Sitting Down With Fatal1ty

Posted by: oPlaiD

Written by Sam "oPlaiD" Lingle

You may know him as the greatest gamer who ever lived. Maybe you recognize his voice as the CGS' resident gaming expert and color commentary man for their live broadcasts, or perhaps you think he's just that goofy looking guy sitting between Paul "ReDeYe" Chaloner and Andrew Siciliano on all the DirecTV feeds you've watched.

However you see him, though, it's impossible not to remember eSports legend and pioneer, Jonathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel, and we've got him right here for you fans of Carolina Core!

Wendel talks about his role in the CGS and how hard the transition from the virtual arena to television broadcasting has been for him, as well as what it'd take to get him back to doing what he does best: fragging. He also weighs in on this upcoming second season of CGS action and imparts a little wisdom that could be beneficial in Core's quest to avenge their championship defeats to rival Chicago Chimera next year.

Whatever you need to know, you'll find it in the best comprehensive Fatal1ty interview heading into another exciting year of CGS action!

We know you're supposed to be an impartial broadcaster, but... you're a Carolina Core fan, right?

Oh ya! Most definitely *smirk* ;)

What's been the toughest adjustment for you to make, moving from the in-game arena to the broadcast booth?

Well, I still play a lot and plan to keep playing even while I'm broadcasting. Right now, for me to play one-on-one, there is nothing available at the moment until the next big Deathmatch Game comes out. As for working the broadcast booth, I spend more time with the gamers getting inside stories that I can tell LIVE on air. It's fun and new to me, but I really enjoy meeting all the gamers and hear what they're going through.

How hard is it for you to sit in the booth and watch this new generation of gamers take all the glory you're accustomed to having? Do you ever think, "Man, I wish I could get in there and show these guys what it really means to be a pro gamer!"?

Ha... I know I can play, but right now I'm trying to grow the awareness of Pro Gaming to a mainstream audience to make this sport bigger! After it reaches that point and I've done as much as I can for gaming, I'm right back into the competition... I love competing and don't plan to stop!

You've been involved with eSports from the very beginning; what's it been like to watch it grow while participating in it all these years? Do you think CGS really is the next step?

I think CGS is taking all the steps that are necessary... It's just a matter of time, with the number of spectators growing, to get the sport where I think it should be. But most definitely, this is the best its ever been for the gamers, and it's just a matter of time before the gameplay of the games are increased to that of a true professional sport.

What do you think are the best things the CGS has done so far?

LIVE to TV in High Definition. Teams gathered from across the globe for a World Final. Gamers treated like true Professionals. Great cover stories for matches and players and much more..

What do you think are the CGS' biggest mistakes so far, and what would you done differently if you were in charge?

The game selections are probably not the best yet, but some of that is due to it being the early stages of the league. I think as we get in to the 3rd or 5th year, we'll be a lot more solid on a lot of fronts...

I think as we watch Counter-Strike, I would much prefer to show First Person View at all times, or close to it... I can give a lot more expert advice from that angle on what's going on, and what's going through the gamer's mind. Of course we might miss some action, but we can easily replay that for you during the buy time...

That's another reason why I think a Deathmatch Game would be way better. When your playing head to head in a First Person Game, you can't miss any action in one-on-one. You will always have a cause and effect on either screen you're tuned into.

Have you ever considered making a comeback to competitive gaming? What would have to happen to get you back into the arena?

I've never left it. Just waiting for right game to come out.

Till then, I'll continue to hone my skills and be waiting for the game I want to play.

You've made your name playing DM games; how does it feel to see that genre left out of all the current major eSports competitions such as the CGS?

It's a real bummer, because I think it offers the highest talent and skill level any game can offer. DM has been around since mid 90's, and probably has the most and coolest history of gaming. To be a top player in DM games, it takes years and years of serious training to even get a sniff of being a world champion.

Do you feel DM games have a place in the eSports environment? Why arn't they getting consideration, and what needs to change for them to return to the forefront?

DM games are eSports. I think right now we're just all waiting for the right game, just like me.

If the CGS suddenly decided to add Quake 4, which team would you hope drafted you and for what reasons?

Ha! I would probably go with Brian Flander's Chicago Chimera. We've been friends, teammates, opponents... everything. I sponsored him for a little while and we've been friends for about nine years now.

But hey, he's a champion dueller too, so if I had no one else to spar with, I could always spar with my manager ;))) sounds good to me...

As for him being manager, all he has to do is let me play my game.

Recently, the documentary "Frag" was released, focusing largely on you and your exploits. What are your thoughts on the movie? Do you think projects like Frag are the way to push pro gaming slowly but surely into the mainstream?

I think it was a good documentary. Some things were false in the movie, but most of it rang true. The feature on me was good, and it also showed how people pre-judge me before ever meeting me. They got to see the softer side of me, which I thought was nice... Shows I like to laugh and smile a lot and slip in some clever jokes! ;)

Other things were hyped for better story telling, but I guess that's what movies do.

The film was a great educational piece on pro gaming, though, and I think anything that shows gaming is an obvious boost for us, so what's not to like?!

Last year was your first in a long while without any real pro gaming, but it was filled with broadcasting for the CGS, promoting your brand, and more. So, what's on tap for Fatal1ty and the Fatal1ty brand in 2008?

Well, we've partnered up to bring more gaming products to the market with CREATIVE/Sound Blaster and the CGS! We're working on some more high end FATAL1TY Headphones... Our current model is still a big hit as the bang for buck is good for all types of gamers. I'm doing some charity work this year already, working with Disney, and also flying to South Korea to talk about the movement in gaming. Other than that, I still travel around the globe doing my FATAL1TY Shootouts, playing exhibition games with the local pros and amateur gamers giving them a sample what its like to compete against me... Its a blast and I really enjoy meeting the gamers from all the different cultures.

Last season, Carolina Core came up short in the big game - twice. You've had that clutch ability to pull out the win against overwhelming odds in any situation, like when you won the CPL World Tour against Vo0 despite him beating you more often at the other tourneys that year. What advice do you have to a team like Core, trying to figure out what went wrong in those finals to teach them to win championships?

It's the constant training and getting better. You need to find that 1-2% edge. I found it against Vo0 finally after twelve months. In the last five tourneys counting the finals, I won three when he only won one, so I knew I passed him and that allowed me to have confidence every time I sat down to play.

For the CORE, I would find what works and keep to it like a superstition. I found my training secret that made me play better and win. As soon as I find that pattern of training and discipline, I stick to my game plan; you have to go into the match with the exact same as you do when you train. If you train to train and not put yourself in tournament mode, your training or practiced mistakes might come out when you need to be 100% on your game. So when you "train" it better be tournament time!!!!!

And when you get your 1-2% edge, DON'T TELL ANYONE!

What was the most surprising thing to you about last year's CGS results?

I was mostly impressed about how well the CORE played and made it to runner-up at the World Final, and also how dominant Black Mamba was performing in the clutch. It was a great world final and I think we'll have another great season this year!

The CGS recently opened a training center in Asia; what's your take on a project like that? Do you see it becoming a success?

Anything is possible. I like the idea. I'm doing a similar thing in the US with 13-18 year olds, called Camp Fatal1ty, and there are a ton of kids and adults who want to know how to become a Pro Gamer!

A lot of teams improved themselves at the Combine and Draft last month. Heading into next season, are there any particular players or teams you have your eye on that you think will really make a difference this year?

It'll be interesting. OPTX was good and got a lot better, as did Venom and 3D. But hey, you never know... I just can't wait for Day One of the 2008 season. Eighteen new faces and I'm excited to see how its all going to mix together.

Who do you think will be the rookie of the year?

Perfect Legend

Which team will be most improved?

Dallas Venom

Which will be least improved?

Chicago Chimera

Will Chicago Chimera defend their North American and World titles?

Will be a lot closer this year I think... I don't expect a blowout.

Of all the CGS genres, racing changed the most as it moved to Forza 2 and the scoring system was altered. Do you think the reduction in points for a 1st and 2nd place finish was warranted?

A little bit. Was a big swing for that game, but I think it's at a good spot now.

Considering it'll be tougher for Ch0mpr and JaSoN-X to win the award again with the scoring changes and tougher competition, who do you think will be the league's Most Valuable Player this season?

Probably Vanessa if she can dominate like last year. Also, if LA Complexity's CS:S team can repeat their performance, they also have a chance.

Will Vanessa lose a game this year?

No.

LA CompLexity kept their roster, but a lot of other CS:S teams improved, like Carolina Core with Org and New York 3D with Juan and nickn0it. Do you see someone usurping the CS crown from CompLexity?

It'll be tough. If Complexity can continue their great teamwork, I think they'll take it again.

Three Dead or Alive 4 Male players were franchised by their teams, and another franchise-level star, Perfect Legend, was added to the league. Obviously, all four teams won't receive a "franchise caliber" performance from their DoA Male, considering they're all competing against each other. How do you see the DoA Male scene playing out this season?

Black Mamba and Perfect Legend are the two obvious choices, but never count out Master or Offbeat!