164: World of StarCraft

[Daeran Wang]

World of StarCraft

"Imagine an auditorium filled with eager fans, many of them young women holding up signs and screaming themselves hoarse. Huge screens display images capturing different angles of the action as commentators attempt to analyze the performances and excite the crowd. Imagine two television stations broadcasting 24 hours a day, devoting themselves to this sport.

"In Korea, this sport is StarCraft."

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[dukeh016]

Hurrahz! I'm glad to see theres some exposure for Klaz and the gang. Watching youtubes of Starcraft has been an excellent experience. One begins to think it really is a legitimate sport.

One also begins to think that all those Korean ladies could use a visit from the Dukemeister.

 

[Dommyboy]

The best star craft video is of when Boxer I think his name is, rushes somebody in the competition with SCV's.

 

[Black Magister]

The best star craft video is of when Boxer I think his name is, rushes somebody in the competition with SCV's.

Even though it's a matter of opinion I don't think that was Boxer's best play. He has so many other great ones such as him using medics to blind obeservers so he could kill several carriers with cloaked wraiths or Boxer using his famous dropship play.

Anyways was a great article can relate to the first half of the "My World" paragraph though I forget when I first started watching Korean Starcraft. Compared to other games like Warcraft or FPS I do think that Starcraft makes a better spectator sport because of the game's simplicity. Even though I understand Warcraft the matches are more complicated and less exciting to watch with them hunting down specific creeps for items or the running away to protect your hero. FPS games on the other hand seem to have the peek a boo and grenade play every match and you don't really get much of a sense who is winning.

 

[RoieTRS]

Its probably the most famous rush in history. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jen46qkZVNI]
But yeah, definitely not his best play.

FPS games are definitely more popular than RTS everywhere that isn't called Korea.

 

[Vortigar]

I feel incredibly weirded out right now.

The Escapist running a story like this after I linked some of those youtube accounts a couple of weeks back in the comments to a featured story (about gaming in Australia)?

I'm not one to beat my chest but is this a pure coincidence?

Oh, huge fan of July and FireBatHero here btw.

 

[Asehujiko]

Boxer has a habit of beating people in hilarious ways. The medic one is still my favourity.

 

[hamster mk 4]

I watched some of these videos having been linked to them by a friend. I was impressed by the amount of muscle memory these players employ for a strategy game. The commentators refer to it as "micro". Mad mouse skills are something I associate with twitchy fps players who want to get headshots within .08 seconds of first seeing an opponent. I never expected to see some one control RST unit movements to the extent I saw in these games.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

What fascinates me about all of this is that they don't like Warcraft III nearly as much. Why? Sure, the 4 races are weirdly balanced but it's certainly a rock solid RTS. They play the MMORPG as well but...not on this scale. So brand loyalty isn't what's going on here. The graphics were kinda dated even in 1998 but that's not stopping them. Maybe after years of training and mastering one particular sport, one particular game...they don't feel like learning a new one. You don't expect a basketball player to switch into baseball, right?

Could it just be that S. Koreans picked one particular RTS and decided to stick with it?

The real test will be when Starcraft 2 hits the market. If they jump ship, then all of this is bogus conjecture. But it would be pretty funny if they just kept playing Starcraft instead.

 

[sumwar]

What fascinates me about all of this is that they don't like Warcraft III nearly as much. Why? Sure, the 4 races are weirdly balanced but it's certainly a rock solid RTS. They play the MMORPG as well but...not on this scale. So brand loyalty isn't what's going on here. The graphics were kinda dated even in 1998 but that's not stopping them. Maybe after years of training and mastering one particular sport, one particular game...they don't feel like learning a new one. You don't expect a basketball player to switch into baseball, right?

Could it just be that S. Koreans picked one particular RTS and decided to stick with it?

The real test will be when Starcraft 2 hits the market. If they jump ship, then all of this is bogus conjecture. But it would be pretty funny if they just kept playing Starcraft instead.

Since Starcraft 2 is being built with esports in mind and is going to stay true to the original starcraft experience I would be very surprised if the the majority of the starcraft esports community didn't move on the Starcraft 2.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

What fascinates me about all of this is that they don't like Warcraft III nearly as much. Why? Sure, the 4 races are weirdly balanced but it's certainly a rock solid RTS. They play the MMORPG as well but...not on this scale. So brand loyalty isn't what's going on here. The graphics were kinda dated even in 1998 but that's not stopping them. Maybe after years of training and mastering one particular sport, one particular game...they don't feel like learning a new one. You don't expect a basketball player to switch into baseball, right?

Could it just be that S. Koreans picked one particular RTS and decided to stick with it?

The real test will be when Starcraft 2 hits the market. If they jump ship, then all of this is bogus conjecture. But it would be pretty funny if they just kept playing Starcraft instead.

Since Starcraft 2 is being built with esports in mind and is going to stay true to the original starcraft experience I would be very surprised if the the majority of the starcraft esports community didn't move on the Starcraft 2.

Yeah, but all those new units, stats, and speeds might be such a substantial shift that it still becomes a different game. I have no doubt Starcraft 2 is going to be a blast and I'll be first in line to get it. But these guys play the game on a whole other level...and they might not be into such a massive shift.

 

[NaOH]

i think sc is faster and easier to watch than war3
sc news is thx btw
GG -_-

p.s all base belong to korean professional-gamer

 

[oktoberfest]

What fascinates me about all of this is that they don't like Warcraft III nearly as much. Why? Sure, the 4 races are weirdly balanced but it's certainly a rock solid RTS. They play the MMORPG as well but...not on this scale. So brand loyalty isn't what's going on here. The graphics were kinda dated even in 1998 but that's not stopping them. Maybe after years of training and mastering one particular sport, one particular game...they don't feel like learning a new one. You don't expect a basketball player to switch into baseball, right?

Could it just be that S. Koreans picked one particular RTS and decided to stick with it?

The real test will be when Starcraft 2 hits the market. If they jump ship, then all of this is bogus conjecture. But it would be pretty funny if they just kept playing Starcraft instead.

I think it has to do with the fact that

Its probably the most famous rush in history. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jen46qkZVNI]
But yeah, definitely not his best play.

FPS games are definitely more popular than RTS everywhere that isn't called Korea.

Its probably the most famous rush in history. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jen46qkZVNI]
But yeah, definitely not his best play.

FPS games are definitely more popular than RTS everywhere that isn't called Korea.

what's worse, is that in the US, it's CONSOLE FPS games. CONSOLE! Not PC! CONSOLE!

 

[ahkbar]

What fascinates me about all of this is that they don't like Warcraft III nearly as much. Why? Sure, the 4 races are weirdly balanced but it's certainly a rock solid RTS. They play the MMORPG as well but...not on this scale. So brand loyalty isn't what's going on here. The graphics were kinda dated even in 1998 but that's not stopping them. Maybe after years of training and mastering one particular sport, one particular game...they don't feel like learning a new one. You don't expect a basketball player to switch into baseball, right?

Could it just be that S. Koreans picked one particular RTS and decided to stick with it?

The real test will be when Starcraft 2 hits the market. If they jump ship, then all of this is bogus conjecture. But it would be pretty funny if they just kept playing Starcraft instead.

the reason they didnt switch to wc3 is because wc3 is just not as good of a game. WC3 is like starcraft for little kids or something to that effect, sure its a rock solid RTS in single player, or maybe even for casual multiplayer, but at a competitive level its not even a fraction of the game starcraft is. You might as well be asking why Chess players didnt switch to Checkers when that came out

 

[Phrogs]

Yeah, but all those new units, stats, and speeds might be such a substantial shift that it still becomes a different game. I have no doubt Starcraft 2 is going to be a blast and I'll be first in line to get it. But these guys play the game on a whole other level...and they might not be into such a massive shift.

I'd venture to say that if progamers did not want to make the switch to SC2, it would not be because of the new units and stats etc that you said. Rather, I would say that it would be because of the new mechanics such as multiple building selection, auto-mining, smart casting, and all the other things that take away from the nessessity of the high APM the progamers have developed.

 

[vamp rocks]

in my opinion, if anyone cares, (which im sure none of you do) i think starcraft was an awesome game and was eccelent for competing online or on campaign, but i think warcraft three was better for doing custom type game modes online.

 

[LewsTherin]

Its probably the most famous rush in history. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jen46qkZVNI]
But yeah, definitely not his best play.

FPS games are definitely more popular than RTS everywhere that isn't called Korea.

Wow. Just.....amazing.

Korea gets +5rep with my faction.

Oh, and I can't imagine what'll happen when SC2 comes out there.

 

[Sixties Spidey]

I think Starcraft was one of those games that really brought Professional and Competitive gaming to a new level. It's as fun to watch as it is to play it, and that's saying a lot.

 

[Extravaganza]

in my opinion, if anyone cares, (which im sure none of you do) i think starcraft was an awesome game and was eccelent for competing online or on campaign, but i think warcraft three was better for doing custom type game modes online.

WHHHATTTT???!??!
Use. Map. Settings.

 

[vamp rocks]

in my opinion, if anyone cares, (which im sure none of you do) i think starcraft was an awesome game and was eccelent for competing online or on campaign, but i think warcraft three was better for doing custom type game modes online.

WHHHATTTT???!??!
Use. Map. Settings.

i never made game types... but the ones i played on it i never seemed to enjoy as much.. i dunno maby its just me but i really enjoyed the warcraft custom games... like LOAP..