Greth has been around the scene for a few years and has become known as a very entertaining commentator of StarCraft matches. For those of you who know him and for those who haven't had a chance to watch his Video Reports here it is: exclusive interview with Greth!
Could you tell us who you are and what is your main job at SC2GG?
I'm Greth, and the short answer is that I'm the head forum admin and one of the commentators at SC2GG. I've been around SC2GG a long time and I've dabbled in a lot of things over the past year. I started out as a columnist, writing my 'StarCraft: the sport' article, that's what got me into it.
For how long have you been playing StarCraft and for how long have you been commentating matches?
I like to say I've played StarCraft from the start, but that's not entirely true, when the demo first came out I was mainly playing C&C and I didn't like SC simply for the fact that the units were so big and bulky compared to C&C. This was right when the SC demo came to macs. After a while I got pulled into the story, bought a bootleg from a friend on the playground and snatched the manual from a friend (all on good terms mind you). I first played online on an ISDN line, dialup. Played for hours straight - then my parents got the phone bill, a euphemism for what happened next would be: “I was confined to playing vs the computer and finish the campaigns”. Once we got ADSL I started playing in a little clan. I was a true Internet kiddie back then, irritating the living crap out of my clan members. Oh, the amount of e-drama we created! Skillwise I like to think I topped around 220 apm and knew my way around LT (turbonewbie ftw) by today’s standards that would have been C+ I think... Now I merrily mill around D+ with 120 apm on a good day.
I've never really been part of the large commentating scene because I never did Pro games. I tried doing them, but it just didn't work, also I had a hard time in college so I couldn't keep up with the scene that much, that and the fact that I have the attention span of a gnat and that I have no head for names or stats cause me to stick around casual games. That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.
You are usually commentating on casual StarCraft games with players that sometimes are below any level (but they are funny as hell at the same time). Why?
“Casual commentary just fits me more, I'm an entertainer more than a commentator. It gives a soul to the community”
Yeah... Casual commentary just fits me more, I'm an entertainer more than a commentator. It gives a soul to the community, you can see the people that are around this scene, and not just the superstars on the stage. The world surrounding BattleReports.com was fantastic, people like Mark4 and JohnnyVegas were gods to me. They WERE StarCraft, I only vaguely knew about Boxer and Nada, Heartcutter was my SC hero! When I started commentating, it was to create a video battle report. Not an e-sport cast. I continued doing this because nobody else seemed to be able to pull it off, and people enjoyed my casts more than I thought possible. I had found my niche, and I stuck with it. Also doing casual tourneys, which now recently evolved into the SC2GG weekly tourney - where I live cast casual games being played in this makeshift tourney, and soon I'll be casting the SC2GG star cup too. Only recently I've gotten more 'media attention' which is shown by me doing this Interview I guess... People like the pro scene, and don't realize that the majority of people playing this game are casuals, and that they jump at the opportunity of being cast even if it is by me, who lives to embarrass them!
What do you like the most in your job?
The ability to be part of the larger community, of SC2GG and to be given the opportunity to go to BlizzCon where I will surely work my ass off to earn that favour once more. So, in short: I like doing it, the best part is the commentary itself etc. I also like screaming into a mic and act like I know what I'm doing. And the ability to embarrass viewers through IRC during a live cast. I'm a megalomaniac really... I will find a way to conquer the earth through StarCraft.
Where does your nickname come from?
I'm an aspiring writer, as people might not know, English is not my first language as I am a native Belgian. My first language being Dutch. I've been dabbling with stories for a while now. My first piece in English was a WarCraft Fanfiction called 'Memories of Decay' which I dared post on BattleReports.com, this was in 2003. When I look back to that I cringe, I never finished the fanfiction - but I liked the story. I continued working on it, and I removed it from the WarCraft universe, gave it a place in real world fiction, as a sort of absolute mockery of the fantasy genre. And this is where I come to the point: Greth is my main character in this story. That's part one, he gets back to the mortal plain, gathers a fellowship to do several plot spoiling quests and then has a little episode in the second world war and then the present day. Parts of the unfinished story can be found here and this is a part of the rewritten real-life version. Greth writes the book in part, as a journal to what is happened to him. I am still working on that, not a lot has been post because I do plan on releasing it at some point.
What do you think about StarCraft II ?
“I believe StarCraft 2 will be the start of a new age”
I believe StarCraft 2 will be the start of a new age. Whether it is globally or confined to the Internet I don't know. But I do believe it is the hope of online gaming and 'eSports'. We need to draw a line between games for entertainment and games for competition, not just slap on the eSport tag on every game EA spews forth. And hopefully SC2 will get that point across. SC2 won't be a game, but it will be an industry, not by chance, but it will be forged by Blizzard; It's the community that needs to clamp onto that and give that industry a soul. And commentators will be an intricate part of that.
Will you commentate on StarCraft II matches?
Yes I will! Commentators have a duty to help develop SC2, not just in the Beta, but beyond that. We will be the barometers of competitive play, we'll be the first ones to spot trends and strategy, what will be overused or imbalanced. We'll be the ones to broadcast concern, a voice for the competitive players. We won't be reduced to simple ranting in forums, we'll be more direct. I'm looking forward to being part of that, because then I can prove my worth. I say that I'm a casual expert, but I know far too little about the intricate workings of SC to be called a real expert, but with SC2 we'll all be given that chance.
I have heard that you are going to invade BlizzCon this year. What can you tell us about this and what are your hopes for this event?
Well, imagine me now with a grin that is just a little too wide for a human face, teeth a little too sharp and eyes just a little too much on fire. BlizzCon is the Mecca of the Blizzard nerd. And this little Belgian is ruining every piggybank he can steal from orphans to be able to go there. First of all, I'm taking this opportunity to finally meet up with some of my online friends, mostly Psyonic Reaver, we've known each other through Battlereports.com for quite a while now. But also to take the opportunity to talk to Blizzard and ask them directly what part we will play in the greater scheme of things. I talked with Blizzard staff last year in Paris when things were still a little grey around the edges and most of them were milling around WoW still. I think that'll be different now. Battle.net 2.0 will be the big focus, and I want to know where we as a community fit in. Sites like SC2GG - focusing on commentary will play a big part if we are allowed to. This is what is almost causing me sleepless nights. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PLANNING BLIZZARD!? They are so damned secretive... until you are standing in front of them. Then you can get the info, if you plan the questions right. And I believe I can do that. I don't care about release dates or expansion packs. So, apart from drooling over girls dressed as Kerrigan, I'm going to do some serious digging. Mostly for our global community. Mostly. Because I think people will appreciate a clear answer from Blizzard on some things after (let's face it) 11 years of waiting and refreshing the Blizzard.com homepage. *Let's red hot fingers cool down to below 5000°C*
Who is neobowman?
Hahaha! Neobowman is in fact a real person. A kind child thrown into the SC2GG pit of demons as a map maker and became our map community representative. Then he decided to play Starcraft... He's a prime example of one of my viewers. Someone who got involved enough to become one of the stars, perfect example of the new SC community, and a nice nostalgic look back at Battlereports.com in its prime. I hope I can revive that spirit. That's all the credit I'll give him ;).
Is there anything that you want to add to this interview?
I would like to plug the SC2GG weekly tourney that I cast each Saturday; get more turnout. Live tourney, sign up 30 minutes before the start and have a good chance of getting live casted by me. Starts at 2pm EST (7pm GMT). And also much praise for SC2GG for being the reason I'm still here. A true home for me on the Internet. And of course GosuGamers.net for giving me this opportunity in the first place. Means a lot to me to be Interviewed like this. You have no idea!
A huge thanks goes to Greth for this interview and for all the work he has been doing for StarCraft and for the community.
One of the most recent VidReps:
Links
YouTube.com - Greth's YouTube Channel
BattleReports.com - Greth's very first VidRep. Must see!
Could you tell us who you are and what is your main job at SC2GG?
I'm Greth, and the short answer is that I'm the head forum admin and one of the commentators at SC2GG. I've been around SC2GG a long time and I've dabbled in a lot of things over the past year. I started out as a columnist, writing my 'StarCraft: the sport' article, that's what got me into it.
For how long have you been playing StarCraft and for how long have you been commentating matches?
I like to say I've played StarCraft from the start, but that's not entirely true, when the demo first came out I was mainly playing C&C and I didn't like SC simply for the fact that the units were so big and bulky compared to C&C. This was right when the SC demo came to macs. After a while I got pulled into the story, bought a bootleg from a friend on the playground and snatched the manual from a friend (all on good terms mind you). I first played online on an ISDN line, dialup. Played for hours straight - then my parents got the phone bill, a euphemism for what happened next would be: “I was confined to playing vs the computer and finish the campaigns”. Once we got ADSL I started playing in a little clan. I was a true Internet kiddie back then, irritating the living crap out of my clan members. Oh, the amount of e-drama we created! Skillwise I like to think I topped around 220 apm and knew my way around LT (turbonewbie ftw) by today’s standards that would have been C+ I think... Now I merrily mill around D+ with 120 apm on a good day.
I've never really been part of the large commentating scene because I never did Pro games. I tried doing them, but it just didn't work, also I had a hard time in college so I couldn't keep up with the scene that much, that and the fact that I have the attention span of a gnat and that I have no head for names or stats cause me to stick around casual games. That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.
You are usually commentating on casual StarCraft games with players that sometimes are below any level (but they are funny as hell at the same time). Why?
“Casual commentary just fits me more, I'm an entertainer more than a commentator. It gives a soul to the community”
Yeah... Casual commentary just fits me more, I'm an entertainer more than a commentator. It gives a soul to the community, you can see the people that are around this scene, and not just the superstars on the stage. The world surrounding BattleReports.com was fantastic, people like Mark4 and JohnnyVegas were gods to me. They WERE StarCraft, I only vaguely knew about Boxer and Nada, Heartcutter was my SC hero! When I started commentating, it was to create a video battle report. Not an e-sport cast. I continued doing this because nobody else seemed to be able to pull it off, and people enjoyed my casts more than I thought possible. I had found my niche, and I stuck with it. Also doing casual tourneys, which now recently evolved into the SC2GG weekly tourney - where I live cast casual games being played in this makeshift tourney, and soon I'll be casting the SC2GG star cup too. Only recently I've gotten more 'media attention' which is shown by me doing this Interview I guess... People like the pro scene, and don't realize that the majority of people playing this game are casuals, and that they jump at the opportunity of being cast even if it is by me, who lives to embarrass them!
What do you like the most in your job?
The ability to be part of the larger community, of SC2GG and to be given the opportunity to go to BlizzCon where I will surely work my ass off to earn that favour once more. So, in short: I like doing it, the best part is the commentary itself etc. I also like screaming into a mic and act like I know what I'm doing. And the ability to embarrass viewers through IRC during a live cast. I'm a megalomaniac really... I will find a way to conquer the earth through StarCraft.
Where does your nickname come from?
I'm an aspiring writer, as people might not know, English is not my first language as I am a native Belgian. My first language being Dutch. I've been dabbling with stories for a while now. My first piece in English was a WarCraft Fanfiction called 'Memories of Decay' which I dared post on BattleReports.com, this was in 2003. When I look back to that I cringe, I never finished the fanfiction - but I liked the story. I continued working on it, and I removed it from the WarCraft universe, gave it a place in real world fiction, as a sort of absolute mockery of the fantasy genre. And this is where I come to the point: Greth is my main character in this story. That's part one, he gets back to the mortal plain, gathers a fellowship to do several plot spoiling quests and then has a little episode in the second world war and then the present day. Parts of the unfinished story can be found here and this is a part of the rewritten real-life version. Greth writes the book in part, as a journal to what is happened to him. I am still working on that, not a lot has been post because I do plan on releasing it at some point.
What do you think about StarCraft II ?
“I believe StarCraft 2 will be the start of a new age”
I believe StarCraft 2 will be the start of a new age. Whether it is globally or confined to the Internet I don't know. But I do believe it is the hope of online gaming and 'eSports'. We need to draw a line between games for entertainment and games for competition, not just slap on the eSport tag on every game EA spews forth. And hopefully SC2 will get that point across. SC2 won't be a game, but it will be an industry, not by chance, but it will be forged by Blizzard; It's the community that needs to clamp onto that and give that industry a soul. And commentators will be an intricate part of that.
Will you commentate on StarCraft II matches?
Yes I will! Commentators have a duty to help develop SC2, not just in the Beta, but beyond that. We will be the barometers of competitive play, we'll be the first ones to spot trends and strategy, what will be overused or imbalanced. We'll be the ones to broadcast concern, a voice for the competitive players. We won't be reduced to simple ranting in forums, we'll be more direct. I'm looking forward to being part of that, because then I can prove my worth. I say that I'm a casual expert, but I know far too little about the intricate workings of SC to be called a real expert, but with SC2 we'll all be given that chance.
I have heard that you are going to invade BlizzCon this year. What can you tell us about this and what are your hopes for this event?
Well, imagine me now with a grin that is just a little too wide for a human face, teeth a little too sharp and eyes just a little too much on fire. BlizzCon is the Mecca of the Blizzard nerd. And this little Belgian is ruining every piggybank he can steal from orphans to be able to go there. First of all, I'm taking this opportunity to finally meet up with some of my online friends, mostly Psyonic Reaver, we've known each other through Battlereports.com for quite a while now. But also to take the opportunity to talk to Blizzard and ask them directly what part we will play in the greater scheme of things. I talked with Blizzard staff last year in Paris when things were still a little grey around the edges and most of them were milling around WoW still. I think that'll be different now. Battle.net 2.0 will be the big focus, and I want to know where we as a community fit in. Sites like SC2GG - focusing on commentary will play a big part if we are allowed to. This is what is almost causing me sleepless nights. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PLANNING BLIZZARD!? They are so damned secretive... until you are standing in front of them. Then you can get the info, if you plan the questions right. And I believe I can do that. I don't care about release dates or expansion packs. So, apart from drooling over girls dressed as Kerrigan, I'm going to do some serious digging. Mostly for our global community. Mostly. Because I think people will appreciate a clear answer from Blizzard on some things after (let's face it) 11 years of waiting and refreshing the Blizzard.com homepage. *Let's red hot fingers cool down to below 5000°C*
Who is neobowman?
Hahaha! Neobowman is in fact a real person. A kind child thrown into the SC2GG pit of demons as a map maker and became our map community representative. Then he decided to play Starcraft... He's a prime example of one of my viewers. Someone who got involved enough to become one of the stars, perfect example of the new SC community, and a nice nostalgic look back at Battlereports.com in its prime. I hope I can revive that spirit. That's all the credit I'll give him ;).
Is there anything that you want to add to this interview?
I would like to plug the SC2GG weekly tourney that I cast each Saturday; get more turnout. Live tourney, sign up 30 minutes before the start and have a good chance of getting live casted by me. Starts at 2pm EST (7pm GMT). And also much praise for SC2GG for being the reason I'm still here. A true home for me on the Internet. And of course GosuGamers.net for giving me this opportunity in the first place. Means a lot to me to be Interviewed like this. You have no idea!
A huge thanks goes to Greth for this interview and for all the work he has been doing for StarCraft and for the community.
One of the most recent VidReps:
Links
YouTube.com - Greth's YouTube Channel
BattleReports.com - Greth's very first VidRep. Must see!
