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04-30-2010, 02:24 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-30-2010, 02:26 PM by Lokishadow.)
For those of you who haven't been following the Starcraft 2 scene, Husky Starcraft and HD Starcraft are a couple of beta testers who've been uploading 1080p videos of their gameplay to youtube.
They've also been commentating (side note: I HATE the word "commentating." It serves the same purpose as "commenting," only with more syllables).
Husky reported as many as 500,000 hits one time, but was denied google partnership.
So why am I running on about this? Because Husky and HD are starting something: televised (via the internet) gaming as a sport.
It's like watching football, only instead of big dumb lummoxes beating the stuffing out of each other, it's a couple of really smart multi-taskers trying to outthink and outplay each other.
Recently they started the HDH Invitational, with seed money provided by an internet application company. They have a prize pool of over $3,000 and sixteen platinum-league players competing for it.
I have really enjoyed watching the replays and listening to the commenting. The gaming is awe-inspiring (ever seen what 300 apm, or Actions Per Minute, looks like?), the game is Blizzard, the commentary is snarky and intelligent, and I think it's going to take a bite out of the sports industry.
Word to the wise: When it becomes available, BUY STOCK.
Finally! Sports for geeks!
If you're interested:
www.youtube.com/hdstarcraft
www.youtube.com/huskystarcraft
-Loki
"How heroic. How compassionate. How selfless. I think I'm going to be sick."
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Quote:(side note: I HATE the word "commentating." It serves the same purpose as "commenting," only with more syllables
I can comment on your post, but I can't commentate on it.
"What contemptible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch?"
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(04-30-2010, 02:24 PM)Lokishadow Wrote: For those of you who haven't been following the Starcraft 2 scene, Husky Starcraft and HD Starcraft are a couple of beta testers who've been uploading 1080p videos of their gameplay to youtube.
-Loki
So if I understood correctly this Starcraft 2 is going to be like the original one (gameplay), and you will be able to play against eachother online?
Is it going to be for free like diablo2 or more like warcraft?
I do prefer watching sports though, and I also don't see this become big in a way that would persuade me to buy shares. 
You mentioned somehting about this google partnership. Deebye asked a question about that in another thread, maybe you can answer him.
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04-30-2010, 03:14 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-30-2010, 03:15 PM by Taelas.)
This isn't anything new. There have been competitions regarding computer games since their inception, and there have been tournaments -- with prizes -- for years. WEG, ESWC, MLG, WSoVG...
They have been televised, too.
It's called "electronic sport", often shortened "eSports" or "e-sports".
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04-30-2010, 04:57 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-30-2010, 05:01 PM by Lokishadow.)
(04-30-2010, 02:52 PM)eppie Wrote: (04-30-2010, 02:24 PM)Lokishadow Wrote: For those of you who haven't been following the Starcraft 2 scene, Husky Starcraft and HD Starcraft are a couple of beta testers who've been uploading 1080p videos of their gameplay to youtube.
-Loki
So if I understood correctly this Starcraft 2 is going to be like the original one (gameplay), and you will be able to play against eachother online?
Is it going to be for free like diablo2 or more like warcraft?
I do prefer watching sports though, and I also don't see this become big in a way that would persuade me to buy shares.
You mentioned somehting about this google partnership. Deebye asked a question about that in another thread, maybe you can answer him.
As far as I know, yes, PvP will be free. I'm no Bnet expert, but assuming Bnet is the same model as it used to be (I know it's been revamped), then it will be free. Bnet is where you'll play PvP, but there's also the single-player campaign.
As far as Google partnership goes, I'm still a little shaky on the details. My understanding is that if you have a channel on YouTube (a Google subsidiary), you can apply for partnership with Google. If you meet certain guidelines (which I do not know), then Google will put an ad in the front of every video you post, and you get a small portion of the proceeds from those commercials.
That's all I know about Google partnership. I'll go see if I can find DeeBye's post and answer.
-Loki
(04-30-2010, 03:14 PM)Alliera Wrote: This isn't anything new. There have been competitions regarding computer games since their inception, and there have been tournaments -- with prizes -- for years. WEG, ESWC, MLG, WSoVG...
They have been televised, too.
It's called "electronic sport", often shortened "eSports" or "e-sports".
I'm aware it's been around for a while...but what I'm seeing here is some of the most professional "casting" (as the scene appears to refer to the commenting of games) I've seen anywhere. It's much like the Battle Reports released by Blizzard.
Maybe I'm just fooling myself, because I'd really rather see Starcraft or Diablo tournaments on Friday night than the same old football, basketball, etc. I dislike sports (unless I'm playing them...I'm not a spectator), but I like to watch other people play PvP video games.
-Loki
"How heroic. How compassionate. How selfless. I think I'm going to be sick."
-Skeletorr, the new HE-MAN
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(04-30-2010, 04:57 PM)Lokishadow Wrote: I dislike sports (unless I'm playing them...I'm not a spectator), but I like to watch other people play PvP video games.
-Loki
I have never enjoyed spectator sports unless I knew the players personally. So I have watched quite a few amateur games of hockey, soccer, etc. But I am bored silly by professional sports.
We moved about a year and a half ago. And all of a sudden, we had both a larger television screen AND the ability to show the computer screen on the television screen.
I have been surprised at how much I have enjoyed watching my sons play PvP video games! I have been surprised at how often they choose to watch me play a PvM game (and not at all surprised to get comments from the peanut gallery about my tactics  ).
I suspect there may well be a significant audience for this.
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When civility survives,
But I've had dinner with the Devil and
I know nice from right.
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It'll be interesting to see how this develops. I watched a truly sickening number of WC3 commentaries back in the day, not that it ever made me more than a mediocre player.
If there's a good source for high-end SC2 commentary, I'd probably tune in.
-Jester
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(04-30-2010, 08:26 PM)Jester Wrote: It'll be interesting to see how this develops. I watched a truly sickening number of WC3 commentaries back in the day, not that it ever made me more than a mediocre player.
If there's a good source for high-end SC2 commentary, I'd probably tune in.
-Jester
Learn to speak Korean. They've been broadcasting Starcraft matches on TV for nearly a decade now and I'm sure they will for SC2. I mean there has even been police investigations into match rigging.
Professional video game leagues, as has been mentioned, are nothing new, they just aren't nearly as popular in North America and Europe as they are in Asian. Japan has several as well, though I'm most familiar with the South Korean ones. Heck I've heard a South Korean co-worker gush (OK my co-worker wasn't gushing, but her friend was and I asked the co-worker what they were talking about later because I caught the word Starcraft) over one of the players like many Americans do over movie stars.
---
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Hi,
Good read & Screenshots @ Tom's Hardware 
StarCraft II Beta: Game Performance Analyzed
Quote:Table of contents:
1 – Same Interface, Different Strategies 2 – Image Quality 3 – Image Quality: GeForce Vs. Radeon 4 – Test System And Settings 5 – Benchmark Results: Medium Quality 6 – Benchmark Results: Ultra Quality 7 – Benchmark Results: 4x AA 8 – Benchmark Results: Frame Buffer 9 – Benchmark Results: CPU Performance
________________
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Jim...aka King Jim
He can do more for Others, Who has done most with Himself.
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________________
Have a Great Quest,
Jim...aka King Jim
He can do more for Others, Who has done most with Himself.
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A couple of links on the topic:
Talk Sports: Street Fighter IV vs. StarCraft 2
* Rock, Paper, Shotgun discusses what makes StarCraft succeed as an televised phenomenon where many others have merely floundered, and most have failed.
day[9]: My Life of Starcraft
* A professional StarCraft player telling his relationship of more than a decade with the game. It's a 12-part, 2 hour long epic of joy, defeat, adventure, triumph, heartbreak, inspiration, and life lessons.
I was never a big StarCraft fan myself, but SC2 has finally succeeded in sucking me in to its world more than 10 years after the fact. Like it is articulated in the above, the meta game is often just as important as the game itself, and the availability of easy Internet access to StarCraft related communities has definitely helped to elevate my own interest in the game.
Were it not for the fact that the Collector's Edition isn't available pre-ordering, I would have definitely already put my name on the list, just to get a beta key. Fortunately for me, I have willing friends-of-a-friend gracious enough to share access tot he beta, and plan to get some hands-on later tonight.
And, if you haven't heard already, Blizz has this morning officially dated the release of StarCraft II for July 27th, 2010.
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Good to see some Lurkers playing SC2 If anyone would like to play, feel free to add me as Monty.shack. I'm down for a game regardless of anyone's level of play (I'm not that good myself).
Day9's videos were a great watch, thanks for linking!
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