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StarCraft20 years agoGosu "GosuGamers" Gamers

GGL Adds Some Prizes!

[s]starcraft[/s]Another update bringing to light what could possibly be a great league for gamers, mostly for what it offers up in prizes. Predictions for what lies ahead for the league, and why it could potentially bring a following as big as Korea into the States.

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While we have many leagues to play in, some people may feel overwhelmed in choosing. Many look for a large, strong community and join such leagues as WGTour and Neo-Gamei. Others are looking for prizes, big prizes. Some players may not have what it takes to get over to Korea, or the exposure to get noticed by Korean scouts. This is where the Global Gaming League comes in. With a strong backing from American companies like Alienware (makers of great custom gaming computers) they are offering over $100,000 in prizes this season. They have also just recently announced the addition of AMD to their lineup of great sponsors, and this is exciting news for StarCraft players as well! The Global Gaming League will be awarding to the Top 10 players of each ladder an AMD Athlon 64 FX!

While I discredited the league in my last article discussing the GGL, I see they are making some serious headway into making gaming a serious sport in America. They have the backing to really make a serious splash into the gaming world and create, quite possibly, what has happened in Korea. I am not predicting that it will exactly happen like that, but I am suggesting the possibility of it happening. How can I even suggest it? If you look at the companies backing them, and how many people are seriously involved in this then you might be able to make a similar conclusion.

Another strength for them is to look at their former winner of the league last season. United States Rekrul[pG] was able to come from behind in a eight man fight for an Alienware system and win it all. Losing in the first round and fighting from the loser’s bracket to get out of there and get to the final match, and then winning it, was a great task. As we all know, Rekrul[pG] is now in Korea playing professionally. So, this could be seen as a stepping stone to Korea. Now I am not suggesting that GGL was the reason Rekrul[pG] got to Korea, but it definitely did help.

So what is the state of the current system now? Right now it is in much better shape than when I last checked up on it. The same system is in place, the same maps are there, the same admins; but the system seems to be working somewhat. Good players are doing really well, and now there is a system in place where you can say you’re on vacation and not have to worry about automatically forfeiting your matches and losing points. While players not responding to challenges still pushes some people higher that most likely don't deserve to be there, the top four players have an average of about half of their wins due to forfeit, along with their losses. This is more or less due to, I think, a lack of community support. People signed up and forgot about it. People are able to get easy wins, and move up. This is still one thing that they need to work out, along with hacking detection.

While I have not heard anyone speak of hacking on GGL, I do suspect that it may be happening, more or less due to the fact that there are no security measures in place. No one I know of is checking replays or using BWScanner. It is all up to the individual player. These areas need to be addressed before it can become a huge player in the StarCraft community like the aforementioned WGTour and Neo-Gamei. I foresee it improving though, and I am willing to give it a shot. I am going to try to be more active and play some more. So if you want to play some time, make sure to challenge me!

Also up is an interview by GGL-Red_Barchetta with one of the top players returning from last season United States PuertoRican. Here is a nice little excerpt.

What would you suggest to aspiring StarCraft players on how to improve their strategy?

For newcomers, I would suggest making sure you play both Starcraft and Broodwar campaigns before you come to Battle.Net. People these days just log on, or use cheats to beat the campaign. Watching replays and playing many games helps too, along with a partner who knows more than you to help you along. That's one reason I help people when I can.

Who else do you see as being the top StarCraft players to watch this upcoming GGL Season?

I would say if everyone who signed up for the season competes, it will be tough because of the 2 pros like Legionnaire and now Rekrul, aside from the big group of above average gamers. Rekrul and Legionnaire are the hardest I'd say, both Protoss players.
I will leave you with that excerpt and encourage you to join a league, any league. Just keep the StarCraft community strong and maybe we will see some StarCraft on TV in your country soon!

Links
Global Gaming League - A Well Funded League
Global Gaming League - An Interview with PuertoRican
Alienware - Alienware Gaming Systems

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