Today, GomTV will launch the first ever professional StarCraft 2 tournament in South Korea, the TG-Intel Starcraft II Open Season 1. The GSL boasts OGN quality production, top level English commentary from Artosis and Tasteless, and $170,000 in prize money. But recently, it’s been clouded by GomTV’s decision to charge non-Korean viewers up to $50 for live stream and VODs. The public outcry has been tremendous from Koreans and non-Koreans alike, and thankfully, GomTV listened. There will be stream. It will be free. Decisions like this are not easy, and to their credit, the powers that run the GSL listened to the community.
The best players in the world, five nights a week.
This is the first “true” professional e-sports tournament for StarCraft 2. ESL had online qualifiers for their Intel Extreme Masters series and MLG had open signups for Pro Circuit Raleigh, but those events paled in scope to the 2,000 player open qualifiers held in Seoul a few weeks ago. When it comes to e-sports, Korea is just on another level. That isn’t to say the rest of the world might not catch up, but right now the GSL is indisputably the big fish of the Starcraft 2 pond.
Almost eleven years ago there was a tournament called the Progamer Korea Open. Freemura won over TheBoy in a Zerg vs Zerg on Lost Temple. Thirty seasons later, the Progamer Korea Open has become the something you may recognize: the Ongamenet Starleague. Freemura, TheBoy, SSamJang, V-Gundam. These names are barely recognizable today. It took a year for SC:BW to find it's Boxer and seven years to find it's Jaedong.
While the first GSL may not produce SC2’s future icons, much more is at stake for many of its qualified players. Everyone saw Nada’s level of SC2 play after just ten days of practice. As former eSTRO player and coach Tester said in an interview, “it would be terrifying if the BW players come [to SC2].” The current SC2 pros know that the clock is ticking, and if the recent breakdowns in Proleague licensing negotiations and rumors of teams disbanding are any indication, a few top flight SC1 progamers could walk in the door to GSL qualifiers as early as next season.
The goal for all SC2 progamers is to win, and win right now.
The Great White Hope: Idra
Over three years ago Greg Fields, also known as Idra, traveled to Korea to play on the professional teams eSTRO and CJ Entus. While his skill dramatically improved and he won many international events, his career as a progamer has been underwhelming at best. Despite being widely regarded as the best non-Korean Starcraft: Brood War player on the planet, Idra has zero Proleague appearances or major Korean individual league qualifications. But now, suddenly, he's the favorite. Not just to get far, but to win. And for the first time, Idra is not alone, as the GSL has drawn many English-speaking players to Seoul.
Jinro, Idra, Artosis, and Nazgul at GSL Qualifiers Day 1.
In the waning years of his SC:BW career, while the other CJ players practiced for the Proleague playoffs, Idra switched to SC2. It was the right decision, as Idra has won or placed highly in many tournaments since the SC2 Beta began, including HDH, Razer’s King of the Beta, and most recently IEM Gamescom. His most impressive victory is a 3-2 win over oGssSKS, formerly the Brood War progamer Tester, considered at the time to be the best SC2 Protoss.
Idra is one of the most polarizing figures in the Starcraft community. Fans either love his confidence and passion or hate his arrogance and rage. This GSL will be a watershed moment for Idra. He is one of the favorites coming into the tournament, and GomTV’s schedule reflects that – his match will headline the GSL’s opening broadcast. This tournament is his chance to finally silence the doubters – if he advances far. An early exit will surely fan the “Idra is a failure” flames of his numerous anti-fans. Either way, prepare to be entertained.
Winning the GSL: a useful skill toi [sic] have.
Idra plays a relatively unknown Terran player named "Acupuncture" on GSL's opening night. If Idra advances, he could potentially meet oGsLeader (aka Spunky) in the Ro16, and Maka or Junwi in Ro8.
The Fan Favorites: TLO and Torch
TLAF-Liquid`TLO is a fan favorite. Critics may harp on his lack of “mechanics” or his freewheeling style, but the bottom line is TLO wins, and he does it with smarts and creativity. The story of his progaming journey seems almost too good to be true, from twelve year old gamer to a fulltime sponsored progamer in Korea. TLO has a massive following on TL and on YouTube – just search for his name. While everyone cheers for him, few can predict how far he’ll go in this tournament. But TheLittleOne will definitely be TL’s home team favorite, as both Jinro and Nazgul were eliminated in qualifiers.
TLO contemplates where he will nuke next game.
Can TLO’s storybook run continue? He has his work cut out for him, as his bracket is the most stacked quarter of the draw, which features former BW progamers jjong, Tester, and former War3 pro Check.
While TLO may be the most Youtube-famous SC2 player, very little is known about Torch. Only in the first GSL could a completely unknown non-Korean qualify. Torch’s story is a true Rocky tale, of an amateur underdog paying his way to prove he can compete with the best. Torch even has the strategy forum threads to prove it. Everyone hopes to see this kid, red hair blazing, in a GSL feature match.
Eye of the Tiger? We'll see.
When the news of Torch’s qualification broke, amid the excitement, many doubted. “Is he the real deal?” “Maybe he got an easy draw.” Now that the Ro64 is upon us, there are no more easy opponents. In the quarterfinals, a potential match with tournament favorite Cool awaits.
Old and New, Former Pros Return
There are sixty Korean players in the GSL. They include half a dozen former Warcraft 3 progamers like Check, Maka, and Zenio, as well as several former Brood War progamers, the most notable being Tester, Cool, and Rainbow. There are also the two main Korean Starcraft 2 clans, oGs (TLAF-Liquid’s partner clan) and Prime. For many of these players, little is known outside of ladder records, invitational matches, and whatever replays fans could dig up from sites.
The other broadcast match on opening night features Maka, a former Warcraft 3 player. He is well known for his harass-based style and strong TvZ during the SC2 Beta phases. He placed third in the 17173 SC2 World Cup. Another notable name is Check, who won two televised OGN Warcraft 3 leagues in 2003 and 2004. He was one of the first War3 pros to officially switch to SC2, and he won the first PlayXP Weekly Tournament.
Note the age and experience discrepancies between the former BW players.
Few fans, even the older TL users, will recognize the BW progamer names. There are two distinct groups: older, washed-out progamers looking to make a return for SC2, and younger players who jumped to SC2 early because they could not break into the starting lineups of the BW teams. None of these guys are marquee names like Bisu or Jaedong, but they do possess the raw mechanics and practice regimen of a seasoned BW progamer.
One theory is that Starcraft 2’s less demanding user interface will allow the “slower and smarter” gamers of the old generation to compete with the mechanically superior 350 APM young robots. In progaming years, 21+ is old. At age 25, Tester and Cool are old veterans. They are also considered among the favorites to win the GSL. Recently, both left oGs to practice on their own, something a younger inexperienced player would never attempt to do.
Roommates Tester and Cool will try to meet in the finals.
Neither player had huge success in Brood War in terms of titles or leagues won. However, both were able to maintain 50% win rates at an incredibly cutthroat profession. Tester was able to play over 300 progames, 100 of them broadcast on television. He even qualified for an OSL – Batoo – defeating Hyun and Midas before losing in the Ro16. Tester's resume (300+ games and an OSL qualification) is something 99% of aspiring pros in Korea could not dream of accomplishing. He also held a coaching position for eSTRO, so he knows how to practice and prepare for matches. Both he and Cool are veterans in every way -- do not expect them to have the live TV jitters that usually plague newer pros.
Tester’s “old hands” produced some of the cleanest, most professional play we’ve seen in Starcraft 2. His games just ooze skill and power, and you can feel the difference between him and an amateur. His mechanics, practiced over thousands of hours of Brood War games, remain. This is what separates him from the truly “old” players like Rainbow, Beeze, and Junwi – these guys were out of the scene for years, while Tester stayed and fought on.
Everyone should also watch Thunder and Iron, two teenagers who played in the OSL prelims for Brood War as recently as June 2010. Both have fully practiced BW mechanics and only two months of fulltime StarCraft 2 under their belts. Their hand speed and skills are still 100% sharp. These are the kids that warm the benches of every BW proteam, and a glimpse into the future of the next wave of SC2 professionals. By this time next year, there will be hundreds of SC2 pros like them.
Iron is young, fast, and beat Effort in Proleague once.
This is just the first of many GSLs, and there’s already plenty of drama and storylines to go around. Will Idra finally succeed in his long and difficult journey as a progamer? Can TLO or Torch or Artosis complete a fairy tale ending? Will one of the former old guard hold a trophy again, or will they succumb to one of the new “kid robots” that now dominate the professional SC:BW scene? In exactly one month, we'll have all the answers.
The first professional Starcraft tournament in Korea did not launch with the size and spectacle of the GSL. In 1999 the Progamer Korea Open was just a competitive hobby for many of the players participating. Back then, there were no licensing rights disputes, no stream pricing concerns, no player free agent negotiations. The industry was fueled by wide eyed gamers doing what they love, and passionate fans loving every minute.
So when you watch Idra in that opening match, push all that other stuff out of your mind. Forget licensing and fees and negotiations. Take a second and smile, because you’re watching the rebirth of a sport. Only this time, we can see it coming and enjoy the ride. This is an extraordinarily exciting time to be an e-sports and Starcraft fan. Soak it in – the GSL is finally here.
SO excited for this! I think I may be most excited to hear Tasteless shoutcasting on a TLO game. My head may explode from the combined awesomeness of that moment.
Just came home from work (I'm a bartender in a night club) and realised I have only a few hours to sleep before I get up early in the morning - i.e. 10 am, 6 hours before I usually wake up. Needless to say, I have already set up the alarm clock.
It is very exciting to see that StarCraft 2 demands less apm at the moment. If this holds true, that means older players will be able to play and younger players will be able to play longer.
I have a question, I'm new to trying to figure out the Korean time zone conversion to EST. Is the stream going to be at 5 a.m. est Saturday morning or Sunday? I'm just having trouble wrapping my head around it.
On September 04 2010 12:02 AJMcSpiffy wrote: I have a question, I'm new to trying to figure out the Korean time zone conversion to EST. Is the stream going to be at 5 a.m. est Saturday morning or Sunday? I'm just having trouble wrapping my head around it.
If you click on the event in the calendar, it will say how many hours until the event.
The GSL opening round will air ~6.5 hours from my post.
Since Idra's opponent's name was in Korean on the site I put it in babelfish and it comes out to "Emptiness gave with needle Zenith" . I guess that could be a way of saying Acupuncture.
On September 04 2010 12:02 AJMcSpiffy wrote: I have a question, I'm new to trying to figure out the Korean time zone conversion to EST. Is the stream going to be at 5 a.m. est Saturday morning or Sunday? I'm just having trouble wrapping my head around it.
If you click on the event in the calendar, it will say how many hours until the event.
The GSL opening round will air ~6.5 hours from my post.
We are pleased our GOMTV.NET users are able to watch live matches for free. We could change our service policy with your enthusiastic interest. Our decision was not easy to make because FREE LIVE service requires too much bandwidth of network. However, we have decided to serve with free service to make you comfort.
Jeez. I almost want to buy a pass so they can hire someone who speaks English.
Holy crap, I can't believe how good the writing is for SC2 now. A ridiculously high standard has been set by the BW writeups over the years, and this is every bit living up to it.
can't wait to see the Jaedong/Flash of SC2. you can see even at the current highest level of play it's pretty lacking to be honest (compared to BW). for example, i'm 100% sure 1a syndrome will be gone from the highest level of play, simply because it's what it's going to take to be the best. imagine how abusive someone with the APM of Jaedong could be with Terran....or a perfectly executed Zerg flank from 3 sides.
this tournament will be great, but the future players are what we should be excited for.
Great writeup. I don't know if this is the place to post this, but I might be streaming a HQ source if my internet doesn't crap out tonight. Unless there is regulations against this?
Excellent article guys! Love it! I just might pay for premium service now that they have decided to include a free service. I'm all about promoting eSports with my wallet, just so long as they aren't going to punish me for not paying up.
Just woke up over here in Sweden, and noticed this, guess the time on these streams will be abit better for us europeans than livestreams from north america is time wise
So the stream is about to go live in 1½ hours if Im correct?
Nice read. I really like the aspect of SC2 that is shown in this line:
One theory is that Starcraft 2’s less demanding user interface will allow the “slower and smarter” gamers of the old generation to compete with the mechanically superior 350 APM young robots.
Done and done! Premium 20 dollar ticket happily purchased!
If you have the money, I would highly encourage you to purchase a Gom Premium ticket. They were kind enough to allow free stream, and drop the cost of the ticket to what most (that I saw) posted that they would be willing to pay, which is less than half what they initially wanted to charge. Besides, 20 bucks is pretty comparable to a theater trip.
I say we show them what the community can do to embrace their effort for us. Thanks GOM!
On September 04 2010 18:03 Tekkerz wrote: it's saying that you need to buy a live match ticket at the moment? how can you watch it for free?
On September 04 2010 18:21 hufza wrote: So I guess we all have to buy the 2$ ticket ?
The low quality is free, I think the stream only starts when the tourney starts. (There's a "Go Live" button on top of the page.) I got the premium ticket, hope it's worth it.
Is the sign up form broken for anyone else? After filling out and clicking the "sign up" button, the cursor just jumps to the email address field and nothing else happens.
i gather no one can sign up/in? I sure cant. Can someone who actually has the thing stream it? Sciencerob is trying hard but its not gonna happen. Im crying. No rly.
Hehe, I wonder how many people they were expecting. It's all gone to hell and I bet a lot of paying customers aren't getting their streams either. People are going to be pissed.
On September 04 2010 19:07 Kelsin wrote: Sounds like even if I could get the payment page up, I shouldn't and deal with this SQ stream until after this match huh :-(
Forget that, it looks like most of us are going to be stuck dealing with VODs. GOM is handling this terribly, that much is for sure.
I really cant believe they didnt think anyone wanted to watch this. Everything is under way more stress than they anticipated. This is very funny in a way. Blizzard just negotiate with Kespa already Gom is a joke. I paid $20 and cant even get in the stream rofl.
wthell i bought the ticket yesterday but it says there's no purchase history and won't let me view the game in hq. i even recieved an email from paypal saying there was a purchase.
On September 04 2010 19:07 FrogOfWar wrote: Is the sign up form broken for anyone else? After filling out and clicking the "sign up" button, the cursor just jumps to the email address field and nothing else happens.
Yep, I can't sign up either... Same thing happens, cursor jumps to email field. Gonna try via facebook...
Kinda sad, that they announced this months ago and that even as a paying customer, I can't access my HQ stream. Not very professional and I'm kinda pissed now :/ I hope GOM can fix this soon enough.
Watching the SQ Stream link from the GomTV English site. I had to download the free GOM Player. Does anyone know if I'm going to get the to hear the English commentatry from Tasteless and Artosis, or do I need to go to a special link for that?
Okay, so. I purchased my season ticket yesterday for 19.95. Got receipt from paypal and everything, money is withdrawn. Now gomTV says "No purchase history" when I log in. Wut? Anyone else having the same problem?
On September 04 2010 19:07 FrogOfWar wrote: Is the sign up form broken for anyone else? After filling out and clicking the "sign up" button, the cursor just jumps to the email address field and nothing else happens.
Yep, I can't sign up either... Same thing happens, cursor jumps to email field. Gonna try via facebook...
I tried via Twitter, but after the usual 5 year loading time just another form shows up and the same thing happens, only now the cursor jumps to the nickname field.
I'd get a day pass, but with no possibility of signing up that will be tough. So it will be a restream or nothing apparently ...
On September 04 2010 19:15 Fukinkou wrote: Okay, so. I purchased my season ticket yesterday for 19.95. Got receipt from paypal and everything, money is withdrawn. Now gomTV says "No purchase history" when I log in. Wut? Anyone else having the same problem?
Yeah, I was having that problem, but now I can't even log on.
On September 04 2010 19:15 Fukinkou wrote: Okay, so. I purchased my season ticket yesterday for 19.95. Got receipt from paypal and everything, money is withdrawn. Now gomTV says "No purchase history" when I log in. Wut? Anyone else having the same problem?
So refreshing my original page didn't work, but closing browser and relogging in after shows purchase and let me get into the HQ stream. Maybe clear cookies and reload everything to see if it pulls in purchase?
On September 04 2010 19:15 Fukinkou wrote: Okay, so. I purchased my season ticket yesterday for 19.95. Got receipt from paypal and everything, money is withdrawn. Now gomTV says "No purchase history" when I log in. Wut? Anyone else having the same problem?
Yeah, I was having that problem, but now I can't even log on.
On September 04 2010 19:34 Fukinkou wrote: Okay, I got to login, and it actually achknowledged my purchase, but none of the gom-tv linked streams work now. Jesus
Try using them from the same browser that got your purchases? This actually worked for me earlier when refreshing my live page tab didn't. Could just be a fluke though.
On September 04 2010 19:35 Gaius Baltar wrote: I just got my HQ stream to work but it's about 5 minutes behind Roffles' stream and looks about a fourth the video quality.
On September 04 2010 19:35 Gaius Baltar wrote: I just got my HQ stream to work but it's about 5 minutes behind Roffles' stream and looks about a fourth the video quality.
Purchase HistoryPurchase Date League Item Price 2010/09/04 TG-Intel STARCRAFT II Open Season1 Season Live & VOD ticket for web $-18.87 2010/09/04 TG-Intel STARCRAFT II Open Season1 Season Live & VOD ticket for web $19.95
i don't fucking understand. so they kicked me out because there too many people watching? and didn't even give me full money back. i don't fucking understand this.
1. I like the black. Classy. 2. I -like- kpop - so sue me. 3. The best thing is to have three or four sources on the go. I have VLC plus CellaWeRRa and Sciencerob as a last resort, run them all and just one for audio until it goes silly and then switch. Silly desperate measures ftw! 4. Go the IdrAlisk.
I think the "HQ" stream already droped more then ten minutes behind what roffles is restreaming :< Not to speak of the quality which would still hurt my eyes on a smartphone screen.
damn, this is going to be the hardest part of being in Iraq for a year during SC2's coming out year... seeing all this awesome coverage by TeamLiquid and all these new and up coming stars.
Come on year, FLY by!!!
Btw, this looks awesome can't wait to read about it
Can't wait to see idra get smashed. What a joke of a "pro". He's good, no doubt about that, but being a "pro" in my opinion is not just about skill but the professionalism you bring to your sport. His bm is not my taste at all.
Very nice article! I recently missed out on all of the drama with GOMtv, but from what I can scrape up, it seems as though they listened to the fans, which is a really nice start to what will hopefully become a very promising enterprise. I enjoyed the excited and honest tone of the writing, giving credit where credit is due while building intensity from the very beginning. Well done, and I really look forward to following the league, reading more of these fantastic write-ups, and watching new players arise. I'll be sending the best of luck to IdrA, TLAF-Liquid'TLO, Artosis, and TorcH!
It appears that early in the first set of the first match, Tasteless and Artosis mistook which of their two screens was being streamed. That's my best theory for explaining why they let the camera sit over nothing for so long. Kind of disappointing that sets after the first are behind a paywall.
Is anyone else having the problem of not getting sent a verification e-mail? I have clicked the link probably over 20 times, sent them 2 emails and have waited about 2 days. But I haven't received a verification e-mail so i can't buy the VOD ticket . Anyone know what I can do?
Seriously... Yes.. YES. I can't wait to hear tasteless' voice. Oh.. my god.. I'm.. speechless.
Too much good. BTW, the streams today are off the hook. Soo many streams. This is like a TL block party! Which is funny, because there is a big block party going on in my city that I just performed at. I am just in a good mood today and reading this made it just that much better I <3 TL.
I haven't been able to log into the website since registering and verifying my account yesturday. There was no stream going at the time. I can only assume they have some sort of recent glitch in their sign up code. Which appears to leave me screwed.
On September 06 2010 18:49 Chalaza wrote: ok, not to be rude or anything, but artosis and tasteless are definatly not top level commentators..
I'm deaf, so i don't listen to them, but be glad that there has been 2 english commentatoers that know Starcraft for a long time AND that are in korea. What are the chances that would happen tbh ?
Just give them at least 5 chances before we get an idea at how good they are. Pretty sure they'll get used to it really fast ~
We all started from the very bottom of the chain. And they're just going to get better !
Would you please stop referring to Idra as the Great White Hope. If he was black would he be referred to as "The Great Black Hope"? How well would that go over?
I cheer for Idra because he rages, he's an amazing player and hes from the US, not because hes white.
Maybe I'm just picky, but could Tasteless and Artosis wear something a little nicer than tee-shirts? They look like a couple of hacks when they cut to them after we see the Korean commentators. I think their commentary is great btw! Great energy and whatnot.
On September 07 2010 04:14 shwick wrote: Would you please stop referring to Idra as the Great White Hope. If he was black would he be referred to as "The Great Black Hope"? How well would that go over?
I cheer for Idra because he rages, he's an amazing player and hes from the US, not because hes white.
relaaaax its just a joke! He is 'white' between the all 'yellow' Koreans. Black people don't play games. But on the rare occasion they do... they are awesome at it .. SK|SpawN!
On September 07 2010 05:28 Le BucheRON wrote: Maybe I'm just picky, but could Tasteless and Artosis wear something a little nicer than tee-shirts? They look like a couple of hacks when they cut to them after we see the Korean commentators. I think their commentary is great btw! Great energy and whatnot.
You know I was thinking the same thing too... why did are they wearing the Blizzard Crew shirts?? Shouldn't they be rocking suits or at least a collared shirt.. I mean ball in style lads!
On September 07 2010 06:03 intHoLda wrote: really great, im soo excited but, man i paid 20 bucks but i cant get HQ VODs?? i dont see a way to watch them in HQ
U want the VODs in HQ? Don't know if Gom promised that, at least you get to see the live-stream in hq
On September 07 2010 06:36 MidKnight wrote: So basically if you haven't bought that ticket-thing, you can either watch the games live or watch only the 1st set of the match?
yeah! stupid stupid stupid i know....
i wish husky, hd, or psy would get the replay files for these matches and maybe cast em. especially the good ones with idra.
On September 07 2010 04:14 shwick wrote: Would you please stop referring to Idra as the Great White Hope. If he was black would he be referred to as "The Great Black Hope"? How well would that go over?
I cheer for Idra because he rages, he's an amazing player and hes from the US, not because hes white.
Yes, but unfortunately he's the only white guy in a sea of yellow who has any chance...
I understand that streaming has been a huge part of SC2 sofar, but if we really want to give E-sports a serious chance to make it, sponsors are needed. And what do sponsors like? Numbers.
To emphasize what Tastosis said, sign up instead of watching the re-streams. Realistic viewing numbers will 1) Help estimate what kind of server capacity is needed 2) Show the sponsors that there's alot of interest outthere, and that people watch the stream. They can't tell that when people choose to watch the re-streams.
20$ isn't a ton of money for all the hard work everyone in Korea is putting into this event. Hours and hours and hours of awesome entertainment. If you weren't watching it, you'd be out spending 20$ on burgers and beer instead. I know i would! So for me, it's a good investment ^_^
Well, I plunked down the $20 to support Tasteless and Artosis, because I'm huge fans of them. I watched the live broadcast last night and it was pretty good. I'm satisfied enough with my purchase. However, I hope it won't be a $20 per month thing, as that's getting a bit much. I love Starcraft, but I'm not sure I'm up to paying $240 per year for it.
It is a bit weird that the VODs are of lower resolution and quality than the live stream. It's weird that I'm used to YouTube and UStream/LiveStream being higher quality video.
hey i just saw that there are vods of all the games at http://sc2.plu.cn/ they are uploaded to youku maybe you want to include that in the linklist in first post
I mean, if you guys are serious fan for starcraft 2 but broke at the same time. At least please watch the standard quality stream and bear with it a bit.
Gom and Blizzard need you guys to be on their website so they can show to their sponsor so they can have sponsorship so you can view them for free in the future@
I think it's more than that, DG. It's about supporting the scene at the most important time. This is the biggest tournament in the world with over $100k on the table. In some ways, our contributions now are ensuring the existence of future tournaments. In a way, I feel that buying a season ticket is like paying people to play Starcraft competitively (if only some ramen). It most certainly shows support for everyone at GOM, including their facilitating casting in English. It's also about being actively involved in the SC2 community as well as thanking the participants for developing cutting edge SC2 strats. If I can get all that for the price of a couple trips to McDonalds, then I choose Starcraft.
Autxmn is right. Even if you didn't know one name in the tournament, this event is incredibly important to the future of e-sports. If this fails horribly and loses a lot of money, how many sponsors will want to try again next time?
I live in China and my (tunneled-through-Hong-Kong) connection is only good enough to watch the (free) low-quality stream. Nonetheless, they still got my $20.
On September 07 2010 05:31 Tiazi wrote: relaaaax its just a joke! He is 'white' between the all 'yellow' Koreans. Black people don't play games. But on the rare occasion they do... they are awesome at it .. SK|SpawN!
I didn't even realize that little play on words in the article. I'm not sure that the race card is a good thing to pull for the leader of non-Korean Starcraft coverage.
On September 07 2010 05:31 Tiazi wrote: relaaaax its just a joke! He is 'white' between the all 'yellow' Koreans. Black people don't play games. But on the rare occasion they do... they are awesome at it .. SK|SpawN!
I didn't even realize that little play on words in the article. I'm not sure that the race card is a good thing to pull for the leader of non-Korean Starcraft coverage.
Well the phrase is a carry over from a time I would like to think we have left behind and a time when the white part of america was very very keen for someone to win back the title for more than sporting reasons. So for that very reason yea I do think its inappropriate and its about time we started looking beyond someones skin colour. I know its not intentional but then a lot of institutionalised racism isnt intentional.
On September 05 2010 00:30 Sadistx wrote: Has anyone figured out if there's a way to watch Korean HD stream by using a proxy?
I have only used it for the English stream, but it should certainly be possible. I purchased a ticket, and then I proxy GOM Player using "Widecap" (freeware) through my hong kong server, since GOM blocks connections from china (why?!).
This should be equally trivial to get the Korean HD stream. Of course, you will still need a ticket for the stream through the normal Korean website.
edit: off topic , does anyone think that terran dude looks like a semi-young Kevin Costner with long hair in a space suit
I would gladly pay if the pricing was reasonable , everyone harping on we need numbers for sponsors , it is a little unrealistic . Either A: this is private viewing , meaning we are paying like cable , they dont need numbers to attract commercial airtime- , you are privately funding it .Not to mention for 20 American dollars i can get dsl or even dam near digital satellite service , with a great more content than just basic cable . The pricing seems a little unreasonable . What do numbers have to do with it . Are they going to lower the price if you hit a certain number , i do not think so . Or B ,they are trying to get them to make another GOM tv . However ; imo all the stream traffic on TL and other sites , can provide more than enough data sets for them to calculate the demographics , Please buy this overpriced stream , becuase we need to show there is interest in sc2 .. um.... i think they already know there is interest , ie. regional sales ,dramatic site member increases , not to mention the entire BW scene grandfathered in . What it comes down to imo is , do you want commercials or not.......
However ;it is hard for me to believe with all the traffic concerning sc2 , that there is not enough data already online to reasonably calculate how lucrative English broadcasts are .
So once again how much is it worth ti keep commercials off of it .Someone has to pay for it ... but i dont see how a stream so small could attract major commercial sponsoring in the first place
If 3k poeple are willing to pay 20 buck's that looks more like a niche market ... I think overpricing a stream will have the opposite desired effect ; if you want to attract numbers you make it as inexpensive as possible , or free if at all possible . It all sounds to me like the casters are are invested financially in the stream. If it was moved back to a GOM TV type format it would be commercial and what does how many people are willing to pay ridiculous prices have to with anything , becuase they are now selling commercial-time ,,,,, makes no sense to me . The GOM tv numbers alone should give them an idea on English speaking viewers , coupled with regional sales should be plenty of data .. ..
Am i wrong in noticing that this has already been tried successfully with GOM . with the same caster as well
I think Blizzard is trying to cultivate this scene. Fortunately, they've got a ton of money lying around to try and cultivate this scene for at least a few years. Though if they haven't garnered the mass attention of people after the 3rd expansion, they might just throw in the towel.
I'd love to see the costs of these tournaments as a whole; sadly numbers we could never get easily. Assuming 5 mil each, 4 years of producing these would be about 240 million total assuming 12 tournaments a year. Since Blizzard makes about 1.5 billion in revenue each year on WoW alone, they're probably going to try their damndest to make this scene crazy so they could increase their profits exponentially.
And we all know Blizzard loves money after that 25 dollar crystal horsey controversy.
EPT![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Hot_Bid/GSL/gsl_banner_mod.png)
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Idra, traveled to Korea to play on the professional teams eSTRO and CJ Entus. While his skill dramatically improved and he won many international events, his career as a progamer has been underwhelming at best. Despite being widely regarded as the best non-Korean Starcraft: Brood War player on the planet, Idra has zero Proleague appearances or major Korean individual league qualifications. But now, suddenly, he's the favorite. Not just to get far, but to win. And for the first time, Idra is not alone, as the GSL has drawn many English-speaking players to Seoul. ![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Hot_Bid/GSL/idra_2.jpg)
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