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[Kalnos]

I think MVC3 has too much going on for someone who has never played, SSF4 would be a safer bet.

 

[xbhaskarx]

lol no

I watched Starcraft on TV at a hotel in South Korea, even with the novelty factor it only kept my attention for ten minutes. And that was with nothing else on other TV channels to compete with it for my attention (because of the language). I read a magazine and went to sleep.

 

[BrassMonkey1010]

Sure. I have become a huge spectator of Starcraft2 and I am sure I would tune in.

I was always a huge sports fan, and I now watch Starcraft 2 more then baseball and basketball. Fucking awesome game.

 

[Mumei]

I think I might. I've watched Brood War for nearly a decade, and one of the best parts is seeing the development of play, of major epochs in how the game is approached, etc.

So while SCII is nowhere near where BW is now, and probably never will be, I do think it would be fun seeing the players try.

I think that some people who have brought up the length of games make a good point, though. When I watched a Bo5 on a stream, it can take two or three hours between the games themselves and the commercials between games and the breaks between games.

 

[Acrylic7]

There's almost nothing more boring or arduous than watching someone else play a video game. 99% of the time, it's either terrible, or it's awesome and that makes me want to play, and I can't.

The rare 1% is when something crazy impressive is happening (high end vids like that SF3 parry maneuver comeback).

I'd fall asleep in a heartbeat watching an RTS of all things. It happens while I'm actually playing the games too, sometimes.

So no, no way.

wrong

 

[Anth0ny]

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.

That said, I love Artosis and Tasteless and I want to have their babies.

Ultra David and James Chen are perfect fighting game commentators. You'd think they're trained ESPN announcers with the way they present themselves.

 

[Mumei]

Ultra David and James Chen are perfect fighting game commentators. You'd think they're trained ESPN announcers with the way they present themselves.

... You know, I like James Chen, but the man's penchant for going off on a rambling tangent is, well, interesting.

 

[FieryBalrog]

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.

It's really not that much harder. Two guys attack each other with units. Things blow up. Also there is a lull at the beginning of the match which serves as a great warm-up period and intro for newer viewers, time to go over the players strats, metagame, etc.

Fighting games can be hard to follow. There is next to no downtime. Any vid of Smash Melee that watch just makes my head hurt. Top level play is usually just a totally incomprehensible flurry of activity that looks like nothing special other than spazzing out. "Wave-dashing", what's that? All I see are colors.

it's funny because despite fighting games being hugely popular in the US, they still have only a miniscule spectating scene.

 

[Milabrega]

They used to feature Halo 2 at one point iirc. At the very least during the summer lull I definitely recall seeing Halo plays making the top ten. Would love to see Esports stuff make it onto ATH or PTI. Though would prefer fighting games, QL or Dota2/LoL over sc2.

 

[Gravijah]

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.

That said, I love Artosis and Tasteless and I want to have their babies.

fwiw, "trained" announcers can be just as horrible at amateur announcers at times.

 

[Anth0ny]

They used to feature Halo 2 at one point iirc. At the very least during the summer lull I definitely recall seeing Halo plays making the top ten. Would love to see Esports stuff make it onto ATH or PTI. Though would prefer fighting games, QL or Dota2/LoL over sc2.

Yup, I loved that Halo 2 MLG show. Final Boss vs. Carbon! lol

 

[El Sloth]

Ultra David and James Chen are perfect fighting game commentators. You'd think they're trained ESPN announcers with the way they present themselves.

I don't know about that. Of the two vids I posted at the tail end of the last page, I prefer the one where Seth Killian is commentating. Of course hoping for him to commentate for MLG tournaments regularly would be more than a little unrealistic.

it's funny because despite fighting games being hugely popular in the US, they still have only a miniscule spectating scene.

I wouldn't exactly call 2 million unique viewers for the largest fighting game tournament miniscule.

Although, maybe in comparison to StarCraft they are. Seeing as how one has a whole country supporting it.

 

[FieryBalrog]

I don't know about that. Of the two vids I posted at the tail end of the last page, I prefer the one where Seth Killian is commentating. Of course hoping for him to commentate for MLG tournaments regularly would be more than a little unrealistic.

I wouldn't exactly call 2 million unique viewers for the largest fighting game tournament miniscule.

Although, maybe in comparison to StarCraft they are. Seeing as how one has a whole country supporting it.

Evo is pretty much the only thing anyone watches though. At least to my knowledge. If there's a large regular scene I'd love to know about it.

 

[Anth0ny]

I don't know about that. Of the two vids I posted at the tail end of the last page, I prefer the one where Seth Killian is commentating. Of course hoping for him to commentate for MLG tournaments regularly would be more than a little unrealistic.

Yeah definitely Seth is the best, but there's no way he could make it out to every tourney.

Then again, if Street Fighter gets on ESPN... what's bigger than that? I bet they'd ask him to commentate regularly.

 

[SeigO]

I guess it depends on the tournament. I might watch MLG on tv if they jump between streams to avoid terrible series between terrible players like Incontrol vs Axslav.

 

[CountAntonius]

I think a weekly SSFIV ranbat on espn that shows about a half hour worth of matches with an hour long tourney at the end of the month could do well.

 

[AdventureRacing]

It owould be fantastic. Personally i think the horrible setups used by gomtv, MLG and NASL is really holding back SC2 in general. Their sites are horrible, the streams are generally terrible and for the most part the only way you would know where to find them and how to use them is if you're already interested.

 

[JWong]

I don't even watch TV anymore.

 

[El Sloth]

Evo is pretty much the only thing anyone watches though. At least to my knowledge. If there's a large regular scene I'd love to know about it.

Well, as far as majors go, the period after EVO (Not including Japanese tournaments) there is a bit of a lull. I suppose you could consider it the "off-season". That's not to say there aren't any big tourneys this time of the year. Recently there was the Canadian T12 tournament that a fair amount of people showed up too, the 6th is Devastation which will have a $5000 pot-bonus for both SSIV and MvC3, and then there is Seasons Beatings 6 on I believe the 14th which many consider the be the next hypest tournament after EVO.

The time the scene is most active is during the period when most majors are also acting as EVO qualifiers and are offering seeding points along with cash payouts to the top placing players. I'd say this is typically from February to July(EVO).

As far as smaller local tournaments go, there are 3 which are streamed that happen weekly. All on Wednesdays and there's always a GAF thread for them.. There's always a decent amount of people watching these. All 3 tend to average out at around 5,000 viewers I believe.

 

[Empyrean Heaven]

Only one channel would be worthy of it.

 

[El Sloth]

That took a lot longer than I thought it would. I was certain that The "Ocho" would be the first response.

 

[Zeouterlimits]

Being non-US ESPN isn't pdatjw available to me, but I'd be happy if Starcraft was on their, some level of recognition.
Would watch it if it was on a local equivalent. The problem with it being on a paid for channel is that it would an the only thing I wanted.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Sure, why not?

 

[El Sloth]

Rad avatar.

Thanks! All props to Vespa for tracking down the art they used in the original 3rd Strike opening and making it into an avatar.

 

[Mumei]

It's really not that much harder. Two guys attack each other with units. Things blow up. Also there is a lull at the beginning of the match which serves as a great warm-up period and intro for newer viewers, time to go over the players strats, metagame, etc.

Fighting games can be hard to follow. There is next to no downtime. Any vid of Smash Melee that watch just makes my head hurt. Top level play is usually just a totally incomprehensible flurry of activity that looks like nothing special other than spazzing out. "Wave-dashing", what's that? All I see are colors.

it's funny because despite fighting games being hugely popular in the US, they still have only a miniscule spectating scene.

I agree that fighting games can be harder to follow than it might seem on the surface (e.g. just watch the lifebar; then you know who is winning!).

As someone who only recently started watching fighting games on streams, there is a surprising amount of jargon that new viewers need to learn in order to follow the commentary and have a real sense of what is happening, and I don't think that barrier to entry is necessary that much lower than an RTS like StarCraft.

 

[Mileena]

nope, it's boring to watch. Put some fighting games on there

 

[gray_fox224]

DO NOT TAINT ESPN

 

[cooljeanius]

I don't watch TV. So no.

 

[newjeruse]

No.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

I would rather watch Starcraft instead of that professional poker garbage they show on ESPN2.

 

[clashfan]

I would not watch StarCraft in a house.
I would not watch StarCraft with a mouse.
I would not watch StarCraft here or there.
I would not watch StarCraft anywhere.

Fails on so many levels.

 

[GuardianE]

Sure, why not?

 

[f0rk]

I fail to see to the advantages of putting competitive video games on TV over streaming it on the internet. "OMG ESPORTS ON 'TV' (read: backwater channel in the middle of the night)" is the dream of insane Teamliquid fanboys who wish they were Asian and can't see they are already ahead of the curve watching online as TV as we know it dies.

 

[Tribes of Trusty]

I do not watch television.

So, no.

 

[Stabby McSter]

DO NOT TAINT ESPN

because espn hasn't already been tainted, amirite?

 

[lethial]

I'd rather watch a real sport.

 

[BrokenEchelon]

StarCraft II? Probably not. I don't think the RTS genre lends itself well as a spectator sport.

Maybe other things though.

 

[Anth0ny]

I fail to see to the advantages of putting competitive video games on TV over streaming it on the internet. "OMG ESPORTS ON 'TV' (read: backwater channel in the middle of the night)" is the dream of insane Teamliquid fanboys who wish they were Asian and can't see they are already ahead of the curve watching online as TV as we know it dies.

TV=exposure

exposure=more players

more players=good

 

[epmode]

Maybe other things though.

Catherine IMO!

I do not watch television.

Don't be that guy.

 

[Zwei]

I would watch

 

[alphaNoid]

I dont watch it now, so no.

 

[El Sloth]

Catherine IMO!

If you aren't joking I'd like to hear how you'd get that to work.

 

[Samus4145]

No. Get this shit off my sports network. This is why we have twitchtv. Ps i will never understand why so many people watch starcraft, so boring to watch

 

[jgminto]

Totally. As long as the commentators are good and can keep up the interest of the average viewer.

Related: http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/pro-gaming Extra Credits did an episode on Pro Gaming not long ago. It's a great watch.

 

[zlatko]

Honestly? No. Cable television isn't something I even tune into anymore. If there is a TV show I'm interested in then I just catch the show online at my own leisure.

As much as I love watching SC2 I am perfectly fine with the current way to get that media via streams. Now if ESPN 2 wanted to branch out and start a new streaming service geared for games and have its own ESPN league stuff and learn from how something like GOM TV does it in Korea, then I'd be all aboard.

In fact that seems like a much more logical and financially sound idea than putting SC2 on TV in the U.S so it bombs. ESPN-G(Gaming). Online streams of top quality competitive games, SC2/fighting games/CS/Halo, etc. Give MLG a run for its money or partner up with them maybe.

 

[Madrical]

I'm confused by the people who say RTS is boring to watch. I'm watching the GSL right now on my second monitor, watching MarineKingPrime vs DongRaeGu, and I'm loving it. I got into SC2 about 6 months ago and I've been addicted since. I pay each month for GSL membership & watch every game I can.

As for TV broadcasting? Definitely. It's definitely hard to break into and most people who don't already watch it will just laugh, but give it time and people will watch.

I love Starcraft 2 competitive gaming. I know others don't, and that's fine. But it's not 'boring' or anything else y'all say. It's boring to you, just like Rugby is boring to me.

EDIT:

As much as I love watching SC2 I am perfectly fine with the current way to get that media via streams. Now if ESPN 2 wanted to branch out and start a new streaming service geared for games and have its own ESPN league stuff and learn from how something like GOM TV does it in Korea, then I'd be all aboard.

In fact that seems like a much more logical and financially sound idea than putting SC2 on TV in the U.S so it bombs. ESPN-G(Gaming). Online streams of top quality competitive games, SC2/fighting games/CS/Halo, etc. Give MLG a run for its money or partner up with them maybe.

YES! A million times yes. Even though I'm in Aus and can't get ESPN, just yes.

 

[revolverjgw]

Oh jesus christ no

I might actually watch Street Fighter or something, a few times out of curiosity anyway

 

[jgminto]

YES! A million times yes. Even though I'm in Aus and can't get ESPN, just yes.

Doesn't Foxtel/Austar have all of the ESPN channels?

 

[bengraven]

I know RTSs are the popular "esports" to watch, but I think they're the second most boring games to watch someone play, after sports.

I'd rather watch a sperger play Animal Crossing for four hours.

 

[Tribes of Trusty]

Don't be that guy.

I am that guy.

Internet has become so much superior to broadcasted TV, you can find every program and show you want without having to suffer through 10-min long commercial breaks and shitty talkshows.

And it annoys me greatly that I have to pay a TV licence when I don't watch it.