I have been following the competitive Stacraft 2 scene ever since the game came out more than a year ago. I love the foreigner scene but I must admit the Korean scene has a special place in my heart. I’m not really sure if it is because of the slight differences that can be detected in the evolution of the metagame between the scenes, if it is because I truly enjoy the casting of Tateless an Artosis or maybe even just because I love the aesthetics that can be found in the Korean scene (yes I did). The answer is probably a little of those three factors combined.
I was delighted when I learned that the Korean players would be playing in foreigner events, meaning I would get to see more of my favorite players and also that the different play style would end up clashing much more frequently then they did in the past, as the foreigner presence is limited in the GSL.
As I understand it, the Korean players who were probably already in the hearts of Starcraft players, became more present and got to show off their amazing style to the whole world.
One of the players which I feel has had a lot of exposure and impressed the foreigner scene is ImMVP, arguably one of the best terran players out there, known for his very versatile playstyle, surprising his opponent with an almost unlimited variety of openings. He won the GSL three times and managed to win the Blizzcon 2011 invitational to ImNestea.
When I attended MLG providence, the two stars of the IM team were being babied and supervised by the team Coach, making sure that they did not get caught up in a sea of fan requesting for pictures and autograph. I can understand to a certain extent how access to those star players must be denied in the sense that they would probably get harassed for hours for pictures and autograph, denying them of the precious energy they have left to perform in the competition.
I remember when I approached Nestea, as well as MVP when they were clearly not busy (IE watching Violet playing from the player’s area). I even have this picture of me next to MVP; you can actually see him not posing for me (notice the open mouth XD) and the IM coach actually putting up some attitude.
Most other players, from North America, Europe and even Korea were so sweet to me, often engaging into conversation and almost cuddling with me to the point of discomfort.
In this microcosm were players are battling for first place as well as for popularity leads me to ask this question:
Can a top player really afford to turn off his fans?
In the long term, who will have the most successful career? The most loved players or the player who manages to win consistently?
What will happen to those star players when they start losing their edge and performing on a more even level, when they start having problem getting past the round of 8 in foreign championship?
I had to leave MLG providence right after the Leenock- MVP game to go back to Canada (why do I have to work again), to me those games were some of the most exciting games of the week-end if not some of the most exciting games I have watched (I must admit I might have had 3-4 coffees too many and pretty much everything was exciting at that time XD)
When leaving I saw MVP walking with his coach, down from backstage, out of the conference room leaving to his hotel, no one bothered to congratulate him for one of the most epic series of the week-end. No one bothered to ask for a picture, I don’t think I even noticed anyone even looking at him.
He walked back to his hotel room, sad and disillusioned with the IM coach and no one cared because he didn’t win. Here is a video I took walking right behind MVP, glancing into what his future might become if he doesn’t get back up on his saddle.
I am not bashing MVP here, just thinking about how fragile fame and popularity is in a universe where there countless competitions in a month. How can a Pro Gamer thrive even if he’s not winning all competitions?
A Pro Gamer can win trough his loyal fans :D
tl;dr Pro Gamers, cherish your fans and they will love you even when you’re losing, so you don’t have to go back to your hotel alone and sad like MVP.
A lot of the Korean players, or just Starcraft players in general are shy and/or just want to focus on the tournament in order to get the best results possible. I believe that the Quantic and IM team had a specific fan meet at a hotel a couple blocks away from the convention center so that the players would get in some face time with their fans, you probably should have attended that if you wanted a picture with him.
I didn't mean this to be personal or against MVP, I would have like a picture with him but I don't hold it against him that he didn't indulge my fanboy fantasy.
It was more of a reflection on the sustainability of the career of progamers in general.
Can anyone think of a few pro gamers that aren't winning anything but still having a successfull Starcraft career?
Ultimately, you like a player because of the way he plays or something else he shows in the game. If you like a player, you want him to be in his best mental and physical condition during the event. Ask yourself if autographs and pictures are really that important in comparison. It seems really trivial to me.
Koreans are especially sensitive due to being used to a completely different day-to-day routine, and the whole MLG event setup is already really bad for progamers as it is (starting with tournament format, scheduling, accomodation, food etc). Many progamers have also said that the last thing they want after they lose is to be in the centre of attention.
MVP is actually pretty cool if you can speak Korean to him. I think the biggest issue is that he is quite shy and doesn't speak English so he feels intimidated by fans that he can't understand. In contrast you have some Koreans that can speak/understand English fairly well and are outgoing. It's just a personality thing.
tl;dr Pro Gamers, cherish your fans and they will love you even when you’re losing, so you don’t have to go back to your hotel alone and sad like MVP.
he still has fans that cherish him even when he's losing
he would have gone back to his hotel room alone and sad regardless lol, you think progamers go back to the hotel room happy with an entourage of fans after a loss?
On November 29 2011 10:15 PreciousPrecious wrote: I didn't mean this to be personal or against MVP, I would have like a picture with him but I don't hold it against him that he didn't indulge my fanboy fantasy.
It was more of a reflection on the sustainability of the career of progamers in general.
Can anyone think of a few pro gamers that aren't winning anything but still having a successfull Starcraft career?
I'm not sure what you're asking. I was under the impression that you were talking more about, "Is it possible for a successful progamer to have a bunch of fans if he doesn't necessarily put himself out there and doesn't really seem to have a very charismatic personality?" In which case, the answer is yes.
You said, "In the long term, who will have the most successful career? The most loved players or the player who manages to win consistently?"
And the thing is, they don't have to be mutually exclusive. The most successful players are the ones who tend to have more fans, purely because they are successful and generally have very good play. Obviously, it's not always a perfect relationship -- Flash, for instance, has fewer fans than Bisu and Jaedong, I believe -- but if MVP continues to perform well for, say, another year or two, he'll have quite a few fans by the sheer fact that he's good and also because he's been around for so long.
Overall, progaming is just a very ephemeral career for most players. The ones who'll be remembered the most are the ones who've shown a level of dominance that is difficult to conceive of for a lengthy period of time or the ones who've contributed a lot to the scene and/or the metagame, so much so that it's difficult to imagine what the game would look like today if they hadn't been there. So, when you think BW, you think Boxer, July, NaDa, Jaedong, Bisu, Flash, Savior, etc. When you think War3, you think Moon, Grubby, and Sky. Meanwhile, SC2's not really been out long enough for the first to hold true, as for the second ... MC's X-gate timings, FD's overall "this is how you're supposed to play Zerg" run through GSL1, NesTea's spine-crawler rush against FFE, MKP's "this is how you split marines, beotch!" style, etc. And MVP ... mech-stomping people? I mean, it's hard to say how much they'll be remembered four or five years from now.
On November 29 2011 11:44 PreciousPrecious wrote: Idra did lose right?
Don't know if she followed him to his hotel room tough
idra is not happy after he loses, this is a picture taken at an after party. He also stated that he doesn't like people approaching him right after he loses.
but if you think idra grinding a girl at an after party is a result of cherishing your fans then I don't know what to say. Kind of a random picture tbh.
MVP would still be sad after being knocked out and walking alone regardless if he took a picture with you. only difference would be that he might not have you stalking him if he had posed with you earlier lol.
In the long term, who will have the most successful career? The most loved players or the player who manages to win consistently?
Being a fan favorite is much more fleeting and transient existence than having success in tournaments. I don't know if you followed Brood war but the only fan favorite your average BW fan could name is Firebathero. The champions on the other hand, everyone knows about them. Even if MVP were to never win another tournament his name would forever be etched into e-sports history in the annals of the GOMtv , Blizzcon and MLG. At any given moment dozens of progamers can say they are loved by the fans, but only 1 can say he's the best terran in the world.
EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/edIjZ.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/D7TKC.jpg)
