EPTThis week, Doa took time out of his busy schedule to sit down with It's Gosu and talk about his meteoric rise through the casting scene, to speculate about the future of eSports in the West, and to do a little smack-talk trolling of his colleagues and housemates, amongst other things.
It's Gosu (IG): Right now, you're living every SC2 fan's dream, getting paid to live a life commentating and contributing to the culture surrounding your favorite game and eSports as an international phenomenon. The question many want answered is: how did you get from Point A to Point B? What path and events took you from the U.S. to Seoul?
DOA: It's really not that exciting, so let me try to dramatize it a bit:
From the primordial morass that is YouTube a small-time caster climbed forth. His name was Doa. Doa had worked hard at being a YouTube caster, working diligently to find the best replays and committing himself to 2-3 casts per week. Now, Doa had evolved to a higher casting life-form; one that could stream live matches a couple times per week. After doing this for some months he received a message from another land. A mythical figure named John beckoned him to cross the great sea and cast Starcraft 2 games in a land of intrigue. Doa was surprised at this summons, but accepted and journeyed forth; knowing that while his quest would bring with it certain risks, the rewards would far outweigh them.
Some of the other questions Doa took the time to answer include:
Q. Can you tell us more about the [GOM] house? Is it what most gamers imagine: a magical place bathed in nerdliness? Also, with whom do you live, and what do you guys normally do together for fun?
Q. You currently get to work with Moletrap, one of the most prolific casters in the SC2 scene, with roots stretching all the way back to hay-day of Brood War. You've also had a chance to cast alongside of Kelly Milkies, a charming young gal in her own right, and a touchstone for controversy. What have been your experiences in working with both individuals? What do you think are their respective strengths and weaknesses, and how do you feel they both fit into your style of casting?
Q. The last month or two of GSL competition has brought us the fall of some of the biggest names in Code S down to Code A, and have been the site of a number of breakthroughs of relatively unknown players into top level competition. Given that we're likely to see more of the same as SC2 develops as a game and an eSport, are there any dark horse picks who are currently in Code A that you think can rise to the top of the pack?
Q. Now that you've been in Korea for a while and had time to get a grasp of the competition on the Korean ladder, what, if anything, do you think separates the Korean server from North America or Europe in terms of strategy or level of competition? Are the meta-games the same or different, and how so?
Q. Other than GSL, of course, what content producers (IPL, NASL, et cetera) do you think have the most staying power? Which do you think are most likely to fade away in the future?
And many others.
To read the whole interview, please visit the full article at ItsGosu.com.
