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Gamers8 to have $500,000 prize pool for SC2 & BW - Page 5

Forum Index > SC2 General
112 CommentsPost a Reply
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SmoKim
Profile Joined March 2010
Denmark10305 Posts
April 01 2023 04:35 GMT
#81
Kinda wish the 500.000$ would be used for the EPT / GSL / ASL prizemoney in 2023 instead.
"LOL I have 202 supply right now (3 minutes later)..."LOL NOW I HAVE 220 SUPPLY SUP?!?!?" - Mondragon
AcrossFromTime
Profile Joined May 2020
29 Posts
April 01 2023 08:44 GMT
#82
My country isn't bad, it's other people's countries who are bad. My country is good. People may point out the bad things that my country has done, but that doesn't count because it's whataboutism. It only counts if other countries do bad stuff. Besides, my country wouldn't do bad stuff because my country is good. Only other countries do bad stuff. When I point out that other countries do bad stuff, it's not right to point out that my country also does bad stuff, because it makes me feel bad. I want to feel good and superior which is why I point out the bad stuff other countries do. It makes me look like a hypocrite when people point out all the bad stuff my country does that I ignore so don't do that. It's not nice to point out people's hypocrisy. People who point out other people's hypocrisy are just meanies.
Crocolisk Dundee
Profile Blog Joined October 2015
870 Posts
April 01 2023 10:17 GMT
#83
Nobody in this thread is arguing any government institution is above criticism. If U.S. Army Esports would be sponsoring a StarCraft tournament, I personally would have issues with that as well.
Stopped watching ESL content in 2022 when the company was acquired by Savvy Gaming Group. Also object to sponsorships by the U.S. Air Force. Thanks for the lively discussions about sportswashing. StarCraft II is not for me anymore.
Booze
Profile Joined September 2019
7 Posts
April 01 2023 11:10 GMT
#84
@AcrossFromTime:
If you'd actually read the counter points (like 2 comments above your own actually), you may notice that your troll post isn't as thought provoking as you might think.
Xamo
Profile Joined April 2012
Spain886 Posts
April 01 2023 11:10 GMT
#85
I do not agree with criticizing or boycotting activities that contribute to general well-being just because they are promoted by organizations that are themselves very questionable for other activities. This especially includes sports, including electronic ones.
It is difficult to know the real reasons for the promotion, and they are probably complex. Here, they could be a mix of image laundering with economic interest in making e-sports mainstream and profitable in the long term, and with a genuine enjoyment of the tournaments. Probably certain people within the organization value some reasons more, and others value other.
Even if we assume that the main reason is image laundering in the face of the atrocities committed against another nation, I am convinced that the activity itself contributes, in the medium and long term, to the elimination of such atrocities. I believe that sports have been a fundamental factor in the progressive (and slow) reduction of violence between peoples and nations, replacing it with healthy competition. And I am willing to tolerate its promotion by those seeking short-term benefits because the long-term benefit is greater and goes precisely against the ideas of those seeking it in the short term.
However, I consider it essential that, while participating in the activity, the double standard of the promoter is highlighted.
My life for Aiur. You got a piece of me, baby. IIIIIIiiiiiii.
CicadaSC
Profile Joined January 2018
United States1983 Posts
Last Edited: 2023-04-01 12:18:16
April 01 2023 12:17 GMT
#86
On April 01 2023 07:53 tlnetuser108 wrote:
Probably made up of slave money. Pass on this one.

Slave money? Curious what you mean by this because I googled it and Google is saying saudi Arabia doesn't have slaves. Not since 1962.
Remember that we all come from a place of passion!!
lechatnoir
Profile Joined November 2016
392 Posts
April 01 2023 13:23 GMT
#87
On April 01 2023 19:17 Crocolisk Dundee wrote:
Nobody in this thread is arguing any government institution is above criticism. If U.S. Army Esports would be sponsoring a StarCraft tournament, I personally would have issues with that as well.


Didn't that already happen or am I misremembering? Like, a Dreamhack in the US?
Tommy131313
Profile Joined May 2016
Germany157 Posts
April 01 2023 21:52 GMT
#88
On March 30 2023 01:47 Haku wrote:
Glad about SC2 getting some love, but really don't like where the money for this is coming from.


Imho THIS is just the best statement in this thread and the summary of my own thougts.

If you're buying the products of a company that is doing really bad things to people or environment, YES, then you ARE supporting it and help to make the world a place much worse.

If you enjoy an e-sports tournament, that is funded by a country or company trying to do image laundering, well, it's up to you if you support that country/company by keeping your mouth shut and not criticizing any misdemeanors.

Image laundry does only work if YOU let it change your mind.
Otherwise: let them spend their money if they want to. It changes the period of time, I can enjoy premier class Starcraft, but it doesn't change how I think of Saudi Arabia.

LML
Profile Blog Joined March 2007
Germany1794 Posts
April 02 2023 12:11 GMT
#89
On April 01 2023 21:17 CicadaSC wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 01 2023 07:53 tlnetuser108 wrote:
Probably made up of slave money. Pass on this one.

Slave money? Curious what you mean by this because I googled it and Google is saying saudi Arabia doesn't have slaves. Not since 1962.


https://www.walkfree.org/global-slavery-index/2018/findings/regional-analysis/arab-states/#table:1

Did you also not pay any attention to reports about the World Cup 2022 and how the stadiums were built?
It was already reported on a decade ago: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/25/revealed-qatars-world-cup-slaves
LML
Yoshi Kirishima
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States10380 Posts
Last Edited: 2023-04-02 13:31:02
April 02 2023 13:12 GMT
#90
On April 02 2023 21:11 LML wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 01 2023 21:17 CicadaSC wrote:
On April 01 2023 07:53 tlnetuser108 wrote:
Probably made up of slave money. Pass on this one.

Slave money? Curious what you mean by this because I googled it and Google is saying saudi Arabia doesn't have slaves. Not since 1962.


https://www.walkfree.org/global-slavery-index/2018/findings/regional-analysis/arab-states/#table:1

Did you also not pay any attention to reports about the World Cup 2022 and how the stadiums were built?
It was already reported on a decade ago: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/25/revealed-qatars-world-cup-slaves


Qatar and Saudi Arabia are 2 different countries

If we're talking about workers who are heavily abused or lack freedom or treated in a way similar enough to slaves, then i can mention that the US also has modern day slavery in forms such as prisoners being forced to do manual labor, and those in power being allowed to extend their sentences after their original sentence, even if they didn't do anything bad since the original sentence. This coupled with the issues of racial prejudice that leads to a disproportionate amount of minorities being affected by this, and that many of these people were arrested for possession of weed (which is now legal), is labeled by many as modern day slavery.

I'm not trying to argue which country is better or has "less bad", but to respond to some other people, I think saying that comparing the US's war crimes to Saudi Arabia's war crimes is absurd is... well to me, war crimes are war crimes, if we're looking at the bads, the atrocities, then it's difficult to say one country is morally above the other or "better overall" when they too committ atrocities.

If watching or supporting a Saudi Arabia tournament is bad and should be discouraged, then I would think that same logic should apply to ESL (I didn't know they're owned by Saudi Arabia now), and also to tournaments hosted by the US. I'm not saying that it's "wrong" for people to support the ones they want and to draw the line where they want, but it just really isn't that black and white to me.

If the people in this esports federation are specifically the same people responsible for war crimes or a terrible dictatorship, then sure it would be different than supporting a SC2 tourny in the US hosted by people not in the government. But then I would wonder if these same people really are the same ones responsible, or just relatives.

I also think Xamo's perspective has good points, and lays out a positive possibility/outcome from all this. As Xamo suggested, a realistic probability is that some of them care more genuinely about esports and support the bad stuff less.
Mid-master streaming MECH ONLY + commentary www.twitch.tv/yoshikirishima +++ "If all-in fails, all-in again."
tskarzyn
Profile Joined July 2010
United States516 Posts
April 02 2023 13:47 GMT
#91
Don't let good news get in the way of political activism. Why is it that folks are always "conflicted" when taking the virtuous side requires no sacrifice. We've known about Chinese concentration camps for years, but I don't see folks giving up their iphones anytime soon.
Tommy131313
Profile Joined May 2016
Germany157 Posts
April 02 2023 14:00 GMT
#92
Sometimes it's best to factcheck things in a discussion.
While Saudi Arabia has a lot - and I mean really A LOT - issues with human rights violations, slavery isn't the main issue imho.
You can check on the Global Slavery Index that is published by renowned NGO "Walk free".

https://www.walkfree.org/global-slavery-index/2018/findings/global-map/#prevalence

You can still be outraged by Saudi sponsoring and organising that tournament, there's lot of reasons, e.g. women's rights, war in Yemen, the Kashoggi murder, religious intolerance, an autocratic regime...

But in the end, it's probably very hard to find a country, that's innocent enough to be a "good" place for sports events. Perhaps we have to admit that. And keep pointing out the points of criticism applicable to that country.

That said, there are certainly countries, that are actually really least suitable for any international events.
For me, those are countries that are right now committing war crimes or genocide. That's my "red line".
But that's of course quite personal.
LML
Profile Blog Joined March 2007
Germany1794 Posts
April 03 2023 18:08 GMT
#93
On April 02 2023 22:12 Yoshi Kirishima wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 02 2023 21:11 LML wrote:
On April 01 2023 21:17 CicadaSC wrote:
On April 01 2023 07:53 tlnetuser108 wrote:
Probably made up of slave money. Pass on this one.

Slave money? Curious what you mean by this because I googled it and Google is saying saudi Arabia doesn't have slaves. Not since 1962.


https://www.walkfree.org/global-slavery-index/2018/findings/regional-analysis/arab-states/#table:1

Did you also not pay any attention to reports about the World Cup 2022 and how the stadiums were built?
It was already reported on a decade ago: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/25/revealed-qatars-world-cup-slaves


Qatar and Saudi Arabia are 2 different countries


You're completely right of course. For some reason I remembered it being held in Saudi Arabia, but it was held in Qatar.
So only the first link has any relevancy.
LML
Vision_
Profile Joined September 2018
876 Posts
Last Edited: 2023-04-05 16:06:19
April 05 2023 16:00 GMT
#94
On April 01 2023 02:54 tigera6 wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 31 2023 22:04 Vision_ wrote:
On March 31 2023 19:32 datastuff wrote:
On March 31 2023 16:12 Yoshi Kirishima wrote:
Does the esports organizers have anything to do with the oil industry or the war crimes?


Yes.

The organisers are Saudi royalty. This tournament is literally a play by the government to improve their rep.
https://saudiesports.sa/en/board-members/


Yeah, now people think that if problems are too far from their country, they won t affect them.

Oh people think that they cant really control everything in life, and have to live with the "shame" of their choice. Like if the people of the country arent doing a thing about it, or they are not doing enough, then why are we trying to be the hero of justice all of a sudden?


The world is cruel, there s no doubt so it s about you to make the world more beautifull or be a part of destruction. And most of the time, where you put money into is an expression of your mind and will belong to a politic question. Obviously no country could honestly assert that it was beyond reproach in the area of human rights, but why give so much effort and money to save their image ? In France, we are totally ashamed by the recent events of police repression for example (because people don t give a shit of voting for president election and now 90% disagree about retreat reform,... all that said, if most of players boycott the event, the saudi policy ended in failure).
Garnet
Profile Blog Joined February 2006
Vietnam9050 Posts
April 06 2023 14:28 GMT
#95
I'm not so sure about the effectiveness of this sports-washing thing. How many people have actually changed their opinions about these countries since they started doing it?
mark_lenders
Profile Joined July 2019
74 Posts
April 07 2023 15:46 GMT
#96
good for the players who were invited, i would be quite sad if i was a player who was not invited though
aringadingding
Profile Joined September 2010
481 Posts
April 07 2023 19:12 GMT
#97
Those who claim that this tournament will change Saudi Arabia in a way that it will become slightly more democratic, and "humane" in general, have to realize that this has been said about many other MUCH bigger events that has taken place in e.g. china or russia. And nothing has changed after these events.
That being said I am happy for the players participating. I will most likely watch these games.
Crocolisk Dundee
Profile Blog Joined October 2015
870 Posts
April 08 2023 05:56 GMT
#98
I agree. The Russian invasion of Ukraine showed us cozying up to brutal dictatorships will only embolden them. Now we are at hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced in this tragic war.

The Wikipedia article on the failed policy of "Change through trade" provides a good overview of how politicians are now rethinking relations with autocratic regimes.
Stopped watching ESL content in 2022 when the company was acquired by Savvy Gaming Group. Also object to sponsorships by the U.S. Air Force. Thanks for the lively discussions about sportswashing. StarCraft II is not for me anymore.
tigera6
Profile Joined March 2021
3513 Posts
April 09 2023 11:58 GMT
#99
So have all the invited players confirm their participation for this?
Lightswarm
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
Canada967 Posts
April 09 2023 18:06 GMT
#100
Honestly, from the way they promote Rainbow 6, Fortnite, Rocket League and CSGO as their "Elite Titles", I don't think Starcraft (1 or 2) was much of a thought for them
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