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| Abort Retry Fail July 19 2012 08:37. Posts 2627 | Profile # |
The BW to SC2 Transition Problem:
How the Mixed PL format is Killing ESports!
Now the the OSL is on its last match under the BW era, and that a the mixed SPL has had sufficient mileage alerady, I would like to write about what is already known to most yet few dare talk about - that Kespa and the entire Korean Professional SC community were wrong to adopt a mixed SC (BW and SC2 simultaneously) format, and it has lead to all the wrong results.
The Need to Switch
They said the numbers are declining. They said the fans are not anymore interested, and that's the reason why the sponsors and business partners are backing out. But the numbers in the previous OSL finals, as well as the significant games this OSL, and the overwhelming clamor within the community, are proof without a shadow of doubt that fan interest is more alive than ever. No, the low audience turnout on most games this season on both OSL and SPL, whether live or on streams, are not the cause but rather the effect, mainly due to the change in schedule, the silent protest on killing of BW and on the new format, and the general decline in the quality of games (more on this later).
But we all know it, this thing is run because people need to make profits. We get it. Kespa became complacent and made the game autonomous and Koeran-exclusive. It reached out internationally only when it was too late (or was it?). And there is a new kid in town, and the Blizzard means business. It will not make the same mistake of allowing its baby to be adopted by another group without it making profit from it. How much profit and at what cost to the fans, that is the issue. It bullied persuaded Kespa into submission, making it "see the business side of it". Kespa had no option, it will die and disappear if it does acceed to its proposal. This, we also get, albeit with a heavy heart.
The Need for Mixed BW/SC2 Format
Having more or less established the need to swith from BW to SC2, the only question is "How"? There are a lot of considerations to this questions: 1) The teams and how they will manage the requirements, i.e. logistics, manpower, roster, etc; 2) The players and how they will allocate time and effort to handle the transition; 3) The sponsors, on what they see will be the optimal setup with future prospects of the business in mind, meaning making the process of transition not too painful, yet setting up a SC2 only future; and 4) The fans, on the many complicated issues about saying goodbye to broodwar to warming up to a new game, and from the SC2 fans perspective, welcoming BW greats into SC2.
Kespa/Blizzard made a fatal decision. It decided to have a mixed format, making the players play BW and SC2 simultaneously. Depending on who you ask, they say they distribute practice time 80-20 or 60-40, always in favor of SC2. This already puts emphasis on the inevitable, that there is no future for BW and progamers have to devote their energies on SC2. But they could have made a better decision, and that is to leave the professional games, both in OSL and SPL as BW only, even if they allocate time for players to practice SC2, maybe 20%, and even do secret unofficial interteam matches, just to get a good amount of games played versus a huge amount of players. They could have synchronized the OSL and SPL, thereby shortening the SPL, yet achieving the good thing of having progamers and their teams, as well as the fans, enjoy BW played with superior quality. After, all, OSL end early august and they have more than a full month to really completely devote all their professional time to SC2.
Quality of SC2 Games
Judging on the reaction so far, majority would describe the SC2 games in SPL as weird or non-standard. But this is not because of genius innovation or of opening the metagame to unknown variables before. So far, we have seen mass spine crawlers, helions + banshee combo, mass queen + mass roach combo, colossusless protoss deathball, pool rush getting beaten by expand first ZvZ, everything that we will never see in games of "foreign" players who play in American and European tournaments, and heck, even the Koreans in GSL.
Quality of BW Games
To say that the quality of BW games has declined since the transition would be the understatement in all of history. Bisu can't even play a decent PvZstill sucks balls hard in OSL/Prelims, much less pull a proper zealot micro. Jangbi storms has been less than cataclysmic, Stork is worse and unstable than ever, most games have been either rushes, cheeses, or sloppy drag-us-to-hell wreck of a mess, and (SPOILER ALERT) this transition single-handedly ruined Flash's greatness! And as if this weren't enough, there is also those good, semi-good, and promising BW players that are greatly suffering in the transition, namely Sea, Grape (who switched to LoL), and the recently-retired (due to SC2?) Killer, Suny, Brave, Anyppi, Perfective, and Reach (jk, TL loves you Reach!).
Conclusion
We didn't want BW to die, but Kespa made its decision and we respect it, no matter how difficult it is. We even try to embrace SC2 (in fact I love SC2, it just needs time to improve). But the decision to make the transition from BW to SC2 in the form of a mixed SPL format, making players practice and play BW and SC2 at the same time have been detrimental to the players, as they are not able to concentrate fully on a game and master it, to the organizers, as the result of low quality games drive audience interest, and possible sponsorship away, and finally to the fans, who get both bad BW games and SC2 games. There could have been a better solution.Last edit: 2012-07-19 10:20:43 |
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| Coriolis United States. July 19 2012 08:49. Posts 1043 | Profile Blog # |
On July 19 2012 08:37 Abort Retry Fail wrote:
Quality of SC2 Games
Judging on the reaction so far, majority would describe the SC2 games in SPL as weird or non-standard. But this is not because of genius innovation or of opening the metagame to unknown variables before. So far, we have seen mass spine crawlers, helions + banshee combo, mass queen + mass roach combo, colossusless protoss deathball, pool rush getting beaten by expand first ZvZ, everything that we will never see in games of "foreign" players who play in American and European tournaments, and heck, even the Koreans in GSL.
[
Huh? Hellion+banshee is one of the oldest strategies in the book, hell people used it in beta. Not using colossus has been common ever since the archon change in PvT and I can't even remember when people began using chargelot archon in PvZ. Pool rush has been beaten by expand first ever since we got non shitty maps :X.
As for the rest, yeah mixed format is pretty stupid and I'll agree with you there.Last edit: 2012-07-19 08:49:45 |
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| Jealous United States. July 19 2012 08:54. Posts 2200 | Profile Blog # |
| Rofl another thinly-veiled post making excuses for why Flash got straight-up outclassed -_-; People can't seem to handle the fact that God has fallen just like every other top player before him. Get over it. |
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| pookums July 19 2012 08:54. Posts 96 | Profile # |
On July 19 2012 08:37 Abort Retry Fail wrote:
No, the low audience turnout on most games this season on both OSL and SPL, whether live or on streams, are not the cause but rather the effect, mainly due to the change in schedule, the silent protest on killing of BW and on the new format, and the general decline in the quality of games (more on this later).
Are people actually boycotting the BW matches as a protest to the killing of BW? I fully understand, support and partake in the boycotting of OGN's SC2 content for the killing of BW, but it doesn't make sense (to me) to say "We really love this game so we're not going to watch it anymore."
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| figq July 19 2012 08:54. Posts 9589 | Profile Blog # |
On July 19 2012 08:37 Abort Retry Fail wrote:
There could have been a better solution.
Maybe not. Because the really good solution should have been to give the Kespa players a few months of just improving in SC2, without any televised games (and any BW) whatsoever. But most likely OGN could not afford that, they had to keep producing content. So they did their best in the circumstances.
If you are concerned and want to support those Kespa players, the best you can do right now is to keep watching / attending their games in the hybrid league and appreciate it for what it is. Yes, the quality of both BW and SC2 is not top, but that's just not the point of that particular league anyway. What you see shown there by the players still requires enormous efforts and experience on their part, and thus is accomplishment that deserves admiration and attention.
In what they do there, they are still the best in the world at - meaning, you can't replace them with other players (SC2 or BW players) in this hybrid league, and get overall better results, because proficiency in both games is required.Last edit: 2012-07-19 09:05:01 |
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| IntoTheheart Canada. July 19 2012 09:08. Posts 2728 | Profile Blog # |
On July 19 2012 08:54 figq wrote:
Show nested quote +On July 19 2012 08:37 Abort Retry Fail wrote:
There could have been a better solution.
Maybe not. Because the really good solution should have been to give the Kespa players a few months of just improving in SC2, without any televised games (and any BW) whatsoever. But most likely OGN could not afford that, they had to keep producing content. So they did their best in the circumstances. If you are concerned and want to support those Kespa players, the best you can do right now is to keep watching / attending their games in the hybrid league and appreciate it for what it is. Yes, the quality of both BW and SC2 is not top, but that's just not the point of that particular league anyway. What you see shown there by the players still requires enormous efforts and experience on their part, and thus is accomplishment that deserves admiration and attention. In what they do there, they are still the best in the world at - meaning, you can't replace them with other players (SC2 or BW players) in this hybrid league, and get overall better results, because proficiency in both games is required.
Out of curiosity (because I'm tired and the wording might come off as terribly aggressive) do you think it would've been okay with them just going flat SC2 and having some terrible matches for a week or two? They would've at least focused on the game quite a bit more. |
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| figq July 19 2012 09:23. Posts 9589 | Profile Blog # |
On July 19 2012 09:08 IntoTheheart wrote:
Show nested quote +On July 19 2012 08:54 figq wrote:
On July 19 2012 08:37 Abort Retry Fail wrote:
There could have been a better solution.
Maybe not. Because the really good solution should have been to give the Kespa players a few months of just improving in SC2, without any televised games (and any BW) whatsoever. But most likely OGN could not afford that, they had to keep producing content. So they did their best in the circumstances. If you are concerned and want to support those Kespa players, the best you can do right now is to keep watching / attending their games in the hybrid league and appreciate it for what it is. Yes, the quality of both BW and SC2 is not top, but that's just not the point of that particular league anyway. What you see shown there by the players still requires enormous efforts and experience on their part, and thus is accomplishment that deserves admiration and attention. In what they do there, they are still the best in the world at - meaning, you can't replace them with other players (SC2 or BW players) in this hybrid league, and get overall better results, because proficiency in both games is required.
Out of curiosity (because I'm tired and the wording might come off as terribly aggressive) do you think it would've been okay with them just going flat SC2 and having some terrible matches for a week or two? They would've at least focused on the game quite a bit more.
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| IntoTheheart Canada. July 19 2012 09:33. Posts 2728 | Profile Blog # |
On July 19 2012 09:23 figq wrote:
Show nested quote +On July 19 2012 09:08 IntoTheheart wrote:
On July 19 2012 08:54 figq wrote:
On July 19 2012 08:37 Abort Retry Fail wrote:
There could have been a better solution.
Maybe not. Because the really good solution should have been to give the Kespa players a few months of just improving in SC2, without any televised games (and any BW) whatsoever. But most likely OGN could not afford that, they had to keep producing content. So they did their best in the circumstances. If you are concerned and want to support those Kespa players, the best you can do right now is to keep watching / attending their games in the hybrid league and appreciate it for what it is. Yes, the quality of both BW and SC2 is not top, but that's just not the point of that particular league anyway. What you see shown there by the players still requires enormous efforts and experience on their part, and thus is accomplishment that deserves admiration and attention. In what they do there, they are still the best in the world at - meaning, you can't replace them with other players (SC2 or BW players) in this hybrid league, and get overall better results, because proficiency in both games is required.
Out of curiosity (because I'm tired and the wording might come off as terribly aggressive) do you think it would've been okay with them just going flat SC2 and having some terrible matches for a week or two? They would've at least focused on the game quite a bit more.
Problem is, people would have complained it's not high level yet again. It's either we accept that we watch something like "Reality Show: Kespa Elite Make Transition (and obviously, along the way are still bad)" - in which case the hybrid league fits the theme too, or we just give them the proper time to transition, forget about them for some months and then see them own everything. (which I guess Kespa/OGN couldn't afford)
With respect to this hybrid league, if you watch the SC2 games are any of them "high level," enough to call a pro-SC2 match? I haven't had time to watch any since I've been travelling and I'm in China (where apparently it's hard to watch streams zzzzz). |
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 Kiett United States. July 19 2012 09:34. Posts 3581 | Profile Blog # |
Not sure how you can play a decent PvZ when you haven't faced any zergs in almost 4 months ._.
![[image loading]](http://puu.sh/JJpk) |
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| Ideas United States. July 19 2012 09:39. Posts 7428 | Profile Blog # |
I don't watch PL any more because the BW games are too unbearable to watch 90% of the time. I will watch some recommended games, but most of the time they are only recommended because they are just the shiniest turd. The OSL has been good since the Ro8, but other than that korean BW hasn't ever been this shitty. and now it's about to be replaced with SC2 which is to me even worse to watch than the worst BW matches.
On July 19 2012 09:34 Kiett wrote:Not sure how you can play a decent PvZ when you haven't faced any zergs in almost 4 months ._.
did you watch his OSL prelim games though? Last edit: 2012-07-19 09:41:04 |
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| Abort Retry Fail July 19 2012 09:42. Posts 2627 | Profile # |
On July 19 2012 08:54 figq wrote:
Show nested quote +On July 19 2012 08:37 Abort Retry Fail wrote:
There could have been a better solution.
Maybe not. Because the really good solution should have been to give the Kespa players a few months of just improving in SC2, without any televised games (and any BW) whatsoever. But most likely OGN could not afford that, they had to keep producing content. So they did their best in the circumstances. If you are concerned and want to support those Kespa players, the best you can do right now is to keep watching / attending their games in the hybrid league and appreciate it for what it is. Yes, the quality of both BW and SC2 is not top, but that's just not the point of that particular league anyway. What you see shown there by the players still requires enormous efforts and experience on their part, and thus is accomplishment that deserves admiration and attention. In what they do there, they are still the best in the world at - meaning, you can't replace them with other players (SC2 or BW players) in this hybrid league, and get overall better results, because proficiency in both games is required.
That may be true, but what I feel they could have done is shorten the PL in the same calendar time as OSL, thereby shortening the schedule/expenses, then immediately proceed to all SC2 practice. They may even use the break until the next PL season to broadcast unofficial SC2 matches and streams and interviews etc (solving your OGN content problem). Then finally start with a big bang with an all new brand new SC2 SPL, with everyone well-prepared. I am sure summing the two things up, the mixed-simultaneous format and my proposal, there would have been little to no significant financial difference, and my proposal would even get them better content from both BW and SC2.
On July 19 2012 09:34 Kiett wrote:Not sure how you can play a decent PvZ when you haven't faced any zergs in almost 4 months ._.
Oh nos. Thanks, editing.
EDIT: Bisu vs. Roro, OSL QualifiersLast edit: 2012-07-19 09:57:04 |
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| KristianJS July 19 2012 09:44. Posts 2107 | Profile # |
On July 19 2012 08:54 Jealous wrote:
Rofl another thinly-veiled post making excuses for why Flash got straight-up outclassed -_-; People can't seem to handle the fact that God has fallen just like every other top player before him. Get over it.
What a silly post. Of course to say that SC2 transition is the only reason Flash has 'fallen' (if you can even call it that) is speculative, but there can hardly be any doubt as to it having a great influence of the quality of his play, and indeed the play of ALL the proplayers. That's the real issue; that the transition taints the incredible achievements of players in this last OSL.
Fantasy is an amazing player, but in history people will always wonder if he won because Flash practiced more SC2 than him. Whether or not that's true isn't that important, what's important is that it's incredibly unfair towards players like Fantasy, and indeed all the other players as well. Forcing players into a situation where they have to choose what to prioritize makes a mockery of the sport. "Here, play 100% in this tourney, but at the end of it you better be really good at SC2 cause that's what you'll be playing straight after". What a joke.
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| Brobe United States. July 19 2012 09:55. Posts 66 | Profile Blog # |
I don't know why you lumped Sea in with a bunch of players that retired, but he has been doing better in round 2, and overall has been perfroming much better since the hybrid league started compared to his PL performance in the last all-BW season.Sure the TBLS aren't the dominant force they once were, but in some ways that's more exciting.
Anyway, I don't think the transition is that bad, all things considered. All it means is there's an off chance you get blessed with a fun game of BW to watch, and that will become something to die for once it's gone. |
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| SlowBullets United States. July 19 2012 10:00. Posts 691 | Profile # |
I have learned to accept that Korean Pro BW is dead and I will not be following the PL after OSL is over.
It's probably too late to change anything =\ wish it didn't have to be like this. Totally not fair to both fans and the players to be forced to bear with this hybrid bullshit (more like sc2, which is the cause of quality decline in bw games). |
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| Kiett United States. July 19 2012 10:06. Posts 3581 | Profile Blog # |
On July 19 2012 09:42 Abort Retry Fail wrote:
Show nested quote +On July 19 2012 09:34 Kiett wrote:Not sure how you can play a decent PvZ when you haven't faced any zergs in almost 4 months ._.
Oh nos. Thanks, editing.EDIT: Bisu vs. Roro, OSL Qualifiers
Qualifiers took place before the Proleague finals, when SKT was forbidden to practice any SC2. He also, as you guys so often love to remind us all, got knocked out of the prelims last year too.
Not saying there wasn't a detrimental effect on BW games, just that that's a bad example. |
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| zefreak United States. July 19 2012 10:14. Posts 2613 | Profile Blog # |
| Even if it wasn't a hybrid league, players would be practicing SC2 and BW game quality would have suffered anyways. Nobody will practice BW like they used to when those skills will be useless in a couple of months. It's sad, but the hybrid league isn't the problem. The problem is the switch in general. |
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| Ideas United States. July 19 2012 10:16. Posts 7428 | Profile Blog # |
man I totally forgot that was before the SPL final.
man bisu just SUCKS in prelims :\ |
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| Abort Retry Fail July 19 2012 10:19. Posts 2627 | Profile # |
On July 19 2012 10:06 Kiett wrote:
Show nested quote +On July 19 2012 09:42 Abort Retry Fail wrote:
On July 19 2012 09:34 Kiett wrote:Not sure how you can play a decent PvZ when you haven't faced any zergs in almost 4 months ._.
Oh nos. Thanks, editing.EDIT: Bisu vs. Roro, OSL Qualifiers
Qualifiers took place before the Proleague finals, when SKT was forbidden to practice any SC2. He also, as you guys so often love to remind us all, got knocked out of the prelims last year too. Not saying there wasn't a detrimental effect on BW games, just that that's a bad example.
I concede. Bisu just sucks balls hard in OSL/Prelims.
Editing. |
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| Dodgin Canada. July 19 2012 10:23. Posts 24847 | Profile # |
" (SPOILER ALERT) this transition single-handedly ruined Flash's greatness! "
hahahaha
come on now, I'll assume you're joking because of the " ! " 
On July 19 2012 09:44 KristianJS wrote:
Show nested quote +On July 19 2012 08:54 Jealous wrote:
Rofl another thinly-veiled post making excuses for why Flash got straight-up outclassed -_-; People can't seem to handle the fact that God has fallen just like every other top player before him. Get over it.
What a silly post. Of course to say that SC2 transition is the only reason Flash has 'fallen' (if you can even call it that) is speculative, but there can hardly be any doubt as to it having a great influence of the quality of his play, and indeed the play of ALL the proplayers. That's the real issue; that the transition taints the incredible achievements of players in this last OSL.
Fantasy is an amazing player, but in history people will always wonder if he won because Flash practiced more SC2 than him. Whether or not that's true isn't that important, what's important is that it's incredibly unfair towards players like Fantasy, and indeed all the other players as well. Forcing players into a situation where they have to choose what to prioritize makes a mockery of the sport. "Here, play 100% in this tourney, but at the end of it you better be really good at SC2 cause that's what you'll be playing straight after". What a joke.
No, no one is going to say that because Fantasy also beat him in the Proleague finals before any of them were playing SC2 and outplayed him. Since then he has gotten even better compared to Flash and that's why Flash lost 0-3.
God is dead.
Anyway, on topic. I don't get it either unless Blizzard is giving them a ton of money to make this switch, BW is still insanely popular.
SC2 doesn't need these players to be enjoyable, I am perfectly content with MMA, Mvp, MC, Dongraegu, Marineking, etc.Last edit: 2012-07-19 10:35:06 |
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| Guamshin Netherlands. July 19 2012 10:27. Posts 293 | Profile # |
The Sc2 games really just look like most games look on GSL/GSTL/Korean Weekly whatever, just as passive and predictable as always.
I really wonder when that whole thing started about BW getting less popular in korea, i mean sure there are less sponsors but the crowd is pretty much always huge especially during OSL. BW only proleague did also good from what i saw.
I have to admit though, Hybdrid proleague doesn't really draw a big audience so far.
I find this whole situation very sad, especially for the players and casters(kim carrier  ). |
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