Original Translation by OpticalShot @ TeamLiquid
Blog Reposted by notYuna
Regarding the imminent integration of SC2 into the eSports scene, “fans hold the key”
There is a very good chance that the upcoming Proleague (starts in May), the match format will feature both SC1 and SC2. Finally, the KeSPA-registered progamers can play StarCraft 2 in broadcasted matches. Considering the conflict between Blizzard and KeSPA at the time around SC2 release, the fact that the two came to an agreement can be considered a major step forward. Still, there are more worries than anticipation regarding this issue. A great deal of media focus has been on the progaming teams as they prepare for the first ever Proleague with SC2.
Fomos, the leading eSports news web portal, held a special conference with head coaches of each progaming team. With the integration of SC2 being accepted as the inevitable truth, we asked how each team is preparing for the change, and what challenges they are facing. All head coaches from each of the progaming teams, with the exception of Airforce Ace, attended the conference.
▶ Are teams practising SC2?
Fomos: Thank you all for coming to the Fomos 5-year anniversary special conference. Truth be told, KeSPA already had ideas and plans to add SC2 to the eSports content prior to the Proleague Season 1 which finished recently. There were also rumours of teams practising SC2. However, finally, in season 2, it seems like that the incorporation of SC2 into the existing SC1 scene is inevitable. Thus, there aren’t any reasons to shun away from SC2 talks any more. As far as I know, all the teams are practising SC2 as a part of the regular routine. Let’s hear it from each of you about how your team is preparing for the upcoming season.
STX Coach Kim: It’s true that we practiced SC2 a little bit prior to Season 1, but there weren’t any final words on the matter, so we didn’t get too deep into it. I’m sure other teams were in similar situations.
Stars Coach Lee: Regarding SC2, we should all ask SKT and STX. Gaming communities had a lot to say about those two teams and SC2. SKT in particular – I heard that SKT held a test session where they invited some SC2 hopefuls, but in the end they didn’t sign anybody. In essence, SKT just obtained a bunch of replay files for free, am I correct?
SKT Coach Park: It’s true we had a test session, but we didn’t recruit anybody because none of them were up to our standards. Why are you picking on me?
KT Coach Lee: Like SKT, we had our fair share of negative rumours. Several B-teamers in our team actually practiced SC2 full time, [in their own anticipation of SC2 being incorporated into the league] but since there weren’t any KeSPA-sanctioned SC2 leagues, they were very frustrated. We, as a team, provided them with whatever helped we could, but we couldn’t answer when they would be able to play televised matches. So they left, but in the communities they made it sound like we kicked them out. Thankfully, most of them went on to join existing SC2 teams.
STX Coach Kim: When SC2 talks first started, the most enthusiastic team was SKT. From what I’ve heard, they have the most practice up to date when it comes to SC2.
Fomos: Right from the start, I see that you guys are passionate and competitive about this. I’m certain that most of you coaches have personally played SC2, so what do you think about the game itself?
Stars Coach Lee: I’m not at the level of a professional gamer, but I have to know about the game as a coach, so yes I played it a fair bit. To be honest, I didn’t find it fun. Many of our players felt the same way in the beginning, but they gradually found it enjoyable as they started regularly winning. If some of them are forced to play a game they don’t enjoy for the sake of having a job, it will be tough.
▶ StarCraft 1 and StarCraft 2 are completely different games?
Fomos: Many experts have stated that “StarCraft 1 and StarCraft 2 are completely different games, save for the name.” What are your opinions on that statement?
Team 8 Coach Joo: It’s different. Some airship is doing the job that medics used to do. There are many units that were changed or added, plus the Korean version has awkwardly translated names which make it even harder to adapt. Graphics became fancier for sure, going 2D to 3D, but it doesn’t feel comfortable yet. Take Zerg for example, there are so many different units that it’s hard to tell what’s going on unless you’ve played it. The game speed seems to be too fast. I know that StarCraft 2 is based on StarCraft 1 in many aspects, but it still feels very new.
Fomos: You pointed out that changes in graphics and Korean translations add to the difficulty of transition. I wonder what the players are saying about it. Nonetheless, it is a sequel, and I am with the general consensus that progamers would be able to adapt at a much faster pace than the average casual gamer trying out SC2 for the first time.
Stars Coach Lee: It hasn’t been long since we started the SC2 practice, but players find it difficult to switch between SC1 and SC2. For that chose a different race for SC2, they find it even more difficult. Most of the players that started out SC2 with a new race seemed to get good results in the beginning, but they soon hit a wall and they are playing the same race they played in SC1 now.
▶ How to incorporate both SC1 and SC2 into the same league?
Fomos: There is no doubt that using both games in the same league will not be an easy task. Progaming teams and fans alike are very worried about multiple things.
Stars Coach Lee: All of us are meeting very frequently nowadays to discuss various issues. We are always thinking of ways to make a better, friendlier league for everyone. Despite our best efforts, I think some sacrifices will be necessary for the transition. When the new league starts with the new format, there will be fans that adapt and there will others that leave. I’m fairly positive that majority of the fans will adapt to the new format.
Team 8 Coach Joo: I agree. If it’s impossible to continue the league with just StarCraft 1, KeSPA will be heavily criticized no matter what decision it makes. Rain will eventually stop falling, and the sunshine will follow. If we’re going to be criticized anyway, we might as well make the best decision for the future.
KT Coach Lee: That’s why we are advocating using the English version of StarCraft 2. We want to call siege tanks “Siege Tank”s, and high templars “High Templar”s. For StarCraft 1 fans to understand StarCraft 2, shouldn’t they at least hear familiar names for familiar units? Another issue is the league format. We are expecting fans to be excited about the star players like TBLS (Bisu, Stork, Flash, and Jaedong) and that they’ll watch their games no matter what, but we should also do our part in making sure that the game quality is up to the standards. We have a lot to prove.
[T/N: In Korean Version, Siege Tank is 공성전차 (pronounced gong-sung-jun-cha, means siege tank lolz), and High Templar is 고위기사 (pronounced go-wee-gi-sa, means high-rank knight/templar)]
Fomos: Are we all together for preserving the StarCraft 1 unit names for StarCraft 2?
Stars Coach Lee: That’s what’s best for the fans. They are essentially the same unit but if we call them differently they’ll be confused.
Khan Coach January: Our Zerg players didn’t know what an “ahm-heuk-sung-so” (Dark Shrine) was, so they had to ask the Protoss players to find out. There are a lot of new things to learn.
SKT Coach Park: When we first started playing SC2, we even held written tests for unit and building names. Our guys were confused and some of the test results were hilarious. Maybe a long while later, when things settle, we’ll release the test results on Fomos and I’m sure everyone will have a good laugh.
All: Wow, indeed SKT! Impeccable preparations!
▶ Must we play StarCraft 2?
Fomos: There are gains and losses with the introduction of SC2 into our league, but most of the analysis points to the fact that running a SC1-exclusive league is no longer viable. Some say that the introduction of SC2 is not a choice, but a necessary step in the world of capitalism. Additionally, the issue of finding a sponsor for Team 8 is not completely independent of the overall decision.
Stars Coach Lee: For STX Coach Lee and myself, we were in this business forever. You can call us the grandfathers, the original fans. Nevertheless, times have changed, and we know that we must accept the changes. Sponsorship and other problems don’t resolve by themselves if we don’t act.
Team 8 Coach Joo: When I meet with corporate executives, I can definitely feel the tensions and worries. Despite that, my personal wish is for StarCraft 1 to fade away as a legend, but maybe in the future we’d say the same thing about StarCraft 2. None of us can stop the flow of time. The reality is that not a single country outside Korea has an offline StarCraft 1 league right now. In the times where eSports is going global, we can’t help but choose StarCraft 2. The times demand that we play both SC1 and SC2. Soon the proleague will be completely SC2, but I dearly wish that we don’t abandon SC1, which has led and carried eSports for the past decade. Personally, I wish that SC1 would continue, even if the league is much smaller and shorter.
STX Coach Kim: Even if one doesn’t agree with the introduction of SC2, the real problem has nothing to do with the selection of the game. We have made numerous mistakes in the past and there are still many things we can improve on, but if we don’t correct them right now then we will be here and discussing the same problems again and again. Team 8 Coach Joo just mentioned that the transition to SC2 was demanded by the popular culture at this time, but I think it’s our fault that we made SC1 less popular. There was no shortage of popular games in the past decade. Cart Rider and Sudden Attack have much greater number of users than StarCraft 1. Instead of looking at the transition as a cultural evolution kind of view, I think the fault is that we didn’t give it our best when SC1 scene was at its peak. Really, we’ve boasted about the 100,000 crowd attendance at Gwang-ahn-ri (most of the PL finals were held at this beach), and done nothing else. It will be the same with SC2. Just because it has a large global market, we can’t be naïve about the game. There is no guarantee that the same problems won’t arise again.
Fomos: But sure, when SC2 came out, SC1 suddenly felt old, and many felt an obligation to play SC2.
STX Coach Lee: I think Blizzard named their new game very well. If the name of SC2 wasn’t “StarCraft 2”, I’m quite certain we wouldn’t even need to have this talk right now.
Team 8 Coach Joo: The things I said about tidings of time and culture didn’t mean that we must absolutely play SC2. I was just lamenting at the fact that Korea is the only country with a proper SC1 league. It’s true that SC2 isn’t as popular here in Korea as it is globally. Look at MLG, they’ve grown to the stage that they can rent out the Anaheim Convention Centre, and attract a huge number of fans despite the entrance fee. The important fact is that when we made a grand scene with SC1, the global focus was mediocre at best, but the potential for the same is much better with SC2 right now. eSports infrastructure is being developed and refined overseas at an unprecedented pace.
STX Coach Lee: Well, SC1 was released in 1998 and about 2 years later, the game in itself has already sort of faded off. We revived it as legitimate eSports content and have kept it going for this long, until today. It was essentially dead overseas and many people pointed fingers at us for playing an archaic game. However, as times passed, the number of SC1 fans increased, both here and globally. When did TeamLiquid first launch? I feel like the number of SC1 fans are actually steadily growing globally. Of course, we can’t really compare with the number of SC2 fans, but the interest for SC1 is definitely there. Some are saying SC2 will open the doors to globalize the Korean eSports scene, but I have a different viewpoint on this. Some say sending Korean players to overseas SC2 market is globalization and expansion. I see it as a reduction of our domestic eSports scene. Yes, earning foreign currencies overseas is good for players, but for so many years we’ve declared ourselves the leading eSports country, and it sounds like we’ve given up on being the leader now. If we had a strong infrastructure here and sold only the contents overseas, the players wouldn’t need to go far away to have a sustainable career.
Fomos: Realistically, it seems impossible for SC1 to be globalized in the way you described it.
STX Coach Kim: I know that’s the general consensus around, but have anyone really tried their best to do it? The popularity of SC1 rose naturally without any extravagant marketing efforts. The large number of replies on videos and articles on TeamLiquid didn’t exist a couple years ago. If we want to globalize with SC1, we should have explored those options much earlier. We were consumed in our own arrogance that SC1 was “our” league.
Fomos: On a related note, it is very unfortunate that the Shanghai Proleague finals were cancled last year. It may have been too little too late, but it was one of the largest attempts at globalizing SC1 content.
STX Coach Kim: Exactly. Those should have been made available from the beginning. I’m not an educated expert on global economy, but in the past two decades where major investments were made into the Chinese market, eSports failed to look into the possibilities. The reason why I’m blabbing on about this is that we must not miss those opportunities in SC2. When we commit ourselves to SC2, we have to do our best to make it enjoyable, and we must not make the same mistakes we made with SC1. Shouting “globalization” without any credible knowledge is not the solution.
▶ How fast will the existing progamers adapt to SC2?
Fomos: When SC2 is incorporated, one of the major worries is that neither game will be at the high quality we are accustomed to. Let’s discuss.
STX Coach Lee: Right now, there is no point in comparing with GSL or other established SC2 leagues. Our job is to work hard to appeal to our fans in the best way possible.
CJ Coach Kim: I agree that we shouldn’t be comparing game level/quality with other established leagues, but fans will still compare. Then again, our fans have confidence in our progaming team system and the years of experience, so they will patiently wait for us to catch up and even exceed.
Team 8 Coach Joo: The preparation time is very short and the two games will coexist side-by-side instead of a full transition, so it will be tough in many ways. I’d like to share a little story with our team. You all know that we helped SKT prepare for the finals by being sparring partners. To be honest, since we didn’t make the playoffs, we were already practising SC2 at the start of postseason. When our players went back to SC1 one morning, they felt like the screen was lagging. Many of them made hotkey mistakes. Then, the same day afternoon, the issues subsided and we were grooving along as usual. Our practice games were amazing, and we beat SKT 4:2 on the mock finals (laughs). Since SC2 has a much faster pace, some players actually micromanaged better in SC2. There will be complaints in the beginning, but most of them will adjust just fine.
Fomos: Perhaps an analogous situation would be runners training with sandbags then taking them off near the competition date? Please share more stories like this, I’m sure the readers are curious!
Stars Coach Lee: I first thought that the better players in SC1 would be better players in SC2, but it didn’t hold true for everyone. It’s more of a case-by-case thing. Some players are only good at SC1, some only at SC2, and some are good at both. In any case, I’m confident that practice will make up for the gaps. Honestly, some of the players that were, let’s say, terrible at SC1, are now absolutely demolishing others in SC2. We all started at the same time, but already we’re seeing skill differences.
▶ StarCraft 2, a new opportunity for players?
Team 8 Coach Joo: One thing that’s changed in our team is that our players were never late to lunch, and after that they all took the scheduled rest. Now, after lunch, all of them head straight to the computers. It’s a new game and they find it interesting. I think some of them know that it’s a new opportunity to climb the ranks, so they focus better than before.
CJ Coach Kim: It’s true. Some of our players used to feel like catching up to the top class SC1 players were simply impossible. Now, everyone feels like they’re on even ground. They’re very committed their practice time.
Team 8 Coach Joo: For all the players who lived in the shadows of TBLS, SC2 is a great opportunity. It’s like someone hit the reset button, and we’re off to a new race.
Fomos: To look at the positive side of things, the bottom-rank players would aim to be the new TBLS of SC2, and the existing TBLS and similar level players would aim not to lose their prestigious positions.
Stars Coach Lee: Some of our old players that considered retirement in the past while actually regained the passion while practising for both games. If we kept going with SC1 only, our team would have had retirement news to release.
▶ Coaches chat about the Proleague
Fomos: It seems like the coach of the champions, SKT Head Coach Park, became rather silent in the past few minutes. I know that you guys are planning to have a vacation in Hawaii, but after that you’ll be strapped on practice time for Season 2.
SKT Coach Park: There are so many things in my mind right now. Even if we squeeze out every day we can, we get 10 days or so.
CJ Coach Kim: Still, the word around town is that SKT will win the upcoming season anyway.
Stars Coach Lee: Yeah! I heard SKT is full of grandmasters.
Team 8 Coach Joo: Is that why the upcoming season is being delayed a little? Did you all hear about the delay?
All: Hehehe
Fomos: If the season is delayed, teams get more practice time… is that why?
CJ Coach Kim: Our team is fine if the season starts tomorrow. Let’s not give SKT time to practice!
SKT Coach Park: No! Why are you guys all ganging up on me?
Fomos: Wow, the jealousy towards the winning team is definitely real! Back on topic, do some teams just have inherent advantages when it comes to preparing for SC2?
Stars Coach Lee: Yep, that’s SKT. They act fast, and they somehow get all the information before we do. Plus they steal replays.
CJ Coach Kim: When it comes to SC2, the team is SKT. I heard they are very good already. I heard Bisu and Fantasy were already grandmasters on the ladder, and some others as well.
SKT Coach Park: All rumours, I say! Our best player is diamond. You guys are too caught up in the fact that we practiced SC2 prior to the previous season, but we honestly stopped playing SC2 when the season started, and only recently picked it up again. Actually, what I know is that STX practiced SC2 early, even during Season 1.
STX Coach Lee: Who told you that? We didn’t touch SC2 during Season 1.
SKT Coach Park: We honestly played SC2 for just 2 weeks, okay? We forbid the players from playing it after that.
STX Coach Kim: The word around town back then was that SC2 would be incorporated into Season 1. KeSPA kept hinting at that, so we did our part in preparing for it. In Season 1, we were at a disadvantageous position because we spent too much time on SC2.
SKT Coach Park: Another thing I want to clarify: we ended our SC2 practice after those two weeks not because we heard that SC2 wouldn’t be included in Season 1, but because there were so many new maps for SC1. We decided to allocate our time to those new maps, not SC2.
CJ Coach Lee: Considering the “lucky” timing… you also understand that we had to shake our heads about that? (laughs)
STX Coach Kim: Knowing where to get up-to-date information is a good skill to have.
SKT Coach Park: No, that’s not true. Regarding SC2-related information, isn’t Woongjin the fastest to access those?
Team 8 Coach Joo: Woongjin does get the info quickly but they’re just slow at reacting.
All: Hahaha
STX Coach Lee: Yeah, fine, our team spent a considerable amount of time practising SC2. We do have grandmasters in our team. Many of our players felt hostile towards the new game in the beginning, but now they’ve accepted it and they enjoy the game for the most part.
Fomos: When it comes to freedom and low-pressure environment, it’s Samsung Khan. Coach January, how is your team doing?
Khan Coach January: Our team’s practice schedule is the toughest of all teams, so I don’t know why people think our guys have it easy. We are not a loose-minded team. We are practising SC2 at about the same pace as the other teams, but at the moment, I think we are the worst at SC2.
▶ Things to prepare before SC2
KT Coach Lee: Personally, we are lacking diversity and quantity in contents. We’re down to just a single broadcasting station and we lost one of the two major individual leagues, so there are too little games nowadays. I hope that with the addition of SC2, more contents will be made available. Other than leagues and competitions, I hope we get more events and TV variety shows. Instead of viewing it as an acceptance of failure in SC2, we should look at SC2 as a new opportunity for expanding our scene.
Team 8 Coach Joo: As Coach Lee said, I hope Ongamenet will be with us in making good preparations for the addition of SC2. Perhaps an introductory-level program, for the fans, would be beneficial.
Stars Coach Lee: All of OGN, KeSPA, the teams, and sponsors must work together to form a positive atmosphere. Our job is to showcase the exciting, high-level games, but all is meaningless if there are no fans. We have to prioritize our fans. There is very little time remaining, and we must act fast.
KT Coach Lee: Do you remember the program called “Doctor Yong’s Manner Pylon”? [T/N: Kingdom had his own SC1 show] In the beginning people were confused as to why such a show was necessary, but I remember that it gained popularity quite quickly and the viewership numbers were decent. Similar kind of informative and fun programs will be needed for SC2.
SKT Coach Park: I agree, and I have similar ideas as well. I hope that the association will vitalize the amateur scene with amateur leagues and such. Playing it once is better than hearing about it a hundred times. We have to work towards increasing the number of users.
CJ Coach Lee: But, from OGN’s point of view, they can’t allocate that much time and money into SC2 if they aren’t going to have the viewership numbers to justify it. Nowadays, they’re trying very hard to popularize LoL.
Stars Coach Lee: Hopefully we’ll have more broadcasting stations and internet casts in the future. It may seem unreasonable to do everything at once right now, but these are issues that we must eventually tackle together, piece by piece.
▶ Time will remedy the players’ skill issue.
Fomos: With all that being said, the number of SC1 fans still overwhelms the number of SC2 fans in Korea. In that aspect, the addition of SC2 seems rather force-fed. To hold on to fan support, the key will be how fast can players showcase the level of skill they used to in SC1. Some fans worry that should some of the high-profile SC1 fail to adapt, their legends and records will be tainted. For example, a godly figure like Flash can potentially crumble to newbies in SC2, or he could continue his dominance in the new game as well.
KT Coach Lee: Flash didn’t play SC2 for a long time. All the experience he has with SC2 comes from a short period of time while he was in rehabilitation. He didn’t even know what the units do or were good at, but he managed to reach masters with ease. I am one of the many that are curious to see how well he will do in SC2.
All: Sigh, it’s Flash again.
Khan Coach January: We should force Flash to play Protoss in SC2.
Team 8 Coach Joo: Nono, I’ll make Jaedong play Terran so you should make Flash play Zerg.
KT Coach Lee: Prior to this season, the abolishment of ace matches attracted a ton of criticism, and many fans were worried for us. However, many fans grew to appreciate and enjoy the new format anyway. We can make it enjoyable for the fans.
Stars Coach Lee: The current generation of SC2 superstars all have some history with us. MVP used to be with us. Other ex-BW progamers include Nestea, July, MMA, etc. Maybe we can call them for some helpful tips on how to transition successfully. I am confident that all the players will reach excellent playing quality in a very short time.
KT Coach Lee: If we had the time, we could have tested it out in a pre-season format. Too bad that we’re running short.
Stars Coach Lee: The bottom line is, if the addition of SC2 fails, both SC1 and SC2 could die. In the times where eSports is losing its fire, we have to do whatever it takes to make it burn brightly again. If the side-by-side, mixed format happens to go well with the fans, I’m fine with this format for the season after that as well.
Team 8 Coach Joo: Pessimistic people said that SC1 has been dead for years now, but look at the recent Proleague Finals. The game quality was excellent, and fan support was overwhelming. Again, we come back to this, the key to the future of eSports is in the hands of the fans. Another important aspect is the history of eSports, written by the star players. I am certain that in SC2, star players and stylistic players will arise and make headlines. I hope that teams and media can catch on to those and produce interesting stories for the ages. From what I’ve seen at our practice, game quality will not be a problem for long.
▶ Last words, for the fans!
Fomos: Thank you all for participating. Before we call it a day, I would like each one of you to have a few words for the fans.
STX Coach Kim: I fear that I happened to play devil’s advocate today, but really I am excited and hopeful for the upcoming season. Playing both games will not be easy, especially when we are relatively unfamiliar with one of the games. However, SC2 has a simple interface and we have transferrable skills from SC1, so it won’t take long. I’m sure if you fans stick with the players and the teams, you will be comfortable with the new format. We are facing a new challenge, and I hope that you will be there with us.
Khan Coach January: It’s sad that the new format was hammered down to us with very little input from the players and the teams. That’s why I didn’t have a lot to say in this conference. As a coach, I will do my best and I can say for the players that they’ll each give it their best as well. Pushing for the survival of SC1 may be a tough thing to ask, but I hope the upcoming leagues will reflect the opinions and desires of the fans and the players. I ask you to be open-minded about the changes, and we’ll do our part to provide you with quality content.
STX Coach Lee: Let me add that it’s true what Coach January said; communication within the league is not very active. I hope that that more communication windows will be open between the players, fans, coaches, sponsors, and the league.
Team 8 Coach Joo: Fans support was overwhelming as always in Season 1, but we didn’t have enough contents to showcase. After all, SC1 only had one league in the past few months. We can’t let our guard down just because the stadium attendance was up. When SC2 is added, I know that satisfactory smiles from SC1 game could immediately turn into frowns when SC2 is aired next. We will do our best to prevent that from happening. If fans leave the scene, eSports will cease to exist. I hope that some of the league executives and producers will keep that in mind.
Stars Coach Lee: There will be uphills and downhills. Now we aim to climb a new mountain. KeSPA, the teams, and the players – we all have to climb together. I was full of worries at first, but now have high hopes for the future. SC2 isn’t the end solution, and it’s possible that we try different games in the future too. No matter what mountain lies ahead, I hope the fans will be with us all the way. Lastly, since TBLS is all reset now, next season belongs to Woongjin Stars!
CJ Coach Kim: I think all the coaches want to say the same thing. We’ll give it our best, and we’re positive that the outcome will be good as well. Even outside of eSports, new challenges shake things up and negativity will be there in the beginning. Please continue to support us, and let us know how we can make it better for you. We will do our best.
KT Coach Lee: Even after the closing of MBC Game and the disbanding of several teams, we couldn’t have a proper conference like this. I know that this conference owes a lot to Fomos and their 5th anniversary celebration, but I also think the desire for the better future of eSports put us together today. Every single player, every single person involved is working with the common goal, so I ask you to let us know how you feel. Give us both criticism and support. Soon before you know it, we’ll dazzle you with the games you love.
SKT Coach Park: For the loyal SC1 fans, I understand the mixed format looks like a complete foolish gimmick. I hope you understand that it was the best we could do under the current circumstances. I encourage you to have high hopes for the upcoming season. I’m confident that Bisu and Fantasy will be global leaders in SC2, so look out for us!
Conference Moderator: Reporter Young Hoon Kang
Article organized by Reporter Sung Pyo Kim
Copyrights ⓒ FOMOS (http://www.fomos.kr)
