E-Sports--do you watch and what do you think about them?

[Verzin]

League of Legends is having the World Finals championship matches this week, starting in a few minutes actually.

I've never really been sure what to think about E-Sports. Shoutcasting makes it pretty fun to watch, as shown here:

Spoiler: Shoutcasting Brilliance

(korean shoutcasting is best shoutcasting though I couldn't find the video of korean shoutcasters I wanted.)



if the current rate of growth for these tournaments continues much longer, these events may start outdoing 'real' sports, or at least breaking even with them.

Do you watch much E-Sport streaming? do you care in the slightest about it?

 

[Verzin]

I do not care at all about other people playing in tournaments, my friend who is mad about League of Legends constantly watches it.

League of legends has that effect on people. when I first started playing, I was all 'meh'.

700 games later It's more along the lines of 'SONA ULT NOAW then moakia snare ashe then darius dunk everyone. oh gawd morgana flash ult + hourglass! disengage!!' Enemy PENTAKILL! !@#$!$ &^@#%!@% NB TEAM !$@!$!%^$^234 murder puppies.

the point is league makes you crazy.

 

[Lionsfan]

No not really. I mean if people want to watch them sure, but the games they play aren't really my style

 

[DugMachine]

When you actually know what's going on in the games the videos can be quite intense. I love watching me some LoL or WoW arena vids. I'm always shouting and stuff gets intense.

 

[distortedreality]

I used to be into the competitive Counter Strike scene, but not so much these days. Don't really have the time to keep up with it anymore, or the dedication to be good enough to play at the higher levels.

Same with Starcraft actually. While I never played competitively (don't have the patience for all the micro), I used to enjoy watching the top players go at it.

I must say though that most competitive scenes in gaming have gotten considerably wankier in recent years, which is probably another part of why i'm not as interested anymore.

edit -

Spoiler: Shoutcasting Brilliance

That was awesome on so many levels.

 

[TehCookie]

I hate all sports, e-sports included. People take them way to seriously, while I'm the kind of person who likes to chill and have fun with them.

 

[alphamalet]

I don't like e-sports. It brings out the worst in the undoubtedly immature base. I like to think of video games as art. All e-sports does is use video games as a tool to have a glorified pissing match between a few people. If that's the sort of thing you like, then more power to you, but keep me out of it.

 

[Verzin]

Spoiler: Shoutcasting Brilliance

That was awesome on so many levels.

Korean Shoutcasting-->BEST shoutcasting.

trust me: you haven't heard someone describe pure insanity really fast then scream PENTA KIIIIILLLL at the top of their lungs till you've heard a professional korean shoutcaster do it.

I saw a video of one a long time ago, but I can't find it anymore. it was..the funniest thing I'd seen in months.

I don't understand where their energy comes from. it's like they drank a gallon of coffee mixed with cocaine before they started.

 

[CleverNickname]

I do watch TF2 6vs6 (and a little Highlander)

TF2 needs more love
Salamancer is awesome
as a European, I have to watch all the American stuff afterwards on youtube, though^^

 

[Tuesday Night Fever]

I used to play Counter-Strike competitively for cash way-back-when. I was never a top-tier player, but I still made some decent money off playing it. Definitely helped when buying my first car.

That said, I'm otherwise completely uninterested in E-Sports, and have zero intention of ever playing competitively again. Even from my Counter-Strike days I was never fond of the E-Sport mentality that people seem to get. My experiences with WoW Arena matches only solidified my dislike of (and sometimes hatred for) people who take E-Sports too seriously. I certainly don't want to become one of them.

 

[Genocidicles]

I think they're even more boring to watch than regular sports.

I'd rather be doing than watching I guess.

 

[Rawne1980]

Not interested in the slightest.

I can't find anything entertaining about "e-sports" nor do I enjoy watching them.

 

[skywolfblue]

I sporadically enjoy watching Starcraft 2 matches from time to time. If the casters are good it can be quite enjoyable.

 

[Launcelot111]

Too much of the actual playing of it gets into metagame bullshit that alternately bores and infuriates me.

That said, some fighting game commentators can make tournament matches pretty fun to watch.

 

[Tayh]

They're somewhat more interesting than real-life sports, but it still isn't anything I'd waste time watching - I'd much prefer to be playing the games myself.
I'd never watch MOBA or RTS games, though. If it isn't a game I'm playing, or have played, then there's no entertainment value in it for me.

I watched some Battlefield 2 esport on the TV once, that was fairly interesting. Atleast it wasn't counter strike.