The Biggest, Baddest, Richest Video Gamer In The World
by Kevin Raub
Here is a sampling of play-by-play commentary, courtesy of
announcer Kimli Welsh, which could be heard over the PA by anyone
within earshot. "Fatal1ty and Kevin have begun their match up, and
already Fatal1ty has taken the lead with a nice rocket-launcher
kill a few seconds into this match." Or there was, "Kevin is hiding
underneath the risers, trying to take a shot. He gives up and tries
to go over the edge, but, no, he decides to stay, and because of
that, he is now dead … once again."
Never mind the fact that I have never played Quake, Quake
II, or Quake III (might have helped), or any other
PC-based, first-person shooter game, which is what Fatal1ty
specializes in. In fact, like many thirtysomethings, I haven't
touched a video-game console since I wasted away countless summer
days mastering Pitfall on Intellivision in the '80s. It
turns out that was a mistake.
Fatal1ty, however, didn't make that same error in judgment, though
his rise from suburbanite video gamer to worldwide professional
gamer, phenomenon, entrepreneur, and international brand was as
much about luck as skill. I mean, if you had told someone 10 years
ago that you planned on playing video games for a living, said
person would've chuckled a bit and waited for you to grow up.
Fatal1ty's case was no different, except for the small fact that
he's the one chuckling now. In his seven-year professional gaming
career, he has earned more than $500,000 making electronic
mincemeat out of anyone who dares step up to the computer against
him. Along the way, he has competed on six continents and in an
estimated 40 countries.
"I had three goals when I started this: I wanted to travel overseas
playing video games," he recalls. "I wanted to become the number
one gamer in the world. And the third was when I became number one,
I wouldn't become the stereotypical, arrogant jerk that you'd think
number one would be. I was able to accomplish them all in about six
months."
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