8 ms·

Starcraft in a bar? TwitchTV promoting social Starcraft in San Francisco

89 points by justin 15y ago

askedrelic 15y ago
In a related anecdote, through Reddit and /r/pittsburgh, I've found about a dozen or so local SC players. We've formed a mailing list and I'm holding a viewing party at my apartment next week. We're still looking currently for a local bar which might let us watch SC. SC2 and the pro-gaming community has never been better!
natmaster 15y ago
Awesome that this is catching on. Here's one of the reddit posts about one in Seattle: http://www.reddit.com/r/starcraft/comments/huzr1/watch_professional_starcraft_at_a_bar_in_seattle/ http://www.reddit.com/r/starcraft/comments/huzr1/watch_profe... And here's the NASL article about it: http://nasl.tv/News/Article/20110616nasl-barcraft http://nasl.tv/News/Article/20110616nasl-barcraft
geuis 15y ago
Wow Mad Dog is a block from my house on Haight.
jgavris 15y ago
hon would be more fun to watch - 5v5!
- pavel_lishin 15y ago
  I vote League of Legends.
dolvlo 15y ago
Ugh. NASL isn't live. Not fun. SC2 is awesome to watch, but not if it isn't live.
- nostrademons 15y ago
  The existence of a thriving replay scene on YouTube would tend to disprove that. Live is of course better, but as long as you haven't been spoiled by the results (ahem, B-net welcome screen), there's nothing wrong with a replay.
- crgwbr 15y ago
  Why does it need to be live to be exciting? NASL is filmed being cast live, and delayed a day for three reasons: 1. Provides more flexibility for the players schedules 2. Allows time to edit the video, which allows higher production value 3. Prevents the players from cheating by watching a live stream of the game. I agree casting replays isn't as exciting (because the casters often know the winner), but I don't see how a delayed broadcast of a live casted game is any less exciting than something fully live.
  - bastiat 15y ago
    It doesn't need to be live, but result needs to be unknown.
- robbed 15y ago
  The NASL finals will be live http://www.nasl.tv/News/Article/20110602nasl-finals-information http://www.nasl.tv/News/Article/20110602nasl-finals-informat...
- getsat 15y ago
  The fact that NASL isn't live is far from the worst thing about it... I'd love for NASL to be awesome, but it just isn't and there's little indication that they care what they community thinks.
etruong42 15y ago
There is an entire BarCraft subreddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/BarCraft/ http://www.reddit.com/r/BarCraft/ You can check out one of the barfood menus here, featuring treats like the "Nuclear Launch - shot of sake dropped into a beer": http://www.reddit.com/r/starcraft/comments/hkhcx/starcraft_barfood_menu_i_made/ http://www.reddit.com/r/starcraft/comments/hkhcx/starcraft_b...
underwater 15y ago
Yahtzee and some of the Australian Gamer guys have had success mixing gaming and bars with the Mana Bar http://www.manabar.com.au/ http://www.manabar.com.au/ in Brisbane, Australia.
- dorian-graph 15y ago
  I'm from Brisbane and have been there a few times. Aside from being tiny it's pretty good.
r00fus 15y ago
Man, if this was down the peninsula or south bay, I'd be all over it.
loganlinn 15y ago
That'll be my first weekend after I move to SF! Sounds like a deal
pclark 15y ago
this is incredibly relevant to my interests.
kevin_morrill 15y ago
Love that this is coming together. I shed a nerd tear of loneliness watching the GSL at the wee hours of the morning :) We should get a group together for that.
bprater 15y ago
I've been watching a lot of live gaming lately. Primarily for "League of Legends", a game I've been playing consistently for the last 18 months. Last weekend was the first world championships for the game. At it's height, over 200,000 people were watching the finals. They believed it was the highest number for people watching a streaming game online. During the workday, I'll often jump over to www.own3d.tv/live/ for a couple minutes and watch top League players stream their daily games. As I watch now, one top player has close to 6,000 people watching his game -- I watched him start at about 800 people a few months ago. This streaming model is worth keeping an eye on!
- dorian-graph 15y ago
  I wonder how many spectators there were during the heyday of CS on HLTV watching the matches — during CPL and whatnot . .
trafficlight 15y ago
I've been completely fascinated Husky's Starcraft commentaries lately. I don't even own Starcraft 2. http://www.youtube.com/user/HuskyStarcraft http://www.youtube.com/user/HuskyStarcraft

89 points by justin 15y ago

In a related anecdote, through Reddit and /r/pittsburgh, I've found about a dozen or so local SC players. We've formed a mailing list and I'm holding a viewing party at my apartment next week. We're still looking currently for a local bar which might let us watch SC. SC2 and the pro-gaming community has never been better!

natmaster 15y ago

Awesome that this is catching on. Here's one of the reddit posts about one in Seattle: http://www.reddit.com/r/starcraft/comments/huzr1/watch_professional_starcraft_at_a_bar_in_seattle/ http://www.reddit.com/r/starcraft/comments/huzr1/watch_profe... And here's the NASL article about it: http://nasl.tv/News/Article/20110616nasl-barcraft http://nasl.tv/News/Article/20110616nasl-barcraft

geuis 15y ago

Wow Mad Dog is a block from my house on Haight.

jgavris 15y ago

hon would be more fun to watch - 5v5!

pavel_lishin 15y ago
I vote League of Legends.

dolvlo 15y ago

Ugh. NASL isn't live. Not fun. SC2 is awesome to watch, but not if it isn't live.

nostrademons 15y ago
The existence of a thriving replay scene on YouTube would tend to disprove that. Live is of course better, but as long as you haven't been spoiled by the results (ahem, B-net welcome screen), there's nothing wrong with a replay.
crgwbr 15y ago
Why does it need to be live to be exciting? NASL is filmed being cast live, and delayed a day for three reasons: 1. Provides more flexibility for the players schedules 2. Allows time to edit the video, which allows higher production value 3. Prevents the players from cheating by watching a live stream of the game. I agree casting replays isn't as exciting (because the casters often know the winner), but I don't see how a delayed broadcast of a live casted game is any less exciting than something fully live.
- bastiat 15y ago
  It doesn't need to be live, but result needs to be unknown.
robbed 15y ago
The NASL finals will be live http://www.nasl.tv/News/Article/20110602nasl-finals-information http://www.nasl.tv/News/Article/20110602nasl-finals-informat...
getsat 15y ago
The fact that NASL isn't live is far from the worst thing about it... I'd love for NASL to be awesome, but it just isn't and there's little indication that they care what they community thinks.

etruong42 15y ago

There is an entire BarCraft subreddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/BarCraft/ http://www.reddit.com/r/BarCraft/ You can check out one of the barfood menus here, featuring treats like the "Nuclear Launch - shot of sake dropped into a beer": http://www.reddit.com/r/starcraft/comments/hkhcx/starcraft_barfood_menu_i_made/ http://www.reddit.com/r/starcraft/comments/hkhcx/starcraft_b...

underwater 15y ago

Yahtzee and some of the Australian Gamer guys have had success mixing gaming and bars with the Mana Bar http://www.manabar.com.au/ http://www.manabar.com.au/ in Brisbane, Australia.

dorian-graph 15y ago
I'm from Brisbane and have been there a few times. Aside from being tiny it's pretty good.

r00fus 15y ago

Man, if this was down the peninsula or south bay, I'd be all over it.

loganlinn 15y ago

That'll be my first weekend after I move to SF! Sounds like a deal

pclark 15y ago

this is incredibly relevant to my interests.

kevin_morrill 15y ago

Love that this is coming together. I shed a nerd tear of loneliness watching the GSL at the wee hours of the morning :) We should get a group together for that.

bprater 15y ago

I've been watching a lot of live gaming lately. Primarily for "League of Legends", a game I've been playing consistently for the last 18 months. Last weekend was the first world championships for the game. At it's height, over 200,000 people were watching the finals. They believed it was the highest number for people watching a streaming game online. During the workday, I'll often jump over to www.own3d.tv/live/ for a couple minutes and watch top League players stream their daily games. As I watch now, one top player has close to 6,000 people watching his game -- I watched him start at about 800 people a few months ago. This streaming model is worth keeping an eye on!

dorian-graph 15y ago
I wonder how many spectators there were during the heyday of CS on HLTV watching the matches — during CPL and whatnot . .

trafficlight 15y ago

I've been completely fascinated Husky's Starcraft commentaries lately. I don't even own Starcraft 2. http://www.youtube.com/user/HuskyStarcraft http://www.youtube.com/user/HuskyStarcraft