dstryr Profile Blog Joined November 2010 United States 69 Posts #1



With all of those hours spent "chasing the dream", what sacrifices are made? Career prospects, spouse/partner, family life, etc?



I am genuinely curious as to what others opinions are on this. Although I love the prospect of e-sports success in 2012, I wonder what the effect/backlash will be on the number of up-and-coming aspiring pro-gamers.



Since so few are able to achieve success with Pro-gaming, what are the negative impacts of living this lifestyle?



It should be obvious that Pro-gamers are very dedicated to playing and improving constantly, but what is the cost?With all of those hours spent "chasing the dream", what sacrifices are made? Career prospects, spouse/partner, family life, etc?I am genuinely curious as to what others opinions are on this. Although I love the prospect of e-sports success in 2012, I wonder what the effect/backlash will be on the number of up-and-coming aspiring pro-gamers.Since so few are able to achieve success with Pro-gaming, what are the negative impacts of living this lifestyle?

Najda Profile Joined June 2010 United States 3431 Posts Last Edited: 2011-12-22 15:21:19 #2 The sacrifices one has to make is different for every person. Some sacrifice school, others sacrifice family life or other things unnamed. It's the same way for a lot of things though, for example a business man often has to make similar sacrifices (depending on what type of business etc).



I think every pro-gamer looks at the sacrifices he will have to make and consciously decides to make them though. I don't think it's a negative backlash, I think it's just something that you have to be willing to do if you are going to chase your dream period.

ComaDose Profile Blog Joined December 2009 Canada 6342 Posts #3 rekrul's recent thread, huk's more depressing interviews, sheths reaction to living in korea, etc etc.

It's obvious it is a big sacrifice.

Starcraft is the most competitive game and to reach the very top it requires 100% dedication. Therefore 100% sacrifice.



I'm thinking broodwar but its obvious people dedicate 7 days a week for years just for a shot. BW pros training sc2 is like kiss making a dub step album.

MrBitter Profile Joined January 2008 United States 2912 Posts #4 People make sacrifices in all lines of work. It's not exclusive to progaming or SC2.





GMarshal Profile Blog Joined March 2010 United States 21994 Posts Last Edited: 2011-12-22 16:14:01 #5 The cost is everything. You see, to become a real pro, someone who is successful, you need to love the game. Not enjoy winning, not have fun with it, you need to love the hell out of the game. Boxer, the Emperor, regularly practices 10 hours a day. He isn't the exception. To be a pro means you have to put in at least same amount of work people put into day-jobs, but thats actually not enough by itself, because due to the competitive nature of the game, there are people who are going to invest much, much more time into it then that, and to compete with them you need to match it.



I've said this before, but to be among the best, to be a real pro, you need to love the game to the point where it dominates your life, where you go to sleep thinking about how to micro mutas, where you dream about that TvT you lost an hour ago. Because if you aren't putting that amount of love into the game you will lose to those who are. I think it was SotG where someone asked IdrA what other games he had played recently, and if he had tried skyrim yet, to which IdrA replied that the only game he had been playing lately was Starcraft. This isn't because IdrA hates all other games, or wouldn't enjoy Skyrim, its because time put into other games is time taken away from starcraft, and pros cannot afford that. That's why korean pro houses usually ban playing poker and why whenever a pro-gamer gets a girlfriend he tends to slump incredibly hard.



To chase a dream is an all-consuming thing. The very best are the very best because they have sacrificed everything else to get there.



Thats what it takes. Not just time commitment and work ethic, but to fully invest your emotions in the game. That is what progamers sacrifice, because you can only ever have one true passion at the time. That said, there is literally nothing better in life than doing what you love, so yes, its a sacrifice, but for those who love the game, its a sacrifice well worth making.



EDIT: This is assuming SC:BW or SC2 or a comparable game where skill matters. Moderator "life of lively to live to life of full life thx to shield battery" The measure of a terrible day is when you go to bed thinking "man, I wish the zombie apocalypse would start already"

Tuneful Profile Blog Joined May 2010 United States 327 Posts #6



Can you guess who works the hardest in preseason?



+ Show Spoiler + Those who sacrifice the most. "All men are created equal, some work harder in preseason." - Emitt SmithCan you guess who works the hardest in preseason? "I play this game for three years, twelve hours a day - I shouldn't lose to these people"

IdrA Profile Blog Joined July 2004 United States 11540 Posts #7 depends on what game you play and how good you wanna be http://www.splitreason.com/product/1152 release the gracken tshirt now available

Rkie Profile Blog Joined October 2009 United States 1278 Posts Last Edited: 2011-12-22 16:07:40 #8





If you ever pay attention to the scene, there are always players that are getting sick or have wrist injuries simply from playing and practicing so hard. It is a demanding job that has much smaller returns for the good player, but is amazing if you ever become a top player. Even then, it is only the best of those that get paid well. There is a reason people tend not to play beyond the age of 30-35 other than the game being so taxing on a person at that level. If you are playing games from the age of 16 or 18, you likely will not study at the university level and play, so gaming becomes your job. It is all or nothing then. If you are not successful as a gamer and do not have a degree or anything like that, it will probably be harder later on. On December 23 2011 00:25 ComaDose wrote:

rekrul's recent thread





Just so you know, that thread is from 2005. It still applies here though. Just so you know, that thread is from 2005. It still applies here though.

Emon_ Profile Blog Joined November 2009 3874 Posts #9 On December 23 2011 00:25 ComaDose wrote:

rekrul's recent thread, huk's more depressing interviews, sheths reaction to living in korea, etc etc.

It's obvious it is a big sacrifice.

Starcraft is the most competitive game and to reach the very top it requires 100% dedication. Therefore 100% sacrifice.



I'm thinking broodwar but its obvious people dedicate 7 days a week for years just for a shot.

100% dedication is doubtful... the goal is to evolve as a player and that's hard to do. You have to play loads of games. Analyze your plays, perform at your peak at command. There's a whole psychology behind this that the coach handles in other sports. The lack of a coach is probably the hardest thing for a foreigner. They are walking into new ground alone and it's HARD to know which way to turn 100% dedication is doubtful... the goal is to evolve as a player and that's hard to do. You have to play loads of games. Analyze your plays, perform at your peak at command. There's a whole psychology behind this that the coach handles in other sports. The lack of a coach is probably the hardest thing for a foreigner. They are walking into new ground alone and it's HARD to know which way to turn "I know that human beings and fish can coexist peacefully" -GWB ||

Chef Profile Blog Joined August 2005 10797 Posts #10 Meh, you have to live your life somehow. What's the sacrifice when you work 9 to 5 at a job you don't really like? Or you work hard and then are really tired by the time you get home? No matter what life is never going to be all roses. I would still prefer to think of the positive aspects of the relationships progamers form with each other, the joy of following a passion for their game, and the reward of winning on a stage. Course, there are many who never make it to that stage. But it's not really the end of the world. You give it your best shot, and if things don't work out perfectly you pick up your life where you left off. LEGEND!! LEGEND!!

Denzil Profile Joined August 2010 United Kingdom 3880 Posts #11 Pokebunny seems like a good example of someone who managed to balance a lot and not sacrifice too much in any areas. Anna: So Sen how will you prepare for your revenge v MC? Sen: With a smile.

Kickboxer Profile Blog Joined November 2010 Slovenia 1156 Posts #12 Exactly the same as the sacrifices of being the best at anything else.

Kickboxer Profile Blog Joined November 2010 Slovenia 1156 Posts Last Edited: 2011-12-22 16:36:23 #13







This. Except it happens to your wrists, your eyes and your social life. I'm adding a photo for greater clarity ^_^This. Except it happens to your wrists, your eyes and your social life.

Djzapz Profile Blog Joined August 2009 Canada 10676 Posts #14 I think the biggest "cost" of being a pro-gamer is that many of them eventually come to the realization that once they can't make money off of gaming, they may have to go back and do something else... School, work - whatever it is, they'll be behind everyone else, going back to a "normal" life around 25-30+...



Obviously this doesn't apply to everyone, as the biggest names just may have a life-long career in entertainment. I'm thinking players like IdrA who will probably have doors open when he decides to stop being a player (maybe), and Day9 who could probably commentate and just stick to the business in general if he wants to.



Basically, I think the biggest difficulty is that most of them are slowing down their career for a little money right now. "My incompetence with power tools had been increasing exponentially over the course of 20 years spent inhaling experimental oven cleaners"

Pokebunny Profile Blog Joined June 2008 United States 10420 Posts #15 It really, really depends on the person and situation you put yourself in. You can't generalize at all. Semipro Terran player | Pokebunny#1710 | twitter.com/Pokebunny | twitch.tv/Pokebunny | facebook.com/PokebunnySC

marttorn Profile Blog Joined May 2011 Norway 5208 Posts #16 Rekrul's Korea Story says it well. And although that was long ago, it basically rings true. Not every story is a success story, there are some who go the path of Naniwa (who sacrificed school and was kicked out of his parents house back in WC3) but never get far. And then, as was said in Rekrul's thread, they kind of have very little to go back to. So like Naniwa said in one of his interviews, you have to be "kind of crazy" to take a shot at progaming.



Not that I have any real life experience with this, this is just what I can gather, and it's obvious everybody within sports has to sacrifice a ton in order to get good. memes are a dish best served dank

Liquid`TLO Profile Blog Joined March 2010 Germany 754 Posts Last Edited: 2011-12-22 17:21:57 #17 For me ESPORTS has had only positive effects despite the CTS. I think if you are smart about it ESPORTS can be more of a long term career. I didnt finish studying at university but I never felt more secure about my future than at this point of my Life I met people all over the globe and have friends as well as business contacts in a lot of companies that might open future paths for me.



It all comes down how you handle yourself, however being a member in Team Liquid probably puts me in a priviliged situation, stilll I believe every famous sc2 progamer can easily build a future from here if you are not too lazy and a bit smart. Team Liquid alea iacta est

valaki Profile Joined June 2009 Hungary 2377 Posts #18 Being a progamer is a job. I'm pretty sure, aside from the koreans, most foreigners don't practice more than 8 hours, daily. That's like a normal job (excluding weekends). Go figure. ggaemo fan

FireFish Profile Joined June 2011 Denmark 227 Posts #19 On December 23 2011 01:35 Kickboxer wrote:

I'm adding a photo for greater clarity ^_^







This. Except it happens to your wrists, your eyes and your social life. I'm adding a photo for greater clarity ^_^This. Except it happens to your wrists, your eyes and your social life.



I defently disagree a 100% with this. Your wrists will be okay, nothing happens to your eyes (lol), and you will meet sooo many new people with e-sport. Im not even a proffesionel but i met some really cool people.

I defently disagree a 100% with this. Your wrists will be okay, nothing happens to your eyes (lol), and you will meet sooo many new people with e-sport. Im not even a proffesionel but i met some really cool people.

SigmaoctanusIV Profile Blog Joined April 2010 United States 3130 Posts #20 Honestly thinking about it from the broodwar style you kind of have to dedicate yourself 100% of the time to stay current in less you have a natural talent for the game you can easily fall behind in trends and when your required to do everything perfect to be the best you have to sacrifice a lot. Like living in a team house(In korea) you don't have your own room and for as long as you live there your going to be spending the majority of your time talking about and playing starcraft, That is what separates the Koreans from most foreigners. Also people saying that you put yourself into any job/career don't really know what they are talking about when it comes to your job that you live and your only task is to be the very best. Not like a Bank Manager lives in the vault with all the tellers and practice counting when he on duty. I am Godzilla You are Japan

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