The North American Starcraft League - Fact or Fiction

Obviously by now, you can tell I'm a SC2 fan. The game is exciting. Did I ever wish it would grow as big in North America as it is in Korea? Hell, yeah. It not only means that aspiring pro-gamers can earn money, but they can make the money doing what they enjoy doing. 

For weeks now a gamer by the name of Incontrol has been teasing players with an announcement so spectacular that SC2 gamers were abuzz. Finally, after much hype, the news was revealed. The NASL (North American Star League). What is it?  By most posts in the forums, I don't think anyone knows. What are its intentions? That too is unclear. When the people that run the show compare SC2 to basketball, they obviously don't know what the game is.  But it doesn't matter, because most hopeful pro-gamers won't even get the chance to shoot a hoop.

Can I just say (well I guess I can because it's my blog lol) I think it's a get rich quick scheme. Unfortunately, the only ones who are gonna make any money are the folks promoting this. They're going to sell their "live" games (which, according to the information I'm getting aren't live) to a bunch of idiots, who will purchase the games? 

Whoa! Excuse me, but when I buy a pay-per-view for let's say a championship boxing match (even that sport might relate to SC2 better than basketball) I'm watching it live. *shrugs* Okay, I don't get the meaning "live" as defined by the NASL.

What was really fun was when they posted a "Who's your favorite player" roster. Yeah people like you and me were able to vote for their favorite player. Wait a minute! Is the NASL going to have a league of "skilled" players or "popular" players? Or was this just a gimmick to acquire your email address? And if it is the latter, for what reason? 

I, for one, smell a rat. As a matter of fact, they claim that the roster they  posted was hacked. Unknown players were beating out well-known ones in popularity. How exciting to see your name on page one with thousands of votes. How disheartening to see your name disappear from the roster. "No way you could have that many votes."

Well, if you were out politicking - which unfortunately a person was forced to do by these standards - then, yes, it's possible. 

Avilo, whom I'll use as an example, because I know him personally, put himself out there. He hoped, like many others that he'd be chosen by the NASL. HA! It's all a sick joke. You vote for your favorite, but NASL already knows who they're going to choose for the league. The most "popular" gamers, not exactly the most skilled. Why else would Idra come back to America from Korea? Well, according to one poster, because he couldn't win a game in Korea and they don't want him anymore. Okay, I just laughed out loud.

Back on topic - The competition for the NASL isn't working your way in by winning games, it's if you're popular and on a team or have a sponsor. For the tens of thousands out there, who are excellent players, but aren't on a team and don't have a sponsor is their dream dead? Well, they've lost this round. 

Even though many people supported avilo - who is a skilled player and has won tournaments and even beaten a lot of the "popular" players - he was deleted from the roster. When he contacted the powers that be to find out why, he was told "it was an accident." They returned him to the roster with his plus 13,000 votes. Why? Because it doesn't matter. NASL knows who the chosen few are and as hopeful as he is that the NASL is on the level, he's not on their list of the elitist.  

And that, my friends, is life and other fantasies. :(