But this isnât a baseball or hockey game thatâs playing out on the sports barâs dual screens: The game is StarCraft II .  The teams are Terran and Zerg; the players, Boxer and Idra.  And the event is Barcraft Boston, an 18+ meet-up thatâs like going to the bar to watch a big game -- but with video games. 

At The Greatest Bar on Friend Street by North Station, an aura of anticipation fills the atmosphere.  Viewers are glued to their seats as two teams battle it out.  The score is 3-3, and itâs a heated, intense game of sudden death. 

Between 100 and 240 people have shown up for each of the three events held so far -- a pretty darn good turnout considering that Barcraft Boston only promotes events on Google+, Facebook, and Reddit and that attendees largely discover the event by word of mouth.  At the Oct. 16 event, over 100 gaming fans -- mostly 21-30-year-old men -- turned out to view the MLG Orlando game on the fourth floorâs screens; they often take over the six televisions on the third floor as well. 

âI donât get it, but everyone has their passion,â said bartender Shana Indelicato, who was lost but still appreciated the game. 

Founder and organizer Scott Trano launched Barcraft Boston in late August and holds events every few weeks.  He was inspired by Barcraft Seattle and StarCraftâs popularity in Korea. " When I first started [Barcraft Boston], there was the one in Seattle and the ones in Korea,â he said.  âI heard about the one in Seattle because I didn't have Barcraft as the name idea.  I thought StarCraft, video games in a bar." 

But Barcraft events happen all over the world, and here, it's not just Boston residents who come to watch the e-sport.  Dan Brooks, 28, came from Providence, R.I., for the event. 

"It's sort of like football.  There's a set of patterns that you have to play because they're the best,â he said of the gameplay.  âLike chess -- [moves] that work because that's how it's done." 

The environment was definitely lively: The crowd clapped and cheered when Idra defeated Boxer with an amazing play, and spectators groaned at painful mistakes.  There was drama every minute. 

âI like watching [the game] more than playing because it's more exciting,â said Peter Montag, a 21-year-old MIT grad student. 

If youâre a gaming fan, Barcraft Boston is a gold mineral worth the trip. 

The next Barcraft Boston event will take place on Sunday, Nov. 20, from 4 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. The bar will show an MLG Providence match-up.  There is a $5 cover charge. 

Photo by Rebecca Pollard (Flickr)

About Christi -- I'm a student and copy editor in Boston.  I have an interest in pretty much everything.  I like to spend my free time as part photographer, writer, graphic designer, foodie, artist, and musician.  I enjoy reading in a quiet sunlit room and watching movies with friends. 

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