I honestly would have never thought the time would come when I would write an article like this, at least not until a few months ago.
I had always rather pictured myself in a not too distant future, writing a book about my experience about the developement and growth of eSports in Italy.
Let us not waste time running around the subject, as I am sure most of its aspects will surface as I write, but I believe the time has come to pass on the baton and let someone else follow on our footsteps and let them have both the honors and the burdens this implies, following a path that I believe my staff and I have carried on in the best possible way during the past three years.
The years I've spent in this enviroement will always be regarded as some of the best in my life, something that had begun as a game and has slowly grown, gained a structure and has rapidly become some sort of a symbol, an hope, for all those who believe, and have always believed, that electronic sports deserved more room in Italy.
Vasacast has never been only a game to me, a diversion, or a passion: over the course of the past three years it has been something I nurtured and grown, hoping that someday it would find the right way to bloom in its full potential.
As you can easily imagine it has never been simple: the effort, time and resources spent by any and all of us would often equal those one would put into a job, but this has never been felt like a weight on our shoulders and we have always given it our best to improve ourselves and the framework in which we moved.
To me, Vasacast has also become an important school of life. Facing the public, thousands of hours live, the people I've known, relationships with brands and sponsors... Lots of experiences that will stay with me and that will turn out to be useful in my life, both professionally and daily.
Then why leave it all? This might sound odd, but it is because I believe that at the present time we cannot do any more than this. I have always been told that a project, just like an enterprise, need to grow and improve in order to survive, and today Vasacast would need too many resources to progress in its developement process, a developement that would inexorably come to collide with the environment in which we move, Italy.
This isn't the place to talk about economics or market-related situations, but I believe everyone can see the difficulties we're facing in our territory, and therefore it is even easier to understand how hard it is for a company working in a niche market such as gaming to get support, and how growing or evolving something is becoming increasingly difficult.
What had gotten us going, what had always driven us, has always been innovation and the constant search of that little something more that should always lead an healthy work group aiming at a common goal, and we would not be able to keep it up anymore.
Today we're witnessing the end of a journey that I believe could, and should, be taken as an example by many who would want this environment to be come a reality in Italy. I also believe that with dedication, commitment and passion, anything, even a game, can become something more.
This is the main reason we'd rather put a full stop today, rather than drag ourselves and pass away slowly and painfully, leaving but a memory of what has been done this far.
However, it should be noted that none of us will disappear. I for one am too tied to this environment, and to Starcraft, to disappear all of a sudden. The Italian Starcraft 2 scene certaintly won't end with Vasacast, as plenty of other groups have shown they can cover both Italian and International events just as fine, and i'm sure that, should the occasion arise, there will be no problem for me to help and comment an event, should this become necessary.
This is neither a farewell nor a goodbye, as life is too dynamic as a context to say for sure that we will never come back, but we'd rather be honest to ourselves, and even more to you all who have followed, cheered and favored us for all these years.
Thank you, everyone. Alessandro 'Vasa' Vasarri and all Vasacast staff.
Vasa, your dreams of a thriving esports future in Italy WILL one day be realized. I'm sure of it. Thank you for all that you've done for the community, and I hope we see plenty more of you, in whatever form you take on, in the future.
I hope to write a longer response soon, but for now I'll be brief. I'm just one of countless fans, and while I wish you the absolute best of luck with your future endeavours, you leaving is a pretty major loss to the foreign scene. I don't think anyone will ever forget you casting StarEagle vs Grubby at WCS EU 2012 which I think is when so many of us found the most enthusiastic caster in the scene (I suppose Day[9] is right up there though). That casting style is my favourite by far and it will truly be missed. There's really no replacement for it that I've come across. With that said, thank you for the all the long hours you've put into the scene, especially the italian scene, and best wishes for the future.
Always sad when an eSports organization shuts down. Granted I never really knew anything about you guys or watched your casts, but sad none the less. Good luck in the future! Stay within eSports.
Well I don't wanna be sad about the end, instead I'll be happy for all that you've done. Even as a non-Italian I've always been one to tune into any tournament you cast and watch your stream when it's on so I guess gl hf for whatever comes next
Not sure what this was till now, looks amazing I will have to go back and watch the VOD's of the casts...you guys look so cool though and the website is awesome, don't go !
Damnit, I liked what these guys did, Vasa's casting obviously but also some good invitationals and events. Best of luck in future whatever you choose to do.
The italian scene is indeed really small... prizepoo/player wise, one of the most important live tournaments ever done was the UCG back then, and I recall how many people were there But as other users said, I believe one day the situation will change, no matter how many years will pass.
Thanks for all your work and all your effort Vasa, I'm sad I couldn't watch you live. Maybe one day, who knows... Cast some games from time to time!
Even if I don't speak Italian, your casts was really amazing (and looking similarily fun like ogamingtv crew). Sad Italian didn't really had sc2 scene and huge players, and I hope you'll still do some small event.
On October 01 2014 07:39 Shinespark wrote: Don't even know what this is
This was genius. This was a cast that could draw people, even when they didn't understand the language. This was eSports done with passion, with hype in the cast that made every match the World Cup to the listeners. It was not big budget, high value production sets - it was small touches, exciting and energetic casts, and quite possibly the best use of music and sound to complement a cast that I have seen.
I hope to still see Vasa casting, despite the shuttering of Vasacast. Something truly amazing has gone dark, but I hope someday will return.
On October 01 2014 07:39 Shinespark wrote: Don't even know what this is
This was genius. This was a cast that could draw people, even when they didn't understand the language. This was eSports done with passion, with hype in the cast that made every match the World Cup to the listeners. It was not big budget, high value production sets - it was small touches, exciting and energetic casts, and quite possibly the best use of music and sound to complement a cast that I have seen.
I hope to still see Vasa casting, despite the shuttering of Vasacast. Something truly amazing has gone dark, but I hope someday will return.
And if you're a tournament organization, you couldn't go wrong if you look to learn from all the things that Vasacast did right.
Beautiful post in this sad thread.
I remember reposting the link for Vasa's casts in a Fbook group I'm in. 'Wtf, why would you post this when there's an English cast?' was one sad response.
I got to see Vasa's famous Grubby vs Stareagle cast, they didn't.
I've heard it said that casts in a language alien to you take on characteristics solely due to your unfamiliarity with said language. Perhaps that is the case, but passion, true passion is something that is both easy to recognise and nigh-on impossible to fake. It takes on different forms, from Artosis' gradual crescendo of childlike wonderment when he first sees a cool build, to Vasa's infectious excitement kicking up another notch just when you thought it had peaked.
Not just Vasa, but the whole team did a great job on the content I saw and you will be missed in the scene. I'm not one for genuine sadness beyond 'oh that's a shame' but this news really did dampen my spirits.
In recent years Vasacast has given me many moments of joy, the joy you do not buy, the joy is not sold, it is a gift. Thank you and see you soon .... I'm sad.
even tho i've watched a very few of ur streams, I really appriciate everything u've done for sc2 scene locally and internationally, I remember many of hours ur stream was running live on teamliquid board with italian/english flags, and it was a sign, a sign that our community is very strong in terms of internationality...we are everywhere!
best of luck, wish u come back somewhen with bigger goals and ton of resources to spent for your dream
Awwww noooooooo! This was the only foreign casting I ever listened to besides some korean casting. I really loved Vasacast T.T. Please keep doing community casting or something like someone else mentioned earlier
Vasacast.MMY here, probably someone of you remember me also crashing at WCS hosting the lobbies
It was a great experience being part of Vasacast, ill'remember forever my time spent with those guys. Also thanks to everyone who made this possible. Much love <3
This is sad news, I loved to tune in Vasacast every now and then, but I can understand your motivation behind the decision. Good luck with any future enterprise and hope to see you soon again in whatever format it may be!
I think I remember one of their casts that had Grubby versus an Italian terran player and Grubby pulled out the win with storm when the supply was hugely in favor of the terran. Did not understand the cast but it was entertaining.
On October 01 2014 18:39 liberate71 wrote: I had no idea what you were saying, and you were STILL entertaining - thats a talent.
I wish you all the best, and I'll never forget that "RATATATATATATATATATATATA" is the sound the marines gun makes.
Hahaha he did that when my Gf played on some random tourney. He was casting and an oracle went into her mineral line and he did the RATATATTA i was diying laughing.
you guys were awesome, I d listen to your cast during WCS even though I couldnt understand because it was awesome, such passion! I m sad now... best of luck in the future!!!
Take care Vasacast, you are one of my fav SC2 casters, and I don't understand Italian language. Here is an article I wrote in December 2013 after my first time watching your stream. Cheers buddy, gl hf!!
Amazing caster with great passion, a big heart and a good crew (and by far the best custom background music during games). Some of the games I watched on your stream are part of my best SC2 memories. If you don't really notice or care about the language barrier anymore while watching, that's a sign that the caster is doing an outstanding job. Thanks for everything you guys have done, even sending players to events to help the Italian scene grow.
Very sad to see you go, a shame you couldn't sustain or grow the project anymore but it's obviously understandable, very much so. I wish you all the best in whatever you do next, Vasa. Maledizione! =D
noooooo! I don't speak italian, but you were by far my favourite caster to watch. To me, you were the only caster that had more pull to an event than the player line-up. If your stream was there, I was watching it.
On October 01 2014 04:28 Vasacast wrote: This is the main reason we'd rather put a full stop today, rather than drag ourselves and pass away slowly and painfully, leaving but a memory of what has been done this far. \ Thank you, everyone. Alessandro 'Vasa' Vasarri and all Vasacast staff.
so much better to go out like Led Zeppelin instead of hanging on like the Rolling Stones. thanks for the passion, effort and good times guys!
Hey Vasa, would you happen to save all your vods ? I'm looking for an old female tournament you casted. My wife played in it and i would like to keep that vod. You made her introduction legendary for our team :p
She played against QueenE in ... iron lady ? Or something like that
On October 04 2014 00:32 FFW_Rude wrote: Hey Vasa, would you happen to save all your vods ? I'm looking for an old female tournament you casted. My wife played in it and i would like to keep that vod. You made her introduction legendary for our team :p
She played against QueenE in ... iron lady ? Or something like that
On October 04 2014 00:32 FFW_Rude wrote: Hey Vasa, would you happen to save all your vods ? I'm looking for an old female tournament you casted. My wife played in it and i would like to keep that vod. You made her introduction legendary for our team :p
She played against QueenE in ... iron lady ? Or something like that
EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ZgtfNNi.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/rtdhgmX.jpg)
