EPTAn Opinion Piece #10
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Gather 'round children while uncle Chef rambles to himself
Gather 'round children while uncle Chef rambles to himself
The teams that have disbanded
The news of teams disbanding has troubled a great deal of Brood War fans. I'm reading things about people's hearts sinking, and the end of Brood War being nigh and that everything is just going to shit. I think it's the wrong attitude to have. If it's your favourite team or even if you just liked them, ok, be unhappy that they're disbanding, but drawing conclusions about the whole scene is detrimental and I'll tell you why.
The Proleague Finals had the highest rating of any program during its broadcast
Wasn't that great news? Do we need to forget that so quickly? It even suggested that it was new fans, not old, that brought those numbers so high. We had Flash and we had Bisu bringing in tonnes and tonnes of fans. That's special. Some may call that hope, but I call it proof that Brood War is alive and well.
Teams have come and gone. Look for a favourite old player in TLPD and see how many teams they've been on that don't even exist anymore. It's the nature of sponsors. It didn't mean Brood War dying before, and it doesn't mean it's dying now. It merely reflects the finances of the company. We'll very likely see new teams and new sponsors as space opens up for them.
Among Brood War fans there needs to be confidence
We've been told by some top foreigners and we've been told by hoards of SC2 fans that our game is dying, and some have even joined us just to keep saying it as if they were one of us, and now, after a year or so of grinding, people are actually starting to believe it. If you are an SC2 fan who moved to BW, or if you are a fan of both games, you're of course welcome, but don't say the game is dying.
There have always been dissenters who've said this game is dying and seemed more to want it to die so they could move on with their lives than because they believed it. In my mind this is what the top foreigners who've moved to SC2 are like. They want to dedicate themselves to SC2, so they want all temptations of BW to be eliminated (the ones who speak loudest about SC2 being the future and BW being old news). However, they don't bother me. What bothers me is that people who actively follow BW and aren't looking for it to be a part of their past are also starting to say this for the first time I can remember (people have claimed similar circumstances before, but have never seemed truthful). Maybe it's because TL isn't the sole beacon of BW anymore, it seems more real that BW is not the only game in the world.
Despite all this, despite every bit of bad news BW gets (and really has always gotten), despite how real and bad it may get, Brood War fans need to have more confidence. Not because it's warranted, but because we're Brood War fans.
Love Brood War, don't mourn it
Until Brood War is actually dead, until there is no proscene or foreign scene or ladder or anything, don't mourn for Brood War. Don't go to a sick person's bed and tell them how sad it is to see them dying. Don't go to a well person's bed and tell them how sad it would be to see them dying. Brood War is well now, and may become sick in the future, but if you are a true fan of this game and don't want to see it die, then do not plague it with ill prophecies.
The phrase "self-fulfilled prophecy" is familiar to almost everyone. It means if you think something will happen, then you will start taking actions, however much or little you realise it, to cause it to be true. If you think BW is dying, you will lessen your enjoyment of the game. You will see every negative thing in the community and ignore the good. You will make it true.
I'm writing this because I think Brood War fans need to hear it. Don't shoot our game in the foot. Love it, watch it. We may not have that much impact on the Korean scene, but at least in spirit we can support the game and show that we still care. We can talk about the players, the maps and the leagues for as long as they are still here. We can make funny BW cartoons, laugh and enjoy this game as long as it is still played. If we were the Koreans, if we were the people who affected the scene, then the sponsors would be looking at us 'do these people love this game or do they think it's dying?' Instead of sponsors we have your average user. 'do I want to join a community where everyone thinks their game is dying, or do I want to join a community full of people who are passionate and happy? Do I want to contribute to people who will appreciate what I have to offer to the game, or will they see it in a negative light?'
Brood War can only die if the fans let it. We are the fans. We don't have to worry about numbers dwindling, and if we do we will cause that to become our reality.
Don't tell me this game is dying, because I know this game is immortal
I remember my Howl for Brood War and I remember that it was answered.
I loved the proleague finals, and I even got my friends to watch it with me at 4am. Crazy isn't it? 
