The Good the Bad the stupid

MLG’s announcement that GSL’s player would be shipped into MLG columbus and the top 4 foreigners would be sent to the GSL’s Code A there was a resounding F- YEAHHHHHHHHH! in the community. However, it’s not all good in this equation.

First lets look at the deal itself:
- GSL sends over 4 players to play in MLG’s tournament
- GSL’s players get seeded directly into the championship groups
- MLG’s top will be given code S status, unless they already have it
- MLG’s next 2 will be given Code A status
- the GSL’s players all get the Code S status, the top foreigners will get code A status
- More koreans can be invited to the tournament, but must compete through the open bracket

So it sounds good - koreans go to MLG, competing with out best. If the foreigners do well they’ll get code S status, or code A status. Sounds great right? MLG - the only big US tournament left - will get some of the best players in the world to play in their tournament.

However the bad seems to be far worse. First they decide now, not the last 3 years when europeans had to pay out of pocket or have sponsors pay to come over, to subsidize international players. They also suddenly decided to let other leagues point system, which they didn’t in Halo or GoW with the ECL or the i-Series points, be valid in their own.

But the worse, and the dumbest by far, is the fact that the 4 invited players won’t have to fight through the open bracket seems ridiculous to me. If i decided to get zyos, hp darkman, ogre 1 and ghandi together to play in Columbus - four legitimate halo legends - they’d have to fight through the open bracket. If i decided to get the old SK-halo team together you know what they’d have to do? Go through the open bracket. If i sponsored an European CoD team to come out you know what they’d have to do? FIGHT THROUGH THE OPEN BRACKET.

What makes these Koreans so special? The fact that their league has more money is broadcasted for far longer? If this is the case why didn’t they use the WoW points from WSVG or IEM when they were supported WoW? Why don’t they use WSVG, ECL, iSeries points for halo and and GoW?

And the even bigger question is - if they are giving these players stipends to come out, like i think they are - why aren’t they doing this for the European players? It’s not like the travel costs are that much worse for the players and the organizations - which can barely stay afloat as it is - which send the European players out. It’s not like certain players - ret, TLO, morrow and a few other - aren’t at the same level at the Koreans, because they almost all are.

And then there's all the other tournaments - Road to code A, the foreigner house and a few others - which all allow you to go out and play in Korea if you want, it's not like there is some sort of color barrier for the players. It's simply lack of reason - more tournaments, more money, easier money etc in foreign events - that foreigners don't choose to go out to these tournaments.