Nick Plott facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nick Plott
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Plott at ESL StarCraft Masters 2023 Winter
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| Born | August 11, 1984 |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | "Tasteless" |
| Alma mater | Regis University |
| Occupation | Esports commentator |
| Relatives | Sean Plott |
Nicolas Plott, born on August 11, 1984, is famous in the world of esports as Tasteless. He is an American commentator who moved to Seoul, South Korea in 2007. There, he started giving commentary for exciting esports competitions. He has been a commentator for many StarCraft and StarCraft II tournaments. He often works with Dan "Artosis" Stemkoski. Together, they have commented on the Global StarCraft II League and now commentate SOOP StarLeague games.
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Early Life and Gaming
Plott grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. His brother, Sean Plott, is also an esports commentator. After high school, Nicolas went to Regis University in Denver. He studied philosophy and psychology there. He was also part of the school's debate team. Even though he thought about going to law school, he decided to focus on StarCraft full-time instead.
How He Started Playing StarCraft
In 1998, Nicolas and his younger brother Sean bought a copy of StarCraft. They had heard how popular the game was. The brothers would watch each other play and give advice. They played online for fun, but their internet was slow.
They visited a nearby Internet café where they met older players. These players beat them in games. This loss, and some friendly teasing, made the brothers want to get better. They never went back to that café, but it pushed them to improve their skills.
When fast internet became available, the brothers started playing StarCraft competitively. They played on Korean servers. They even won tournaments while they were still in high school. Nicolas became less interested in school when he couldn't include StarCraft in his studies. He kept playing the game through high school and college.
Becoming an Esports Commentator
At the World Cyber Games 2005 finals, Nicolas lost to his brother. He then watched the rest of the games as a fan. He noticed that the tournament commentator wasn't very good at explaining the game's details. So, he asked to help commentate, and it went very well! After that, he got offers to commentate for free in Europe, Japan, and Singapore.
Moving to Korea
In his last semester of college, a Korean TV company called GOM TV invited Nicolas. They wanted him to provide English commentary for StarCraft: Brood War games. This was part of their plan to reach more people. Nicolas left college and moved to Seoul within a week.
In Korea, Nicolas often slept on friends' couches. He worked as a commentator, also called a "caster," whenever he could. This move didn't guarantee a career, but it gave him a chance. In 2007, he became the first Western StarCraft commentator in South Korea. He commented on the Star Invitational, which had about 75,000 viewers for the finals. He also covered three seasons of the Averatec-Intel Classic. Susie 'lilsusie' Kim joined him as a co-caster for one season. Nicolas first met Kim at BlizzCon in 2005.
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The Tastosis Duo
As StarCraft II was about to be released, Nicolas and another American commentator in Seoul, Dan "Artosis" Stemkoski, had both gained many fans. TV networks were interested in them. The two started casting together and became known as Tastosis. This name is a mix of their nicknames, Tasteless and Artosis.
Before this, they knew each other from their gaming careers. But they became good friends in Korea. Many people say their success comes from their "magic" teamwork. Nicolas is bold and friendly, while Dan is very knowledgeable and analytical.
In 2014, a documentary about their careers called Sons of StarCraft was released. It was funded by fans.
Nicolas and Dan prepare for their commentary separately. Dan constantly watches StarCraft matches. Nicolas studies commentary from other sports and major StarCraft news. Together, they talk about team histories and their strategies during games. Nicolas believes their detailed explanations of player tactics help new fans understand StarCraft. They also try to add humor, as their audience is usually between 15 and 32 years old.
Nicolas has commented alongside Dan at many big events. These include the 2012 StarCraft II World Championship Series Europe finals and DreamHack Winter 2011. In 2012, Nicolas was one of the first people to sign with the eSports Management Group agency.
In a hidden feature, called an Easter egg, in StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, two characters are named after the casters.
In 2016, AfreecaTV brought back StarCraft: Brood War competitions. Both Nicolas and Dan were the English commentators. In 2017, Nicolas, his brother, and Dan hosted an event for the release of StarCraft Remastered.
In an interview, Nicolas said: "Since I was a little kid, I always wanted to come to Korea. This is because Korea is where the StarCraft tournaments first began."
Personal Life
In his free time, Tasteless often streams StarCraft gameplay on his Twitch Channel. He usually plays as the Protoss race. As of December 2022, he has more than 53,000 followers on Twitch.
See also
In Spanish: Nick Plott para niños
- StarCraft: Brood War professional competition
