Go And Gamers
Following scenario: A big TV station airs Hikaru no Go in a country. A lot of people see it. A lot of people want learn the game. They can do it, they play on the Internet, and meet people to play and are taught.
Though, they are still *alone* then. The usual newly born fan wont be found at the usual real life Go club - if there is such a Club at all.
So you gotta find an Internet equivalent of a Go club. Something that offers a home. Allows people to push each other and to fight together in a team. Just like the school tournament in Hikaru no Go.
Happily, such an equivalent exists already, it's called Clans. In Clans, computer gamers organize each other to play computer games against each other. Usually Clans play more than just one game, but 2 or 3 with several teams.
Computer gamers can honor the beauty and depth of Go, because thats why they play games. Especially strategic games like Warcraft or Starcraft.
In Korea for example we know about the rise of Go. But not many Go players know that in Korea computer gaming is a sport too, with its own *pros*: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3321537.stm
The idea would now to bring together the 2 waves. One wave being Hikaru no Go watched by the people, and the other wave would be to engage those people into Go teams in the computer gaming scene.
My question would be - since Korea is far ahead both in Go and in Gaming. If Clans that also include Go Teams exist already in Korea. I would wonder if thats not the case, if so, it would be a good way to transport Go into the right places in the west. Where the new Go players are. Every new Go player is also a Gamer often already.
Spreading Go among Gamers, I've seen a lot interest. And they can honor the beauty of the game after they played some - because thats why they play computer games too. Go isn't as shiny as polished computer game graphics. But it has depth Gamers seek for.
The idea would be to set up a Go Team Event for Go Teams of Clans. Teams could sign up and play against each other on KGS, just as they do in computer games. Having organized computer gaming leagues for years, I strongly believe this would meet the needs of the new Go fans.
The fans and kids watch Hikaru no Go, they learn Go, then they want to play 3 vs. 3 with friends. They won't visit a real Go club, and mostly such a club won't exist in their town. Though they are all computer gamers already.
Is it possible to setup some .org style project that offers such an ongoing competition with some support of the Go scene? A feeling tells me it might work, watching the dedication of gamers who learned Go I believe that it should be tried. It probably distributes Go at the right place.
Please comment with your ideas or concerns or experiences.
Malweth: I've already noticed this to varying degrees. Online Go Clubs are becoming more and more popular. It would be nice if an outlet existed for these clubs to compete online, though there are a few problems. First of all, this will take the cooperation of all clubs. Secondly, it must be arranged in such a way that a club of all high dans doesn't have too big an advantage (either categorize clubs into different tournaments based on their highest member's ratings or play handicap tournaments).
If you're interested in setting something like this up, you might want to get a web server and start coding the interface for this type of organization. Using preexisting clubs would be nice, or at least giving clubs the option of starting their own corresponding "clan"
In terms of the "clan" gamers, I don't have a lot of experience (due to the types of games this type of organization revolves around).
reprisal: Along with some friends, I've decided to try and bring computer game style clans to KGS. More info at KGS Clans.
EdwardHammerbeck: There is a go league that is sort of like what you are talking about (sort of not) called Wings Across Calm Water Go Club. They are an actual AGA chapter and everything. They have internal league tournaments. However I understand the clan concept, and that Wings is different. I just thought I would point them out to you as an example of an online go club. Perhaps you could get some ideas from them. And, I will be following your project with interest. I like the idea a lot.
excession: just thought i'd add to this, that our real life club the Liverpool Go Club, play online together a lot. Kind of the same thing. Well, similar anyway.
Kenn Knowles: Many players from the Santa Cruz Go Association play on KGS as well, though I don't know all of their screen names.
Islistening: reading the thread about kgsclans, its a good start. the above idea was about combining gaming and go - like well known gaming-teams/clans (whatever you call it) "adopting" a Go team, and by that PROMOTE Go in the gaming scene (think gamingteam/clan as a large longstanding 100ppl organization here). Why that? because of the parallels of strategy gaming and Go. The skills required in Go are similar. An example for a large strategy league is this: http://www.esl-europe.net/eu/wc3l/ Its an international fight between top teams/clans.
Like european football teams add brazilians to their lineup, those wc3 game teams add koreans to their lineups due their superb skills. Sounds familiar like devlopments in Go? Thats the point. Wouldnt wonder if those koreans had their first encounter with tactical gaming with a game of Go.
Here is our own example: We have been around as a gaming team/clan more than 8 years, and Go really helps to introduce sharp thinking into the brains of players. We show both Hikaru no Go and play vs each other - just as we play our games for similar reasons.
Gamers CAN appreciate Go, because thats why they play games for. Its the joy of thinking strategy, adapting tactics, teamplay, not "violence". A quote from tamsin: "We're sensible people, mostly, and we can play. Liking Xena: Warrior Princess or Buff the Vampire Slayer does not make you a violent person - it just means you like watching fantasy characters kicking fantasy butt."
Thats very true. Its like rocknroll was "bad" for kids, in the end it was good. Similar with gaming. Its a gaming culture. Every computer at the homes has a gamer behind it. The media picking up the "killergames" topic, while they miss the cultural changes. Maybe some of you understand that scene, if you think that they love their game as much, as you love playing Go - for similar reasons! Gaming is a culture - as Go is. German word "Spielkultur" hits its best - meaning both the culture of gaming, and the quality of play inside the game. Go players and gamers can both appreciate it alike.
"Showcase" matches of clubs/clans would be nice. We for example use a radio stream to cover WC3 strategy matches. Similar would make a Go-team/clan-match an "event" additionally to the usual watching of games. Interview partners invited into the voice stream add to that.
Andreasteckentrup: I started to work on a warcraft III map which allows you to play go, but i didnt complete it due to lack of lack of experience with map creation by me and lack interest in the german go forum. Anybody here interested in it?