Now That's a LAN

If we disregard, for a moment - the Formula 1 next to Tyler, the catering, the massage therapists in the screening room - this event encapsulated the roots of esports: a few nerds under one roof, enjoying the games and the company of friends. The venue is a tad bigger, but the air there was not unlike those grade-school lan parties I used to frequent. Sure, these are all the top professionals and gaming pays their bills, but when it gets down to it, they're just here for the love of the game.
Training for StarCraft is serious business

Despite attending as White-Ra's guest, my only interaction with Mr Special Tactic was a gift from Europe and a quick trip to the training table. Unlike what many assumed in the TL thread, the Pros did took every advantage of the training opportunity from 1 till 11. Besides dinner and snacks, the Pros spent almost all their time either at their training station or crowded around another's practice. Despite being surrounded by pros, other guests and I rarely had a chance to chat with them. That's a good thing.
Halo Pros are different folks

Photo: Red Bull

Even for an uninitiated like me, I could tell that the Halo pros were playing with the same intensity as if it was the MLG finals. On the other hand, the StarCraft pros were there to learn. They crowd around Bomber to watch how his games unfold; qxc would tell Minigun to cheese him left, right, and center so his macro game can be tested properly; White-Ra would refuse to play on stream unless Day9 gives him a specific match-up. I am not too sure which method is better or worse, for the pros and for the audience, but it certainly points to differences in mentality behind these two eSports.

Oh, another cultural difference - I was there for most of Sunday, but I never seen a StarCraft Pro that utilized the massage table, yet the Halo Pros would line up for "the Russian one." Go figures~
Working for Red Bull is awesome

Every employee I met there reiterated this, and I don't think it's forced. While it was Sunday, quite a few employees were lounging around the offices, and they weren't there to work. If my office resembles a skate park, or my cubicle sits next to a Formula 1, or I can walk a few steps and watch White-Ra play, I'd hang around too. Lucky bastards.
Red Bull is serious about eSports

Sam, Red Bull's gaming guy, is high Masters and talks about StarCraft with the same intensity and enthusiasm as any TeamLiquid veteran. Red Bull didn't just haphazardly added StarCraft to their boot camp line-up - they wanted to get involved and planned for a long time. Probably the best news of all, Red Bull will get more involved in StarCraft very soon. Sam was quite excited, but all he was willing to say was,
Big things are coming!

It was fun and I look forward to what Sam has planned for us.

Real Photography from Red Bull
+ Show Spoiler [Pictures] +

Socke

White-Ra

Pokebunny

Tyler

SLush

Destiny

Day9 lecturing qxc

decafchicken

United States20154 Posts

October 04 2011 05:49 GMT

Unreal awesome. Thanks for the pics/blog.

Skuller

United States197 Posts

October 04 2011 05:50 GMT

Just count the number of TL members there. Redbull + Team liquid mayyyybe?

Sandro

897 Posts

October 04 2011 05:52 GMT

Redbull is gonna sponsor their own team I bet ^^

Emporio

United States3069 Posts

October 04 2011 05:57 GMT

Just wondering, are you just a really active fan or are you involved wit something somewhere? I keep seeing all your picture blogs of like everything and it's really impressive. Keep up the good work regardless!

LuckyFool

United States9015 Posts

October 04 2011 06:01 GMT

On October 04 2011 14:46 Primadog wrote:
Now hangover from energy drink binges had mostly passed, here are some thoughts from one of the lucky fools that attend Red Bull LAN.

I see what you did there; ^_^

great pics and writeup, looked like a pretty sweet event.

Primadog

United States4411 Posts

October 04 2011 06:05 GMT

On October 04 2011 14:57 Emporio wrote:
Just wondering, are you just a really active fan or are you involved wit something somewhere? I keep seeing all your picture blogs of like everything and it's really impressive. Keep up the good work regardless!

Ultimately, I am just a active / lucky fan. A few months back I made it into the writing staff for TL, before that NASL sign me up as a chat mod, and more recently I got involved in BarCraft quite heavily.

That's one really nice thing about our community - if you want to help and put in the time, the community appreciate and reward you for it.

Synwave

United States2803 Posts

October 04 2011 06:07 GMT

Sweet pics and thanks for the insight.

Dingobloo

Australia1903 Posts

October 04 2011 06:12 GMT

On October 04 2011 14:50 Skuller wrote:
Just count the number of TL members there. Redbull + Team liquid mayyyybe?

Most likely an MLG + Redbull thing, which puts the jersey redesign and other happenings like SOTG stuff in a different light. If Redbull was looking to be a headline MLG sponsor but had competing brands like Monster that sponsors EG.

But that's neither here nor there, I thought the event was a really great watch and totally unique for an eSports event and Day9 is definitely the guy to host it with his great analysis.

Hoping Tyler really improved his endurance with white-ra cracking the whip if only selfishly so his streaming sessions will last a bit longer, Great pics as well.

fuzzayy

United States99 Posts

October 04 2011 06:25 GMT

#10

Wow those were great pictures :D
hope redbull will really get involved with the sc2 scene

Torte de Lini

Germany38463 Posts

October 04 2011 06:36 GMT

#11

Sick, sick sick pictures. My God, I hear nothing but good things working at Red Bull or Google.

integrity

United States1014 Posts

October 04 2011 06:37 GMT

#12

destiny you look very handsome when your dressed up

bkrow

Australia8532 Posts

October 04 2011 06:50 GMT

#13

Awesome blog man - some sick pics! Red bull looks pretty baller

i think i spotted a Pokebunny!

Great pics!

Yamulo

United States2096 Posts

October 04 2011 06:52 GMT

#14

Nice, sounded fing awesome. Clarification, I know it was fing awesome because I watched almost every minute of it. Loved it and I hope to see more. Sweet pics btw ^^!