There was a time years ago, back when computer gaming had advanced beyond Oregon Trail and Minesweeper and new titles such as Doom and Quake were flying off the shelves. No longer were children worrying about how they were going to ford a pixilated river or if their character would die of dysentery before the journey ended. The popular games of this time were darker, moderately violent, alien kill fests.

One of the major scientific fiction titles to be released during this time was Starcraft. While still sporting plenty of violence and warfare in its own right, to the parents it didn’t matter as long as the textbook sized box had no sign of the words Doom or Quake printed anywhere on it.

The popularity of Starcraft grew tremendously in one country in particular, South Korea. The internet was fast, and internet cafes were springing even faster to meet the demand of teenage boys and girls who had been captivated by this game. A certain select group of individuals stood out from the rest, envied by their peers, they were the best in either their respective area or school. While most were not even old enough to operate an automobile, they were the elites, the best of the best, known today as professional gamers. This is a concept that has become familiar to South Korea, but is not as widely accepted in other parts of the world.

Electronic Sports in general has come a long way, and in no better place than South Korea where Starcraft rules the roost in money and television ratings – or so we thought.

Cho Jin-seo, a reporter for The Korea Times calls for “A shadow of depression is looming over Korea's uniquely prospering professional computer gaming league after a decade of non-stop growth.”

A bold statement, one that any avid Starcraft fan like me does not want to hear. Nevertheless, is it possible that Starcraft has reached its peak in popularity? I myself would hope not, but recent released statistics prove otherwise.

“In 2005, Ongamenet boasted a 3.1 percent viewership rating, ranking 9th among all cable channels. However this year, its ranking dropped to 16th place, and the viewership also fell to 1.9 percent, according to research firm Nielson,” Cho Jin-seo states.

In just a few years, the total number of viewers has almost been split in half. As an onlooker, and follower of the professional gaming scene for many years I find these numbers to be shocking. Perhaps the games spike in popularity is long gone and now we are slowly sinking, waiting to jump ship once Starcraft II is released.

Television ratings are not the only issue on the docket. Several teams, mainly those struggling in the professional leagues are experiencing serious financial trouble. Hanbit Soft, main sponsors for one of the twelve professional teams has expressed interest in selling the team. What’s the big deal you might ask? The buying and selling of teams is a common practice, but here is where a problem is introduced. The company interested in purchasing Hanbit Soft, known as T3 Entertainment has not made an official decision if the team will continue once the purchase made. These are questions that are lingering in the heads of players in Hanbit Soft, wondering whether or not they will still have a job in the coming months.

Air Force ACE is also said to be closing its doors in 2008, refusing to accept anymore players who desired to continue their Starcraft career while fulfilling their mandatory military service. Since the team’s creation, they have become accustomed to the bottom of the standings, occasionally bringing home some points, but nothing substantial. They were a team that seemed crafted for Yo Hwan “SlayerS_`BoxeR`” Lim, a player who transformed professional Starcraft as we know it today. Today, his popularity still shines bright even for a player way beyond his prime. He is a living legend, and the main force behind Air Force ACE. Once his service is complete and he leaves the team, the fire that is ACE will be extinguished.

Very few details are known as to what will happen once Starcraft II is released in South Korea. The professional teams, for the most part, do not appear to be in any hurry for the sequel to be released nor do they seem to be making preparations. What they are worried about though is finances, when the time comes and how much money Blizzard will request to be used as license fees for Starcraft II to be shown on television. Potential sponsors appear to be more gun shy than ever, and rightfully so after careful examination of the points listed in this article.

I am by no means saying that professional Starcraft is on a downward slope, descending quickly into a dark abyss never to be heard from again even after all of these years. I don’t even think that companies should reevaluate how much money they are investing into these leagues. In fact, I highly recommend they continue to support this game as they have in the past. However, much like when water ceases to ripple, it becomes stagnant. If nothing is done to keep the scene fresh it might just eventually evaporate.

ARTICLE: The Korea Times