The OSL Finals. Biggest stage in Star Craft. Yeah, it's big.
Starcraft is unique in the sense that it is 12 years old, and is still played by at least fifty thousand or so people. Other than perhaps tetris, which is amazing in its own right, Starcraft is the only other video game to be widely played for this long. Its longevity can largely be attributed the competitive scene.
Progamer. No, not a programmer, a progamer. These are the sports stars of the E-sports world. You think playing a game as a job is an easy career? These guys continuously perfect their gameplay, for at the very least, 12 hours a day, then spend the rest of the day sleeping, eating, and exercising. No social life, no free time, no half-year long off-season. Stare at a computer screen for six months out of twelve, and not chatting, playing other games, or browsing TV Tropes. It is far harder and more demanding than a regular athlete's training. And 90% of these players have wages comparable to a factory worker's. Yet, if you become good enough, you will have crowds of fangirls, along with a very respectable wage of over 300 000 US dollars a year.
How did Starcraft become this successful in the first place? Balance. Each of the three races, Terran, Protoss, and Zerg have their own strengths and weaknesses. None are inherently stronger than the other, and each of the six matchups between these three races are completely individual. Terran vs Protoss? Get ready for a twenty minute long buildup of forces with the occasional economy harass. Zerg vs Zerg? It'll be over in ten minutes with non-stop action. And yet Starcraft maintains a win-rate of no more than 55% in every match up.
Starcraft is also WATCHABLE, something that modern RTS games do not have. You can observe what's happening, know exactly what's going on at each moment in time, thanks to the 12 year old graphics, AND ITS FUN TO WATCH. No other genre than RTS can do this, and no other RTS does it as well as Starcraft does.
Starcraft is the first and only one of its kind. A video game that is played as a sport. An E-sport. Blizzard has gone and is making Starcraft II, currently in its beta phase. Perhaps it will be successful, perhaps not, but Starcraft, the original, is currently the only and best E-sport.
E-sport
Progamer. No, not a programmer, a progamer. These are the sports stars of the E-sports world. You think playing a game as a job is an easy career? These guys continuously perfect their gameplay, for at the very least, 12 hours a day, then spend the rest of the day sleeping, eating, and exercising. No social life, no free time, no half-year long off-season. Stare at a computer screen for six months out of twelve, and not chatting, playing other games, or browsing TV Tropes. It is far harder and more demanding than a regular athlete's training. And 90% of these players have wages comparable to a factory worker's. Yet, if you become good enough, you will have crowds of fangirls, along with a very respectable wage of over 300 000 US dollars a year.
How did Starcraft become this successful in the first place? Balance. Each of the three races, Terran, Protoss, and Zerg have their own strengths and weaknesses. None are inherently stronger than the other, and each of the six matchups between these three races are completely individual. Terran vs Protoss? Get ready for a twenty minute long buildup of forces with the occasional economy harass. Zerg vs Zerg? It'll be over in ten minutes with non-stop action. And yet Starcraft maintains a win-rate of no more than 55% in every match up.
Starcraft is also WATCHABLE, something that modern RTS games do not have. You can observe what's happening, know exactly what's going on at each moment in time, thanks to the 12 year old graphics, AND ITS FUN TO WATCH. No other genre than RTS can do this, and no other RTS does it as well as Starcraft does.
Starcraft is the first and only one of its kind. A video game that is played as a sport. An E-sport. Blizzard has gone and is making Starcraft II, currently in its beta phase. Perhaps it will be successful, perhaps not, but Starcraft, the original, is currently the only and best E-sport.