Starcraft nears one decade

Starcraft will be 10 years old in March of this year. While it was a popular game when it released, I think no one would have predicted that people would still be playing it nearly a decade after its release. Who would have thought that it would evolve into the top e-sport medium in the world? Even today in Korea, 11 professional teams, in a league compromising of over 300 pro players compete for millions of dollars of prizes.  Further, the ranks of amateur leagues and tournaments are packed with eager young players. Yes, Korea isn’t the entire world, but you can’t dismiss the influence of that country in today’s professional gaming scene.

Back in 2002 when the idea of a professional gaming league in Korea was first introduced, critics (both in Korea and abroad) pretty much scoffed at the idea. They believed that no one in their right mind would watch two players play against each other in a video game. However, not only did the nascent league succeed, it thrived. Today, televison channels (yes, there’s more than just one in Korea) that air matches against top players still attract plenty of viewers, and even web broadcast (such as the recent one aired by GomTV.com) are viewed by over a million visitors. Not bad for a game that should’ve long hit the gaming retirement home years ago.

The Starcraft league looks like it will kick it up into high gear in the next year or two with the introduction of Blizzard’s Starcraft 2, a sequel that promises the strong game play of the first with new added elements and technology. Still, it will be interesting to see if the original is ever supplanted. A previous Blizzard effort, Warcraft III, didn’t manage to supplant Starcraft’s role as the preferred platform for professional gaming (though it did manage to inspire a rather modest MMO ).  And real time strategy games from other developers, while they have sold well, haven’t had the longevity of the original Starcraft.

Lest you think that anyone can compete in this league, professional players boast the ability to process and perform 300 to 400 actions per minute (APM), that’s a phenomenal amount of ability to click the mouse and micromanage units.  An average player can generally manage one third of the APM output of a professional player. Professionals train hard, dedicating 12-13 hours a day playing, sleeping in team dormitories and essentially forgoing a social life. Pro players innovate and memorize intricate build strategies that are on par with the intricacies of chess openings. Further, the competition to get into and stay in the professional leagues is intense, as difficult as getting into a professional sports league. Careers as a gaming professional are short, as the brain’s ability to process APMs degrade noticeably with age.

Is it worth it?  Any professional Korean player would answer yes. Few people get to play a game they enjoy for a living and the top players are treated with celebrities with fan clubs and legions of fans. There’s even a Starcraft idol, ToSsGirL, arguably the best (and possibly most attractive) female Starcraft player in the world.

Recently, GomTV has hired Nick “Tasteless” Plott to do English language webcasts of Starcraft matches. League organizers recognize that previous efforts to market the league outside of Korea have largely failed and hope that Nick Plott’s appeal (he’s podcasted the World Cyber Games and the Blizzard Worldwide International) will ignite more interest in among non-Koreans.

As to what a match looks like, take a look a the following match:

Recent match: effort vs. Bisu on January 4, 2009 (Korean commentary)

You can see Starcraft matches with English commentary at GomTV.net.

Edit 2-19-09: Removed old video.

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