(emphasis mine) -> That's the whole point. I also don't really care where someone is from if they can play great games, but there are a lot of people who chose their favorite players based on other criteria, and that's actually perfectly fine and happens in all sports. Especially if you're cheering for your hometown/homecountry representative, it's really completely understandable and desirable. And the point that you are missing is that this is killing that. So you might get some great games in the first season (in the offline event, doubt the online part will be too hot after a few weeks of initial interest), but how long will that continue if viewership and general interest in the game declines.

Just look at the LoL and DotA2 scenes... The situation in terms of skill is actually really similar to SC2. North american teams are behind EU teams who are behind Asian teams, with a handful of Stephano-like exceptions. But these scenes are completely separated except for THE big tournament where all roads lead to. The NA LCS is getting great numbers even though those teams are actually pretty weak right now. But hey, people care about them, they know these players from their stream etc.

Anyway, it remains to be seen how this will turn out. I might actually watch the NA one now whereas without the Koreans I probably wouldn't have. But that's me and you and people like that. What about the "average Joe" browsing twitch and eating Hot Pockets?

I still don't get how this kills the scene though...

The only change is no more WCS and more money being funneled into the scene. You could argue that it doesn't advance the NA/EU scene as much as it could have, but then I would again disagree. In the region locked scenario, NA/EU would just stagnate and remain eternally inferior. Foreigners would have no incentive to reach the level to where they could beat Koreans.

Was the old WCS really all that successful? I never bothered watching any of it so I don't know.

Taefox

1533 Posts

April 10 2013 10:18 GMT

#347

gg NA region

NapkinBox

United States314 Posts

April 10 2013 10:19 GMT

#348

I'm just sad that so far, this isn't going to be a "World Championship", but more of a second Super-Super Tournament. What happened to the olympic model from last year? It wasn't only about who's the "best of the best" (and you can pretty much could guess who), but the whole point was to bring everyone from all corners of the world to represent their country. I was excited when it was announced this year because I thought we were finally going to get a, in a way, world wide Code S system.

I didn't know there were a lot people who didn't give any shit about the foreign scene...

FakeDeath

Malaysia6060 Posts

April 10 2013 10:19 GMT

#349

This is good though.

Now i will start watching WCS: NA.

At least we will be seeing better games.

TheBB

Switzerland5133 Posts

April 10 2013 10:19 GMT

#350

On April 10 2013 19:13 Benjamin99 wrote:

Show nested quote +

lol? lose a few matches and you are not Code S level. Seriously this community sometimes haha

More than a few to be honest. He is 15-18 in matches the last 5 months.

Mahanaim

Korea (South)1002 Posts

April 10 2013 10:20 GMT

#351

On April 10 2013 19:19 FakeDeath wrote:
This is good though.

Now i will start watching WCS: NA.

At least we will be seeing better games.

Exactly.

Sjokola

Netherlands800 Posts

April 10 2013 10:20 GMT

#352

Look at it like this. Now every American player can practise like it's Korea at home. Code S level everywhere !!

Die4Ever

United States17727 Posts

April 10 2013 10:21 GMT

#353

HAHAHAHA wtf is this?

MrSexington

United States1768 Posts

April 10 2013 10:21 GMT

#354

On April 10 2013 19:17 Mangooze wrote:

Show nested quote +

Haha, that's exactly my reaction too.

Mission accomplished?

Miss_Foxy

Singapore109 Posts

April 10 2013 10:21 GMT

#355

Knowing Blizzard, I'm pretty sure they have something planned up their sleeve, considering the fact that they were aware that it would happen.

Probably some chain-effect that we never saw before could happen and more people would join GSL in the long run, thus creating a constant supply of new players, etc.

playa

United States1284 Posts

April 10 2013 10:22 GMT

#356

On April 10 2013 19:19 FakeDeath wrote:
This is good though.

Now i will start watching WCS: NA.

At least we will be seeing better games.

I have never watched a collegiate league game or w/e it's called. You know what would make me watch it? Add some Koreans. Wonder why they don't use this format. Too bad for having leagues that are rooted around the meaning of the name of the league. Greed for the win. They could really help out the college teams and players by having Korean pros replace their lineups. Blizz logic.

Talack

Canada2742 Posts

April 10 2013 10:22 GMT

#357

ewww....

NarutO

Germany18839 Posts

April 10 2013 10:22 GMT

#358

On April 10 2013 19:19 NapkinBox wrote:
I'm just sad that so far, this isn't going to be a "World Championship", but more of a second Super-Super Tournament. What happened to the olympic model from last year? It wasn't only about who's the "best of the best" (and you can pretty much could guess who), but the whole point was to bring everyone from all corners of the world to represent their country. I was excited when it was announced this year because I thought we were finally going to get a, in a way, world wide Code S system.

I didn't know there were a lot people who didn't give any shit about the foreign scene...

No one said its about being a World Championship, its about the best of the best. Names don't always hold up to them. World Cyber Games for example isn't what it used to be.

Lorch

Germany3691 Posts

April 10 2013 10:23 GMT

#359

On April 10 2013 19:03 Killmouse wrote:

Show nested quote +

isnt ro 16 and onward offline??

But not spread out over as many days as gsl. It should be under 2 weeks that you are actually required to be in na/eu.
So worst case they have to miss out on a few of their players for 4 pro league matches.

pms

Poland611 Posts

April 10 2013 10:23 GMT

#360

The problem with olympic model for SC2 is that Koreans are far better than every other country, and regional finals basically lack prestige. Another problem is that if there will be no real global tournament (like WCS is going to be), then the international players will stay inferior to Koreans for ever. That's really boring. This answers your last point: it's not true that people don't give a shit about foreign scene, they just have different point of view than yours.