If anyone can confirm/disprove these rumors (going around on ygosu, pgr, etc), it would be much appreciated. It seems like serious stuff.
The following is not a quote. It is merely a summary of the various rumors I've been hearing/reading online.
Kongdoo, a company founded by the one and only YellOw, represents a number of pro gamers who stream on Afreeca. Apparently, the story is that Kongdoo is going to hold a BW league with 16 players (let's call it KSL). This was hinted at during the special event match in Busan. Bisu has said that he will participate in this league.
Bisu is not the main focus here since he had already ruled out his participation in SSL10 long before Kongdoo got the ball rolling. However, what is problematic is that HiyA, herO, Movie, and Sea (heavy hitters who are all represented by Kongdoo) have supposedly announced that they will not participate in SSL10 because of conflicts with KSL. ZerO supposedly will participate in both. In fact, it is rumored that the long list of players represented by Kongdoo will mostly opt out of SSL10.
Sonic has hinted in his recent posts that many SSL9 participants will not be back for SSL10... So there is reason to believe that this is not just a rumor.
This is quite shocking because SSL10 will be broadcast on Ongamenet. It gives the league the cachet and prestige of an OSL.
Here's where the conspiracy theories abound. Kongdoo is sponsored by HungryAppTV (which you may have noticed from the recent event matches). The planned 16-player KSL will be sponsored by HungryAppTV. HungryAppTV is a direct competitor of Ongamenet. See where this is going? Not good.
HiyA has supposedly claimed that there was no pressure from Kongdoo. However, they don't need to exert pressure. All Kongdoo has to do is create schedule conflicts (or even just schedule uncertainty by not communicating with Sonic), which will make it optimal for some players to choose one league.
This is creating some fracture in the BW community because it appears (who knows what's true) as if, on the eve of BW's glorious return to Ongamenet, Kongdoo is playing the fly in the ointment.
Man, this is the worst time to have drama/conflicts like this.
I hope they just stay as rumors and a compromise is reached. Interesting enough, Kongdoo is now a third player in holding BW events? Combined with Sonic and LoveTV, it certainly looks like we won't have a shortage of BW events in 2015.
If nothing else, I'm glad this revelation is still just a rumor, and Korean netizens are, more often than not, incorrect...
The post-KeSPA BW scene, as it stands, is already quite small (money, number of players, fans), so why fracture it further with such conflicts? If these speculations are true, it just reminds me of the Blizzard/KeSPA conflict, with money at the center of everything. Unless Kongdoo/Yellow is forecasting some explosive growth in sponsorship/interest in the game, it just seems silly to duke it out with Sonic and impede the game's growth at this stage in the resurgence
If "KSL" really gets announced, I would expect Kongdoo to endure a substantial Korean/K-netizen backlash, perhaps even boycott. Kongdoo would be forced to postpone/re-schedule, thus enabling those players to participate in SSL 10
As Sonic asked, wait for the announcement on friday and then discuss things. Hiya's girlfriend has been busy making Sonic cheerfuls so I'd be very surprised if he didn't play. That leaves us with like 2-3 players not participating? What would be the meaning of such obstructions? Sounds pretty dumb to me, although hungry app did seem to just do stuff whenever sonic had something going in the past few months. Wait till Friday, then we'll know more. It's not that long is it?
Great, that's the last thing we need. Why would YellOw participate in this fruitless bickering?? Of all people, he should want to do what's best for the scene rather than himself in the short term, rather than risk damaging the scene once again.
On December 10 2014 18:16 ImbaTosS wrote: Great, that's the last thing we need. Why would YellOw participate in this fruitless bickering?? Of all people, he should want to do what's best for the scene rather than himself in the short term, rather than risk damaging the scene once again.
hopefully yellow isnt behind all of this. but i agree with what other people have said above, why dont they go back to an OSL/MSL system? that would be best for business and the fans at once.
This smacks of the same kind of conflict KeSPA had with the broadcasters a few years back, where one party had the players (was paying them and could forbid them to play), and the other party was organizing and broadcasting the competitions.
I really hope this gets solved before it even starts. One thing I don't get, though, is why nobody even expects Bisu to play. He said at the end of SSL9 that he's done with competitions, but since then he has participated in a few events, and now there's talk of him participating in the KSL. What's up with that?
To my surprise I find that, despite having been a Bisu fan for years, I would side with Sonic if it comes to a conflict. I think Sonic is far, far more important for the future of Starcraft, since he actually cares about the next generation of players as well, an doesn't just try to milk the fame of the legends. As far as I'm concerned, he could run the SSL10 with nothing but amateur players, and I'd still watch it.
How can there be a schedule conflict if Sonic and OGN have not even announced when the matches will be played?
-.- I am pretty sure it will be fine. KSL sounds like a very short event. I am very skeptical HungryApp would be trying to hurt OSL at this stage in BW. Both leagues will basically serve as advertisements for the other. There is so little StarCraft going around they don't have to compete at all, because fans will watch both.
If they are not participating, it is probably for other reasons. Lots of them are due for military service, no? Or they might not feel they can put in the dedication right now that is worthy of TV. It could be lots of reasons, but HungryApp making things difficult is probably not one of them imo.
Somewhere, in a secret KeSPA meeting room, there are shadowy men cackling as they anticipate the day when Brood War fans beg to be let back into their iron grip.
EPT
YellOw, represents a number of pro gamers who stream on Afreeca. Apparently, the story is that Kongdoo is going to hold a BW league with 16 players (let's call it KSL). This was hinted at during the special event match in Busan. 
Bisu has said that he will participate in this league.
HiyA, 
