Good day, PGR21. This is Jun Byeonghun, the honorary president of KeSPA.
Though you may feel it very uncomfortable and immodest, I humbly ask you to endorse our scene again.
The material below is a statement that I posted on my blog and facebook.
Though we still have quite a ways to go, please support our Proleague.
================================================================================== 0111 Today, 2016 SC2 Proleague starts its schedule.
It should be a joyous day, but somehow it feels sad.
Especially, 2016 Proleague took a lot of effort; it was hard to get the cooperation of SKT. Also, it was hard to decide the teams.
Which means, Proleague would not have held had it not been for your advocacy.
I, as a former president of KeSPA and a fan of esprots, am doing my best to uphold the reputation and history of Proleague.
I do understand your feelings; I do always feel despair when I heard of matchfixing. I always request KeSPA to take every possible precaution and deal sternly with the issue.
However, there is a certain limit as to what KesPA is able to.
KeSPA is neither governmental, nor an institution that have the power to investigate things. Though we`re doing our best that we can do, it is very disappointing that we cannot prevent this issues from happening.
However, SC2 fans, we would beg you a favor. Please ignore that corrupted 1% and protect the passion of 99%.
If you abandon and doubt their play, the place where they can play will be demised.
I love you, fans of esports and SC2.
Me, KeSPA and all esports representatives will do our best to improve our esports to entertain you more.
Though we`re having a hard time, Still I hope you to love our SPL, which we`ve been honouring altogether. We shall appreciate and trespass upon your hospitality.
This is really sad. I always looked at KeSPA as a very controlling, secure entity, but reading this just wipes away that reputation. Even SKT might not have sponsored proleague this year? (
Hopefully good news is ahead. Afreeca vs SKT1 has been great so far
On February 01 2016 18:49 WrathSCII wrote: This is sad... I hope ProLeague gets the support it deserves...
Lets make sure it does! Dont let people say things like "if X player matchfixes I will quit sc2" Dont let the shitters have that power.
If a player is matchfixing he/she is dead to me and Ive forgotten about him/her as soon as I hear the confirmation. The game however is something I can never see myself get tired of.
Ironically, I feel that nowadays the only thing that makes people lose interest in StarCraft II is... StarCraft II losing interest. I will enjoy all the great games we will be given and participate and support as much as I can since I'm hardly a person jumping a ship because something I enjoy loses spotlight it previously had.
Anyway, KeSPA is not governmental? I was pretty sure all this time that KeSPA was a part of Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
But KeSPA really has to understand that trusting 16 years olds gamers (stars or not) and thinking they'll be reasonnable and won't fuck their career up can only lead to bad things.
They must really take more care, to protect their players from shaddy people that might be in their entourage.
Because in the end, it's KeSPA has a whole that suffers the most from these things.
As a last option, maybe they should stop announcing line ups, so there is nothing to bet on befor the show.
Yeah so basically unless Zest marries the daughter of a rich Korean CEO, leading to his company sponsoring PL, this year is the last year of PL. That's so sad ):
Is it possible to somehow check the Korean viewership numbers over the past 2-3 years, including the most recent matches? I'm talking about all leagues, GSL, SSL and SPL. I hope despite the current state of things Koreans still watch the game.
On February 01 2016 20:53 ZiggyPG wrote: Is it possible to somehow check the Korean viewership numbers over the past 2-3 years, including the most recent matches? I'm talking about all leagues, GSL, SSL and SPL. I hope despite the current state of things Koreans still watch the game.
Yeah, the numbers would be very interesting to see.
On February 01 2016 20:29 OtherWorld wrote: Yeah so basically unless Zest marries the daughter of a rich Korean CEO, leading to his company sponsoring PL, this year is the last year of PL. That's so sad ):
Cmon Zest please! Do it for the team! (and the other teams)
Well, today's games looked decent. And after this message, for the first time I'm actually considering subscribing their channell.
Also, I'm afraid that unless SPL/GSL/SSL live through this year with decent viewership numbers (decent = at least stable), it will be very hard to convince Blizzard to support the Korean scene in the way that much of the community expects. Or worse, if SPL/GSL/SSL suffer further decline or another scandal surfaces, it would be a perfect excuse for Blizzard to give up on Korea.
On February 01 2016 20:29 OtherWorld wrote: Yeah so basically unless Zest marries the daughter of a rich Korean CEO, leading to his company sponsoring PL, this year is the last year of PL. That's so sad ):
Let's not call this a day, shall we? I mean, there was a 6 team Proleague at one point, wasn't there? And at it's best it had 12. It's the beginning of the year and a new iteration of the game. Yeah, Starcraft is having a hard time right now due to various reasons, namely the fixing scandal, sonic's financial shenanigans; I doubt whining over the situation is the right solution. Anything can happen till the end of the year, look on the bright side. I think Afreeca is working around the clock to revitalise Starcraft in Korea (both BW and SC2), we're even going to have GSL finals at outdoor venues (or just outside of the Afreeca Studio, if I'm not mistaken).
On February 01 2016 20:25 Gwavajuice wrote: As a last option, maybe they should stop announcing line ups, so there is nothing to bet on befor the show.
I know he does not read TeamLiquid but I am definitely watching a lot more PL this season, live and VODs (especially now now that I have a fantasy team). Not sure what else us foreign fans can do though...
Especially, 2016 Proleague took a lot of effort; it was hard to get the cooperation of SKT
I wonder if that's only for sponsoring spl or if the teams actually consider to stop sponsoring sc2 teams alltogether :/ Blizzard could always step in and sponsor spl, right? :D
Blizzard could always step in and sponsor spl, right? :D
Blizzard does not care about teams and PL. Beside, imagine the bias from "Team Blizzard" :D
But blizzard surely cares about sc2 in korea (yes yes the wcs changes, bla bla). If there is no proleague there basically is no sc2 in korea at this point, i don't think the original kespa teams would sponsor sc2 teams without proleague going on?
On February 01 2016 20:25 Gwavajuice wrote: As a last option, maybe they should stop announcing line ups, so there is nothing to bet on befor the show.
People would start betting on the lineups.
yeah and that would be pretty harmless, in the worst case a coach can be arrested but the players are free from the pressure.
I really think that the main problem is that some teenagers get pressured by illegal betting mob, and in the end if they're not protected enough, there will always be one to fuck up. Cause really, you're stupid when you're 17.
On February 01 2016 20:29 OtherWorld wrote: Yeah so basically unless Zest marries the daughter of a rich Korean CEO, leading to his company sponsoring PL, this year is the last year of PL. That's so sad ):
Let's not call this a day, shall we? I mean, there was a 6 team Proleague at one point, wasn't there? And at it's best it had 12. It's the beginning of the year and a new iteration of the game. Yeah, Starcraft is having a hard time right now due to various reasons, namely the fixing scandal, sonic's financial shenanigans; I doubt whining over the situation is the right solution. Anything can happen till the end of the year, look on the bright side. I think Afreeca is working around the clock to revitalise Starcraft in Korea (both BW and SC2), we're even going to have GSL finals at outdoor venues (or just outside of the Afreeca Studio, if I'm not mistaken).
Well I mean he literaly said that this year's PL almost didn't happen because SKT
Thank you Thouhastmail for keeping us up to date, I saw the Korean version this article earlier today and was really glad to be able to read it here just a little bit later. I really hope Korean fans aren't put off by this and proleague popularity keeps rising. The games today were awesome, that Zest vs. Dear game again showing how much PvP has changed for the better.
Come on SKT, you keep winning in that other game... I'm sure you can keep supporting Starcraft too.
On February 01 2016 20:29 OtherWorld wrote: Yeah so basically unless Zest marries the daughter of a rich Korean CEO, leading to his company sponsoring PL, this year is the last year of PL. That's so sad ):
Let's not call this a day, shall we? I mean, there was a 6 team Proleague at one point, wasn't there? And at it's best it had 12. It's the beginning of the year and a new iteration of the game. Yeah, Starcraft is having a hard time right now due to various reasons, namely the fixing scandal, sonic's financial shenanigans; I doubt whining over the situation is the right solution. Anything can happen till the end of the year, look on the bright side. I think Afreeca is working around the clock to revitalise Starcraft in Korea (both BW and SC2), we're even going to have GSL finals at outdoor venues (or just outside of the Afreeca Studio, if I'm not mistaken).
Well I mean he literaly said that this year's PL almost didn't happen because SKT
I know, I was just addressing the fact, that despite there being sponsorship issues right now, anything can happen to attract new sponsors next season
On February 01 2016 20:29 OtherWorld wrote: Yeah so basically unless Zest marries the daughter of a rich Korean CEO, leading to his company sponsoring PL, this year is the last year of PL. That's so sad ):
Let's not call this a day, shall we? I mean, there was a 6 team Proleague at one point, wasn't there? And at it's best it had 12. It's the beginning of the year and a new iteration of the game. Yeah, Starcraft is having a hard time right now due to various reasons, namely the fixing scandal, sonic's financial shenanigans; I doubt whining over the situation is the right solution. Anything can happen till the end of the year, look on the bright side. I think Afreeca is working around the clock to revitalise Starcraft in Korea (both BW and SC2), we're even going to have GSL finals at outdoor venues (or just outside of the Afreeca Studio, if I'm not mistaken).
Well I mean he literaly said that this year's PL almost didn't happen because SKT
I know, I was just addressing the fact, that despite there being sponsorship issues right now, anything can happen to attract new sponsors next season
I agree on this, and I'm kind of hopeful cause the game's potential is great both for viewers and players. If we have game like Dear/zest and TY/solar every week, it should be ok...
Blizzard could always step in and sponsor spl, right? :D
Blizzard does not care about teams and PL. Beside, imagine the bias from "Team Blizzard" :D
But blizzard surely cares about sc2 in korea (yes yes the wcs changes, bla bla). If there is no proleague there basically is no sc2 in korea at this point, i don't think the original kespa teams would sponsor sc2 teams without proleague going on?
Blizzard only needs WCS to sell their product, spending a shit ton of money on Korea alone isn't financially viable. It's not like they have much left to make money off of for SC2.
Not surprised about KeSPA's difficulties with even trying to get Proleague going this year. It's a shame to read but hopefully this year, sponsors will see that SC2 can have a bright future in Korea somehow.
Such a shame. Proleague is my favorite and frankly, the only thing keeping me watching SC2. Once it's gone, I'm gone from SC2. Hopefully, the fans will still tune in and the numbers will rebound.
Blizzard could always step in and sponsor spl, right? :D
Blizzard does not care about teams and PL. Beside, imagine the bias from "Team Blizzard" :D
But blizzard surely cares about sc2 in korea (yes yes the wcs changes, bla bla). If there is no proleague there basically is no sc2 in korea at this point, i don't think the original kespa teams would sponsor sc2 teams without proleague going on?
Blizzard only needs WCS to sell their product, spending a shit ton of money on Korea alone isn't financially viable. It's not like they have much left to make money off of for SC2.
I mean if it ONLY was about money blizzard would have stopped sponosring sc2 esports a long time ago i think. So i am not 100% sure if we should only look at that factor ^^
Blizzard could always step in and sponsor spl, right? :D
Blizzard does not care about teams and PL. Beside, imagine the bias from "Team Blizzard" :D
But blizzard surely cares about sc2 in korea (yes yes the wcs changes, bla bla). If there is no proleague there basically is no sc2 in korea at this point, i don't think the original kespa teams would sponsor sc2 teams without proleague going on?
Blizzard only needs WCS to sell their product, spending a shit ton of money on Korea alone isn't financially viable. It's not like they have much left to make money off of for SC2.
I mean if it ONLY was about money blizzard would have stopped sponosring sc2 esports a long time ago i think. So i am not 100% sure if we should only look at that factor ^^
Sure but you can at least sell the idea of WCS to your bosses at blizzard, saying that supporting Korea's pro teams and players is a good idea would be a hard sell.
Blizzard could always step in and sponsor spl, right? :D
Blizzard does not care about teams and PL. Beside, imagine the bias from "Team Blizzard" :D
But blizzard surely cares about sc2 in korea (yes yes the wcs changes, bla bla). If there is no proleague there basically is no sc2 in korea at this point, i don't think the original kespa teams would sponsor sc2 teams without proleague going on?
Blizzard only needs WCS to sell their product, spending a shit ton of money on Korea alone isn't financially viable. It's not like they have much left to make money off of for SC2.
I mean if it ONLY was about money blizzard would have stopped sponosring sc2 esports a long time ago i think. So i am not 100% sure if we should only look at that factor ^^
Money-wise, it would have been hard to justify the "death" of a game that took 10 years, millions of $$$, and huge human ressources to make, only 2-3 years after its release, especially considering they also had 2 expansions to sell for 60$ each (or so was planned). They had to put SC2 on assisted breathing, now they don't have to as much.
Blizzard could always step in and sponsor spl, right? :D
Blizzard does not care about teams and PL. Beside, imagine the bias from "Team Blizzard" :D
But blizzard surely cares about sc2 in korea (yes yes the wcs changes, bla bla). If there is no proleague there basically is no sc2 in korea at this point, i don't think the original kespa teams would sponsor sc2 teams without proleague going on?
Blizzard only needs WCS to sell their product, spending a shit ton of money on Korea alone isn't financially viable. It's not like they have much left to make money off of for SC2.
I mean if it ONLY was about money blizzard would have stopped sponosring sc2 esports a long time ago i think. So i am not 100% sure if we should only look at that factor ^^
Money-wise, it would have been hard to justify the "death" of a game that took 10 years, millions of $$$, and huge human ressources to make, only 2-3 years after its release, especially considering they also had 2 expansions to sell for 60$ each (or so was planned). They had to put SC2 on assisted breathing, now they don't have to as much.
What "death" ? At the end of they day most people buy sc2 for the singleplayer, i doubt sponsoring the esport scene is hugely relevant there. That is different from their other games which are mutliplayer only.
As a college student in NA who follows proleague but can not always watch it live, what is the best way for me to support Proleague? I would love to do my part as a passionate viewer but Im just wondering what would be the best thing for me to do to show support?
On February 02 2016 02:06 Antisocialmunky wrote: Man, they had problems getting SKT on board with SCII proleague? I can't imagine what would happen if there was no SKT1 or KT. :o
They probably mean SK Telecom the company & Proleague main sponsor, not the team itself.
Blizzard could always step in and sponsor spl, right? :D
Blizzard does not care about teams and PL. Beside, imagine the bias from "Team Blizzard" :D
But blizzard surely cares about sc2 in korea (yes yes the wcs changes, bla bla). If there is no proleague there basically is no sc2 in korea at this point, i don't think the original kespa teams would sponsor sc2 teams without proleague going on?
Blizzard only needs WCS to sell their product, spending a shit ton of money on Korea alone isn't financially viable. It's not like they have much left to make money off of for SC2.
I mean if it ONLY was about money blizzard would have stopped sponosring sc2 esports a long time ago i think. So i am not 100% sure if we should only look at that factor ^^
Money-wise, it would have been hard to justify the "death" of a game that took 10 years, millions of $$$, and huge human ressources to make, only 2-3 years after its release, especially considering they also had 2 expansions to sell for 60$ each (or so was planned). They had to put SC2 on assisted breathing, now they don't have to as much.
What "death" ? At the end of they day most people buy sc2 for the singleplayer, i doubt sponsoring the esport scene is hugely relevant there. That is different from their other games which are mutliplayer only.
Wasn't SC2 supposed to be a "10-year eSports experiment"? Plus, Blizzard went out of its way to make KeSPA switch from BW to SC2, that shows that MP was of primordial importance to them. Although it is true that most of the sales come from the singleplayer aspect of the game.
oh my fuck. president of kespa pleading for viewers to stay. isnt that usually the first step to a business or corporation closing its doors? RIP proleague 2017
On February 02 2016 03:40 sc2chronic wrote: oh my fuck. president of kespa pleading for viewers to stay. isnt that usually the first step to a business or corporation closing its doors? RIP proleague 2017
On February 02 2016 03:40 sc2chronic wrote: oh my fuck. president of kespa pleading for viewers to stay. isnt that usually the first step to a business or corporation closing its doors? RIP proleague 2017
Read again. He isn't president anymore.
Regardless, that isn't a good sign. But who cares about signs when SKT has to be persuaded to keep sponsoring their league that they are undisputed kings of. Makes me so sad to read all of this.
I'll surely be leaving the streams on overnight this season
On February 02 2016 03:40 sc2chronic wrote: oh my fuck. president of kespa pleading for viewers to stay. isnt that usually the first step to a business or corporation closing its doors? RIP proleague 2017
Read again. He isn't president anymore.
yes i realize that it was the former president of kespa... how does that change any single thing that he said? hes still a very key member of that organization. lets not argue over semantics
Thank you so much for the heartfelt post, I only wish there was more that I could do besides tune in and cheer! Thank you for everything SC2 and Proleague!
On February 02 2016 05:36 halomonian wrote: I wonder what we can do besides watching to support proleague
See, I feel like no one really knows what is the best thing that we could do. Especially someone like me (From Na), it is hard to watch it live but other than that im not sure what I can do even though I'd love to help out as much as I could.
Proleague will survive but it's credibility is taking blow after blow and it won't stop until the waaay too popular illigal betting in South Korea is dealt with. This has been going on since the good old Brood War days and it's spreading like wild fire...
On February 02 2016 12:06 thePunGun wrote: Proleague will survive but it's credibility is taking blow after blow and it won't stop until the waaay too popular illigal betting in South Korea is dealt with. This has been going on since the good old Brood War days and it's spreading like wild fire...
It would suck so much if Proleague goes away. It has been a staple of Starcraft for so long, and it's the last league from the Brood War days since OSL and MSL are gone.
Housing, salary, and equipment for 6 teams plus venues and prize money is way beyond ad returns from SC2's audience at this point. A business isn't sustainable running on good will, would be surprised to see it last past the next economic downturn.
EPT
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