What a retarded move. The beauty of the GSL format (or the starleauge format to be more accurate) was being able to setup and prepare for your match for days in advanced, not to be done weekend LAN/marathon style.
I guess gom couldn't say no to dat ign money.
I agree completely. On one hand, its always exciting to see events like the GSL being held on foreign soil, but god damn, dont condense RO8/RO4/Finals all in like 2 days. As you said, its what sets it apart from other tournies like MLG/IPL/Dreamhack in that theirs this steady build up, you beat your opponent in RO8, and then get like a solid week to prepare strats for your RO4 opponent. Doing all this shit in 2 days just seems to cheapen the whole experience. At the very least, maybe RO4-Finals, but not all 3.
Fans get that chance to savor and anticipate upcoming match ups and get that hype. I dunno, makes it sorta lose some prestige and pomp that whoever the potential winner may be, as I feel there will always sorta be this astrix by their name.
Not only that, but also the fact that many of the players who are in Code S will also be in IPL5, making it so that they have to juggle multiple tournies, resulting in tired players and less than inspiring games. Finally, its always a tough juggling act running more than 1 tourney at an event, and things always seem to inevitably go wrong. Just seems like such a huge risk and a chance for things to go pretty bad. Guess IPL/GSL feeling that MLG/OGN pressure, trying to up the stakes.