"over something boring and expected" <-- for people who really knows the game, sure. But for casuals that is just popping by a QL-stream it really does make an impact on. Because they have no fucking clue of what is happening except that they are seeing rockets and laser-beams all over the screen. Think about it as when you're watching a random tv-show that's suppose to be funny. The fake laughter does slightly work.
I just read my post, and Im sorry for sounding like a dick, but its because I am one.
Yeah I do get where you're coming from, but it depends on taste I think. (I really can't stand canned laughter on TV shows either.)
If this were, say, StarCraft (a game I know almost nothing about), bullshit excited commentary might work on me at the very start, but surely it wouldn't take long to realise that some engagements are trivial and unsurprising. (And/or notice the insincerity in the commentator's voice.) And once that happened, and the commentator was still pretending to be thrilled by every little thing, I would lose faith in him and wonder if he was bullshitting me about everything else too.
I've not played, watched or commentated any high level Quake Live since Dreamhack Winter 2011, maybe you find certain situations boring but for me the entire event was new and exciting... especially when you consider that half of the players participating are new names to me, and i was in my own Studio!
I feel i usually have a balance between raising my voice and talking about the game, but then that's probably because i prefer casting alone or with people i feel are more knowledgeable than me. After watching the highlight clip i can see where you're coming from though, I was also surprised to see nice guy nVc as I'm usually a massive cunt when i cast Quake... what has ShootMania done to me!
Zoot is a great asset to this community though and i couldn't do what he does almost every day, for me Quake Live is best enjoyed in moderation and that's how it'll probably stay - so don't worry, you won't have to listen to me every week. That said, hopefully i have the opportunity to do it again with Zoot (or another) as the FACEIT crew and Studio experience was awesome.
p.s. On a less serious note: "but surely it wouldn't take long to realise that some engagements are trivial and unsurprising." - In week 1 we had no in-game sound, almost every engagement was literally a surprise! Have you tried playing without sound? Try casting! Every time i switched point-of-view to figure out what the current situation was, particularly after fights, Zoot would punch me in the arm to remind me that people are watching everything i do - without Zoot I'd have given you all a severe case of motion sickness! :D