When Michael Kane’s book, Game Boys: Professional Videogaming’s Rise from the Basement to the Big Time, entered my radar, I was lucky enough to get in contact with Kane and interview him via email. My thanks to Shannon Twomey of Viking for facilitating this interview. Here isa snippet of the publisher’s description of the book: “Game Boys is a pioneering narrative of the rivalries, quirks, and dramas of a subculture on the cusp of big things. At its most personal, it’s a classic sports tale of victory and defeat, punched up for the millennial generation. It’s also an engrossing business-meets-popculture narrative that reveals the entrepreneurial ingenuity involved in bringing gaming onto broadcast TV, in the vein of the X-Games or televised poker. Game Boys is an engrossing read for technophiles, gamers, parents, and anyone interested in the business of sports and trends in pop culture.” My thanks also to Kane for his time.
Tim O’Shea: In the end acknowledgments for the book, you note the “cooperation and trust of all the e-sports loonies who allowed me into their world”. What has been their reaction to the book, in general or with certain leading characters in particular?
Michael Kane: I’ve gotten very positive responses, especially from the people around e-sports who have been attempting to convey its appeal to a wider audience – like the managers, shoutcasters and e-sports enthusiasts at Gotfrag. I think they appreciated the challenge presented in balancing the two tasks of explaining e-sports to outsiders and making it an entertaining narrative. I’ve heard less from the gamers.
O’Shea: How hard was it to gain that level of cooperation and trust?
Kane: Relatively easy. At tournaments, I hung back and stayed out of their way. It seemed like the trust level grew after I paid a visit to their homes. The gamers probably appreciated the effort it took to drive around the country. Some live in relatively obscure locations, like Little Rock, Arkansas or Fargo, North Dakota.
O’Shea: I really was struck by the story of Kyle Miller who walked away from competition to take a 9 to 5 IT job, only to return once the competition became more lucrative. Not many other sports have competitors that walk away due to the appeal of a 401K. In other sports, the competitors view going “pro” as a means to change their fortune. You acknowledged that the book was edited and streamlined (seemingly to improve the flow of the story). If you had more space/time to devote to stories, would you have kept more about Miller’s journey (away from the sport and back) in the book?
Kane: Kyle’s story was interesting, as were a few other gamers’. Sure, I’d have liked to include more on unique plights, such as him – the kid who left and came back. Another gamer whose story was unfortunately cut with Josh “Dominator” Sievers, who was Team 3D’s benched player. Here’s a kid who’s getting paid to essentially NOT play videogames. He was 3D’s alternate who never got to play, but he wasn’t allowed contractually to join another team. Odd situation. Also, I originally had much more about Mug & Mouse in the book, mostly because I found them entertaining. But, as you said, ultimately the book needed to be leaner and stick to the main plotline for the sake of flow.
O’Shea: Many of the characters mentioned in this book have rather complicated names. How much did it drive you (and your editors) crazy in trying to proof this book?
Kane: I’m sure all the gaming lingo (AWP, fRoD, LANs, etc.) caused the editors and fact-checkers at Viking many headaches. When I finished my first draft, it was about 350 pages – and it took 54 minutes to spell-check. No joke.
O’Shea: Recently the Arena Football League announced it was suspending its 2009 season. Given the economic downturn in many circles of society/entertainment, do you think e-sports might affected? And if so, do you hope to do an updated version of the book when it’s released in paperback (to reflect the changing market)?
Kane: E-sports have been affected. The Championship Gaming Series just folded last month. All those associated are now trying to pick up the pieces and rebuild teams to compete in other gaming tournaments. It’s certainly not a positive step economically for gaming, although the Major League Gaming circuit is still going strong. I have not yet communicated with my editor about updating Game Boys for the paperback, which will be released this summer (with a new cover, by the way). It’s a possibility.
O’Shea: Do you think someone like Angel Munoz, who seemingly took fiscal advantage of kids, was the exception, or the norm in terms of tournament organizers/officials?
Kane: It’s hard to say that Angel Munoz was the norm. Each gaming league seemingly works on a different business model. World Cyber Games is designed to elevate Samsung’s profile. WSVG meant well but wasn’t innovative and lacked the expertise to run a large-scall tournament. Small LAN events are simple and well-meaning, run by the same goodwilled people who run LAN centers. CGS hoped to make stars of the gamers and profit with them, not at their expense. Major League Gaming has done well to expand gaming while appealing to its core audience. With everyone still feeling their way along, it’s hard to generalize and say that organizers are strictly profiteers. Regardless of intentions, I don’t know that there’s enough profiting, as yet, to make that so anyway. Many clan managers rip off the players and split with their prize money, but not the ones featured in Game Boys.
O’Shea: Many of the characters involved in this business strike me as mature beyond their years, yet on another level, I can’t help but wonder if they missed out on the fun of being a “normal” teenager. The competition for many seemed to become more like a job than fun. In years to come, will you look they will consider it a benefit to have competed and traveled the world–or do you think some will regret that period?
Kane: I’m not sure that I agree that gamers are mature beyond their years. Some seemed like perpetual 17-year-olds, others seemed like normal 21-year-olds. And it’s hard to generalize. Would some have been better off with a college experience? Probably. Would they have been better off working at an IT company? Doubtful. They got to travel and have fun and compete. I’d equate them with many young people in their early 20s, the kinds of kids who go to Colorado and ski for a couple years before getting a real job. I doubt any of them regret the fun they’ve had – and getting to travel to places like France or China.
O’Shea: On the flip side, the competition seems to foster a great deal of folks that once they step away from competition, they may very well (or may already have) a successful career in marketing. Would you agree?
Kane: Not sure about that one. Maybe some of the managers who’ve been networking and trying to solicit sponsorships have gained some experience in marketing. I’d say so. Sure. As for the gamers, I’m not sure what (if any) skills they’ve picked up will translate to the workplace and impress prospective employers. Maybe software companies.