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Last January I wrote a blog about Sonic's BW League: SSL9. I ended that blog with the line "It might be the start of a new beginning, or it might be one of your last chances to experience the passion of Brood War."
This week a partnership between Sonic and OnGameNet was revealed, promising a cable broadcasted league on OGN. Naturally you've already seen this in community news or in the BW forum.
Before this was announced I wanted to write something about BW, and now that it has been announced, I feel like I have to. I haven't written much in English in ages, so I hope you'll forgive something somehow worse than my former ramblings.
The thing I'd been thinking about before was my own beginning in appreciating StarCraft. I don't mean in 1998 when I played on a LAN with my brother and his friend, I don't mean the next 3 or so years when I played nothing but UMS maps or all the chatcraft I participated in. That was fun, but that I could have forgotten about and put in the past forever. What I couldn't forget was the last OSL, and why it had to be the last, and how the lives and efforts of so many talented players had been thrown to the wind. I couldn't replace the endless variety this game seems to offer, or the spectacle of players pushing their limits. There was a void in my interests that couldn't be filled even by esteemed and noble games like Go. Somehow the thing that StarCraft has for me isn't offered in any other game.
My own beginning in StarCraft was when after making some terrible melee maps and talking trash on a map making forum, I started playing 1:1 games with the people and studying the game. I had inhaled Tsunami's guide and memorised every part of its wisdom in the desperate need to put up a fight. To my great fortune, my opponents had also been full of shit and were miraculously my own skill level. Those first games of real StarCraft where I cared about winning 1:1 were something that transformed my attitude toward games.
The thing that was so transformative was that for some amazingly nerdy reason, after every game we'd take a rest by watching the replay together. We'd talk about the game together, theorycraft, and then have great mind games to work with the next set when we set out to prove each other wrong over some idea of how the previous game could have gone. It was an exciting time when both me and my regular rival would furtively read strats to try to get the better of the other the next time we played.
I don't have anyone I play StarCraft with like that anymore, and I haven't in probably 8 years. And yet, pro StarCraft kept that alive, because I could see that dynamic happening clearly with the pros, with even more intensity. The mixture of pride, skill, intellect and perseverance is what made watching professional BW so enjoyable. Even as my responsibilities changed, I could still enjoy that feeling vicariously.
For whatever reason the expro games over the last years didn't quite do that for me, so BW coming back to OGN represents a little more for me than just the promise of more glitz and glamour. The stage on OGN represents the pride of returning pros who will have the weight of BW's future on their shoulders. When Sonic says he is thinking about how to get new youth into the game, I really feel he knows what's happening. This is still a make or break time for BW which is going to decide whether or not the game can continue for another decade. The players need to bring games good enough that not just the old fans are satisfied, but that a new generation can get starry eyed and generate some interest in becoming BW pros. OGN needs to be convinced BW can get a second wind and start to grow again.
The Last OSL was romantic and all, but I didn't actually do any of the things I thought not having BW anymore would free up so much time for, so I'd like to watch some games again plz.
 
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Nice blog man, awesome to see you still in love with the game we all fell in love with  and don't forget waiting to panic man that was the bomb!! :D
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Foolishness
United States3044 Posts
On December 01 2014 09:51 Chef wrote:
The Last OSL was romantic and all, but I didn't actually do any of the things I thought not having BW anymore would free up so much time for, so I'd like to watch some games again plz.
So true for everyone!
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I am happy to see bw does well again, I don't even play the game but yay for esports and rts scene
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im pretty sure things will really take off once lotv is released and they slowly and surely close the doors on sc2 within the next year or so
i'm pretty certain it's going to happen this way otherwise ogn would never bring back an older product from the shelves
they need something to pair up with LoL that gets as much hype from the audience from spectating
User was warned for this post
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Netherlands6181 Posts
Awww cute blog :3
Seems like BW is coming back to life, and that excites me!
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Canada13389 Posts
On December 01 2014 18:35 Boonbag wrote:
im pretty sure things will really take off once lotv is released and they slowly and surely close the doors on sc2 within the next year or so
i'm pretty certain it's going to happen this way otherwise ogn would never bring back an older product from the shelves
they need something to pair up with LoL that gets as much hype from the audience from spectating
:/
Even in blogs some people can find a way to bash games in this forum -_-
I'm excited, I was never around in BWs heyday but I do like watching from time to time. I miss the sayle ogn bootleg broadcasts :D
The more StarCraft the better. Even if BW doesn't live long on OGN, it coming back for even just one season is great. I wish the BW scene all the best!
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I recently started watching every flash game during the 2010-2011 proleague. Seeing how excited I am after watching those, this might be a good moment to get into watching bw more structurally.
A tad bit late, but yesterday I read your 'Chef's gosu moment's #2' blog and the comparison between tvt and go really blew my mind. For a little bit I recognised some structure in tvt i couldn't put my finger on, with which the comparison helped immensely, and for a large part it opened new ways to analysing the flash games i'm watching. Thanks for that.
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On December 01 2014 09:51 Chef wrote:
For whatever reason the expro games over the last years didn't quite do that for me, so BW coming back to OGN represents a little more for me than just the promise of more glitz and glamour. The stage on OGN represents the pride of returning pros who will have the weight of BW's future on their shoulders. When Sonic says he is thinking about how to get new youth into the game, I really feel he knows what's happening. This is still a make or break time for BW which is going to decide whether or not the game can continue for another decade. The players need to bring games good enough that not just the old fans are satisfied, but that a new generation can get starry eyed and generate some interest in becoming BW pros. OGN needs to be convinced BW can get a second wind and start to grow again.
The Last OSL was romantic and all, but I didn't actually do any of the things I thought not having BW anymore would free up so much time for, so I'd like to watch some games again plz.
Great blog! I think getting new youth into the game is the most important thing right now, much more than getting it on Ongamenet (though I hope that helps). As nice as it is to watch ex-progamers battle it out, if there's no rising talent challenging for their places at the top, I'm not sure how long I'll stay interested. On a selfish level, I do miss the polish that came from players living in team houses, but to my understanding it was bad for the players, so I guess I shouldn't hope too hard for that return. With that being said, I do think the balance needs to shift back a bit from being a well-liked streamer to being an effective and carefully practiced competitor. I'm glad that Broodwar's still around, but I still want it to be better!
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On December 02 2014 12:26 nbaker wrote:Show nested quote +On December 01 2014 09:51 Chef wrote:
For whatever reason the expro games over the last years didn't quite do that for me, so BW coming back to OGN represents a little more for me than just the promise of more glitz and glamour. The stage on OGN represents the pride of returning pros who will have the weight of BW's future on their shoulders. When Sonic says he is thinking about how to get new youth into the game, I really feel he knows what's happening. This is still a make or break time for BW which is going to decide whether or not the game can continue for another decade. The players need to bring games good enough that not just the old fans are satisfied, but that a new generation can get starry eyed and generate some interest in becoming BW pros. OGN needs to be convinced BW can get a second wind and start to grow again.
The Last OSL was romantic and all, but I didn't actually do any of the things I thought not having BW anymore would free up so much time for, so I'd like to watch some games again plz. Great blog! I think getting new youth into the game is the most important thing right now, much more than getting it on Ongamenet (though I hope that helps). As nice as it is to watch ex-progamers battle it out, if there's no rising talent challenging for their places at the top, I'm not sure how long I'll stay interested. On a selfish level, I do miss the polish that came from players living in team houses, but to my understanding it was bad for the players, so I guess I shouldn't hope too hard for that return. With that being said, I do think the balance needs to shift back a bit from being a well-liked streamer to being an effective and carefully practiced competitor. I'm glad that Broodwar's still around, but I still want it to be better!
Would be really nice if some new amateur players started, and I do think this will be helpful. A lot of the kids who I think would have been really good at BW instead started LoL after hybrid proleague, and with BW becoming more prominent on the big screen again, maybe this is the chance to get some new Korean blood!
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On December 02 2014 03:19 ZeromuS wrote:Show nested quote +On December 01 2014 18:35 Boonbag wrote:
im pretty sure things will really take off once lotv is released and they slowly and surely close the doors on sc2 within the next year or so
i'm pretty certain it's going to happen this way otherwise ogn would never bring back an older product from the shelves
they need something to pair up with LoL that gets as much hype from the audience from spectating :/ Even in blogs some people can find a way to bash games in this forum -_- I'm excited, I was never around in BWs heyday but I do like watching from time to time. I miss the sayle ogn bootleg broadcasts :D The more StarCraft the better. Even if BW doesn't live long on OGN, it coming back for even just one season is great. I wish the BW scene all the best!
dude it always has been since the start a fucking war
blizzard forced bw shutdown for sc2
sc2 shutdown in kr will lead back to bw eventually
it's so easy for people like you that are pretty new to everything they see that was established with hardships and fervor to even think this situation was somewhat normal all along while it wasn't
all this period since sc2 was released was artificial, boring to no end and most of ppl went out to support it because of their good hearts and the hope it evolves into something even midly interesting compared to what osl / pl were
but it didnt
instead it sank and sank and sank some more
nothing was really ever established
now i'm all happy eu and americans have two to three big gaming events every year but as much as I want to praise everyone involved in making those happen because it was their long time dream and sc2 was the game to make it happen the reality is that it is light years away from the quality and excitement bw pro gaming in korea provided for a decade
now again you said you weren't familiar with that time and i can't blame you for that but the game "bashing" as you call it, looks quite natural and WELL deserved considering everything that happened
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On December 02 2014 17:16 Boonbag wrote:Show nested quote +On December 02 2014 03:19 ZeromuS wrote:On December 01 2014 18:35 Boonbag wrote:
im pretty sure things will really take off once lotv is released and they slowly and surely close the doors on sc2 within the next year or so
i'm pretty certain it's going to happen this way otherwise ogn would never bring back an older product from the shelves
they need something to pair up with LoL that gets as much hype from the audience from spectating :/ Even in blogs some people can find a way to bash games in this forum -_- I'm excited, I was never around in BWs heyday but I do like watching from time to time. I miss the sayle ogn bootleg broadcasts :D The more StarCraft the better. Even if BW doesn't live long on OGN, it coming back for even just one season is great. I wish the BW scene all the best! dude it always has been since the start a fucking war blizzard forced bw shutdown for sc2 sc2 shutdown in kr will lead back to bw eventually it's so easy for people like you that are pretty new to everything they see that was established with hardships and fervor to even think this situation was somewhat normal all along while it wasn't all this period since sc2 was released was artificial, boring to no end and most of ppl went out to support it because of their good hearts and the hope it evolves into something even midly interesting compared to what osl / pl were but it didnt instead it sank and sank and sank some more nothing was really ever established now i'm all happy eu and americans have two to three big gaming events every year but as much as I want to praise everyone involved in making those happen because it was their long time dream and sc2 was the game to make it happen the reality is that it is light years away from the quality and excitement bw pro gaming in korea provided for a decade now again you said you weren't familiar with that time and i can't blame you for that but the game "bashing" as you call it, looks quite natural and WELL deserved considering everything that happened
Calm down dude
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On December 02 2014 17:16 Boonbag wrote:Show nested quote +On December 02 2014 03:19 ZeromuS wrote:On December 01 2014 18:35 Boonbag wrote:
im pretty sure things will really take off once lotv is released and they slowly and surely close the doors on sc2 within the next year or so
i'm pretty certain it's going to happen this way otherwise ogn would never bring back an older product from the shelves
they need something to pair up with LoL that gets as much hype from the audience from spectating :/ Even in blogs some people can find a way to bash games in this forum -_- I'm excited, I was never around in BWs heyday but I do like watching from time to time. I miss the sayle ogn bootleg broadcasts :D The more StarCraft the better. Even if BW doesn't live long on OGN, it coming back for even just one season is great. I wish the BW scene all the best! dude it always has been since the start a fucking war blizzard forced bw shutdown for sc2 sc2 shutdown in kr will lead back to bw eventually it's so easy for people like you that are pretty new to everything they see that was established with hardships and fervor to even think this situation was somewhat normal all along while it wasn't all this period since sc2 was released was artificial, boring to no end and most of ppl went out to support it because of their good hearts and the hope it evolves into something even midly interesting compared to what osl / pl were but it didnt instead it sank and sank and sank some more nothing was really ever established now i'm all happy eu and americans have two to three big gaming events every year but as much as I want to praise everyone involved in making those happen because it was their long time dream and sc2 was the game to make it happen the reality is that it is light years away from the quality and excitement bw pro gaming in korea provided for a decade now again you said you weren't familiar with that time and i can't blame you for that but the game "bashing" as you call it, looks quite natural and WELL deserved considering everything that happened
You're delusional. Blizzard should really put a disclaimer on their games "players may experience 'gollem' syndrome. This includes (but is not limited to), thinking that their particular game is the one game to rule them all, an inescapeable need to proclaim it's preciousness (even though no-one gives a fuck), and extreme paranoia that there's a queeste to destroy their game.
Treatment may include throwing yourself into Mount Doom, consult a physician if the symptoms persist.
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On December 02 2014 12:26 nbaker wrote:Show nested quote +On December 01 2014 09:51 Chef wrote:
For whatever reason the expro games over the last years didn't quite do that for me, so BW coming back to OGN represents a little more for me than just the promise of more glitz and glamour. The stage on OGN represents the pride of returning pros who will have the weight of BW's future on their shoulders. When Sonic says he is thinking about how to get new youth into the game, I really feel he knows what's happening. This is still a make or break time for BW which is going to decide whether or not the game can continue for another decade. The players need to bring games good enough that not just the old fans are satisfied, but that a new generation can get starry eyed and generate some interest in becoming BW pros. OGN needs to be convinced BW can get a second wind and start to grow again.
The Last OSL was romantic and all, but I didn't actually do any of the things I thought not having BW anymore would free up so much time for, so I'd like to watch some games again plz. Great blog! I think getting new youth into the game is the most important thing right now, much more than getting it on Ongamenet (though I hope that helps). As nice as it is to watch ex-progamers battle it out, if there's no rising talent challenging for their places at the top, I'm not sure how long I'll stay interested. On a selfish level, I do miss the polish that came from players living in team houses, but to my understanding it was bad for the players, so I guess I shouldn't hope too hard for that return. With that being said, I do think the balance needs to shift back a bit from being a well-liked streamer to being an effective and carefully practiced competitor. I'm glad that Broodwar's still around, but I still want it to be better!
I agree getting young blood is the most important.
I seems to me that a lot of the progamer bios read like the following:
Get introduced by friends -> Become best at your PC Bang -> Win tournament in your city -> Go to Seoul to try courage
I want to ask those of you living in SK if these types of PC Bang and regional tournaments are still a regular thing or if nowadays most of BW is centralized in Seoul/happens online?
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The details surrounding the events that led to BW being taken off the air are scattered among countless threads on TL, difficult to assemble, and frequently obscured behind meetings between KeSPA, Blizzard and GOM that we are not privy to. Much speculation has occurred based on what could not be hidden, but a conclusive and satisfying story has proved elusive. Facts like players fulfilling contracts that began in BW with SC2, or like broadcast licensing rules being more restrictive with BW than for SC2. Facts like BW being popular enough that it's getting another shot at cable broadcasting.
The purpose of this particular thread is not for that speculation, and such speculations have been thoroughly discussed in many threads on TL. I suggest if the topic interests you, a more comprehensive amalgamation of those facts into a single OP (perhaps as a timeline) would be more interesting than arguing about it here, and probably consume an approximately equal amount of time.
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It's going to be glorious!!
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Belgium9947 Posts
On December 01 2014 13:11 Superiorwolf wrote:Nice blog man, awesome to see you still in love with the game we all fell in love with and don't forget waiting to panic man that was the bomb!! :D
OMG I almost forgot about that map
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Our Flash, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily VODs,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
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On December 05 2014 01:46 Stratos wrote:
It's going to be glorious!!
Amen brother!
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EPT
