Something awesome

How cool are these? They also have Emma Frost, Wonder Woman and some other spider chick
You can get them at spencers! I want some.


Good for the lads imo.

Spec Craft: The art of watching Starcraft

From newb to newb here's what you need to know to get you started watching Starcraft
VOD: video-on demand
The races:
Terran: Humans
Protoss: humanoids
Zerg: biologically advanced arthropod aliens
GG: games over, good game admission of defeat and catchphrase
BM: Bad manners
That's all i'm giving you but for a more extensive list go here: http://starcraft.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_StarCraft_terminology
Where to watch:
www.GomTv.net
http://www.teamliquid.net/
and of course youtube, but be careful of spoilers.

Watching professional Starcraft is like taking drugs. At first you’re not sure you should be doing it, then you start to like it and the next thing you know it's 4am and you've got to get up for work in a few hours but you just have to watch one more VOD. When will you get your next fix?

Watching Starcraft might seem like a chore at first, especially if you don't play the game. Understanding of the game infinitely increases the enjoyment you can derive from watching it; you can feel the tension, anticipate attacks, laugh at in-jokes. All this won't come at once, but if you persevere, the level of satisfaction you get when it finally all clicks makes it all worthwhile.
My Starcraft addiction started one fateful university holiday with two deceptively nerdy friends. At first there was talk of alcohol, partying and picking up chicks but then the night degenerated into diet coke and board games. Then there was a meek suggestion, 'Do you guys want to watch some SC2?'

However in the kind of company I keep, it's not unusual to hear talk of a few cheeky video games, so being the curious kind I agreed. For those who are free from the shackles of Starcraft, free from eye-drying 4am VOD sessions, and free from double checking when you hear someone say 'Terran' and it turns out they were just saying 'terror,' I shall explain.
Starcraft is an RTS (real-time Strategy) game in which two of three warring factions take each other on in a battle of war, wits and micro. There are three teams for players to choose from, Zerg, Protoss and Terran. The aim of the game is to defeat the other player via a number of highly technical strategies. You might be wondering how it is that I can watch and enjoy Starcraft as someone that doesn't play it herself.

Well it's simple really, it's just the same as being able to appreciate sports without actually playing them. What we like about sports is very close to what we like about e-sports. You only have to glance at the whirring fingers of a professional league player to know that there is no small skill involved. The world of e-sports is rapidly expanding thanks to ever immersive web 2.0 and the increase of video sharing sites like youtube, which allow fans and spectators to watch games from all over the world. Like it or not we are all going to be hearing about in the next 20 years so we may as well get used to it. The world we live in is increasingly fusing with technology and its only a matter of time before those who showcase skill in the technological world get just as much recognition as those in the physical.

E-sports really began to take off in 1998 in South Korea when Starcraft first became popular. Nowdays they have two TV channels dedicated to screening professional Starcraft matches, 'Ongamenet' and 'MBCgame.' It might sound strange but it highlights the celebrity status and immense level of popularity that professional gaming has gained over the last 10 years. Thousands of fans recently tuned into GomTV ,an internet streaming site dedicated to e-sports casting, to watch the recent - albeit disappointing - finals of the GSL (Global Starcraft League), Inca vs. Nestea. Currently the most watched single game on GomTv is Fruitdealer vs Hopetorture which claims 625,422 views for a single 7 set match-up. Not a small number for a e-sports casting. The Global Starcraft League is one of many Starcraft 2 tournaments and the largest Competition League in the world for Starcraft. It's based in Korea, in a stadium where players sit in separate sound proof boxes and people go and watch them play in real life as well as online. If you want to watch online on GOMTV semi regularly you will need to buy a season ticket for $20 which gives you access to their HD live stream as well as other VODs (videos-on-demand.) Or you can pay $2 for a daypass if you don't want to shell out for the season pass.

But why would you want to watch Starcraft in the first place what's so exciting about watching somebody else play a game? To answer that lets talk a little about the pros.
Professional Starcraft2 players in Korea live in share houses with their team mates. All the facilities for training are provided in the house for them, computers, lan setup and the rest of it. They can sometimes train for up to 16 hours a day, this includes watching replays, learning new strats, and competing against other players and team members. Starcraft players have achieved celebrity status in Korea, names such as SlayerS_BoxeR, MC and Mvp are famous and earn hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Not a bad tip if your willing to give up all your time to starcraft for a few decades. Many spectators like to follow their favourite players or teams in Tournaments where the prize money can be up to 200K for first place. Documentaries, interviews and bios are made of the most famous players, they are even introduced by Korea's internationally successful K-pop groups.

But why would you want to watch starcraft 2? It's fun, easy, cheap, you can do it with friends and the commentators are hilarious. Two of the most well known non-korean Starcraft casters and top players when they were in their prime. Where else can you go to hear two nerds chastise each other, fall in love, proclaim undying obsession with the cheer girls and break into nerd chills just as a player is about to execute a difficult strategy. The two provide witty banter in down time to amuse the spectators but their most valuable skill is in calling and explaining the game. Insightful commentators are an integral part of sports casting and apparently e-sports casting. Research done on the how commentators affect the audience participation shows that there are generally two types of sports casters that work well together, the colour commentator who provides back ground information and humor about the players - tasteless is one of those - and the play-by-play analyst who describe what is happening in the game, Artosis is a play-by-play analyst and a very handsome nerd.
'Oh tasteless!'

Anyway bitches there's nothing more satisfying to me that justifying why i spend several hours a day on my ass watching Starcraft. I suggest you get into it :P
Peace out,and don't forget to vote in the poll
xo