We’re happy to announce the team of talent that will bring you the StarCraft II World Championship Series Global Finals at BlizzCon. From the North American Star League, Ben ‘MrBitter’ Nichols and Kevin ‘RotterdaM’ van der Kooi will bring you their unique brand of banter, while resident GomTV shoutcasters Nick ‘Tasteless’ Plott and Dan ‘Artosis’ Stemkoski are back at BlizzCon for the third time. To round out the group, the Electronic Sports League’s Shaun ‘Apollo’ Clark will join Sean ‘Day[9]’ Plott as the third pair of English shoutcasters for the event.
All around this phenomenal group of StarCraft II experts, the Electronic Sports League’s production team will be presenting the action on the eSports stages, and they’re already collaborating with Blizzard to make this the most visually impressive BlizzCon yet.
Shaun 'Apollo' Clark - @ApolloSC2 Dan 'Artosis' Stemkoski - @Artosis Nicolas 'Tasteless' Plott - @CallMeTasteless Sean 'Day[9]' Plott - @day9tv Ben 'MrBitter' Nichol - @MrBitterTV Kevin 'RotterdaM' van der Kooi - @RotterdaM08
GET HYPED
best of the best, im so pumped now, blizzcon cant come fast enough
will we see another tasteless/artosis/day9 triple cast? i hope so
Great casters, but as many of the posters above, I concur in being sad for Kaelaris. He really does work hard and his casting has improved so much in my mind. A very dedicated and kind member of the SC2 community.
get kaelaris better then bitterdam . his passion for this game is over 9000 !! like rly when was the last time one of those casters was as hard worker as him ? casting wise ? in the last month
On October 23 2013 06:53 NovaMB wrote: I wished they would've kept both Plott brothers out, but I guess I'm on my own on this one.
Should be great nonetheless.
Well I like them, but I definitely would prefer Kaelaris and Tod, imho they are one of the best duos out there But still pretty good lineup overall. I hope they get Redeye to host and add 1 or 2 good observers in the mix
On October 23 2013 06:44 Malphite wrote: As much as people hate on Tasteless..
Without him it feels weird... Him and Artosis are the best duo in the business.
I like him... i don't care if u guys don't
Tasteless isn't nearly as insightful as Artosis, but he's part of that iconic duo and he is pretty funny to watch sometimes. Sometimes painful to watch, but Starcraft wouldn't be the same without him.
On October 23 2013 06:53 Lukeeze[zR] wrote: Kaeleris casting WCS all year long only to get replaced by Day9 when it truely matters, that's mean :[
Yeah, I'm pretty sad about him too.
ESL will produce the esport stage btw.
Why oh why oh for the love of god why. Get dreamhack pls.
Well, DreamHack will probably be busy preparing the production of, you know, DreamHack Winter. And ESL did great at GamesCom !
Not if you attended in person. Made me never want to go to another esl event again.
Anyways caster lineup is awesome as it should be for the highlight event of the year. Good point with dh winter almost forgot about November being November again.
On October 23 2013 07:06 Laryleprakon wrote: Nice caster lineup, hopefully we get a dedicated observer tho!
It mentions this in the article We’ll have more details on the BlizzCon hosts, translators, analysts, observers, and of course the pros in the weeks to come
With Artosis Tasteless is fine. Bitterdam is a safe pick. Apollo is imo together with Artosis the two best casters the sc2 scene has to offer so no surprise there. The only one I am not to sure about is Day9, I would much rather have Kalaeris.
Almost the best casters. The only trade I would have done is Mr. Bitter for Kaelaris, because Mr. Bitter just calls many things wrong during his casts constantly. Maybe Tasteless for Tod, but I think Tasteless has upped his game a bit in the latest Gom-casts, because he felt a bit washed out a some months ago.
Don't want to be too negative though, I think the lineup is fitting!
On October 23 2013 07:36 Tiaraju9 wrote: I'm feeling sad about Kaeleris. The guy work for it the whole year and he's good doing it. One of the best casters out there.
He might not be my absolute favorite caster, not that I dislike his casting, I actually think he's really good, but he worked his ass off. I have to agree with you. Of course we don't know if he just didn't accept the job, but I find it hard to believe that he would turn down that opportunity.
On October 23 2013 07:36 Tiaraju9 wrote: I'm feeling sad about Kaeleris. The guy work for it the whole year and he's good doing it. One of the best casters out there.
He might not be my absolute favorite caster, not that I dislike his casting, I actually think he's really good, but he worked his ass off. I have to agree with you. Of course we don't know if he just didn't accept the job, but I find it hard to believe that he would turn down that opportunity.
Yeah.
But, anyways, its a great line-up. I think that "injustices" would happen anyway, given the amount of top casters that we have right now.
Nice to see tasteless.. miss him in a lot of the big events. Artosis and apollo are both good but together like a lot of dreamhack I think they fill the same role. Just nice casters overall and it looks good!
On October 23 2013 06:57 Lonyo wrote: Well, Tasteless really seems to have stopped caring about SC2 from his GOM casts, and Artosis is better with other people.
Given the quality of Kaelaris's casts in WCS EU, I think it'd have been nothing less than appropriate to get him in the line up aswell. That'd give you the 3 main casting duo's + day9 for the final event. I wonder why they didn't get him in to be honest.
good choice, bitterdam and tasteosis are the best duos in the buisness and Day9 / Apollo are strong caster with strong followings and personalities. I look forward to see them in action!
'Hey let's take all the main caster duos from WCS, but randomly don't take Kaelaris'. Really disappointed unless, of course, he has a reason, why he can't be there. Fix that please Blizz.
hmm not sure about tasteless but im glad to hear that kaelaris is not going to be shouting "sooooo soooo much" 300 times a game and "how exited he is" for every single game and the over cock riding any big korean name that turns up, soz kael ive just had enough now .. . . but i suppose its been replaced with tasteless doing the same damn thing but throwing in "nerd chills" every other line, and how hes "sooo soooo excited for this match up" . . come on apollo and dam . . rottallo? apollAdam? . . . you have to save the day . . as for day 9, far too self aware and tries to comedy it up every single chance he gets . . . hmmmm not sure im liking this . . .can we not just have 3hr zvps all night with pengwin and mads?
I don't like that Kaelaris says "here" after pretty much everything, but still I have to say that he is really into his job and does a lot of preparation work before the games. This is something that I think other casters don't do as much, at least this is what it feels like to me. Play-by-play casts are fine but that + insight into the strategies is even better in my opinion. This is also the reason why I would love to see a player caster like Grubby or IdrA.
Awww yisss! Amazing! I think this is the first event in history where I like every caster! In fact, I like Day[9] the least, casting wise. Never thought I would say that about an event :D
I can't wait, it's gonna be great! great players, great casters. No reason not to watch every single game!
I'm surprised so many people are sad Kaelaris isn't there. Personally I don't like his casting at all and I thought most people didn't. I have to admit that he is working in beast mode, so it would have been well deserved for him to be there. I don't mind his absence, he deserves a lot of credit for his work though...
Some good casters, some bad ones, would have prefered some pro gamers who can give more insight as things unfold. Regarding Tasteless, i find him very boring and a pain to listen too, but hey, he is Day9s brother so i guess they come in package or not at all. Too bad Tod or Kaelaris or not in the lineup,really got used to them.
Surprised at the no love for BitterdaM, I think they're one of the best duos in the business. I'm glad they'll be there. I don't want to get into petty hating on casters, but if I had to pick three duos (not in any order) it'd be:
BitterdaM Artosis & Apollo Khaldor & Wolf
I'd also have loved to see ToD in the mix somewhere. I think ToD's done a spectacular job for WCS EU this year.
Im glad theres no kaelaris. Im sure hes a supernice guy and has a great mentality but he speaks a lot of rubbish and I suspect he tries to speak faster than he can handle, thus ending up in truism after truism.
Wouldnt mind no apollo either, hes good but hes in just about every event.
On October 23 2013 08:17 vidium wrote: Some good casters, some bad ones, would have prefered some pro gamers who can give more insight as things unfold. Regarding Tasteless, i find him very boring and a pain to listen too, but hey, he is Day9s brother so i guess they come in package or not at all. Too bad Tod or Kaelaris or not in the lineup,really got used to them.
What?? They almost never cast the same tournaments.
Never understood where this dislike of the plott brothers comes from, I still love tasteless at GOM and apart from maybe Apollo still easily the best co caster for Artosis. Personally I have never seen a Day9 cast I didn't absolutely love, I can agree that the quality went down for a few months but that was quite some time ago and just looking at his most recent cast at WCS NA finals it was superb imo.
I like both Plott's so I won't be joining in on the whine fest here. Kaelaris/ToD would've been great but I really like Incontrol/TB too so w/e. I think the casting line up is great.
Feels like Apollo is being left out a bit. The other 4 have their standard with them. I hope Tasteless not only casts with Artosis. Would make for some interesting casting
Shaun 'Apollo' Clark - @ApolloSC2 Dan 'Artosis' Stemkoski - @Artosis Nicolas 'Tasteless' Plott - @CallMeTasteless Sean 'Day[9]' Plott - @day9tv Ben 'MrBitter' Nichol - @MrBitterTV Kevin 'RotterdaM' van der Kooi - @RotterdaM08
Having said that I would choose some european casters like Kaelaris and Tod over MrBitter and Rotterdam, but I understand the choice because this is gonna take place in Canada. Apollo and Artosis are The Best. They know all races. They are very good casting except when apollo is way high in the sky I dont really care about Tasteless, but he's good. Not a problem for me. Very happy to see Day9. This guy breath Starcraft and is close with many fans like me. These days I really like rotterdam that guy shine when he's casting Protoss. MrBitter will fit the first games of the tournament. When a chilly mood is needed.
I was hoping for Grubby, his insight makes vP MUs enjoyable. He also has a bigger English vocabulary than most natives, and a lovely dry humor.
I would have been happier without the Plotts as well. I get tired of day9 too quickly, and Taseless just doesnt seem to care, hoding behind his bullshittingskills
Shaun 'Apollo' Clark - @ApolloSC2 Dan 'Artosis' Stemkoski - @Artosis Nicolas 'Tasteless' Plott - @CallMeTasteless Sean 'Day[9]' Plott - @day9tv Ben 'MrBitter' Nichol - @MrBitterTV Kevin 'RotterdaM' van der Kooi - @RotterdaM08
Having said that I would choose some european casters like Kaelaris and Tod over MrBitter and Rotterdam, but I understand the choice because this is gonna take place in Canada. Apollo and Artosis are The Best. They know all races. They are very good casting except when apollo is way high in the sky I dont really care about Tasteless, but he's good. Not a problem for me. Very happy to see Day9. This guy breath Starcraft and is close with many fans like me. These days I really like rotterdam that guy shine when he's casting Protoss. MrBitter will fit the first games of the tournament. When a chilly mood is needed.
Tastosis and Rotterdam+MrBitter both feel like two best friends doing what they love, which is really awesome and something special. Some sort of highlevel progamer analysis would be a nice touch to the caster lineup tho. But for the potential crowd for BlizzCon, these guys are the best for hyping the crowd, and hyping the crowd is very important for the season finale in my opinion.
Hoping for a huge and lively crowd, good stage production and some great between game hyping/contents/shenanigans!
I hope that Kaelaris has a wedding or something to go to and thats why he can't be there. Picking up the main casting pairs form NA and KR but then only going with Apollo from EU...
Going to be great non the less if we can get some unbiased casts from the NA duo
Also heres to Redeye, Smix and Adebisi for the next announcement!
Weird how they got Day9 to cast instead of Kaelaris. They have the main KR casters, the main NA casters, and Apollo and Day9, seems like they shafted Kaelaris a bit. That's too bad, dude works his ass off.
On October 23 2013 09:24 Tobblish wrote: I hope that Kaelaris has a wedding or something to go to and thats why he can't be there. Picking up the main casting pairs form NA and KR but then only going with Apollo from EU...
Going to be great non the less if we can get some unbiased casts from the NA duo
Also heres to Redeye, Smix and Adebisi for the next announcement!
I talked to Kaelaris earlier and he said he just wasn't selected. He's not even attending Blizzcon either.. sad :/
Can't go wrong with that bunch. Great to see them getting the cream of the crop. Would like to see incontrol or idra do some more casting. Don't see enough of them IMO. but they still chose well imo.
On October 23 2013 09:24 Tobblish wrote: I hope that Kaelaris has a wedding or something to go to and thats why he can't be there. Picking up the main casting pairs form NA and KR but then only going with Apollo from EU...
Going to be great non the less if we can get some unbiased casts from the NA duo
Also heres to Redeye, Smix and Adebisi for the next announcement!
I talked to Kaelaris earlier and he said he just wasn't selected. He's not even attending Blizzcon either.. sad :/
On October 23 2013 09:39 Reborn8u wrote: Can't go wrong with that bunch. Great to see them getting the cream of the crop. Would like to see incontrol or idra do some more casting. Don't see enough of them IMO. but they still chose well imo.
Mr Bitter is far from cream imo, he's more like.. sour milk.
On October 23 2013 09:16 RoninKenshin wrote: Tasteless is only good with SuperDanielMan
haha never thought I'd read his name again!
I miss SuperDanielMan. I used to talk to him on Twitter and he'd reply, but he doesn't any more. He opened up a PC Bang for a while, but then he got some boring insurance job or something.
On October 23 2013 09:39 Reborn8u wrote: Can't go wrong with that bunch. Great to see them getting the cream of the crop. Would like to see incontrol or idra do some more casting. Don't see enough of them IMO. but they still chose well imo.
Mr Bitter is far from cream imo, he's more like.. sour milk.
Sour milk from last millenium. I'm "bitter" they didn't bother to ask Kaelaris, guy has been putting in the effort and it shows. (pun intended FYI)
ToD and Kaelaris cast only EU - i.e. - they're the ESL group casters.. Grubby sometimes as well, usually the analysist Khaldor & Wolf are the KR casters - though they only cast CodeA and GSTL, no analysist in particular BitterDam & Day[9] cast the NA only, GosWser is the analysist..
Tastosis and Appollo cast the global events as well as their Premier leagues in KR and EU respectively..
So I guess cause the NASL is the host of S3 - then there will be the global ones and NASL team.. Kaelaris seems a bit "extra" TBH, considering that Tastosis will be there.. Curious who Appollo gets as his co-caster though, i.e. --> will he assist Artosis, or he will be the main caster and Day[9] will assist him..
Great team though, probably the best could be.. Also - who will be the host ?? - InControl ? (think he once said that he was the host of the event I think..)
will we see another tasteless/artosis/day9 triple cast? i hope so
I hope not... Triple casting is just so awkward. There's a reason practically nobody does it. But an Artosis/Apollo pair would be my choice for the final series (which, I hope, will be won by Polt, but that's a different story). Their commentary would be both highly emotional, and even highlier (is that even a word?) informative.
will we see another tasteless/artosis/day9 triple cast? i hope so
I hope not... Triple casting is just so awkward. There's a reason practically nobody does it. But an Artosis/Apollo pair would be my choice for the final series (which, I hope, will be won by Polt, but that's a different story). Their commentary would be both highly emotional, and even highlier (is that even a word?) informative.
Koreans pull off the triple cast very well by having well defined roles for each person. I think the casters are talented enough to pull it off if they were to restrain themselves.
will we see another tasteless/artosis/day9 triple cast? i hope so
I hope not... Triple casting is just so awkward. There's a reason practically nobody does it. But an Artosis/Apollo pair would be my choice for the final series (which, I hope, will be won by Polt, but that's a different story). Their commentary would be both highly emotional, and even highlier (is that even a word?) informative.
Koreans pull off the triple cast very well by having well defined roles for each person. I think the casters are talented enough to pull it off if they were to restrain themselves.
OK, honestly, I didn't know that. But my point stands insofar as sports broadcasts in Europe and America are generally commentated by a pair of people. Maybe it's a cultural thing? That in the Orient the virtue restraining yourself, being humble and self-disciplined is underlined a lot more?
will we see another tasteless/artosis/day9 triple cast? i hope so
I hope not... Triple casting is just so awkward. There's a reason practically nobody does it. But an Artosis/Apollo pair would be my choice for the final series (which, I hope, will be won by Polt, but that's a different story). Their commentary would be both highly emotional, and even highlier (is that even a word?) informative.
Koreans pull off the triple cast very well by having well defined roles for each person. I think the casters are talented enough to pull it off if they were to restrain themselves.
OK, honestly, I didn't know that. But my point stands insofar as sports broadcasts in Europe and America are generally commentated by a pair of people. Maybe it's a cultural thing? That in the Orient the virtue restraining yourself, being humble and self-disciplined is underlined a lot more?
I believe the Korean casts use someone who's there strictly to hype up the game / make it fun. I don't speak Korean, so I don't watch Korean casts often and when I do... I have no idea what they're saying. But I seem to remember that was how their titles were presented: play-by-play, analysis, presenter or something.
On October 23 2013 10:38 Dodgin wrote: That's a lot of casters for one stream and a 2 day event. The plus side is if you don't like someone at least they will be rotating often.
Don't like Day9's official casting. He's so much more entertaining during his dailies, while during official casts he's just plain and repeat "I mean" way too much. Like the rest though, so really looking forward to it.
On October 23 2013 09:42 ShamisenSix wrote: +1 to Kaeleris
I really want him casting BlizzCon/Finals. I don't see Day[9] and Apollo have synergy...
they have plenty of synergy. the problem is when you put them together Day[9] forgets to cast and just sits there laughing for thirty straight minutes.
I can't stand Apollo, i don't feel he really adds anything important to the casts but people seem to like him. I think the lineup is great, I agree with the sympathy for Kaelaris and I'm not sure why he wouldn't be paired with Rotterdam instead of Mr. Bitter doesn't really make that much sense but oh well. I don't know why everyone hates on Day9 and Tasteless, you could make an argument those 2 alone have done more than any others for Starcraft Esports throughtout their careers and are great people regardless. Can't wait!
All I ask is Artosis and Apollo cast the finals. I don't want it to be filled with 80's/90's references and what Artosis and Tasteless find funny or did over the weekend. I want it to be about the match and about the players on stage. Overtime I have grown to dislike the Tastosis combo but Artosis+Apollo have become my favorite. Hope it happens.
On October 23 2013 11:11 Neazbo wrote: IMO the ideal line up involves replacing Tasteless & Day9 with Kaelaris and ToD. Apollo/Artosis (main duo) BitterdaM Kaelaris/ToD
Kaelaris is unpleasant to listen to IMO, while Day 9 is able to pull off comedy and speaks VERY well. I'm personally happy to see Day 9 replace him. Although I'm not a fan of "bitterdam", ill take them ANY DAY over the feminine-voiced GosuUser who is probably the worst choice of a caster "voice" I've ever experienced. He makes me want to not watch starcraft... which is difficult to do.
Not sure where the hate is comming from on Tasteless... but I find him to be a pleasant compliment to Artosis who is clearly the main attraction of the two.
On October 23 2013 11:19 chairmobile wrote: Love day9, artosis, and Apollo. Wish they replaced Mr. Bitter with Kaelaris, but at least we don't have to deal with the MLGSC2 casters.
I think MLG casters, Axslag and Axeltoss are doing pretty good. I prefer them more than Mr. Bitter sometimes...
We need a Tastosis cast in the finals for sure. Maybe they can bring back the old days where Tastosis would cast simultaneously with Apollo and Day9?!
On October 23 2013 10:38 Dodgin wrote: That's a lot of casters for one stream and a 2 day event. The plus side is if you don't like someone at least they will be rotating often.
2 streams for at least part of it I believe.
oh I see. Are you going to observe the games or are they bringing in the gomtv ones?
Not just the best casters, blizz also nabbed three real casting teams--good build for the finals. Even as a (mostly, these days) Dota fan, this is pretty hype. hwaiting. Hopefully no Mana vs. Firecake shenanigans, plz.
The problem with Tasteless is that it seems he is uninterested in SC2 and doesn't keep up with it. He is riding the coat tails of Artosis and running on old knowledge of the game.
Artosis still knows ALL the builds and the branches of basically every build. I'm assuming he has a secret room that looks like rooms from the movie "A Beautiful Mind" where there are builds connected to builds connected to builds with red yarn - all over the walls.
Tasteless is too busy watching Walking Dead and playing SNES games to care about the new HOTS builds.
I don't know why IdrA doesn't get any casting gigs. He's more knowledgeable than any other current caster, without question. He also improved on not sounding monotone. Maybe he's asking too much money?
Just skimming this thread i'm glad there are so many duos people like. I remember when it was Tastosis or bust. Now it's like there's a lot of good options, and a lot of people are always going to be disappointed becuase you can't have all of them.
Pretty sick lineup there. Definitely gonna tune in
Too bad for Kaelaris indeed, though what are you gonna do? Can't have every prime time caster there - maybe it's just that they have other plans?(In this regard also Grubby could be there for instance, or Nathanias, Wolfdor etc...)
This is going to be the best SC2 tournament to date you'd have to say. The balance of fan favourites, skill and amazing casters is simply sick city. Innovation vs soulkey final please gogo
On October 23 2013 12:02 Beakyboo wrote: Really wish Incontrol was there. And thank god Kaelaris isn't. His absence alone adds so much to this.
WTF is wrong with you?
Disliking a caster is understandable, but saying that his absence adds so much to this? That is simply disrespectful towards one of the most dedicated and hardworking members of this whole scene.
this is not even so much a matter of whether you like Kaelaris' casting, it's more about the fact that he casted tons and tons of WCS EU games but now he can't cast the final showdown at Blizzcon. it might just be that he can't make it on that weekend though.
Very nice casting line up. Really looking forward - though I too am going to miss Kaelaris. I have no idea, why they wouldn't bring him to blizzcon where he belongs.
Day9 is there simply because he is Day9. I would rather see him as host and then Apollo casting along with Kaelaris. But could be worse as Day9 and Apollo have casted together in the past and it has been watchable.
I hope for next year Day9 will start more casting so he actually has to compete for his spot and not simply given to him.
On October 23 2013 12:02 Beakyboo wrote: Really wish Incontrol was there. And thank god Kaelaris isn't. His absence alone adds so much to this.
WTF is wrong with you?
Disliking a caster is understandable, but saying that his absence adds so much to this? That is simply disrespectful towards one of the most dedicated and hardworking members of this whole scene.
So criticizing kaelaris isn't OK... but bashing Tasteless is??
Tasteless was the pioneer of casting SC2 with Artosis. I don't see you saying the same thing for the 100 comments about Tasteless.
I don't like Kaelaris either... it's a preference... I guess it's an american thing. I'd rather have incontrol there as well.
When i hear tasteless no matter how crap the game is, i keep the stream on.... if i hear kaelaris and it's a bad game, i turn it off. I watched GSL's just because these casters. I don't even play SC2 anymore but i still only watch GSL because tastosis.
You're standing up for a caster you like.... I don't see you standing up for Tasteless when he helped developed the scene.
The caster duos and absence of Kaelaris makes a little more sense when you look at the casting duos for last year's WCS finals. There were FIVE duos because there were up to 4 games going on at the same time, so you had:
I guess this year they didn't want to change any of the duos, but because there's at most 2 games going on at a time you only need 3 teams; so Kaelaris, Khaldor, Axeltoss and Axslav are out.
They got the most popular casters in the scene for the most important event of the year. People should be happy IMO. The other casters mentioned are great ofc, but be happy!
On October 23 2013 14:46 Siggen wrote: They got the most popular casters in the scene for the most important event of the year. People should be happy IMO. The other casters mentioned are great ofc, but be happy!
People will only be happy once Sc2 is dead and gone.
But in all seriousness, you will hardly find a more critical and unforgiving(bitching?) crowd in all of esports. Factor in that people on the internet tend to think they are entitled to everything and want it NOW...
Of course that's not everyone and the community as a whole is still kinda great, yet such things and like self-fulfilling prophecies and doomsaying are really tiresome for someone who just follows it.
I can only imagine how much worse it must be for people actually doing the great content and work in the esports business.
I hope Kaelaris takes this well. I guess with only 6 spots someone must be left out........Why not just add him in?? It's not like you don't owe him Blizzard.
On October 23 2013 14:46 Siggen wrote: They got the most popular casters in the scene for the most important event of the year. People should be happy IMO. The other casters mentioned are great ofc, but be happy!
People will only be happy once Sc2 is dead and gone.
But in all seriousness, you will hardly find a more critical and unforgiving(bitching?) crowd in all of esports. Factor in that people on the internet tend to think they are entitled to everything and want it NOW...
Of course that's not everyone and the community as a whole is still kinda great, yet such things and like self-fulfilling prophecies and doomsaying are really tiresome for someone who just follows it.
I can only imagine how much worse it must be for people actually doing the great content and work in the esports business.
On October 23 2013 15:05 b0rt_ wrote: I hope Kaelaris takes this well. I guess with only 6 spots someone must be left out........Why not just add him in?? It's not like you don't owe him Blizzard.
I really don't think he is the one people miss the most truthfully. Surprised there is such a vocal minority supporting him. 6 casters is quite a lot for a 16 man tournament already, dunno how many casters you want...
In what sport do you have 6 casters for 16 matches? Not to mention more than that.
On October 23 2013 14:46 Siggen wrote: They got the most popular casters in the scene for the most important event of the year. People should be happy IMO. The other casters mentioned are great ofc, but be happy!
People will only be happy once Sc2 is dead and gone.
But in all seriousness, you will hardly find a more critical and unforgiving(bitching?) crowd in all of esports. Factor in that people on the internet tend to think they are entitled to everything and want it NOW...
Of course that's not everyone and the community as a whole is still kinda great, yet such things and like self-fulfilling prophecies and doomsaying are really tiresome for someone who just follows it.
I can only imagine how much worse it must be for people actually doing the great content and work in the esports business.
HYPE FOR BLIZZCON - LONG LIVE SC2!
I strongly disagree.
Well, is your disagreement that strong to provide a more elaborate counterargument then?
I'd like to know if Kaelaris was dropped for Day9 or for other reasons. I don't like him as much as a caster as I like Day9, but if that's the case, he must feel really fooled.
On October 23 2013 11:08 negativedge wrote: they have plenty of synergy. the problem is when you put them together Day[9] forgets to cast and just sits there laughing for thirty straight minutes.
Well that's easy to fix, make them cast games that last an hour each, so that Day9 can actually cast the second half.
On October 23 2013 11:20 EightyEight wrote: Kaelaris is unpleasant to listen to IMO, while Day 9 is able to pull off comedy and speaks VERY well. I'm personally happy to see Day 9 replace him. Although I'm not a fan of "bitterdam", ill take them ANY DAY over the feminine-voiced GosuUser who is probably the worst choice of a caster "voice" I've ever experienced. He makes me want to not watch starcraft... which is difficult to do.
Not sure where the hate is comming from on Tasteless... but I find him to be a pleasant compliment to Artosis who is clearly the main attraction of the two.
All in all, very excited to watch the finals!
Haha, do you really care that much about the voice of a caster? xD thats like one thing, among SEVERAL OTHER more imortant attributes. Yes that is a fact
Kaeleris would've been better then Mr Bitter/Rotterdam imo. Tasteless I've got mixed opinions about, but it's nice to see the duo hitting it up. Apollo/Day9 top notch. So 2/3 duos top of the line best in the business, I can live with that. Gogo blizzcon
Needs more Wolf and TotalBuiscuit! I wish they could squeeze them in, they are great casters, but overall I am quite happy. And I agree with people, it could've been Kaeleris instead of Day9.
Kaelaris, Wolf or Khaldor should be there instead of Day9 imo. I would say Artosis, Wolf and Apollo are the most knowledgeable casters in the sc2 world and Khaldor is just a human passion bomb. Kaelaris brings alot of passion to his cast aswell and he has worked hard all year long to provide casting to all sorts of wcs games.
Sure you could always hope for Wolf and Khaldor and Idra and Catz and Goswser and but considering they had to make choices having Apollo, Artosis and Day9 for analysis, seeing Tasteless finally casting outside Korea and having the NASL trademark Bitterdam duo, I find this line-up as good as any other.
Well, im really surprised they gave Tasteless a caster- spot over Kaelaris.
Truly, Tasteless seems to be a funny guy, but with the hard lack of game knowledge and passion for the game he is the worst choice to cast such a big event as Blizzcon imho.
If i want to listen to stupid stories and bad jokes, im going to watch some soap operas instead.
very dissapointed... the EU casters are much better IMO than Rotterdam, Mr Bitter, Day9 and even Tasteless... well, hopefully the games will be good and there will be some Apollo+Artosis which is fantastic
On October 23 2013 17:36 Liquid`Ret wrote: This leaves room for redeye to host, right?
Well since ESL does the production and hosting side, that is most likely. Redeye wins the best host award 2013 for SC2 anyway, followed by Chobra and Day9. Maybe they could bring Sjoks along or so for WoW or Hearthstone hosting.
Edit: honorary mention to the korean OGN host whose name i don't know, he is still a level above all.
This thread is pretty fun, almost everyone has a minor complaint about the line-up, but you can't please everyone obviously.
I would have liked to see one of the Plott brothers replaced with either Grubby or Tod. Having an active pro player commentate makes a world of difference compared to the full time casters, even the so-called "analytical casters" are nowhere near in terms of game knowledge. I'm guessing they choose Day9 because they wanted a commentator who appeals to the more casual SC2 crowd, but if that is the case I would have preferred Husky over him.
On October 23 2013 17:11 sRich wrote: Well, im really surprised they gave Tasteless a caster- spot over Kaelaris.
Truly, Tasteless seems to be a funny guy, but with the hard lack of game knowledge and passion for the game he is the worst choice to cast such a big event as Blizzcon imho.
If i want to listen to stupid stories and bad jokes, im going to watch some soap operas instead.
Even if you think he's not that good at casting, he still deserves every casting gig he gets just for being there first, providing great commentary from Korea all those years ago from BW, and the start of SC2. Not to mention all the other things he's done for a lot of people.
besides apollo really great line-up. i dont know, it seems a lot of people really like apollo, but i just dont. i think its super annoying when he starts screaming like a little girl. i know there are a lot of casters who do this, but with apollo its just too much for me. i would love casters being a little more relaxed about casting games. sure you can get excited sometimes but that shouldnt mean you have to scream like a ...
On October 23 2013 06:53 NovaMB wrote: I wished they would've kept both Plott brothers out, but I guess I'm on my own on this one.
Should be great nonetheless.
Are you saying you do not like them as talent or that these two are just in it for the money or what exactly why keep out both plott bros I dont get it?
If anyone they should keep out slasher like Quakecon did #fuckslasher
No matter who you would invite, people would always complain its just a matter of Taste. I'm personally fine with the casters. I like all of them and even though I like some more or less, there's simply no way to invite 10+ casters for a 2-day event.
Also people should stop being butthurt if someone doesn't like their favorite. I can live with people not liking Apollo, because its their taste, doesn't make him any worse in his abilities for example. So, I will greatly enjoy this event.
Personal sitenote: Yay Kev, great thing that he now can add Blizzcon WCS World Finals to his résumé.
On October 23 2013 12:55 Doodsmack wrote: I don't know why IdrA doesn't get any casting gigs. He's more knowledgeable than any other current caster, without question. He also improved on not sounding monotone. Maybe he's asking too much money?
I think everyone is afraid he will quit and leave the game early 25 minutes before the game is over not a good look especially at blizzcon.
On October 23 2013 12:55 Doodsmack wrote: I don't know why IdrA doesn't get any casting gigs. He's more knowledgeable than any other current caster, without question. He also improved on not sounding monotone. Maybe he's asking too much money?
I think everyone is afraid he will quit and leave the game early 25 minutes before the game is over not a good look especially at blizzcon.
Quiet a bad pun to be honest. We all know about IdrA's rage in-game and/or frustration and sometimes bad decisions, but his casting was superb to say the least. He is insanely knowledgeable and to me very easy to listen to. While he probably lacks a bit of 'passion' in his casting, he has amazing analytical skills and can really bring the game towards the audience.
So... don't understand bashing of IdrA for that matter.
Kinda disappointed with absence of Kaelaris in there. As others already mentioned, i dont think any of the casters trumping him has the same passion towards the SC2 casting. I also wish they gave a chance some upcoming casters, because the trend in casting seems to follow the trend in competition scene (WCS format and consolidation of tournaments). Instead of lots of variety and small names with big personalities (or big names with big personalities), and great analitic skills, we get all the same faces over and over again. I know its a final and stuff, but really... nobody can become a star caster if you going to favour the casters that are stars already. I think IdrA would be great, though i guess he is back to his pro gaming carrier after being recruited by TT.
I hope Tasteless and Day[9] cast a game together that would be awesome :3
yeah but it never ever happens ... i rly dont understand why they not let the brothers cast together
They did cast Lucifron vs Vortix together once which was pretty funny since the casting brothers were casting playing brothers but yeah it probably won't happen.
On October 23 2013 12:55 Doodsmack wrote: I don't know why IdrA doesn't get any casting gigs. He's more knowledgeable than any other current caster, without question. He also improved on not sounding monotone. Maybe he's asking too much money?
I think everyone is afraid he will quit and leave the game early 25 minutes before the game is over not a good look especially at blizzcon.
Quiet a bad pun to be honest. We all know about IdrA's rage in-game and/or frustration and sometimes bad decisions, but his casting was superb to say the least. He is insanely knowledgeable and to me very easy to listen to. While he probably lacks a bit of 'passion' in his casting, he has amazing analytical skills and can really bring the game towards the audience.
So... don't understand bashing of IdrA for that matter.
How it that bashing when he cracks under pressure and is not a seasoned veteran as a caster who is primed and ready to shine on the big stage. Blizzcon is not supposed to be a training ground but instead a setting for the cream of the crop doing what they do best and the lineup as is so far can not be beat.
Really great lineup - although I'm a bit sad (like many others) that Kaelaris is missing. Probably because he has been plugging pokemon so much over his twitter recently.
Hmm I'd keep Apollo and Artosis and substitute the rest with casting players like Grubby, Tod, etc. Listening to players is actually more entertaining than most of dem casters that are listed here. At least for me...
Really just echoing the thoughts of others about Kaelaris. For someone who has put both tonnes of effort into becoming a top class caster and also been involved in WCS from day one it seems a little sad not to see him attend (in a professional capacity) what could’ve been the biggest event of his casting career.
Since ESL are handling the production (are they? That's what I hear anyway) I guess it's possible he'll still be around for hosting/interviews/post-match analysis or whatever.
Rotterdam / Bitter & Tastless derail the commentary into trivial non-starcraft related fluff far too often for my liking.
Shocker :- When I watch SC2 I like to hear about SC2, not what flavor of cola Artosis likes the most.. (you reading this Tasteless?).
LiquidRet made some excellent points about casters in a Meta with Artosis, Harstem & TLO about a month ago.. IF ONLY casters would watch that episode....
Also I feel a lot of casters are let down by their knowledge of the game - if you cast or plan to cast - surely you have to play random to get a balanced and deeper understanding of the game? I believe Apollo does that (or at least play one race each day in rotation).
Perhaps an exception to test my own rule is Tod, he's Protoss focused yet I find his casts interesting and informative while still being fun to watch.
The current batch of casters could (mostly) Do with a kick up the butt or just plain shipped out of there. And get some fresh blood in.
I enjoyed Idra's casts in the ROG series during summer, would like to see him cast more - though I guess now he's back on a team it'd be less likely?
+100 points for SC2 casts being about SC2 with knowledgeable informative enjoyable casting, not random bull**** .
Agree with fruity, i also find non-starcraft related chat during games very frustrating. I tune in for games of starcraft, if i want comedy i'll go watch a movie or something. Having Rotterdam and Mr. Bitter there will have me tune out of the games they cast. Surely you cannot have them cast the finals !?
On October 23 2013 14:03 TotalBiscuit wrote: Oh, it's a caster thread full of complaining again
So what did you expect in a thread about casters if not opinions on said casters? Seems to me like more than half of the comments are positive anyway, and I doubt there are that many people who like every caster in the scene.
Personally I like more than half of the casters announced, so that's a pretty good lineup in my opinion.
On October 24 2013 01:29 Lykkehjul wrote: Agree with fruity, i also find non-starcraft related chat during games very frustrating. I tune in for games of starcraft, if i want comedy i'll go watch a movie or something. Having Rotterdam and Mr. Bitter there will have me tune out of the games they cast. Surely you cannot have them cast the finals !?
OH HES MOVING HIS ARMY
HE BUILT A PYLON
HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPEE
Do you understand how much downtime there is in an SC2 game?
On October 24 2013 10:00 sage_francis wrote: kalaeris instead of bitter would be better
On October 24 2013 08:20 wildstyle1337 wrote: Tasteless? Day9? Bitter? Roterdam ? WHERE IS NATHANIAS? Kalearis?
On October 23 2013 07:37 Gullis wrote: With Artosis Tasteless is fine. Bitterdam is a safe pick. Apollo is imo together with Artosis the two best casters the sc2 scene has to offer so no surprise there. The only one I am not to sure about is Day9, I would much rather have Kalaeris.
On October 23 2013 08:02 TeeTS wrote: Don´t like that lineup. Artosis, Apollo and Day9 are fine, but the other 3.... Kalaris and a pro gamer like Grubby or Tod would´ve been better.
Man, can you guys really call yourselves fans of Kaelaris if you can't even spell his name correctly =/
On October 23 2013 11:15 Hrrrrm wrote: All I ask is Artosis and Apollo cast the finals. I don't want it to be filled with 80's/90's references and what Artosis and Tasteless find funny or did over the weekend. I want it to be about the match and about the players on stage. Overtime I have grown to dislike the Tastosis combo but Artosis+Apollo have become my favorite. Hope it happens.
Feel the same way. I think Wolf/Artosis and Apollo TB make great duos too.
Is there anywhere a poll for favourite casters? Would be interesting to see the current popularity.
What I really dislike is when casters generalize things, so u could potentially say it about almost every game, player, situation, race, etc. And that's that what lotsa casters do. Unfortunately Kaelaris is one of them.
OK, scratch that. Now it's Polt next to Day[9]. <3 And for a TvT. Best possible choice in my opinion.
And I think Day[9] as a co-caster is much better than Mr. Bitter (much as I like him) in general, he's got a more relaxed, more energetic demeanor, and that works better if the person who is not fluent in English gets jammed. That's when frustration arises and it needs to be smoothed down.
REally hope they mic the audience right cuz WCS Finals in Canada is really hype! I think it can really help the image of sc2 and big events if they get it right
On October 31 2013 08:06 NovemberstOrm wrote: Update: Chobra is interviewing/translating Incontrol/tod are doing analyst desk with djwheat reporting at the analyst desk redeye is hosting
It's basically an all-star lineup. We only miss the observer now. Maybe the observers ?
On October 31 2013 08:06 NovemberstOrm wrote: Update: Chobra is interviewing/translating Incontrol/tod are doing analyst desk with djwheat reporting at the analyst desk redeye is hosting
Andddddddddd the update makes everything go from awesome to incredible. Best lineup all time.
EPT
But still pretty good lineup overall. I hope they get Redeye to host and add 1 or 2 good observers in the mix 
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ySRchbw.jpg)
!
