Blizzard’s announcement of Starcraft: Remastered – a much-needed visual/technical update for their 1998 classic – was an exciting moment for nostalgic gamers looking to relive the glory days of massing carriers on Big Game Hunters.
But for a smaller, more hardcore group of fans, StarCraft: Remastered is exciting for an entirely different reason – it might decide the future of Korea’s revived, StarCraft: Brood War eSports scene.
Brood War has come a long way from the autumn of 2012, when the Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) made a full transition to StarCraft II and effectively brought the curtain down on professional Brood War. Since then, the personal streams of ex-Brood War pro gamers have emerged as a popular niche market, providing lucrative, full-time jobs for many of them. At the same time, tournaments featuring these ‘retirees’ have grown in frequency and scale, continuing the legacy of Korea’s founding eSport.
StarCraft: Remastered comes at a new high point of the Brood War revival. Legendary players such as Flash and Jaedong have retired from StarCraft II and transitioned back to Brood War, and their combined star power has caused tens of thousands of fans to return alongside them. With original Brood War broadcasters OnGameNet mobilising as well, the stage seems set for even more tournaments going forward.
In that regard, StarCraft: Remastered probably won’t move the needle for legacy fans. For them, the draw is high-level StarCraft, played by the biggest stars, taking place in meaningful competitions. That restoration has been well underway for the last four years, in all of its 640×480 splendor.
The hope for StarCraft: Remastered lies in how it might help attract a new generation of fans and players.
Competitive Brood War is secure for now, but the lack of new players leaves its long-term future unclear. The end of KeSPA-supported Brood War and the ascendancy of League of Legends effectively froze the influx of new talent into StarCraft. When the best pros switched back to Brood War from StarCraft II, they were able to resume right where they left off, dominating the competition.
Fans have been passionate about cheering for the stars of yesteryear, but that’s partially due to Brood War’s previous, premature end. Right now, the returning players are being welcomed like loved ones brought back from the dead. But how long will it be until fans grow weary of seeing the same faces competing over and over again? The changing of the guard has always been an important part of Brood War eSports, and its absence will be acutely felt. Fresh blood is vital to maintaining the health and stability of the scene.
Going up against the juggernauts of League of Legends and Overwatch, it will be difficult for StarCraft: Remastered to take ground and compete for new players in Korea. Yet, StarCraft: Remastered is still as significant a game-changer as one could ask for.
The original StarCraft and Diablo II are legendary games in Korea, and they’ve imparted a mythic value to the Blizzard name. Even though StarCraft II, Diablo III, and Heroes of the Storm have had tepid success compared to other Blizzard games in Korea, they were all widely played and given a fair shake at release. It’s that kind of reception that helped Overwatch springboard to its current lofty perch. StarCraft: Remastered might just be a cosmetic update at its core, but when combined with StarCraft’s history and Blizzard’s brand cachet, it could generate a kind of hype that can’t be bought with money.
Brood War still has strong foundation: a hallowed legacy, an active community, and by far the largest latent player base in all of Korean gaming. Maybe, just maybe, StarCraft: Remastered can be the bridge that invites a whole new generation of players to come and build upon it.
Another significant contribution StarCraft: Remastered could make is more top-down. Combined with the growing popularity of the “underground” scene, it might nudge KeSPA and/or other entities toward reestablishing a more professional ecosystem based around teams and tournaments. Right now, streaming is still the primary source of income for Brood War players, and that space is dominated by the most popular pro gamers of all time. That leaves the entryway to competitive Brood War welded shut. A proper competitive infrastructure might crack it open an inch.
There’s a real possibility that StarCraft: Remastered will not make a significant impact, that the current state of competitive Brood War is its endgame, and that we’re fated to watch a glorified senior tour until everyone fades away. Some fans may be content with that, grateful for the respectable revival Brood War has achieved.
But at the very least, there’s room to be cautiously optimistic. The potential of StarCraft: Remastered deserves that much. It could be so much more than just a temporary distraction, a fresh veneer of paint, or tribute to bygone memories. It’s a chance to establish something that’s truly lasting.
M2xim
Guest
Ehhhhhh.. NO.... In BW i can sit 15 mins on a single base fail everything and still have fun with one siege tanks or a couple of canons, sunken colony's (a limited ammount of firepower) and still last 10-15 mins.. In Sc2 i get smashed in 3-4 mins, way too much micro, macro and meta knowledge all 3 needed at the same time to even compete low bronze.. Game is way too fast and stressful....Im slow as with a mouse and bad at remembering shortcuts... In fact i don't use the shortcuts at all..(i never used a unit ability in both SC's appart from sieging a tank that will probably stay there whole match) So why can i compete with anyone on BW being that type of noob while i get smashed on SC2 way before getting my first expand.. In BW i say i compete but at the end i lose 70% of my matches.. But i still manage to enjoy every minutes of those 10-30 mins matches.. When i play Sc2 match will be lost in under 4 mins, pretty much the same as a one punch knock out.. So fun for the casual... If Sc2 had no campaign BC's is something i would have never tried.. You guys blindside yourselves to this because you are hardcore fans and don't mind practicing and playing this everyday.. I play as a casual and theres no place for a casual in Sc2..
Paul D
Roar Guru
Absolutely spot on with the increase in macro difficulty - the gulf between the pros and the rest in BW is so huge as to be totally insurmountable. The comment about BW being a glorified senior tour I think will wind up being very apt for that reason, few would have the discipline and commitment to put themselves through the wringer to learn the macro for BW when you can be up and running a lot quicker in SC2. Without the original attachment to BW that comes from playing it as a young man where's the incentive.
James D
Guest
Given the main challenges for Broodwar is the mechanics (12 size control groups, single buildings only) i believe that the playerbase wont grow much but the eyes on the pro scene will grow. The reason for that is the difference in skill between the an average and the best player. For SC2 this gap is much smaller than BW. Because of this and the legacy of BW I personally feel that it will always have strong viewership for tournaments but after an initial spike the playerbase will drop off. Watching top level Broodwar is astonishing because of how physically difficult it is to do everything they do. For SC2 macro is much easier. For that reason i think SC2 will have more consistent players and BW will have more high level viewers but less people willing to drill themselves to learn Flash level macro. I will always watch Flash v Jaedong but after 1 or 2 games of BW i am tired and frustrated with derping goliaths. We will see though.