A Decent Proposal - Page 23

On November 23 2011 07:15 Phenny wrote:
Amazing post, I feel inspired to spread the word and pledge that I will endeavour to do so more often. My single qualm with it however is that while the growth of SC2 and even Esports in general is attractive for many reasons, I still don't feel confident that putting it on TV or making it hugely mainstream will produce benefits that outweigh the downsides.

What I mean by this is that an increase in it's status and acceptance would (imo) likely serve to increase it's professionality - at the cost of fun. I'm just worried about how certain personalities may have to change (or be scrapped), as esports becomes drier and ultra politically correct, losing (for some) the entertainment factor and what makes this (comparitively) smaller commnity fantastic, just for the sake of keeping the masses happy.

This is just the way my brain foresees it ending up, I completely accept that this could be a gross exaggeration of what ends up happening but it just seems the most likely to me.

On November 23 2011 07:31 Forikorder wrote:

i dont quite get what you mean i dont think theres any of the BIG casters that go around swearing and doing stuff they wouldnt want on TV, and the less big casters would still be online with the other tournaments

and TV would never replace the online community, but having it on TV means barcrafts become alot more easy

tournaments will always have there online streams going on i mean alot of us are computer nerds in addition to starcraft nerds, and there have been times i enjoy playing the game while checking out a stream or tournament so streams will always be the easiest way for alot of fans to get there fix but for other more "normal" fans who treat the game like football or soccer TV will be the easiest way for them

On November 23 2011 09:01 kiHrt wrote:
Thoughts of a random fan:

Incontrol, I generally do not contribute to the community, but as that seems to be the intent of your post, I am inclined to share.

There were a few points in your post which I disagreed with and wanted to bring to your attention:
I have no interest in going to see a pop-group perform at a venue before watching matches. The thought of the "live Korean event" replicated here in the states is not something I see as realistic. Obviously there is opportunity and success in live SC2 events here, but I am not sure how much more you will interest people in the game with the addition of various musical acts. It comes across as hokey, or cheesy.
This is what prompted me to reply. I have ZERO interest in seeing SC2 get the "ESPN" treatment. I feel like a lot of what you have written can be broken down into 2 statements - commercialize SC2 to the MAX and shove it down peoples throat's. I enjoy SC2 immensely and see how large exposure can generate certain positives. However, I do not see where you are weighing any of the negatives. Commercialization will equate to the watering down of what is currently a very "pure" product. I choose not to pay for cable for this reason. LOST was a great show, but 42/60 minute time slots while I am forced to PAY FOR THE PRODUCT is not desirable. As things stand, if I tune in to a random stream and have to deal with a few commercials while NOT PAYING for my entertainment, I can stomach that. When I purchase a pass to watch a certain league or tournament, I generally am not subjected to commercials and I am happy with this as well. All of that will change with large corporate interest in SC2.
There are many other games and forms of entertainment which are very popular, and have major proponents of, such as yourself. Chess, checkers, Magic, Yugioh, football, soccer, baseball, etc. Not everyone loves them as much as others. Just because I might be the biggest soccer fan doesn't mean you have to be. Nor should you have it forced on you. I'm not the biggest fan of craft shows. If they were shoved in my face all the time by their fans, I would be much less inclined to want to consume it. I understand you seek greater exposure for SC2, but is that always going to be a good thing?
Which brings me to my last point. I completely agree with you in saying that the community should be unabashed in contacting sponsors, team owners, and using public forum such as contacting Providence officials to say thank you, etc. Those are perfectly acceptable examples. I would suggest that you might want to tone back your message about fans getting in PLAYERS faces though. I have taken the time to write my favorite player and both times they were kind enough to reply (or have someone do it for them! lol). If I began consistently e-mailing, tweeting, posting about, attempting to contact, trying to call, you begin to cross a line that should NOT be crossed. Does this community really need encouragement toward that? I've seen a fair bit of harassment toward Anna from members of the community. How much more of that would she and yourself like to see? You may want to be treated like a rock star, but the celebrity and exposure has its pitfalls as well.
All in all I see where you are coming from and respect your enthusiasm and dedication. I just hope you might think about refining the message in hopes of getting a better end result for yourself/ves (you and fellow players/casters) as well as we the consumer, the fan.
Thank you for taking the time, good luck in your future results and endeavors!

/typical Incontrol rage comments

=D