EPT![[image loading]](http://file.thisisgame.com/board/files/0/img/20111212144441_93303525.jpg)
Q: Please share your thoughts on competing in the Blizzard Cup
MVP: I'm extremely happy to be playing in the Blizzard Cup to determine who can be the best player of 2011. The winner of the Blizzard Cup is given an award for the Player of the Year. It's an award I've always wanted to receive so I want to win no matter what and I think it would be a very meaningful experience
NesTea: I'm really happy to be part of the tournament to determine who is the best. I'm sure all the players are hungry for the championship trophy. I've won a lot of tournaments this year but I really want to win the Blizzard Cup. I've prepared a lot and I'll make sure I win.
Stephano: When I won IPL 3 I didn't know that I would be given a spot for the Blizzard Cup. It's an honour to have been invited along with these great players today and I will try my best to show exciting matches.
Leenock: I'm happy to be playing alongside champions. I will try my best to become the champion among champions.
HerO: I never even imagined that I would be able to play in the Blizzard Cup. It still feels weird for me but I am also happy to be taking part after winning Dreamhack.
Polt: My results haven't been great so I didn't expect to be able to play in the Blizzard Cup. Since the King of Terran himself personally gave me permission to take part I will make sure to make it up to him by posting good results.
MC: I thought I had barely made it by being 3rd in the GSL point rankings but 4th and 5th place also managed to get spots so I'm starting to feel less thankful to Oz. MVP has won a lot of tournaments this year so I'll take this one (laugh). I'm very jealous of MVP but I will make sure to win another tournament before a year passes since my last championship.
DRG: I thought IEM wasn't a big tournament but I was able to get to this spot by winning it. Out of all the players that are here today I think that I lack the most. My results recently haven't been very good but I will brush away my slump by winning.
Naniwa: I'm happy. But the Blizzard Cup is just another tournament.
MMA: First off I am thankful to MVP. I made a deal with MVP that I'd become a 10-use coupon for him if I won the Blizzard Cup. I'd be his maid (laugh). (T/N: It might be the other way around where MVP becomes MMA's maid but I can't tell from the wording)
Q: What type of games would you like to show to the Korean fans?
Naniwa: If I don't get nervous and am able to do my best I think I will be satisfied with that. I usually don't like interviews. I enjoy playing the game more.
Stephano: I hope I am able to do my best in this tournament as well. I am preparing by practicing 4~5 hours everyday like usual. I'm also practicing in the oGs house for this tournament. During practice my win rate is around 50%. I didn't expect to have any fans in Korea so I am glad and I'm delighted just being here in this position.
Q: Is there any player you have been following? And are there any you have wanted to play against on the big stage?
Stephano: That's a good question (laugh). All the players in my group are scary. I don't want to face any of them.
Q: Zergs have been having a tough time lately. Do Zerg players share strategies with each other?
DRG: Since there aren't many Zergs I hope all of them drop out and I get all the attention. So I don't share any strategies. I want to be the lone survivor.
Q: Out of all the tournaments you have won which one remains in your mind the most?
MVP: I remember my first championship the most. Since it was the first time it naturally made the biggest impression.
Q: If you were to pick a player to stop MVP's domination who would it be?
MVP: To be honest I'm extremely uneasy. I opened up two spots for the Blizzard Cup but now I'm in danger of being knocked out. I came back up from Busan last night so there wasn't time to practice. I think I'm at the biggest disadvantage against my group. All the players in Group A will be difficult opponents. Hopefully I make the play-offs by at least getting 3rd and I want to get a higher placing than the two players I saved.
Q: How did you feel when you got a spot for the Blizzard Cup and then how did you feel when Polt also got a spot?
MMA: Firstly I'm really happy to have gotten a spot from being 4th. Polt also managed to get in by being 5th. Even though Clide recently joined our team he refused to tell me anything about Polt's play style. He is very loyal but I hope to coax it out of him somehow to learn more.
Q: Is there any player in the Blizzard Cup you would like revenge against or to win against no matter what?
Naniwa: Leenock. For obvious reasons.
Stephano: I want to play against MC. I think MC talks too much.
Leenock: I've lost to MMA before in the Ro16 of Code S so I want to play against him in the finals of the Blizzard Cup.
Polt: I've never had any players I wanted revenge against. There is one player I want to win against though. There have been two times where I've made it to at least the Ro4 in the GSL and both times it was by beating this player. I want to play against MMA again.
HerO: There's no one in particular. I want to play good games against everyone.
NesTea: It's Naniwa. I got really angry after losing to him in MLG Providence. Naniwa paused the game and after waiting 15 minutes we continued the match. After that my build hiccuped and I lost in an anti climactic way so I want to use this chance to punish him thoroughly.
Naniwa: I don't want to say much. I'm happy there is an opponent I beat twice.
MMA: There isn't anyone in particular but other people always try to create a rivalry between me and him. He joined our group last. I hope to beat him this time and get my revenge.
Q: What do you think of talk that there has been a change in the Zerg hierarchy?
Leenock: I don't think that is the case yet. It's still far off. If I get to the finals two more times I think that would be more accurate.
NesTea: I'm not sure either but I think it's slowly shifting. I'm in the same group as Leenock again so I want to show that there has been no change.
Q: How big is E-sports in your home countries?
Stephano: The E-sports scene in France is very active as well. Big tournaments are popping up more and more and using my team Millenium as an example the team systems are being established like in Korea. It's certainly growing but not at the rate as Korea. In France I have the most fans. This is because I enter the most tournaments out of the French players.
Naniwa: In Sweden there are tournaments like Dreamhack and it's growing. There aren't many team houses though so I'm not sure what will happen to the players and teams. The tournaments are definitely growing though.
Q: What do you plan to do after Blizzard Cup? Are there any plans in Korea?
Naniwa: Even if I win Blizzard Cup nothing will change. I think prestige is important but in my opinion Code S is the most prestigious tournament in the world. So I want to continue challenge myself in Code S.
Stephano: If I win I'll head to the bank first. I'm planning on being a progamer only until I enter university and I have no plans to stay in Korea. Playing in foreign tournaments is better for earning money and personally I don't like the GSL format.
Q: If you were a coach and wanted to create a team with the best of each race who would you pick?
Naniwa: I want to be with MVP and NesTea
Stephano: I'd also pick MVP and NesTea as well as HuK.
Q: Recommend a foreign player to invite to the Blizzard Cup
Naniwa: In my opinion I don't think any foreign players are qualified to take part. If I had to pick though I'd choose ThorZain and MorroW.
Stephano: That's a hard question. Idra and ThorZain come to mind.
Q: Excluding yourself pick a player who is likely to win the tournament and who will play in the finals
Polt: Stephano to win and in the finals Stephano and MMA.
HerO: I also think Stephano could win it and I think the finals will be Stephano and MVP.
Leenock: I think MVP will win, and the finals will be MVP vs MMA.
Stephano: I think MVP and NesTea will play in the finals and NesTea will win.
NesTea: I was originally going to say MVP and MMA... But since Stephano said that I'd have to say Stephano and MMA meet in the finals and Stephano wins.
MVP: Just for fun I wanted to say MMA and Polt go to the finals with Polt winning but I changed my mind. I think NesTea will win and Naniwa will go to the finals.
MC: HerO said it would be me before but he suddenly changed to Stephano... I'm not sure what to think now. I think DRG is really tired right now so I think DRG will win and his opponent in the finals will be HerO.
DRG: In that case I think MC will win. I think it would be fun if his opponent in the finals was NesTea.
Naniwa: I think MVp will win. If I had to pick his opponent in the finals it would be Leenock.
MMA: I think people keep trying to put me into the Kong line (laugh). I think DRG will win against MVP.
Q: Any last words?
Polt: Since I was the last one to join the lineup I hope to be the last one to leave as well.
HerO: It's an honour just to be competing in the Blizzard Cup. I will do my best just as I always have and I hope to end this year on a good note.
Leenock: Since this is the last tournament of the year I want it to end comfortably. I'll prepare hard and show good games.
Stephano: I'd like to do well.
NesTea: I achieved my prize money goal that I set at the beginning of this year. Even though I achieved that goal now I need championship trophies. I'll do my best to win the trophy.
MVP: Since I won so much I've developed a hobby of collecting trophies (laugh). Since this is a tournament that is only held once I really need this trophy. I'll win this and line the trophy up in my room.
MC: I also think the trophy is more important than the prize money. NesTea has the same trophies as me. I think we'll need to fight it out for the Blizzard Cup trophy.
DRG: Since I've been slumping lately there's talk that I'm overhyped, but I want to prove that wrong by doing well in this tournament.
Naniwa: I hope I can show good games. I also want to say something to NesTea and that is I hope he can stop being angry and we can be friendly with each other.
MMA: I'm extremely excited. I wish it was tomorrow already.
