Team 3D
Living the Dream
by Joel Strauch
Remember that old Far Side cartoon where the parents of the video game-playing son are dreaming about want ads rife with competitive offers for full-time gamers? That dream has become a beautiful reality for the members of Team 3D, sponsored by
NVIDIA and
Comp USA. These
Counter-Strike gamers get to compete on the other side of the world—South Korea last fall, France this spring—as well as at the CPL (Cyberathlete Professional League) championships right in their own backyard.
And they get paid to play. We talked to Team 3D about what it's like being a professional gamer (besides the obvious blissful notions of
what that entails) and asked them for advice for the rest of us: how to deal with tournaments, what games are best to get good at, and, most importantly, how to make the leap from amateur to professional gamer.
Tournaments Far and Near
Traveling large distances before a tournament can be a disadvantage—ask the road team in any sport. But the opportunity to travel is also one of the greatest perks. "International tournaments are always a ton of fun," says Craig "Torbull" Levine, manager of Team 3D. "Going to other countries to play computer games for money is like a dream come true!"
"Travelling is really cool," agrees Dave "moto" Geffon, captain of Team 3D. "Being able to see all these new places and being able to play the games that we love to play."
But the jet lag can be one of the most brutal competitors. "When it's a 13-hour time difference, you have to get your sleep schedule squared away," says Geffon.
"Sometimes adjusting to the time difference or the food can be difficult," adds Levine, "but overall it is a great experience. International players stack up very well to North American players—going to international events within the U.S., or overseas, is always a great opportunity to play with the best."
Regardless of travel time, teams have to be ready for a tournament—and that can be one of the more grueling aspects of being a professional gamer. "The time spent before large tournaments preparing is probably the hardest part," says Geffon. "It's usually anywhere from ten to twelve hours of hardcore playing."
"It just takes a large amount of time to be in the top tier," agrees Sean "Bullseye" Morgan. "There are millions of gamers out there all wanting to be the best."
Shooters are King
Right now, the games with the biggest draw in the U.S. in terms of tournaments and corporate support are first-person shooters, especially
Counter-Strike. But that could change - and it's different in different places.
"It really depends on the area of the world," says Geffon. "In Asia, Starcraft: Brood Wars is huge. In Europe and North America, everyone loves Counter-Strike. It's the best route for gamers to take to compete professionally. Everyone enjoys watching and playing it the most."
"As long as the following is there, the prize money from organizations like the CPL and World Cyber Games will follow, and wherever the consumers are, the corporate sponsors will be as well," says Levine.
Give Up Your Day Job
Being a professional gamer may not be as easy as most of us envision it. It takes a lot of time and effort to stay on the cutting edge of the best of the best. "Anyone wanting to make it would have to be very dedicated and be willing to make sacrifices in order to achieve their goal," agrees Ognian "steel" Gueorguiev.
"Our clan tag 3D stands for 'Desire, Discipline, and Dedication.' If you want to succeed in
Counter-Strike, you need to have all of these," says Ronald "Rambo" Kim.
Having a core group of players with the same dedication is also important—
Counter-Strike tournaments are team-based competitions. "Find a group of guys you fit together with and stick with that group," says Kyle "ksharp" Miller. "Then put the practice in, and you can start to gain experience as a team."
But it takes more than just a group to make a team, says Morgan. "You've got to practice a lot together and don't give up, even when things aren't going your way. Just as with any sport, you have to really want to reach your goal to get there," he says.
Like any sport, you also need the proper equipment. "Having a decent computer, headphones, etc. makes a world of difference," says Geffon.
And you need to practice on a LAN every chance you can get. "My advice to aspiring professional gamers is to LAN, LAN, and LAN!" says Levine. "Go to as many big LAN events to compete as much as possible and practice on LANs with friends whenever you can."
"A lot of Counter-Strike is out-thinking your opponent rather than mere reactions or hand-eye coordination—you've got to stay one step ahead of the other players," Geffon says. "Online, you can get away with things that shouldn't really happen because of latency. Then you go on a LAN, and it doesn't work. You have to play on LANs to model your play style for the tournaments."
But if you put in the time, really dedicating yourself to the game and to your team, you can make a living as a professional gamer, turning every gamer's dream into reality.
"If you get the right support, then it's definitely possible to make it," says Morgan.
"Thanks to
Comp USA and
NVIDIA, we are currently living the dream," says Geffon. "We're the first
Counter-Strike team that is paid to play professionally."
And surely they won't be the last.
