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GAF, would you watch StarCraft on ESPN2?
- Thread starter El Sloth
- Start date
starchild excalibur
Member
Nope, but I'd watch fighting game and some FPS tourneys.
I'd tune in ocassionally, but I'm with the crowd that'd much rather have a fighting game on TV rather than an RTS. I think it was UltraDavid who said that StarCraft is likened to baseball as a spectator sport, and I think it's a feasible comparison. The games are generally long, there's more downtime than other types of games (with scattered moments of hype), and it caters more to the hardcore fan vs. the casual channel surfer.
Also this is very good and why StarCraft II is succeeding so much I think.SalsaShark said:
Entertaining casters + explnation of stratagies + total map view, tech choices, timings, resources, food (who's ahead), etc.
For the casual baseball fan I'd probably agree. To me baseball seems like something you get together for, talk, and only pay attention when there is two strikes, players on bases, or a good hitter up.jayTOH said:
The more you watch SC the more you can appreciate what players do because there is a way to improve on every single aspect of the game. I think that is also a big reason (besides the player vs player mindgames) why it is so good to watch. Everyone just gets so much better so fast because everyone is online all the time playing.
I mean imagine if everyone in North America could just play vs Japan for 8 hours a day, think how much leveling up there would be.
Now feed them and pay them a salary to live together and you have a proscene that skyrockets in skill (aka Korean SC).
K
kittens
Unconfirmed Member
I don't use TV, and I don't care about SC. I would (and do) watch occasional Halo matches online.
Rad avatar.El Sloth said:
sasimirobot
Junior Member
Sure. I liked watching high level play more than playing myself since I will always suck at that game...
SalsaShark said:
1. Consistency
Starcraft is the most consistent pro gaming game yet in terms of having a professional scene. The infrastructure in Korea is such that it will probably never go away, and will likely always be centered on Starcraft.
2. Accessibility, Kids Aspiring to Become a Pro
At least in Korea, so many people played Starcraft and there were so many professionals and such a developed scene that it reached that point where kids could dream about becoming a pro gamer and many kids did achieve this aspiration. Many of the best players today did not play when Professional Starcraft began, and only started playing after watching some childhood hero play. Many people in other countries now see becoming a Pro as somewhat possible, especially since players from almost every country have risen up and become well known, giving people in their countries someone to root for.
3. Designed for Spectators
The video was right about this being important, but wrong by saying that no game developer designs their games for spectators. Blizzard clearly developed Starcraft 2 with the spectator in mind, and it's style of RTS also has that element of "seeing all the cards" that competing players have, and the tension of watching to see if they play their hand correctly and read their opponent correctly. You can tell who's winning with a bare minimum of understanding. Which ever player has more bases and a higher food count is almost always winning, and any new person could be explained this simple rule. The game was designed with a minimum of visual distraction, everything is designed to be clean and easy to read. There are all sorts of displays the spectator mode can show, including which player has more income, workers, units, production, upgrades, and tech.
4. Personality
Starcraft Professionals have personality. There are huge fan clubs for successful players, and their community interaction allows people to get to know each other. Rivalries also developed, resulting in drama when rivals meet in tournaments.
Starcraft has become as big as it has because it has mostly addressed the 4 main issues brought up in that video, and is the only game to have done so. The Starcraft professional scene is by far the most developed, with professional organization and industry involvement. Other games may have gimmicky massive prize one time only tournaments, involving largely the same tiny group of people all the time, but Starcraft has a consistent scene where there is enough money around in addition to top prizes to support a much larger base of players. Additionally, in Starcraft, new rising stars are born on a regular basis, giving people the sense that they too could be at the top one day, unlike games like Halo where it's been the same few guys dominating forever.
The fact that OGN, a cable TV channel in South Korea that plays primarily Starcraft content is watched by 50% of all teenagers in the country is a testament to the fact that Starcraft has overcome those 4 major hurdles at least in 1 country. With Starcraft 2 giving non-Koreans a chance to start fresh and keep up with the Koreans, the rest of the world just gained that "accessibility, something to dream for, someone to root for" element that was lacking outside Korea. Also, with Starcraft 2 having at 2 expansions announced, probably 2 years apart, and knowing how Blizzard supported Starcraft Broodwar for 11+ years after the last expansion, people can count on Starcraft 2 having support for well over a decade, something no other game can claim with the same degree of certainty. Personalities have always been a big part of Starcraft and always will be. Everyone who watches Starcraft has favorite players due to their play style and interview style. Starcraft 2's spectator interface was designed in such a way as to make it easier for spectators to tell what's going on and who is winning, and this has probably made a big difference in view-ability for many lower end players. Also, there are a lot of good commentators like Day9 who do speak to newer players, explaining basic concepts every time they cast a game to help new viewers get into it.
Starcraft 2 could work on ESPN2 if done right, with commentators geared towards first time viewers, and down time spent explaining game concepts or introducing player personality. Proof of this being viable exists in the form of the OGN tv channel in South Korea. I think it's only a matter of time before it becomes viable outside South Korea.
Vanillalite
Ask me about the GAF Notebook
While it wouldn't be my 1st choice.... I'd be much more likely to watch SC2 during crappy TV downtime than some lame poker tourney for what seems like the 1000th time.
Not saying it's high priority, but I'd watch it over most everything else on ESPN2 that ESPN2 shows at odd times.
Not saying it's high priority, but I'd watch it over most everything else on ESPN2 that ESPN2 shows at odd times.
Night_Trekker
Member
Of course not.
Brettison said:
Starcraft Broodwar started as late night filler on a cartoon channel in South Korea. Two years later and Starcraft had it's own TV channel, and now when they have an OSL grand finals, 50% of all South Korean teenagers watch it. If they do it right, it could surpass Poker ratings on ESPN2 at the very least, and might even grow much larger.
MikeE21286
Member
I would, ESports are fascinating to me just becuase it takes the games that I have played before and shows the highest level play that can result from them.
I would probably get bored if it was only SC2 though. I would need more variety.
I would probably get bored if it was only SC2 though. I would need more variety.
SC2 has the best chance of breaking out. Stuff like DOTA and FPS games are too hectic to watch, with things going on in too many places to ever hope to see it all happening in a coherent way. Fighting games typically end too quickly, not enough content for TV.
SC2 games typically go around 20ish minutes, and while a lot of things can be happening at once, there is usually only 1 place at a time that's critical to be watching. Also, the slow start of the game can allow commentators to introduce the game mechanics to first time viewers, kind of like how every Poker show starts with an explanation of the rules.
SC2 games typically go around 20ish minutes, and while a lot of things can be happening at once, there is usually only 1 place at a time that's critical to be watching. Also, the slow start of the game can allow commentators to introduce the game mechanics to first time viewers, kind of like how every Poker show starts with an explanation of the rules.
ItWasMeantToBe19
Banned
Zee-Row said:
An NBA player is trying to play SC2 professionally right now which gives it a decent bit of interest on ESPN.
jim-jam bongs
Member
I don't think ESPN2 is available where I live, but sure. Why not?
Looking to start earning the big bucks, huh? In all seriousness, what?
ItWasMeantToBe19 said:
Looking to start earning the big bucks, huh? In all seriousness, what?
Corran Horn
May the Schwartz be with you
http://espn.go.com/espn/thelife/vid...rd-joins-pro-gaming-league?readmore=fullstoryjim-jam bongs said:
He wont win anything but still cool
Dark Octave
Banned
No but I would watch something like Street Fighter 4 or Gears of War 3, for like a few seconds. Maybe the whole thing if it's the finals. Just like with sports.
FieryBalrog
Member
WhatKalnos said:
As opposed to the natural downtime of over half an hour at the start of any regular televised sport?
jim-jam bongs
Member
Corran Horn said:
That's awesome.
FieryBalrog
Member
I found that incomprehensible, way too fast and kinda dull.Htown said:
To Far Away Times
Member
Evo is the three best days of July, so I think I could make some time for competitive Starcraft.
Corran Horn
May the Schwartz be with you
Its a shame that the gaming channel, cough cough, doesnt have tournaments :/
Lazy vs Crazy
Member
I'd watch Street Fighter or Marvel but not Starcraft.
Problem with starcraft is you get maybe one game in a half hour tv block, sometimes not even that. Doesn't make for great TV. You'd either have to cut stuff out or make it a longer block and ESPN isn't going to devote two hours to it.
The pace of fighters is perfect for TV. Show one or two sets, do a profile on one of the players, commercial, bam. Just like poker.
Problem with starcraft is you get maybe one game in a half hour tv block, sometimes not even that. Doesn't make for great TV. You'd either have to cut stuff out or make it a longer block and ESPN isn't going to devote two hours to it.
The pace of fighters is perfect for TV. Show one or two sets, do a profile on one of the players, commercial, bam. Just like poker.
odin toelust
Member
DiscoJer said:
Well seeing as how the puppy bowl has taken out large chunks of my previous super bowl experiences, i second that
FieryBalrog said:
If you can stand guys blasting into your speaker with "H to the USKY HUSKY", cam-whoring and telling their life story with Day9, or doing a "mondo push" with HD then I guess it can be tolerable. Those commentators and their mannerisms wouldn't do much for your typical ESPN viewer I'm afraid. Not to mention half of them that I have heard can't even pronounce words like zealot or banshee correctly *pet peeve*.
Yeah... and that downtime usually doesn't do those sports any favors for new viewers. My girlfriend loves soccer but finds the downtime in football boring.
Lazy vs Crazy said:
Exactly. From what I understand, Starcraft games could take pretty long, and it might be hard to keep up with what's going on on the screen.
Anyone can watch Street Fighter. There's the life bar. The characters hit eachother until the lifebar is depleted. A set takes no longer than 10 minutes. Perfect.
Maybe this is more your speed?FieryBalrog said:
Or if that's too dull for someone not familiar with what's going on, than this instead?
Quoted for justice. ESPN announcers are trained, with decades of experience, chosen from literally tens of thousands who would love that job. Starcraft announcers are generally just nerds who pick up a microphone.Kalnos said:
That said, I love Artosis and Tasteless and I want to have their babies.
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