WCS 2014: Partial Region Lock, GSL returns, and more - Pag…

On November 21 2013 09:56 Dexington wrote:
Ummm so WCS AM will still be at least 50% Korean due to the left over players? This solves nothing

On November 21 2013 10:00 ForLethr wrote:
This means no season final?

On November 21 2013 10:00 Bowzar wrote:
So lets say a Korean wants to collect some easy money, how hard is it to get a greencard? I feel like Blizzard should help more with VISA issues. I want to see Violet again.

OGN has rights to run both StarCraft and StarCraft II tournaments alongside WCS and will be able to run WCS global events that offer WCS points.

On November 21 2013 10:15 pretensile wrote:
There is some rampant PR gimmickry and fudged numbers at work here, which won't be obvious to anyone who doesn't investigate more deeply.

The biggest PR move is the claim that the prize pool for WCS Korea is greater than ever. Yet let us look back on GSLs of the past and compare:

For GSL Season 1 of 2013, the combined prize pool for Code S/A was 172.8 million won.

For WCS Season 1/3 of 2013, the combined prize pool was around 151 million won.

For every season of GSL after the first year (2011-2012), the combined prize pool has been 172.8 million won.

In the first year of the GSL (GSL open season 1-3 of 2010), the prize pool was nearly 200 million won for each of the three tourneys.

For 2014, each of the three GSLs will feature an "expanded" prize pool of 177 million won. So yes, technically WCS Korea now features a whopping 4.2 million won ($4,000 USD) over previous Code S/A seasons, or 26 million won ($24,600) over past WCS seasons.

However --
1) There are no longer any season finals for Koreans to compete in.
2) The very existence of OSL, and possibly even Proleague, may be in jeopardy.
3) Koreans are now technically region-locked out of other regions.
4) Three entire tourneys for the whole region is a drastic step down since the very first year of the GSL (new game, and also compensated a bit with the largest prize pools). 2011 had a grand total of seven GSLs and one super tourney. 2012 had five GSLs and one OSL. 2013 had one GSL and three WCS Koreas (two GSL, one OSL).

Anyone looking at these facts can easily see that, barring an explosion of foreigner events in 2014 (which only the most privileged Korean progamers can attend anyway), the opportunities and total prize pool for Korean gamers are actually reduced in the coming year. The only thing that's changed is that GSL is pretty much the only game in town now, and has reverted to its previous prize pool (only $4k more than previous GSLs), but far more heavily weighted at the top for the sake of appearances and publicity (70 million won for first place compared to 50 million won in the past).

If Ongamenet decided to throw a bunch of OSLs and Proleague seasons, this would change the picture dramatically, but why would they? They have their hands full with a very successful League of their own (they filled out stadiums just with the opening day of this season of Champions) and have no incentive now that they are no longer a WCS partner.

On November 21 2013 10:07 Dingobloo wrote:
While this new schedule MIGHT open things up for the return of OSL, I would not hold my breath, the audience wasn't there either on TV or in person, OGN simply has no incentive to run it and with no WCS money going into it you're unlikely to see SC2 on Korean TV again which will contribute to it's further decline.

This is decent news for GSL and some players in the short term as it means a greater focus, but I fear it's going to be a struggle long term.