Starcraft is one of those franchises which fit the spectator game mold. The action can start as early as two minutes in and either player could buckle and break at any moment. Spectators anticipate how chosen tactics will interact before the players are privy to all the required information and appreciate the skill of the execution as it happens.
Enough tournaments are held throughout the year that many upper-tier players need to choose where they will participate. The South Korean GSL and American MLG are two of the most popular tournament organizations but when developer-publisher Blizzard hosts an international tournament with $250,000 USD of prizes it instantly proves its worth.
The 2012 Battle.net World Championship wrapped up from Shanghai, China over the last weekend. Competitors from 14 countries on five continents clashed until we were left with South Korea taking Bronze, Silver, and Gold.
There was not too much Terran love present this year with just four of the 32 finalists needing to construct additional supply depots. Quarterfinals saw an even split between Protoss and Zerg which eventually paired down to a Protoss versus Protoss finale.
The Gold Medalist PartinG received a PartinG gift, heh heh, of $100,000. This prize makes him the second-highest earning Protoss competitor behind Korean MC of team oGs.
Blizzard has already booked next year’s tournament to coincide with BlizzCon 2013 which will return after its 2012 hiatus.
I was watching these games
I was watching these games live, via the Battle.net steams, very fun to watch these guys play at this level. Ive been playing StarCraft since 1998, it was actually the game that got me into PC gaming (well that and WarCraft).
The things the surprised me the most out of these finals were the fact that most of the players were playing Protoss, which at the MLG finals a few weeks ago it was mainly Zerg and Terran (almost 50/50) and only like 2 Protoss players.
Btw, if anyone still wants to watch any of the replays (they are all casted, some by “Day9”), its on Battle.net
^.^
Most the tournies its
Most the tournies its toss/zerg dominated. Terran is rather weak race of the game cause some building speed boosts they don’t get the other 2 have. I watched quite a few of the regional tournaments over last 4-5 months. Its majority protoss or zerg that dominate. Only on a few times terran players make it decent way through.
Actually Terran was dominant
Actually Terran was dominant for the longest time.
They don't have Chronoboost or Larva/Larva Inject but they do have MULEs and reactors.
Also, marines (ghosts late-lategame) are synergistic with just about any unit composition you can produce.