GOM TV StarLeague Announced

The results are in, after a two week tournament of the best of the best and legends of StarCraft duking it out in a 16 man tournament, GSI International on behalf of GOM TV(Gretech) have announced their next project. GOM TV StarLeague!

The envy of all gamers around the world, South Korea holds two of the only gaming channels that host a StarLeague for professional StarCraft players to compete in. The first being the OnGameNet StarLeague (OSL) and the second being MBC StarLeague (MSL). Both leagues have grown over the years and have become the pinnacle and shining star of professional gaming, yet the reach of their audience is set within South Korea and only narrowly accessible to a few outside of the market.

With the GOM TV STAR Invitational, the world got a taste of what lag-less streaming and english commentating of the best in what professional e-sports had to offer. A million or so unique viewers or visitors were cited by the fellows over at GSI International leaving an impression that there was a market to tap into outside of South Korea. Seeing such results they have announced that starting in April, GOM TV will hold the GOM TV StarLeague through the GSI website which they have deemed the "GOMTV English Game Broadcasting Station," most likely with Nick "Tasteless" Plott behind the mic once again.

This new league will have a much wider audience than that of the OSL or the MSL. No doubt with english listeners from all around the world, the market for such a thing should be able to draw attention from businesses around the world. Would advertisements be done in different languages? Could this open up the market for more companies or organizers to take notice of StarCraft as a electronic sport rather than just simply as a game? There are many questions to be asked as the gaming industry as a market is evolving itself right now.

Up until now video games were driven by more powerful graphics, deeper stories, and more efficient gameplay. StarCraft gaming in South Korea could perpetuate StarCraft as not just a game, but instead an electronic sport which requires skill, practice, and experience, all of which are staples of the traditional competitive sport. As the StarLeague unfolds it will be important to pay close attention as to how the GSI website will change to better suit the needs of fans from outside of South Korea over the internet. It will also be interesting to see how Korean progaming will be imported into media around the world, and how the phenomenon inside of South Korea could help to translate into a framework for others who are interested in creating professional leagues for other games.

And if nothing else, just tune-in, watch, and have fun.

Links
GSI Website - Source