MLG Broadcast Feedback - Page 5

On February 11 2012 11:24 DarkenedLite wrote:
Really disappointing to read through this thread and to see this generally very negative attitude about the casting in particular especially when the criticism is something so small as the caster's location. We do not watch events like the MLG Winter Qualifier because of the caster's environment, we watch for good games, enjoyable production, and strong casting in all of its forms may that be game knowledge, excitement level, voice, inflection, speed, and all of the other countless factors that go into it. All of that I can understand constructively criticizing, but when I see an oddly high amount of responses making harsh remarks about the caster's location, it gives me pause.

Yes, I understand that it's important that MLG put on a clean and professional production to help show the legitimacy of our niche, but when that becomes the focal point of a series of derogatory remarks then it starts to become a problem in my eyes. Contrary to what seems to be the popular belief, Day[9], Tasteless, and Artosis cannot cast every single event. Day[9] is a busy man and obviously he can't commit time to the abundance of tournaments that we're seeing in the pro scene and he's also decided to focus primarily on his own projects. The same issue applies for Artosis and Tasteless. They are mainly tied to the GSL and won't be casting many other tournaments often.

With that said, it really bothers me when MLG asks for feedback and the general response is "these casters are so bad, why don't you have better ones." Constructive criticism will always have its merit, but that's hardly constructive or even useful. If we refuse to even consider these new up-and-coming casters then it's hard to say that we'll have a good future ahead of us. If we remain stagnant and stick with the mentality that "these are the only casters worth a damn" then there's no opportunity for the scene to grow and improve, only to shrink. Every caster has to start somewhere. Day9, Tasteless, and Artosis didn't hone their skills over night nor did they reach their level of fandom in the first week, month, year, or even several years. These things take time and when we turn a blind eye to any kind of new talent then we'll never see another caster rise up like they did. It just won't happen.

No, I'm not saying that we should freely accept every new caster with open arms and no reservation. I'm not saying that we shouldn't point out weaknesses in an individual's casting ability, especially if they are abundant. I simply want to encourage everyone here to be a bit more open-minded and objective. Don't put a caster down because you don't know him or because he's not very close to the level of the best in the business. Give him advice, tell him what he's doing wrong, and don't point out flaws simply out of spite or apathy. If we as a community take those steps, I honestly feel like we'll have an abundance of amazing casters to fill the increasing amount of positions that are continually popping up in our growing scene. Simply put, we need to give these people a chance for them to truly shine.