I hate esports.

I agree with much of what you say Gheed, but I'm more indifferent towards it I think. The best pro players (overwhelmingly teenagers or early 20s) earn salaries from teams, get flown all over the world to play in tournaments, compete for huge cash prizes, and earn plenty of dough sitting at home streaming. Casters are paid well. They get massive live crowds at ESLs, GSLs, MLGs, and plenty of online viewers, some even pay for premium HD streams and organize bar crafts. I think they've made it.

How much bigger does this thing need to get for these eSports people to be happy? How much bigger can it get? I'm wondering both in terms of the tip top salaries, and the number of people earning a living strictly from it.

Right now (11:30 AM EST on a thursday) I could join ~13,000 people watch Polt, Stephano, Nerchio, Grubby or BratOK sit at home and rock a video game, while they are paid for it.

For me, most of the people that are out there struggling and urging us to "support eSports" (speaking purely of SC2) are the same type of people that just aren't good enough to earn a living at being a pro golfer, poker player, other sort of athlete and are looking for a handout. Clearly the opportunity is there where the talent exists!

Gingerninja United Kingdom. May 04 2012 00:56. Posts 1292

Profile Blog #

On May 02 2012 10:20 Gheed wrote:
We wouldn't have to worry about what other people thought of us. We would just enjoy ourselves. We could have a few tournaments, but nothing too serious. Maybe some Koreans would start playing our game, and we could watch them on a stream. It might not be in English, but everything sounds better with Korean commentary, anyway. And then when someone sees the Korean scene, gets wide-eyed and has some stupid pipe dream about western players being as good as the Koreans, or having a gaming scene as developed as theirs, we could promptly tell them to shut the fuck up, never speak of it again, and continue with our fun.

So basically this rant comes down to... I liked it how it was.. I'm not good enough to compete with the best, so no one else should either?
Nothing is stopping you having "fun" with the game. You worker rush Bronzies with your 1337 haxor skillz.. maybe I don't think that's fun.
Can you stop it please?
Your not making this game fun for me, even though it has nothing to do with me. So I think you should stop.

戦いの中に答えはある

LamaMitHut Germany. May 04 2012 01:15. Posts 102

Profile #

now i am watching stephano, and there is nothing gheed can do about it! *evilgrin*

metbull United States. May 04 2012 01:18. Posts 404

Profile #

A haiku for you (Gheed)

When one mocks a thing
They must hate it, but love it
Else how can they mock?

5/5

SpeaKEaSY United States. May 04 2012 01:51. Posts 831

Profile Blog #

GHEED THROWIN' BOMBS. PREACH, BROTHA GHEED.

A++++++++ blog, can't wait to read all the mad from the SRS BIZNIZ people.

The politically correctness patrol is getting out of hand. I remember my first foray into SC2 was nametrolling Artosis during GSL season 2, and everyone could get in on the fun. Now people are kneejerk calling up sponsors and putting entire teams in jeopardy, which is ironically killing esports. LOOK HOW FAR WE HAVE FALLEN.

FanTaSy FanBoY 4 LyFE

Empyrean May 04 2012 02:20. Posts 16299

Profile Blog #

On May 04 2012 00:12 Clandrone wrote:
Wait... I was warned for my response to a blog that was posted with the same spite, whining, and derogatory terms as the blog itself and yet the blog poster wasn't warned.

Can we get a little consistency please.

The warning you received...

While different opinions are welcome, please try to keep debate civil. Flaming is unacceptable on these forums, and ad hominem attacks are not appreciated.

...was in response to the following part of your post:

Fuck you, Gheed. I wouldn't be so mad at your blog if it wasn't so arrogant. Yes, there are shit heads out there that take things too seriously and toss up shit storms about non-issues just to get a reaction, but you know what, that's just what you're doing too. Way to be the bigger person. You're like a little child who stomps his feet and throws a tantrum when something changes that they don't like. I'm sorry things are not going the way you want, but that doesn't mean they're bad. I'm sorry you fear change and I pity you. Get over it.

This is not a difficult concept.

Jealous United States. May 04 2012 02:22. Posts 2206

Profile Blog #

5/5. Die, esports.

бум бум сучка!

LamaMitHut Germany. May 04 2012 02:31. Posts 102

Profile #

calm down jealous, it is just a game.

ShaLLoW[baY] Canada. May 04 2012 03:08. Posts 10557

Profile Blog #

On May 02 2012 10:37 IntoTheWow wrote:
This is a great blog post.

Agreed. The magic is gone.

what liquid use in fuck? (sAviOr for life)

xChromaticx Germany. May 04 2012 04:11. Posts 33

Profile #

if you don't like it, just quit sc2 lol. what is there to be so upset to wirte a blog about it? i love esports^.^ i don't see how it would decrease your fun @ the game^^ i'm assuming you're not a gm or high masters/whatever, so how does the whole esport thing even affect you? don't watch gsl,ip,mlg if you don't like it, as simple as that^^ quit whining tho, there are so many people enjoying esports and want it to grow, why would you wish for them to loose all their hopes and dreams for the scene?Wanting to ruin the fun for millions of people when the solution is so easy (quitting yourself) ? I don't see why this blog would get so many upvotes

You can do anything you set your mind to, man

virpi Germany. May 04 2012 04:39. Posts 1516

Profile Blog #

Personally, I also found out that all that e-sport stuff is starting to bore me. I still watch the premier tournaments, but I don't give a shit, who won the "random invitational showmatch masters whatever cup #2492". I think that there's put too much emphasis on the sheer quantity of events, when there actually should be less, but better events. (like DH or MLG, which were really worth every minute)

Basically, we need a regular tournament circuit, like there's in tennis or snooker - nobody with a regular dayjob can actually follow all the leagues. I love Starcraft, and I certainly will do so for quite some time, but the magic of the BW days is kinda gone for me. Events don't feel important or special anymore, because there are so many of them. But maybe "the great unification" will take place once.

just my 2 cents.

first we make expand, then we defense it.

Badinoff May 04 2012 04:41. Posts 15

Profile #

On May 03 2012 04:38 SpearWrit wrote:
The amount of butthurt and misunderstanding in this thread is staggering.
Alot of people do not understand that Gheed likes competitive gaming, the tournaments, the fun, the passion, the concept that gamers can make money from winning. Gheed dislikes "E-Sports"- the drama, the bullshit, the taking everything way too seriously, the taking of oneself way too seriously.

But I suspect that even this blatant explanation will go over many peoples' heads.

I'm just gonna go ahead and quote this every few pages.

docvoc United States. May 04 2012 04:59. Posts 3475

Profile Blog #

Great job Gheed I agree with most of it, though I'd rather it not totally die, since it is a small and still lucrative business, and fun to watch. However i believe that as a group, in our small microcosm of a site, we have blown this game up to be something its not, and when we return to the real world, we realize that we can't share our nerdom of some amazing drop with your average bro. When i saw that Squirtle had 3-0'd FXOz, I was like YES MY FAV PLAYER JUST 3-0'd the dude, but nobody else understood why i had butterflies about him making it to the final 4 of the GSL. Its a great place to share our love, but pushing SC2 to be something it is not is imprudent.

User was warned for too many mimes.

jeeeeohn United States. May 04 2012 05:03. Posts 860

Profile Blog #

I've said it before: the moment Blizzard designed Starcraft 2 as an "esport" is the moment they stopped designing a game. The balance in Brood War came about naturally, with players figuring out builds and strategies to counter their opponents. In Starcraft 2's development they basically handed you the marauder, colossus, and roach, then said: "Here, these units counter pretty much everything, including each other."

The growth of this game has thus far been unnatural and forced. When every unit has a very specific role and can't conceivably excel in ANYTHING else is when the game loses its creativity.

"Here's a corrupter. It kills Carriers."
"Here's a reaper. It harasses stuff."
"Here's a stalker. It kills roaches."
"Here's a marauder. It kills stalkers."

Maps need to be twice as large as they are, and units need to actually control the map, IE with spider mines, tank lines, lurkers, arbiters, you name it.

ESPORTS as we know it is just another example of forced growth. No longer are people just playing and enjoying a game. Now it's a sport to study. Which is fine! But there's no need to treat it like the new fucking testament UNLESS YOU YOURSELF ARE A PROFESSIONAL.

I literally cannot enjoy this game anymore. It's impossible for me to just sit down and play and have fun. I've always raged a bit in games, but never like this. It's gotten stale. Watching the same builds in the same matchups has gotten old for me, especially since it ends up being a ball of units thrown at another ball of units, regardless of positioning or map presence.

I'm not sure what point I'm trying to make, except maybe that the way SC2 is designed will prohibit long term interest. ESPORTS evangelicals are already force feeding me a billion tournaments (please can we have "seasons" please please??), and that in itself has made me bored, complacent, and apathetic.

"Never forget the Cheer Cannon." (MLG Orlando, 2011) IdrA / HuK / INcontroL, On November 17 2011 07:41 iNcontroL wrote:[i]The pleasure was all mine[/i] / BoxeR / Ret / Stephano ("Napoleon") / Machine / Artosis: I am not a doctor. (Dreamhack Winter 2011)

GenesisX Canada. May 04 2012 05:15. Posts 3982

Profile Blog #

On May 02 2012 10:20 Gheed wrote:
I love competitive gaming... But I hate esports.

Care to outline the difference between the two? The way you wrote your blog was so contradictory to "I love competitive gaming" because you blended these two together.

On May 02 2012 10:20 Gheed wrote:
The idea of fun doesn't even cross anyone's mind.

Because you don't have fun, no one else does or is allowed to? Stop being such a downer.

On May 02 2012 10:20 Gheed wrote:

Well I, for one, can't fucking stand it anymore. I don't care about Esports. In fact, I hope SC2 dies a swift death. I hope HotS gets delayed another year so WoL gets even more stale and even more players become disinterested. I hope we never get LAN. I hope all the sponsors pull out when they realize that marketing $200 dollar video cards to 16 year-olds too cheap to even pay for GomTV subscriptions is actually not a very good business plan. I hope Blizzard realizes they could make more money reskinning a WoW mount and selling it for 20 bucks in the virtual store than they could by making an RTS game and shunts all the funds away from SC2 and into the research and development of more sparkle ponies.

"I hate the direction SC2 is going, and everyone else should too. Because I can't have fun, no one else can either! I hope, because this game and community has failed to entertain me, that Blizzard and their franchise will die out in the end!!"

I don't get why someone whining about how bored they are about SC2 can get so much publicity on TL. Guess featured blogs just inspire people that way. 0/5

Last edit: 2012-05-04 05:24:00

133 221 333 123 111

Clandrone May 04 2012 05:19. Posts 9

Profile #

"While different opinions are welcome, please try to keep debate civil. Flaming is unacceptable on these forums, and ad hominem attacks are not appreciated."

Please tell that to Gheed, Empyrean, his entire blog is flaming those who put their blood, sweat, tears, time, and money into the esports scene. Warn him to show a little respect please. All I ask is equality.

actionbastrd Congo. May 04 2012 05:21. Posts 552

Profile Blog #

I am so happy you posted this. This has been a topic discussed between me and a friend. That damn word esports is so stupid, overused and meaningless.

It rained today inside my head...

LamaMitHut Germany. May 04 2012 05:23. Posts 102

Profile #

. Gheed dislikes "E-Sports"- the drama, the bullshit, the taking everything way too seriously, the taking of oneself way too seriously.

so why is he taking this topic so serious?

jeeeeohn United States. May 04 2012 05:26. Posts 860

Profile Blog #

On May 04 2012 05:19 Clandrone wrote:
"While different opinions are welcome, please try to keep debate civil. Flaming is unacceptable on these forums, and ad hominem attacks are not appreciated."

Please tell that to Gheed, Empyrean, his entire blog is flaming those who put their blood, sweat, tears, time, and money into the esports scene. Warn him to show a little respect please. All I ask is equality.

This is the quintissential ESPORTS evangelical.

Here's a thought: Starcraft 2 is just a game.

Think about that for a moment, what that sentence means.

Just a game.

It's not a movement. It's not even a "scene." It's a video game that you play or watch primarily for fun.

I can't even fathom any other reason to play a game, or have interest in it in the first place. The whole thing just blows my mind.

I need to get off TeamLiquid for a while. Can a mod ban me for two weeks? (I actually need to focus on other things right now, and the above post is just one example why, besides being busy.) God bless everyone, have fun gl gg.

User was temp banned for this post.

Last edit: 2012-05-04 05:37:35