by kneff on January 18, 2010
In the Teamliquid Starleague, stars are born and dreams are crushed and nurtured in equal measure. It’s as hard as it gets, just as it should be. Polygon reVue has had the privilege to once again speak with Stefan “eX-v10)MorroW” Andersson who very recently fought a most ferocious series of matches against the young German player kolll in the TSL Round of 3.
If You haven’t followed the TSL, go and do so now, because not only will that make You feel all warm and fuzzy inside - it will also prevent You from getting the results spoiled in the interview below. These are MorroW’s thoughts on his clash with his mighty 14 year old opponent:
PR.com: Hello and welcome yet again, MorroW. Since the last time we talked you have claimed even more TSL-fame and proven that you are a force to be reckoned with among the new generation of Starcraft players. Last weekend, you faced the German Zerg wünderkid kolll in the 3rd round of the TSL. The games were all very impressive and far from ordinary – what were your thoughts when the timer was counting down for that first match on Fighting Spirit?
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by kneff on January 17, 2010
Starcraft 2 continues to taunt us with its abscence, as we have now reached January of 2010 still without having a definite release date. However, there is medicine for the cravings, and the new site of today’s feature offers a whole lot of it. Polygonrevue.com proudly presents SC2Videos.org.
Below you will be able to hear it from the head admin himself about what this site offers and how it may satisfy some of your longing for Starcraft 2. SC2Videos.org does what the name implies – offering you a comprehensive and accessible library of video content featuring this much anticipated game. All the official video clips released by Blizzard are there, but also many (many!) others.
Myself, I was happily surprised to discover just how much Starcraft 2 material that was floating about around the interweb – plenty of which I had never watched, and chances are that the same applies toYou. Various version of the SC2 Alpha has been made public on many special gaming events and conventions, and people have always made sure to capture it on video. For the first time, all that content is being collected at one place, SC2Videos.org - an affiliate partner with Polygon reVue.
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by kneff on January 15, 2010
Geoff ‘iNcontrol’ Robinson is a dynamic Zerg player indeed. Not only because of his play style, Starcraft skill (as proven by him getting into the top 48 of the current Teamliquid Starleague, for example) or appearance in the reality TV-series Ultimate Gamer – but because he’s a teacher too!
Starcraft is, in the humble opinion of this site, the most challenging and diverse electronic sport in the world. It is incredibly hard to master, and in order to improve and compete with the best a player cannot just train by him- or herself, help and dialogue with others are absolute necessities. There’s where iNcontrol offers a solution.
If You are unfamiliar with who this Starcraft veteran is, do check out the audio interview he did with polygonrevue.com in late 2009. However, it’s safe to say that iNcontrol is a solid member of the foreign elite when it comes to professional Starcraft, and he’s got a lot to teach.
The price is $10 an hour, and below iNcontrol himself explains what You will get for your money and why it can be a most worthwhile investment. Read on and find out for yourself if this is what can rocket your play into new heights:
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by kneff on January 13, 2010
2009 was a great year for Starcraft. We saw Jaedong claim his third OSL win and thereby seize his much deserved Golden Mouse. Old legends returned with force during the past year both in regular leagues and special events, and it was great to watch SlayerS_`Boxer` fight [NC]YellOw again like in the old days when the game was young.
sAviOr did not defeat everyone in 2009 as he had foretold, and many of us are sad over that, but other things make all Starcraft fans rejoice. There are now two non-Koreans, Greg ‘Idra’ Fields and Jos ‘ret’ de Croon, living and playing the game in Korea, working hard to achieve the progaming dream in the Holy Land. Soon we might see them face each other again in the Teamliquid Starleague Season 2, the most exciting Starcraft event that has ever taken place online.
Yes, it has been a good year. The only question is – was it the best year for Starcraft: Brood War ever? With The Sequel around the corner with a likely release in 2010, have we seen the most of what the game and the scene can be? Soon their will be another kid on the block, and our twelve year old favourite will get some serious competition. [click to continue…]
by kneff on January 5, 2010
A new decade has begun, one that among many other things will be the beginning of a golden age for electronic sports - I am pretty sure! To start things off in style, we have the intensive group stages of the TSL where the 48 highest ranked Starcraft players outside of the Korean Holy Land battle against each other to get one step closer to $10,000 and Drop Ships full of glory. In this first interview of 2010, I talk to one of the main contendors for the ultimate prize - Daniel ‘Nyoken’ Eidson, a Terran micro specialist who has been shooting Lockdowns at the community since the last millennia.
Here he does not only talk about the TSL and what players to look out for in the group stages, but what weaknesses there are in the seeminlgy unstoppable Idra’s armour and how the other prodigy in Korea, ret, is doing. That and much and much more is available through the windows below, and you can also download the whole interview as a podcast here. For some more exclusive Nyoken action, scroll to the bottom where you will find four matches between him and another Terran celebrity, Dan ‘Artosis’ Stemkoski from when they battled in the World Cyber Games, with commentary by Moletrap.
Now, without further ado, listen to Nyoken:
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by kneff on December 20, 2009
Ladies & Gentlemen, the Godfather has broken his vow and made a brief return to the world of Starcraft - for our Christmas pleasure. What am I talking about, You may wonder? Klazart is back, doing an unique holiday-commentary of the most recent clash between Jaedong and Flash. Yes, t’is epic.
Jaedong and Flash has fought for the ultimate supremacy over professional Starcraft for years. Arguably, the throne is held by the most fearsome Zerg player the world has ever seen - but recently Jaedong has been showing some signs of weakness. Flash is right there waiting to abuse any soft spots in Jaedong’s armour - and in this series hell is truly unleashed.
These games are all commentated by the very Godfather himself, who in the name of Christmas and Awesomeness has broken his own rule to bring You Starcraft entertainment like only he can. Click the links below to enjoy two giants of Starcraft tear each other to pieces, and click here to watch my interview with Klazart the Godfather. Merry SC-Xmas!
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by kneff on December 11, 2009
eSports are coming alive, ladies and gentlemen – interest is brewing even outside of dark basements and dimly lit PC cafés, more and more people are realising how very spectacular this form of entertainment can be. As I’ve said many times before, these are exciting times.
That is something that Geoff ‘iNcontrol’ Robinson can truly vouch for – as he apart from being a recognised force within Starcraft is also a reality TV-star and looks nothing at all like the common gamer stereotype. In this interview, iNcontrol talks about his experience of taking part in the production of the TV-show ‘Ultimate Gamer’, what it’s like to be a sponsored professional gamer and the future of eSports as he sees it.
Furthermore, he lets us know how and why he intends to go the very top of the Teamliquid Starleague – the without a doubt most fierce and unforgiving battlefield of foreign Starcraft. In a world where professional gaming is becoming more and more accepted, You are still unlikely to ever meet another progamer like iNcontrol, which makes his perspective on eSports all the more interesting.
To download this interview as mp3, click here (right click, Save As). Now, enjoy the words of what I would like to call the foreign Demi-God of War:
What did You think of the interview? Do You have any more questions for iNcontrol, or suggestions for whom I shall interview next? Share Your thoughts in the comments below
by kneff on December 10, 2009
A Starcraft player who has fought the mighty Brat_OK at a LAN and grinded himself all the way to #2 spot on the TSL ladder deserves the chance to tell his story. In this interview, MorroW - one of Sweden’s brightest SC stars - talks about the tactics needed to do well in the TSL, how it was to compete at Dreamhack whilst overdosing on pain killers and more. Without further ado, Polygon reVue presents: Stefan ‘ex-v1o)MorroW’ Andersson:
PR.COM: Hello and welcome, Stefan ‘eX-v1o)MorroW’ Andersson, thank you for doing this interview. Right now, you are ranked #2 in the TSL-ladder with a solid A, putting you just behind Idra and ahead of feared players like yosh, Strelok, ret, Mondragon, White_Ra, F91 and many others. That’s quite gosu, how do you do it?
Well to be honest, I have been practicing a real lot this season on my smurf accounts which all is now transfered over to eX-v1o)MorroW with around 600 games plus the ASL account which was around 250 and now on top of that it looks like I’m going to get 300 games on TSL before it ends.
I have also practiced alot with friends and clanmates over the season that was off-ladder.
Dodging koreans and abusing the D ranks might have played a roll in this too ^;
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by kneff on December 7, 2009
To walk down the hallowed halls of fame in Starcraft is a majestic experience indeed. For more than ten years great minds have battled for victory, most of them to no avail - and a few of them reaching far beyond the mere act of winning. I am of course talking about the first and second generation of progaming apostles, those who created an entire world out of a game. Now, they have come to fight once more. Ladies & Gentlemen, I give You:
IeSF Star Invitational Classic 8 - Return to the Legends
| SlayerS_`Boxer` |
| YellOw |
| NaDa |
| Reach |
| iloveoov |
| H.O.T.-Forever |
| IntoTheRain |
| ChRh |
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by kneff on December 6, 2009
The Pinoy Starleague is a most interesting regional Starcraft tournament. It only features players from the Philippines and is to a large degree the creation of Lipton of Starfeeder.com. So why is it of such great interest to the rest of the world? I’ll tell you.
First of all, it has got the Taste-Osis factor. That means that apart from being casted in Filipino, the international audience is served by the glimmering casting duo knows as Nick ‘Tasteless’ Plott and Dan ‘Artosis’ Stemkoski. Since they are arguably the two best Starcraft commentators in the English speaking world, every match they touch turn into gamer gold, and that’s a fact.
Second of all, these kind of events are - in my opinion - what make up the foundations of eSports, as all great things must start growing somewhere. Right now, a very entertaining amateur Starleague is going on at some islands in the Pacific, but the whole world is watching.
Furthermore, in terms of sheer entertainment value, I personally find that what makes Starcraft and other sports so good to watch is above all unpredictability. In many professional matches from Korea, players play the game perfectly - almost too much so. Whilst I enjoy seeing razor sharp skill, what I enjoy the most is the unexpected. When it comes to tournaments featuring players that are not part of the highest elite, the only guarantee is that we will not know what’s coming. Now that is fun.
Polygon reVue managed to get hold of Tasteless & Artosis and ask them about what they thoughtoft the Pinoy Starleague so far:
PR.com: You and your fellow caster in arms Artosis are commentating the ongoing Pinoy Starleague (a Philippines-only tournament), which is turning out to be quite exciting indeed. Who do you reckon will win, and what do you think about ‘grass root leagues’ like these, are they the building blocks for a brighter future of eSports?
Nick ‘Tasteless’ Plott: I love casting this league with Artosis : ) ! It’s a blast! I think it’s great for eSports and I’m not sure who is the true favorite. So far I’m going to go with Steelheart because of his experience.
I hope to see more leagues like this in the future. We’re also greatful for Lipton at starfeeder helping us out with this. It would be impossible without him.
PR.com: You and Tasteless are currently lending your casting-skills to Starfeeder’s Pinoy Starleague - an exclusive Philippines-only tournament. What do you think of the event, and are smaller competitions like these the foundation that the future of eSports will be built on?
Dan ‘Artosis’ Stemkoski: Smaller events, like the Pinoy Starleague, are the basis of eSports. Not everyone can practice the 12+ hours a day to be progamer level, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t still competitive players who deserve a place to show their skills. I would absolutely love to see more national Starleagues pop up in the future.
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![Audio interview with Sean ‘Day[9]‘ Plott - Starcraft Guru & eSports Gentleman](http://polygonrevue.com/wp-content/themes/thesis/custom/images/custom_fields/day9-interview-banner.jpg)
![A Rivalry Through The Ages - Slayers_`Boxer` vs [NC]YellOw](http://polygonrevue.com/wp-content/themes/thesis/custom/images/custom_fields/boxer-yellow-banner.jpg)
