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The analogy to music distributors is a little off. The SC2 replay casters are adding significant value to the content, in addition to sifting through what cont
by leelin 16y ago
The analogy to music distributors is a little off.
The SC2 replay casters are adding significant value to the content, in addition to sifting through what content is worthy of casting. They need to know where in the map to pan the camera, explain what is going on, decide which parts to fast-forward and pause, and probably many other nuances experienced SC2 players enjoy.
Casters are doing 2-3 jobs in one: pick one or two interesting replays each day out of many submitted, do all the work of a sports commentator, and then do all the work of a video editor (for non-live casts).
In other words, even if I knew a replay was a good one to watch, I'd prefer to watch it casted. On the other hand, a great song or a great sports game is probably fine on its own, but rarely a raw movie reel.
- Zeelar 16y agoI'm more inclined to have casters in their own category instead of players vs. distributors. As leelin mentioned, casters add their own value by adding spit and polish to the games, which increases the reach on the games itself. Distribution platforms tend to not have any hands in the content but benefit more from getting a good "flow" of content through their network. As for monetization though, in every industry, there are outliers in each category that make a lot more money but in general, (successful) distribution platforms generate the most nominal revenues and frequently the people adding polish don't. The more skill/polish added though, the higher the premium it seems.
- jamii 16y agoIndeed, watching good casters is a good way to master a new game. Delivering insight into the reasons behind the players actions and tactics is a valuable service.