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On November 11 2010 06:18 denzelz wrote: Seems like you are just trying to stay relevant by "straddling" the line. Vulgarity, controversy sells. Starcraft 2 needs to start selling itself.
If you really believe I'm trying to "stay relevant" by "straddling" the line... then I encourage you to check out my history. I've been supporting pro-gaming communities in this manner since 2002. I don't have any personal endeavor to "stay relevant", I only wish to help in the growth of the community.
You don't see me needing "vulgarity and controversy" while casting MLG, the EG Masters Cup, the WCG USA Finals, etc.
The point is there is a time and a place for everything, but to say I'm trying to cross the line to "stay relevant" is just inaccurate and I think my job history and involvement with various communities proves that.
And you're right. StarCraft 2 needs to start selling itself... and I think it already has. There's no doubt StarCraft 2 has the largest online gaming community who takes sincere interest in the competitive aspect of it (in a span of only a few months).
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Hyrule18778 Posts
I'm pissed off at myself that I missed LO3 (and the finals for that matter...fuuuuuuu). I love your shows. And people need to stop bitching. If you (the everyone not-WHEAT) don't like something, then don't watch it. If a show has no audience, it's obviously going to mean fuck-all what the host says.
But WHEAT gets viewers because people can relate to whomever's on air. Can anyone honestly say they haven't called Peter Monyleux a douchebag?
WHEAT I applaud you. Fuck everyone else. You're the Howard Stern of gaming media.
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On November 11 2010 06:09 Liquid`Tyler wrote: I'll be first in line for LO3's next post-MLG show. Good work
Agreed, I'll be watching right away every god damn second of it. I stayed at work 3 hours late because I didn't want to pack up my computer and miss 15 minutes of the show.
I want to comment on every point that I feel is relevant or that I might have an opinion on. Esports is a passion of mine, I love every single competitive game, some more than others, and I am highly critical of many. From Quake to CS 1.6 to fighting games to RTS's I follow it all, and love trying to pretend that I am on the "inside". I offer to moderate streams in the attempts of getting as close as possible to production because theres nothing I want more in my life than to be around pro gaming.
With all that said, I'm not sure how much of the TL community has been following djWHEAT for as long as I have. I was 13 years old when I first saw WHEAT casting games, and followed him religiously through the CGS years. I watch every single cast he does, epileptic gaming, WoC, LO3 (the most so), and all the casts he's done involving quake or starcraft 2 or any other game.
Like wheat said, he is able to turn on the professionalism switch better than anyone, and he CAN pride himself on that fact because its nearly impossible to argue against.
I had the privilege of meeting WHEAT at MLG DC and I must say, I've called in on his shows, and I've been mod'ing his stream for several months and it was an absolute honor to shake his hand, get his autograph, introduce myself to him and him ACTUALLY KNOWING who I am. This blew my mind that somebody who had been around gaming for over a decade is able to remember these names. When I finally did meet him I can say that you could tell the type of guy you were taking to. Wheat is 100% real. its the balance right in the middle of "I am a professional here to do my job and support esports while raising my kid" along with "I'm just here to be your friend, hang out, and have a hell of a good time"
To those who say you need professionalism in esports, you need people like WHEAT in esports. It was harped upon in the last (real) episode of LO3, where we were talking about how the fighting game community is one of the most brash, loud, grassroots, abrasive communities around, but they get by not from being professional but from being who they are.
That said, you will see WHEAT coming in to commentate major events (check Devastation 2010) where he did get some love but also some people bitching that he was too fluffed up for the fighting game community, and guess what, I guarantee you that WHEAT prefers being a professional when it comes to large scale events. He prides himself on high quality high production events, and that is what he brings.
You know, I have a million things to say about WHEAT and the LO3 crew but I think that could be saved for another time. I can only DREAM that one day I could be the host of a show like Live on Three. People might pride themselves in knowing this or that about gaming more than me, that they can beat me in a BO5 series, etc. But when it comes down to it, I've been following pro gaming since I was in the 4th fucking grade, that is one thing I won't back down on. I know pro gaming and I know where professionalism starts and ends, and I can say that WHEAT is what esports needs. Not just for his commentating abilities and mentoring others such as Rivington, Day[9], among others, but for everything he does for pro gaming. Like I said my dream is that I could one day be a host of a progaming show, whether its about SC2 specifically (WoC) or esports in general (LO3) those are the two shows that I wait for every single week and watch every single second of. They are my passion and my hobby.
People may not realize it but he is in my eyes the most influential person in esports, Na'vi, SK Gaming, Daigo, Boxer, Flash, Day9, Tasteless, all of them are a slice of the cake but WHEAT is the frosting that covers everything.
Wall of text, I know, but I hope that anyone who has the slightest interest in esports as a whole, not just TL or SC2 or BW, can take 3 minutes out of their time to read this. Hopefully WHEAT will himself too.
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Well said Wheat
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I'd like to thank djwheat and his gang, and all the folks on state of the game, and anyone involved in the content not directly related to the games themselves, for making non-korean events so much more entertaining than the korean ones. Watching proleague, osl,msl,gsl over the years has always had that barrier making the context, the drama and the people a little removed.
With state of the game and the last few post mlg events, it makes it so much cooler to see personalities and opinions show, as it makes games that much more exciting and entertaining, both live and in retrospect. This would not be possible if the hosts, people like djwheat and jp, didn't remember that not only are they and their guests all a bunch of nerds, but that the audience is a bunch of nerds, and understand that being uptight and professional has its place, and that place does not have to be all the time. They understand the topic can wander off to other games, tvshows, books, and other stuff we all like.
Thanks to everyone in the starcraft community for not being boring is my point.
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Dude, screw professionalism and the people who were complaining. This wasn't a broadcast of a game, this wasn't a big event, it was a couple of dedicated SC fans bringing us hours of free content as a way to unwind after a long weekend. I really can't fathom why people would complain about it. It was exactly what I wanted to see, just you guys and the players hanging out and chatting like humans, not trying to sound like anyone or anything.
Also, why are people so quick to try and be something else? I love the SC community because it's a bunch of nerds who are insanely passionate about the game, I don't want people in sports jackets getting yelled at by higher ups for having a personality and being goofy.
Thanks Wheat for the show, it was great and I hope you can see past the BS and do it again next tournament.
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2629 Posts
I'm just disappointed at some the responses you got when you were hyping SCR. The ignorance that is "chad" for a game that is not SC2 is ridiculous. I feel both the FG community and SC community are built on something special, and people like that ruin it for everyone. I hope you'll address this one day.
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Professionalism or not there were some fantastic interviews that came out of that cast, it wasn't like you were choosing between 60 minutes and a frat party as the hyperbole in that thread would suggest. Painuser came across really well in his interview, which is important because I don't think he's very well known yet. That long Ret/NonY interview was pretty insightful as well. There were definitely a lot of "professional" gems in between all the fun for people who are excited about e-sports.
My only complaint was that it was kind of hard to hear in the beginning, which is understandable given the circumstances.
Keep up the good work!
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Nice to see your reaction to all the haters~ for the record I put off watching dexter to watch the stream, and dexter is like the best damns show on tv. DjWHEAT fighting!
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Esports needs professionalism, but it also needs community.
I think Wheat adds just as much to the scene by being less professional, by being more 'usual netizen' with his shows like WoC, because there's a need to be able to raise issues, to draw attention to things, and to build the community at the level it functions on. I love that Wheat can be an e-drama whore one minute on WoC, through every game it's focused on, and turn around to be a reliable anchor for an event that needs professionalism for its business standing. The community isn't a bunch of professionals, we're just angry nerds.
There's a role for both, and I'm pretty sure every sports scene has both. No reason the same guy can't do both.
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On November 11 2010 06:35 tehguy wrote: Dude, screw professionalism and the people who were complaining. This wasn't a broadcast of a game, this wasn't a big event, it was a couple of dedicated SC fans bringing us hours of free content as a way to unwind after a long weekend. I really can't fathom why people would complain about it. It was exactly what I wanted to see, just you guys and the players hanging out and chatting like humans, not trying to sound like anyone or anything.
Also, why are people so quick to try and be something else? I love the SC community because it's a bunch of nerds who are insanely passionate about the game, I don't want people in sports jackets getting yelled at by higher ups for having a personality and being goofy.
Thanks Wheat for the show, it was great and I hope you can see past the BS and do it again next tournament.
Couldn't agree more with this. I think more people need to realize that the opportunity to be a little "unprofessional" at times is a privilege that they shouldn't be so eager to abandon. I like seeing real personalities...and I love Wheat's commentary both at events and on his shows. I'm also very comfortable in knowing that one of the things that makes Wheat so great is that he wouldn't be swayed by a bunch of ignorant internet whiners. Keep up the great work...and can't wait for the next content you graciously provide this community.
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On November 11 2010 06:36 Lovedrop wrote: I'm just disappointed at some the responses you got when you were hyping SCR. The ignorance that is "chad" for a game that is not SC2 is ridiculous. I feel both the FG community and SC community are built on something special, and people like that ruin it for everyone. I hope you'll address this one day.
Actually I think this would be a great topic for a next blog or even something to bring up on LO3.
I used to be THOSE GUYS. I used to think Quake was the ONLY game that anyone should ever care about and I would argue until I was blue in the face with that statement. It wasn't until I attended WCG 2002 and realized that one of the best things we can do as communities... is to RESPECT and APPRECIATE what other communities are doing, have done, or will do.
It was after that event that I began learning other games and getting more involved with other communities in an effort to make that happen. It's a great point you bring up and certainly something I believe in.
I'll definitely try to incorporate that into a blog/show soon.
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Hear hear and bravo to you and everyone involved. Thank you for the response to all the "controversy" and keep up the great work.
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If you allow call-ins for that, I'll be on skype ready and willing~
I'm not just saying this because of this blog but Wheat you are a fucking idol to me, what you do and how you are on the inside in pro gaming is what I strive to be able to have in my life some day.
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Very well said wheat, there is indeed a time and place for everything. Some people simply don't understand that, and I guess that can't be helped.
Keep doing what you do best; building the community for esports!
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Austin10831 Posts
I'm so glad you made this thread, because I also found some of the reactions to the LO3 show troubling. I was only able to catch the last 45 minutes of the broadcast but I found it immensely enjoyable. It was a great way to provide a level of insight and access to the guys that, most of the time, isn't achievable with text interviews, post game interviews or forum posts. I think the format was unrivaled in its ability to generate that "being there" feeling, which was really great for an event which I'm sure so many viewers wish they could have attended. In fact, I can honestly say I'm annoyed I didn't get to see the whole thing.
With regard to the topic of professionalism, and the criticism of of the broadcast as unprofessional, I think most, if not all, of the arguments against this type of broadcast are deeply flawed. The main reason for this is because many people hold an inaccurate view of what professionalism really means. Professionalism isn't a simple set of guidelines that encompasses every job, it's unique to every situation and it's defined by those working in that profession. Professionalism in the board room and professionalism on a talk show are two very different things. While they may share an overlap in similar expectations of decorum and decency, their standards and practices are not necessarily aligned.
I think a lot of posters have conflated this stereotypical, out-of-touch notion of professionalism with real professionalism to produce this idea that, in their head, makes sense but lacks any foundation in the real world. Professionalism isn't about wearing suits, being serious and not swearing. I have two bosses who curse like sailors, but there's nothing about their work ethic or mentality that would have me calling them unprofessional, because they can tailor their standards appropriately to a situation. The same happens everywhere, including on gaming shows.
Comedy Central used to run a show called Insomniac with Dave Attell where they essentially paid Attell, a comedian, to walk around different cities and night and get drunk. In most jobs, getting drunk would be considered unprofessional, but not for Attell, who defined his own standards of professionalism. Did sponsors pull out? Nope. In fact, the show ran for 4 seasons until Attell decided to pull the plug because it was too popular (and lost its crucial spontaneity). Ultimately, professionalism is about how you present a product to an audience while maintaining the integrity of the standards of your industry. Well, lucky for us, we are the audience and we are the industry, and we don't have to conform to some staid interpretation or plain-oatmeal mentality that might govern a Fortune 500 company. Do I think wheat was unprofessional for the LO3 show? Not at all. The fact that he continued to report from the event after his casting duties had ended was, if anything, above and beyond the call of professionalism and helps set a standard that I hope more esports professionals will aspire to.
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There is a difference between a tourney cast in the middle of a day and a cast from a hotel room at night. I didn't mind the LO3 show at all, I thought it was a lot of fun. I can understand why people wouldn't want to see that, but to actually have an issue with something like that is absolutely ridiculous.
If you want to see unprofessional commentary check out SSF4. It's a community staple (and most in the community are fine with that) - but you don't see the LO3 guys doing that sort of thing during an actual event. LO3 was a fun casual cast - and if I am at an event you can be damn sure I'll be trying to get in that room too.
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djwheat fuck yeah
I loved it as well
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United States174 Posts
Live on Three is the best eSports show on the internet right now. Wheat and crew are players and fans, first and foremost, and make a show that THEY would want to watch. We should all be grateful that they have good taste, that they are very talented, and that they choose to spend time using their talent to provide us with FREE content.
Wheat is easily the most professional broadcaster in eSports right now. I think most viewers aren't aware of the costs involved in producing content at broadcast quality (for TV). The MLG casts are among the top in eSports at this time and aren't far from broadcast quality, yet they operate at a very small fraction of the costs of a television broadcast. We, as gamers, are spoiled by casters like Wheat and Day9 who are more professional and more insightful than MOST local sports broadcasters, yet they are paid almost nothing in comparison (and do quite a few events for no monetary compensation). Stop being so critical and enjoy their content. If you don't like it, turn it off.
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