Tag: Starcraft 2

TSR eSports Interview

Getting To Know “Samsc2” from Complexity Gaming

April 26, 2013 /

Tonight I had the pleasure of interviewing Samuel “Samsc2” Kasperek from Complexity Gaming (or perhaps ‘affiliated with’ is the better term). He was a very interesting guest, although much of what we talked about was prior and after the broadcast. What we did capture and share was this:

  1. Opening question: “What’s your gaming history?”
  2. Casting and commentating questions
  3. Community organizer questions
  4. General eSports questions
  5. Closing questions and remarks

You can find time links to each section of the interview in the video description on YouTube. Also be sure to follow Sam on Twitter and tune into his Twitch.tv channel. Thanks for watching and if you have any “behind the scenes” guests you think need some airtime, let me know!

TSR eSports Interview

Getting To Know “Marine” from Impulse eSports

April 25, 2013 /

Tonight’s interview is with Ed “Marine” Grubb from Impulse eSports. We had a pretty long discussion covering these topics:

  1. Opening question: “What’s your gaming history?”
  2. The history of Impulse eSports
  3. PhysicsLee cheating controversy
  4. CS:S acquisition and adding teams to Impulse
  5. All about the ISTL
  6. ISTL Season 4 information, qualifier dates
  7. General eSports questions
  8. The future of Impulse eSports

You can find time links to each section in the video description on YouTube. Be sure to follow Marine on Twitter and the official Impulse eSports Twitter. You can also learn more about the PhysicsLee controversy on TeamLiquid and Reddit and follow progress with the Indie StarCraft Team League (ISTL) on Liquipedia.

Sean "EroSennin" Gough

Getting To Know eSports: Interview with Sean “EroSennin” Gough

March 31, 2013 /

Over the past few months I’ve been debating how I want to approach eSports. I officially put the eSports bulletin on hiatus because each episode took hours to make and I didn’t have enough time everyday to get them done. I would like to keep making Behind The Play episodes covering strategy for fans and players, but those take a lot of time per episode and only allow me to publish once-in-awhile. So I began brainstorming other options because I didn’t just want to step away from eSports and be done. So now I present a new series that I think will work out a lot better because it doesn’t require hours and hours of time I don’t have right now. Getting To Know eSports will introduce players, casters, event coordinators, community managers, website owners, and more, to the eSports world through a series of questions that help you get to know the person on a more personal level. Rather than interviews that cover the latest news or tournament results, which there is already plenty of, I wanted to create a more intimate, sit down and get to know someone series. My first guest was Sean “EroSennin” Gough, a StarCraft 2 player from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is currently playing for the Complexity Gaming Academy and I met him in person at a Teh Pwn Gaming CSL StarCraft 2 event in 2011. He’s a great guy and was a fun guest so be sure to check out the interview embedded below, or watch it on YouTube.

Other Tags: Ero-Sennin, Collegiate StarLeague, TPG, University of Minnesota: Twin Cities, coL Academy, SC2, StarCraft II

Why are the Koreans so damn good at StarCraft?

November 6, 2012 /

The other day I released a video called “Why are the Koreans so damn good at StarCraft?” In it I discussed my thoughts regarding work ethic and how it impacts eSports. Foreigners seem ill-equipped to deal with the strict training regimens Koreans and other Asian countries are currently employing. Instead American players are spending more time “branding” themselves by streaming and developing personalities. While this can be very entertaining and enlightening in regards to strategy and other topics, it shows at tournaments. So many of our international venues are dominated by Asian players who consume the top 5, top 10, and even sometimes the top 15 spots. In the most recent MLG, Naniwa, the last foreigner hope, was beaten out at the 13th-16th Ro6 slot! While this might not be a problem for some who closely follow the GOM or KeSPA tournaments, it is a problem for most. Having a more even split gives many fans someone to really root for and tournaments would be infinitely more exciting if our “home team” was competing at the end.

The other problem mentioned in the video is one of speculation. If Koreans are training ~12 hours / day, and foreigners start to catch up, what would happen? Would the Koreans start to train more? And if they do, what happens if being a pro gamer means you dedicate virtually ever waking minute to training? I can see a future where an elite group of highly disciplined gamers dominate every tournament because they use polyphasic sleep to achieve a 4-hour daily sleep routine and spend the rest training. Can we stop that from happening? Or is it even possible for the mind to achieve that level of focus?

Just some thoughts to mull over, here is the video:

Other Tags: MLG, SC2, StarCraft II, Brood War

Shout Out: Heartland eSports

August 21, 2012 /

HeSA

Back in 2011 I was publishing posts under categories for teams, websites, and videos. They were known as Top Team Tuesday, Website Wednesday, and Feature Friday. Now that I’ve relaunched the blog and revamped its mission, I decided to do away with the corny titles, and simply publish “features“. These articles focus on single topics like a player, team, website, or podcast, and [hopefully] deliver relevant information about them. I plan on publishing these articles because I also want to share them in the eSports database.

For this first feature I want to cover a non-profit organization located in the Midwest. I discovered them last week via Reddit and decided they’d be perfect for the first feature of 2012. Here is a snippet from their about page:

“We are a volunteer-run, non-profit corporation based in Lincoln, Nebraska organized and operated by representatives of participating gaming communities throughout the Midwest who have joined together in HeSA to promote collaboration towards a single goal: promoting the growth of amateur and professional competitive gaming in the Midwest.” Source

Heartland eSports incorporated on August 4, 2011 in Lincoln, Nebraska as the Nebraska eSports Association (NeSPA). Their website, NebraskaEsports.org became a hub for promoting and hosting local tournaments, and educating people about competitive gaming. On May 21, 2012, it was announced that NeSPA would become part of the Heartland eSports Association, the newest vision to unite various gaming communities under a single banner. Soon other organizations like Kansas StarCraft, TP eSports, Razorback Gaming, Iowa Gamers Online, and the UNL Electronic Gaming Club would join forces to better support one another and spread the word about their tournaments and events.

So for fellow eSports enthusiasts living in the Midwest or those that like to support grassroots efforts, be sure to check out Heartland eSports (HeSA) and all the great work they’re doing!

Website: http://heartlandesports.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HL_eSports

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heartlandesports

Other Tags: Shoutout, LoL, SC2, StarCraft II, FGC, HLeSports, HL eSports

iMpulse eSports: Indie StarCraft Team League: Day 5 Preview

April 10, 2012 /

iMpulse eSports could play spoiler for Future Talent Art Control Team, Clan OverDosed seeks upset over Area 51 Gaming.

The final week of the Indie StarCraft Team League is upon us and action gets started at 8 p.m. Both games will be streamed simultaneously at 8 p.m. EST. iMp versus Future Talent Art Control Team can be seenhttp://www.own3d.tv/iMpStream1. Clan OverDosed versus Area 51 will be on http://www.own3d.tv/iMpStream2.

Win-and-In Situation
Pool A favorite and leader Area 51 Gaming can rest easy – their spot in the playoffs is already set with their wins over iMpulse eSports (4-2) and Future Talent (4-3).

For Clan OverDosed and Future Talent, the final week of play will determine which of the two reaches the last open playoff spot.

If iMpulse eSports defeats Future Talent tonight, and OverDosed defeats Area 51, then Area 51 and OverDosed will move on. An iMpulse loss couple with an OverDosed loss or win means that Future Talent moves on by virtue of head to head record with OverDosed.

OverDosed Underdogs
A Week 1 All Kill loss to Future Talent didn’t provide much to brag about for Clan OverDosed, but after surprising tournament hosts iMpulse eSports with a 4-1 victory in the following week, OverDosed looks to take on the Pool A giant Area 51.

OverDosed will likely look to players who carried them past iMpulse last week to try and create an upset. Protoss player StrAtiGY and Zerg player NoRegreT tore through the iMpulse line-up last week.

For Area 51, their Terran Drunkenbou defeated Shinya and Week 1’s star, FTaCt Fantasy, and closed out the series with two back-to-back wins by Strength’s Zerg play.

Keep your eyes on: iMpBails and FTaCtFiery
The Future Talent roster is one of the more active teams in the Playhem Daily North American tournaments and last week numerous players made deep runs, including Protoss player Fiery.

For iMpulse, Bails is one of the team’s ace players and just recently was featured with his very own replay pack and QnA article. The Bails replay pack can be seen here:http://impulseesports….=news_comments&newsID=67.

Watch and Win
iMpulse eSports will be giving away coaching lessons from a Masters/Grandmasters player during the ISTL. To register to win, simply follow iMp on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/ImpulseESports).

Winners will be selected randomly from the two sites followers/friends list, so following both doubles your chances of winning. The winners will be announced during the event finals.

Other Tags: ISTL, StarCraft II, SC2

iMpulse eSports: Indie StarCraft Team League: Day 4 Preview

April 5, 2012 /

Multitude Gaming seeks a win versus Team aiR, Relentless Heroes need a rebound versus Team Nightmares.

The preciousness of a win in a short season was seen on Tuesday night as tournament hosts iMpulse eSports watched their Indie StarCraft Team League playoff aspirations come close to dead at the hands of Clan OverDosed.

Now two teams in a similar situation as iMpulse will look to make sure they don’t fall to the same misfortune iMp did in Day 4 of the ISTL.
Matches will feature Multitude Gaming (MxG) – the tournament darlings who nearly upset heavy favorite Team Nightmares (NMx) last week — versus Team aiR and Team Nightmares versus Relentless Heroes (RH).

Both games will be streamed simultaneously at 8 p.m. EST. Nightmares versus Relentless Heroes can be seen http://www.own3d.tv/iMpStream1. Multitude Gaming versus Team aiR will be onhttp://www.own3d.tv/iMpStream2.

Playoff Position is at Stake
For Relentless Heroes (0-1, 0 points) and Multitude Gaming (0-1, 0 points), a loss could mean the end of their tournament hopes. Team Nightmares (1-0, 3 points) needs to win one more Clan War win to lock-up their playoff spot and Team aiR (1-0, 3 points) is in the same position.

If Relentless Heroes and Multitude Gaming both earn wins, then it would set up a chaotic Week 3 as the final games of pool play schedule would determine playoff seeding with all three teams tied at three points.

Multitude’s Upset Specialist?
The first major upset of the ISTL wasn’t Clan OverDosed knocking iMpulse eSports out of the playoffs. In fact, it happened in Week 1 when Top 25 Grandmaster NMxMasa lost MxG’s RemarK. The Protoss went 2-1 in their Clan War and used custom-tailored builds to surprise his opponents. Look for him to come into play for MxG again versus Team aiR.

The Race That Matters Most
Some early stats from the ISTL show that the key to victory thus far has been Terran players. Terrans have accounted for nine total wins in non-mirror matches and have played six mirror matches this season. This stat is inflated by Future Talent Art Control Team’s Terran Fantasy, who scored an All Kill in Week 1.

Zerg players have seen the least action, with six Zerg wins in the tournament, five losses and two mirror match appearances.

Protosses on the other hand are neck-and-neck with Terrans in the category of most used race. Protoss players have won seven times, lost a league-leading 10 times and only two PvPs have been played in the pool play stages.

Big T Joins the Casting Crew!
Although he technically made his debut on Tuesday, a new caster has been added to the ISTL rotation. Big T will be adding his voice to casts for the remainder of the ISTL and joining Pyronia to broadcast Relentless Heroes versus Team Nightmares. Joker and Jinx will take care of the casting duties for Team aiR versus Multitude Gaming.

Watch and Win
iMpulse eSports will be giving away coaching lessons from a Masters/Grandmasters player during the ISTL. To register to win, simply follow iMp on Twitter (@iMp_eSports) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/ImpulseESports).

Winners will be selected randomly from the two sites followers/friends list, so following both doubles your chances of winning. The winners will be announced during the event finals.

Other Tags: ISTL, StarCraft II, SC2

iMpulse eSports: Indie StarCraft Team League: Day 2 Preview

March 29, 2012 /

Our friends over at iMpulse eSports are starting day 2 of their Indie StarCraft Team League tonight at 8PM EST! Here’s the day 2 press release we’ve received from them:

Indie StarCraft Team League: Day 2 Preview

Team Nightmares make their league debut against Multitude Gaming, Relentless Heroes face Team aiR.

Day 2 of the Indie StarCraft Team League is set to begin at 8 p.m. Eastern Time and tonight’s matches feature Team Nightmares (NMx), Relentless Heroes (RH), Multitide Gaming (MxG) and Team aiR (aiR). Once again casting will be Joker and Pyronia on iMpulse eSports stream No. 1 for Relentless Heroes versus Team aiR. The duo of Quaffle and Jinx will broadcast Team Nightmares (NMx) and Multitude Gaming’s match stream No. 2.

Day 2 Notes No Fan Should Be Without…

Follow, Like, Watch, Win

iMpulse eSports is still holding their contest to win free Grandmasters coaching. In order to enter the competition, fans must follow the iMpulse eSports Twitter account (@iMp_eSports) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/impulseesports). A winner from each page will be chosen during the ISTL finals.

Facing the Unknown

For Relentless Heroes Manager Sinwinn, his team’s contest is a unique match-up. Despite being an active team and participating in many Clan Wars, tournaments and team leagues, they have never faced Team aiR and know little about their make-up, players and styles. In a short interview on Wednesday night, Sinwinn said the lack of information didn’t worry him as they enter their first ISTL match, despite not knowing what to expect from their opponent.

Relentless Hero

Among the top players expected to compete on Thursday night is Relentless Heroes’ Moutas. Moutas has an impressive match history having competed in the IeSF World Sports Championships in Korea and the Electronic Sports World Cup in France. He took a game off of MarineKingPrime in France and made it to the quarterfinals at IeSF.

Watch for: NMxMaSa

One of the biggest names in the ISTL tournament comes from Team Nightmares. NMxMaSu is currently a Top 25 North American Grandmaster and may see action for Team Nightmares in their match with Multitude Gaming. Earlier this year, NMx and MaSa participated in the North American Star Team League qualifiers and were eliminated by Quantic Gaming.

Other Tags: ISTL, StarCraft II, SC2

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