That’s the closest I’ve ever been to live Starcraft. A gift from my brother who spent a semester as an exchange student in Korea. Yes, he is a lot cooler than any of your brothers, but that is not the point. You see for all the time I have spent following the scene I still have yet to take part in drinking from the holy grail of this movement.
When I was new to the scene, it was enough to watch vods, I didn’t care who was playing I just wanted to see good games, but like any addict can tell you the best replays and vods do not compare to the real thing. Watching the sickest match of 2003 today, doesn’t even come close to Being a CJ fan fingers crossed 5am 0-3 during the winners league finals with Jaedong five pooling as sKyHigh scouts in the wrong direction.
How could anyone call this game exciting as a vod?
I know even that doesn’t stack up to being actually there at the event. I want to hear the audience all around me and not from 2.1 speakers. Do you think I wanted to watch the 256bps streams having to squint and guess at what the upgrades were? No I have never been to Atlantic City, and that’s because I was stuck in a perverse version of the Truman Show where they took my love and dragged it off to the other side of the world. Korea, Fiji, same damn thing! Even when it came to America my heart sunk when MLG locations and dates were announced because I knew that I could not find a way to justify traveling to any of them.
Wait a second, hold on, and enter IPL3. At first it didn’t even hit me as a possibility. One hundred miles? No, that can’t be, they must be talking about some other Atlantic City, Arizona or something because it shouldn’t be possible for me to go. But I can, and I am.
To me IPL3 is not just an event not just a tournament but an idea of Starcraft coming to its own. This isn’t going to be a Halo Tournament with Starcraft tacked on last minute. This is Atlantic City, a fighting city. Its Heroes are the likes of Holyfield, Lewis, Tyson, and for me it will add to this list Boxer, Idra, MC, Thorzain and so many more. I want to see someone’s ear get completely bitten off. I want throat slashes, special tactics, middle fingers, awkward Koreans, men shouting, women screaming, and children crying! I’m expecting Snake Eyes damn it!
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You know… Nicholas Cage, Gary Sinise… Carla Gugino…
Atlantic City...
Fight night…
…Anybody? No?
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…Oh well, PainUser probably knows it, just watch the trailer.