Next, Need for Speed and Street Basketball also successively competed for the championship.
They were all players from different clubs, some from the United States, and some from Japan.
In these three projects, South Korea didn't have much advantage because they started too late. Japan and the United States were already very familiar with these games, making some Korean players feel like they were facing gods, making it impossible to compete.
However, StarCraft was different.
Players from several countries started almost simultaneously, so it was a contest of who had a stronger understanding of the game and could utilize more effective strategies.
Li Mingzhe has now successfully become a player for a South Korean conglomerate's esports club.
Becoming a club player means he will have a stable income in the future.
In addition to the monetary income, there are also bonuses for winning, additional club rewards for champions, and endorsement fees.
This was something Li Mingzhe, a regular young man in the past, couldn't imagine.
Esports gave many ordinary people a chance to rise to the top.
Other competitive fields already have mature systems. Unless someone has extraordinary talent, it's almost impossible for ordinary people to enter that circle.
But esports is young, and everyone starts from the same point. In Japan, there is even a StarCraft player who is almost forty years old because he won in the Hokkaido region.
At this point, age is not an absolute restriction. Even at nearly forty, it's possible to defeat younger players.
"Mr. Takayuki, your idea for esports is truly excellent."
In a private box in the stadium, representatives of several South Korean and Japanese conglomerates gathered here.
They were all surrounding a young man, Takayuki.
Now, as this tournament progresses, its commercial potential has been demonstrated to a certain extent.
This is just the first edition, and preparations for the upcoming esports events have already begun.
Several conglomerates have discussed how to divide the benefits in the future.
This new competitive industry is a completely untapped market. Whoever enters first will reap the first rewards, which is truly tempting wealth that no one can resist.
And all the credit goes to Takayuki.
It was he who initially proposed the competitive mode of electronic games and brought together several local Japanese conglomerates to develop esports.
These people are now trying their best to flatter Takayuki.
As long as Takayuki feels comfortable with the flattery, if he delegates some of the esports authority, they can gain even more benefits.
When some conglomerates' families learned that Takayuki hadn't even married yet, they even took the initiative to send their family's girls.
But Takayuki was indifferent to this. He has his own pursuits and ideas. Women would only delay his speed in drawing his sword...
Hmm, getting off track.
Facing the flattery of these people, Takayuki had no reaction, just saying, "The match is about to begin. Let's quietly watch the outcome of the final eight."
Since this event is the first edition, there will inevitably be some imperfections in the planning.
First and foremost, the density of this event is not perfect.
Usually, after reaching the top eight, it takes at least three or four days to determine the champion.
But there wasn't so much fuss about this first edition, and the players were eager to quickly move on to the next round after completing this match. So what would usually take three or four days to finish was compressed into one day.
Today is the top eight of StarCraft.
Four viewing points started simultaneously.
Viewers only need to follow the instructions to go to different branch TV stations or secondary webpage links to watch the matches they want.
In the top eight, there were three South Korean players, two Japanese players, and three American players.
From a straightforward comparison of strength, Japan was clearly a bit weaker, indicating that StarCraft was not Japan's strong suit.
Indeed, after the top eight, all Japanese players were eliminated, leaving two South Korean players and two American players.
This became a battle between South Korea and the United States.
Among these four, there was Li Mingzhe.
At this moment, his palms were already slightly sweaty.
Just now, he personally eliminated a strong American player.
During the match, he almost felt like he was about to lose.
But unexpectedly, he quickly seized on a small mistake by his opponent, swiftly using the Zerg's Mutalisk and Zerglings combination to raid the opponent's main base, directly cutting off the opponent's economy line. Then, relying on his rapid troop production, he tilted the situation greatly in his favor, ultimately winning the game.
Honestly, he had never felt such excitement before.
His adrenaline was skyrocketing.
The veins on his forehead were slightly bulging.
It was really nerve-wracking.
Players were just as nervous and excited as Li Mingzhe.
Among the four matches, Li Mingzhe's match was the most watched in South Korea because it was the only South Korea vs. United States battle among the four.
When Li Mingzhe was at a disadvantage, the entire audience in the stands covered their eyes in shock.
But in the end, he won with some excitement.
Li Mingzhe was also the first name cheered by many South Korean players and spectators.
When Li Mingzhe took off his headphones and heard his name, he felt like he was being elevated.
This feeling was truly excellent.
He finally understood the charm of electronic games and realized the charm of esports.
This thing is really fascinating.
Then, after the top eight, he and another South Korean player advanced, facing the other two American players.
A battle between South Korea and the United States.
This gimmick was really full of appeal.
The TV ratings in South Korea began to skyrocket.
Originally, this broadcasting station was just a relatively backward television station in South Korea, established by several conglomerates to compete for dominance. It couldn't compare with the mainstream South Korean official television stations.
But this esports event became their opportunity.
This was the first time their television station briefly surpassed the official South Korean television stations in ratings.
The new television station established by the conglomerates became a gathering place for young people in an extremely short time.
Hey hey, have you heard? There's a competitive event going on, the South Korea vs. United States battle!
What? Where did you hear that? What competitive event is it? I haven't heard of it.
Are you just uninformed? It's called esports, a competitive event where you play games to win.
What? So it's just playing games? What's there to compare? Boring.
But it's a battle between South Korea and the United States! Don't you want to see who wins?
Hmm, that sounds a bit interesting. Tell me which TV station, I'll go watch it now.