracket koreans... and they were unseeded, and fought their way into the pool play through the open brackets, right?
I never wrote they weren't in the open brackets. I compare open bracket koreans to the seeded koreans (talking in generalities), and my point is for either case I don't see it as a story. As I said, and open bracket korean makes a "story" (in quotation, meaning not a real story) by just going right on through.
every open bracket korean at MLG except for alicia and choya pretty much went straight through (july from last MLG applies), but to most people choya not making it to pool play isn't too shocking. Alicia is really only surprise. The point of my post is to agree with the point there isn't much of a story about koreans. The OP claims they do, and I am disagreeing with the OP. Koreans are expected to dominate and they did. Not really a story for me. The OP also implies a "financial risk" is part of the story, and I don't think it was.
please learn to read what people write.
Ah, sorry man I must have misinterpreted what you wrote. When you said that the Open bracket koreans would make more of a story, I thought you meant it as a hypothetical, when really you were saying that the OP should have referenced the open bracket koreans instead of the seeded koreans. My bad-- though I would like to note that it was a LITTLE ambigous what you wrote, and I was not the only person who was confused.
That being said, I still think there IS a story in the koreans sweeping the tournament. The koreans were all seeded really low (MMA, the former champion, given the 18th seed? really?) which means they all broke seed to sweep up the championships-- this indicates either that the koreans were surprisingly good, or that seeding was surprisingly bad.
On August 04 2011 07:30 Emporio wrote: If you ask me, people tend to like foreigners instead of Koreans because if a foreigner, who practices only 3 hours a day can make it big, it means that the average Joe can do it too. But a Korean, who gives up his life and plays 8+ hours a day makes it impossible for a person to just slide into professional gaming on a whim.
K Sarah Palin.
And the idea of someone who plays 3 hours a day defeating opponents that play 8+ hours every day completely invalidates the competitiveness of the sport.
Ppl should just be less spoiled. This isnt some shit drama tv show where we worship our favorite personalities. If your watching it for the people and not the game you really shouldn't be watching it at all.
Sad thing is that the crappy Disney movie where people are convinced Joe Schmoe can win it all just on sheer gumption and folksiness is exactly what sells to the US mass market.
On August 04 2011 07:30 Emporio wrote: If you ask me, people tend to like foreigners instead of Koreans because if a foreigner, who practices only 3 hours a day can make it big, it means that the average Joe can do it too. But a Korean, who gives up his life and plays 8+ hours a day makes it impossible for a person to just slide into professional gaming on a whim.
K Sarah Palin.
And the idea of someone who plays 3 hours a day defeating opponents that play 8+ hours every day completely invalidates the competitiveness of the sport.
Ppl should just be less spoiled. This isnt some shit drama tv show where we worship our favorite personalities. If your watching it for the people and not the game you really shouldn't be watching it at all.
Sad thing is that the crappy Disney movie where people are convinced Joe Schmoe can win it all just on sheer gumption and folksiness is exactly what sells to the US mass market.
especially when they take someone like tyler (an extremely refined and hard working player) and repaint him as some all-american joefuckface dumbass intuitive thinking player with as primitive an understanding of the game as they have (primarily because they subconsciously find him attractive and want him to penetrate there asshole).
On August 04 2011 07:30 Emporio wrote: If you ask me, people tend to like foreigners instead of Koreans because if a foreigner, who practices only 3 hours a day can make it big, it means that the average Joe can do it too. But a Korean, who gives up his life and plays 8+ hours a day makes it impossible for a person to just slide into professional gaming on a whim.
K Sarah Palin.
And the idea of someone who plays 3 hours a day defeating opponents that play 8+ hours every day completely invalidates the competitiveness of the sport.
Ppl should just be less spoiled. This isnt some shit drama tv show where we worship our favorite personalities. If your watching it for the people and not the game you really shouldn't be watching it at all.
Sad thing is that the crappy Disney movie where people are convinced Joe Schmoe can win it all just on sheer gumption and folksiness is exactly what sells to the US mass market.
especially when they take someone like tyler (an extremely refined and hard working player) and repaint him as some all-american joefuckface dumbass intuitive thinking player with as primitive an understanding of the game as they have (primarily because they subconsciously find him attractive and want him to penetrate there asshole).
Ya it's really irritating that people want to see BM and trash-talk and other stupid non-professional antics from the players so much that they would prioritize those over the quality of the game. And then they get pumped over seeing White-Ra who really is just an Ukrainian version of a typical Korean.
On August 04 2011 08:27 Blazinghand wrote: this indicates either that the koreans were surprisingly good, or that seeding was surprisingly bad.
I think this says what I was trying to say better . Koreans doing well isn't a story for a lot of people as it was entirely expected, regardless whether they were in brackets or in groups to begin.
You can turn drama off like a switch, you can't turn off skill. That's why foreign players should leave the story bullshit at the door and train, especially those players that are in team houses with nothing better to do. It's your livelihood, do something about it.
It's not surprise that some of the best stories to come out of pro sports involve the top tier players. Get good, that's when the best stories come out.
Well, tbh, I don't really blame them as some of these fans support mainly foreigners. For example, I'm a terran fanboy and protoss hater and i'll get pretty pissed off if the semis were PvPvPvP and i'll probably won't watch.
At the end of the day the best players who worked hardest won, it's pretty damn petty to just say that "oh they're korean I don't want to watch" instead of "wow these players are really good." Do people really want it any other way?
More koreans at MLG just makes the event more international and more exciting. For fans of foreign players the excitement will come when Huk wins something like Dreamhuk, or say when EG after practicing for months at the team house shows glorious victories over Korean players.
We should appreciate whoever's the most dominant player and look forward to the foreign scene catching up.
EPT
