lma Profile Joined March 2010 15 Posts #1 MLG has improved immensely during the last few events. Considering how the events were put together last year (they started hours late etc) and how the technical difficulties made watching the games almost unbearable, the last couple of events have been great. I haven't had a single streaming problem and scheduling has improved a lot.



However, as there is always room for improvements, the one thing where I feel that could be handled better is the downtime between the games. Currently the fifteen minute to half an hour breaks are filled by playing music and showing the crowd on the live event. It would be great if MLG could fill the breaks with actual on-site video content by e.g. adding player interviews and such, but since the event is running for eight+ hours a day for three days straight, it would be pretty much impossible to fill all the gaps. What I would like to see MLG to do is to develop some additional stuff to video player to make viewers engage more and not fall asleep between games (I'm living in Europe, this happened to me last night during one of the breaks while matching the pool play). Some concrete ideas:



1) Add interactive content that is accessible during the breaks: Make e.g. simple advergames (games that are actually advertisements) and make it so that viewers can play a single game that lasts max. five minutes during the break (game would of course not be accessible when the actual matches are on). Don't make it mandatory, make it opt-in by showing a button 'PLAY GAME' when it would be available. Wouldn't need to be anything complex, e.g. Dr. Pepper sponsored Asteroids clone where you shoot big Dr. Pepper cans to make them split to smaller cans which you can then destroy etc. When the event has completed, MLG could give some small prizes to highest scoring players. Of course in order to play and be eligible for the prizes you would need to log in to MLG's site -> again MLG would win by giving viewers an additional reason to have an MLGid. Technically this wouldn't be even all that difficult as the player is completely done on Flash and MLG could sell this as a new and exciting advertisement unit to sponsors and in that way make some $$$ and also cover the development costs.



2) Although adding polls and such are pretty basic, I think making the viewers engage in some way during the break for the forthcoming match would be great. If nothing else, then they could make at least "who is going to win?"-style poll that TL used in its tournament. Also it would be cool if I was given an option to get tweets from significant people (day9, Sundance, itmejp, some of the other folks working in the event) rendered on top of the live stream as overlays by the video player. In that way the day9's yesterday's tweet about TLO being DQd against SelecT would have reached me immediately instead of wondering what is going on and then browsing through the 100+ pages of relevant TL thread to find out what happened.



3) Adding real-time information of games and giving more information of results that are important to me: In same fashion, if I support a single player or a team such as TeamLiquid/Dignitas/EG/whatever, it would be great if after the match the video player would render as a small overlay result of the game based on my personal settings. If I have subscribed to follow EG players on MLG, the video player would show a small overlay dialog on bottom-right corner after PuMa's game stating 'EG.PuMa vs. CatZ 2-0, EG.Puma advances to 4th round on open bracket'. This is how PGA Tour has developed its video player system. You can watch live stream and at the same time follow how your favorite golfer(s) are doing during the round and the PGA's video player renders all this stuff as overlays on top of the stream.



..probably there are a lot more this kind of interactive stuff that MLG could do to make the most out of the fact that they are broadcasting the whole thing over the Internet. They could really make the viewers to participate more and give a bit more personalized experience of the whole event.



What do you all think? Is this needed at all or would it actually be better if there were legit breaks when you can eat/go to toilet/browse the web?



tl;dr - The big streaming problems for MLG events are solved. One thing to improve would be the filling of downtime between the games. MLG could develop the video player's code base further to enable the viewers to participate more and receive personalized information of the event. epicness is epic

Choboo Profile Blog Joined January 2011 Sweden 2088 Posts #2 I'd like them to show results in the breaks but interactive games would just be stupid >.> SaSe fan club manager

BushidoSnipr Profile Joined November 2010 United States 910 Posts #3 Just act like its a TV show....I just get food, bathroom, browse web etc while i wait.

Iphimedeia Profile Joined May 2011 Hong Kong 50 Posts #4 Those are pretty good ideas though some of the viewers might not like to play games.... "Every shooting star has a shadow - If you want the rainbow you have to put up with the rain" :)

Blackk Profile Joined November 2010 South Africa 226 Posts #5 Just give us a count down! hah.

-_- Profile Blog Joined November 2003 United States 7074 Posts #6 I'd like more games :3

the-gandhi Profile Joined September 2010 35 Posts #7 Have Group A and B play at x:00

Have Group C and D play at x:30



Problem solved.



Yesterday there were always two games at X:30 and by the time the game on your stream was over, the other one was close to be over as well.

Myles Profile Blog Joined March 2010 United States 5160 Posts #8 On August 27 2011 23:30 Blackk wrote:

Just give us a count down!



They have a schedule. Unless the match before runs late or there is some other technical difficulty, you know when the next match will start. They have a schedule. Unless the match before runs late or there is some other technical difficulty, you know when the next match will start. Moderator

MaTRiX[SiN] Profile Joined September 2003 Sweden 1274 Posts #9 what I find strange is that they dont have the players set up during the downtime but rather after the player interviews, right before the game is about to start. there's 15-30 minutes in between each series, why not use that time? aka StormtoSS

udgnim Profile Blog Joined April 2009 United States 7482 Posts #10 honestly, I think MLG assumes that people are willing to cross pollinate and watch other game streams during down time of a favored game stream. E-Sports is competitive video gaming with a spectator fan base. Do not take the word "Sports" literally.

Grettin Profile Joined April 2010 32020 Posts Last Edited: 2011-08-27 14:38:03 #11 On August 27 2011 23:30 Blackk wrote:

Just give us a count down!



Schedule is a good count down.



I agree but i also can understand why there is 15-30minute breaks. Players need to set-up, casters need to rest, need to advertise their sponsor and all that.



Showing results meanwhile is a good idea or even get someone with a camera to walk around the event. That might be interesting too.



But so far, i don't really mind if there is downtime. I can do my stuff between the games which is good. Read forums, browse net, take a bathroom break and so on.





Schedule is a good count down.I agree but i also can understand why there is 15-30minute breaks.casters need to rest, need to advertise their sponsor and all that.Showing results meanwhile is a good idea or even get someone with a camera to walk around the event. That might be interesting too.But so far, i don't really mind if there is downtime. I can do my stuff between the games which is good. Read forums, browse net, take a bathroom break and so on. On August 27 2011 23:32 MaTRiX[SiN] wrote:

what I find strange is that they dont have the players set up during the downtime but rather after the player interviews, right before the game is about to start. there's 15-30 minutes in between each series, why not use that time?



I don't know any details, but i would assume that the players are setting up. But if that is the case, then don't mind my 2nd sentence. I don't know any details, but i would assume that the players are setting up. But if that is the case, then don't mind my 2nd sentence. "If I had force-fields in Brood War, I'd never lose." -Bisu

Stijx Profile Blog Joined February 2011 United States 802 Posts Last Edited: 2011-08-27 14:36:45 #12 It's early. Misspoke.



No I agree, that the content in between games could be a lot cooler, but the thing is I'd rather they just left the breaks open and gave themselves the time to make sure everything went well, instead of adding lots of stuff and never taking a break. Then there's no breathing room.

Carny Profile Joined April 2009 Croatia 284 Posts #13 On August 27 2011 23:31 the-gandhi wrote:

Have Group A and B play at x:00

Have Group C and D play at x:30



Problem solved.



Yesterday there were always two games at X:30 and by the time the game on your stream was over, the other one was close to be over as well.



This! Red Stream and Blue Stream shouldn't start their matches at the same time but with about half an hour difference. It wouldn't make more efforts for the Casters but we'd say more games and have fewer down-times.

This! Red Stream and Blue Stream shouldn't start their matches at the same time but with about half an hour difference. It wouldn't make more efforts for the Casters but we'd say more games and have fewer down-times. Shutting from the Sky

Joseph123 Profile Joined October 2010 Bulgaria 1125 Posts Last Edited: 2011-08-27 14:40:21 #14 Get cameras behind warming up koreans or high skilled players -> problem solved

dtz Profile Joined September 2010 4316 Posts #15 On August 27 2011 23:37 Carny wrote:

Show nested quote +

On August 27 2011 23:31 the-gandhi wrote:

Have Group A and B play at x:00

Have Group C and D play at x:30



Problem solved.



Yesterday there were always two games at X:30 and by the time the game on your stream was over, the other one was close to be over as well.



This! Red Stream and Blue Stream shouldn't start their matches at the same time but with about half an hour difference. It wouldn't make more efforts for the Casters but we'd say more games and have fewer down-times.

This! Red Stream and Blue Stream shouldn't start their matches at the same time but with about half an hour difference. It wouldn't make more efforts for the Casters but we'd say more games and have fewer down-times.



Agree with this as well!



Although it might restrict a stream ( pair of casters) to specific group though because of that.But i'm fine with that actually. Agree with this as well!Although it might restrict a stream ( pair of casters) to specific group though because of that.But i'm fine with that actually.

InToTheWannaB Profile Joined September 2002 United States 4769 Posts Last Edited: 2011-08-27 14:47:51 #16 I kind of like the breaks. I play a game inbetween till i hear the casters come back. Then i go back too watching. Thats the joy of being on the internet rather then TV. When the spirit is not altogether slain, great loss teaches men and women to desire greatly, both for themselves and for others.

Jombozeus Profile Blog Joined August 2010 China 1014 Posts Last Edited: 2011-08-27 14:49:15 #17 The 30 minute buffer idea isn't going to help in my opinion.



Say your ZvZ starts at 11:00 and ends in 25 minutes, then your TvT starts and ends in 160 minutes.

Now you've just artificially created more downtime.



And no you cant give the stream that starts earlier the longer matchups, because the casters would object.



Plus, MLG wants you to watch Halo.

arbitrageur Profile Joined December 2010 Australia 1199 Posts #18 Dude polls and advertisement games are a FANTASTIC idea

LowChucky Profile Joined March 2011 United Kingdom 242 Posts #19 I would love for some random camera guy to be going round giving us over the shoulder gameplay from maybe the open bracket, and just have a little line of text on the bottom of the screen saying who is playing. "I feel like i'm watching two guys take turns at falling down the stairs" - Tasteless

syrupychinadian Profile Joined September 2010 112 Posts #20 They should just put the camera on JP during these times for actual crowd/player interviews/chats. Especially since JP is not casting for MLG in recent times, I think JP needs more air-time.

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