Is online gaming coming out of the bedroom and into the boozer? We went along to a pub in North London to investigate the new 'Barcraft' trend that began in Seattle and has spread throughout North America and Europe. Landlords are turning off the footy and streaming tournaments of strategy blockbuster Starcraft II instead.
Hundreds of fans packed out the Assembly House pub in Kentish Town last weekend for a marathon two-day viewing session. They watched pro players compete in the Major League Gaming Starcraft II tournament held in Providence, Rhode Island. At stake was a $50,000 first prize and a serious buff to their reputations.
Competition among elite Starcraft II players is fierce, with top-ranking gamers such as Huk, Idra and Leenock performing upwards of 300 in-game actions every minute. But putting in the hours to master the game can reap great rewards, with the best players earning hundreds of thousands of pounds in prize money and endorsements.
Barcraft London organisers say convincing pubs to show their sport wasn't easy. They approached 40 establishments in the capital before they found one willing to put Starcraft II on their plasma screens. But the landlord who said yes is reaping the benefits -- he says Starcraft fans are better behaved and stay longer than fans of other sports. Since Starcraft tournaments are screened free of charge, he can also avoid licensing fees.
But what is it about Starcraft II that makes it such a popular spectator sport? How do the pub's regulars react when they stumble upon hundreds of fired-up fans screaming at a computer screen? And should traditional sports be worried about this new trend? Find out all this and more by watching the video. You can hear more on this week's CNET UK podcast, where we'll be discussing the future of digital sports.
And if you want to attend or set up a Barcraft event in your area, you can contact the organisers on Facebook or Twitter. Let us know what you think down in the comments, or over on our own Facebook page.
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Comments 7
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anonymous 25 November, 2011 18:30
'That guy' that would put a concert pianist to shame IS a pianist. LosirA used to play piano for a few years.
anonymous 25 November, 2011 20:03
Starcraft is awesome, and so is Barcraft...
...but you aren't doing yourself any favours by criticising those that watch football in the pub. I watch/play football all week long, and I'm not a violent red faced youth. I also watch Starcraft for 10+ hours a week.
Starcraft is great and so are the Starcraft community, we don't need to belittle those that enjoy other things.
anonymous 25 November, 2011 23:10
Great piece of news. Love that they reported it and gave a fair picture of whats going on. Love it, need to start reading/watching more stuff over here
anonymous 26 November, 2011 14:54
I happened to stumble upon this last night on the way home from The Forum. A very pleasant surprise!
anonymous 27 November, 2011 21:02
wohoooo starcraaaaaaaaaft...thx for this guys...keep it up we are not going anywhere
anonymous 27 November, 2011 21:17
Why would football and rugby be running on borrowed time? The three can co-exist, it's not like you can't be fans of more than one sport.
anonymous 26 February, 2012 22:05
It's nice to finally see gaming represented as more than a hobby in the light of the public and especially eSports getting more popular.
The future looks bright for gamers and eSports, keep the BarCrafts going!