Interview with MLG's Fwiz

Emo On Esports - Interview with MLG's Fwiz

I wanted to do a special interview that really looked in depth at someone who specialised in Esports, someone who spent a large quantity of their working and social life inside the new 'sport' (if you can call it that).

That person this time would be no other than MLG Call of Duty commentator and all round friendly character Ryan 'Fwiz' Wyatt. The former competitive player sat down with me for a couple of hours to chat about everything from his personal life to the future of competitive Call of Duty and as promised it's an epic. A massive thank you to Fwiz for taking the time out to do this, hopefully you will all enjoy it.



Emo: Hi Fwiz, can you introduce yourself?

Fwiz: My name is Ryan "Fwiz" Wyatt, and I just turned 24! I currently reside in Columbus, Ohio and attended The Ohio State University as a Communications Major. I work with Major League Gaming as their Call of Duty Main Commentator. I served in a variety of positions for GameBattles and MLG such as, Head Referee, Head Admin, Human Resources, and then was promoted to Head of Online Tournaments. During this time, I started to pursue a career in commentating, and created GameBattles Live alongside GameBattles General Manager, Mark "Stealth" Bombara. My competitive ventures started in the PC world. I started competing 10 years ago, when I was 14 with Half-Life: Team Fortress Classic. I played in a variety of originations at a high-level with teams like Dark Omen, and Endgame for TFL, and CAL (Under the CPL). After TFC (already small at the time) started receiving less recognition, I went on to compete in CAL-O/M for Counter-Strike. I was never a top Counter-Strike player, and the pool of talent older than me was so deep. As a competitive player I started to drift away from the scene. At that time, I was 15-16, was an immature forum troll, and a bad team mate. If I did it again, I probably would've stuck with it, and acted a lot differently. I didn't start playing console until Halo: CE XBox era. I played console more actively, particularly, when Call of Duty came out in 2003. I started playing it in mid-2004 for a very brief stint, because Halo 2 came out later that year - it truly was an amazing game at that time. When Call of Duty 2 came out later in 2005, I became hooked on the genre since then, and started to play console competitively when Call of Duty 4 was released in 2007. In late 2008, I stopped competing and went on to work for GameBattles and Major League Gaming.



Emo: An epic introduction to say the least. Before we move onto gaming, can you tell us something about you that no one else in the gaming world knows?

Fwiz: Hahaha, I had a lot of intel to lay down! I knew that you'd be asking great questions. To answer your question, I sure can. I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease when I was 10 years old. Crohn's disease is an autoimmune disease, in which the body's immune system attacks the gastrointestinal tract, causing inflammation. I've learned to deal with it, and use my outspoken personality as a pedestal for younger children suffering with the same illness. Don't worry everyone; Fwizzy isn't going to die on you



Emo: Sorry to hear that, what is the general response from gamers when you tell them?

Fwiz: Oh no worries man, we all are dealt different cards in life. It's made me a better person in the long road. The general response would be "So... Do you take more craps, or what bro?". To answer that, I don't. Haha!



Emo: So is your full time job working with MLG or do you have another career in the pipeline?

Fwiz: Right now, my main focus is on Major League Gaming, and finishing my last quarter of school at Ohio State. That has been my job through school. After that, I will most likely pursue a job in the gaming industry.

The Gary Lineker of Doritos?

Emo: What do family and friends who aren't involved with gaming think about your job and main hobby?

Fwiz: They love it. I'm in a position where I am mentally supported by family, and friends. They actually have kept my head up during times when it hung low. My Mother and Sister tune into every broadcast I do. My brother, Michael (twitter @mjwyatt) is designing my new content based website. My good friends aren't into gaming at all, but they are always intrigued when I involve them in my work. I’ve been fortunate to have my inner-circle all be very positive with my aspirations in the gaming industry. It’s single handedly the only reason I’m still here doing it.



Emo: In the UK gaming is still very much frowned upon by society, even those who spend 8 hours a day on Facebook. Does that stigma exists in the US?

Fwiz: Gaming industries are breaking this mold every day. However, to answer you, it still is prevalent in the United States. However, it is becoming increasingly less as every year passes. The biggest thing gaming industries have done here is create awareness. By educating people on competitive gaming, they realize you can make money off competing in video games. Don’t get discouraged by naysayers. Stay the path if you believe in yourself, we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. If you go to an MLG event, you’ll see that these Pro Players are more superstar Pro Athletes, then “nerds”. I have a quote at my desk by Mark Twain, "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great”.



Emo: Have you been recognised in the street when not at an MLG event?

Fwiz: Haha, I haven't. I like it that way



Emo: What do you think your reaction would be if it did happen? Are you prepared for celebrity status like the pro's?

Fwiz: I would be caught off guard. I am prepared, and wouldn't mind. I'm willing to give time out of my day for anyone. As gaming becomes larger in scale, it comes with the territory. I'm very personable, and love engaging in conversation. So, it wouldn't be a problem.

Jonathan Edwards look-a-like?

Emo: Ok let's move into gaming a little bit more, how did you first get involved with Gamebattles as a referee and did you go into it expecting to come out near the top?

Fwiz: Certainly didn’t. I never had pre-determined goals in mind on where I would go with GameBattles/MLG. When I joined, I simply felt I could contribute to the site. The mentality always was whatever way I could help out. I never pictured in a million years that things would transpire the way they did. I thought GameBattles was such a great place for gamers to showcase their ability, and I wanted to be a part of it on the back end with supporting users. I never initially planned on commentating, or being a Call of Duty personality. But, with each step I took, I wanted to make Call of Duty competitive scene more notable. It had endless potential, and the only thing hindering us was good development and a figure head for the competitive community. I knew I could only control one of those aspects, so I started to evolve into that role. When you start taking these steps in the community, I guess it becomes a natural progression.



Emo: The EU community would definitely disagree on quite a few things when it comes to GB, one of the main issues is the lack of community spirit, teams creating new accounts/teams all the time to save their record, the ladder not accurately displaying who is actually the best and probably the most common problem, lack of EU support. Do you feel GB gets a similar reaction in the US or is it now the only place you can play competitive?

Fwiz: Well, like anything large in scale, flaws are relevant. I think the only people that will create community spirit within the EU aspect of things, is the EU community themselves. With that said, GameBattles over years of development have made monumental improvements to the website. I will agree that ladder play is not reflective of our top teams. Ladder play is designed for a place all people can compete in, and Pro Teams usually focus on Online Tournaments and Pro-Circuit Play. Which is why the ladders are somewhat skewed on who the best is overall. However, the playoff system each season weeds out over ranked teams. I truly believe at the end of each season, the team that wins the playoff bracket, deserved to win it. As far as people remaking accounts, that is still in my mind, their loss. You still get the experience points for beating a team, GameBattles has taken huge measures in stopping boosters, and if someone wants to re-create and go back to the starting line in a race, is fine with me. European support is a focus, when I was the Head of Online Tournaments; I had three assistants, two in which were European. So the voice of the European community is not falling on deaf ears. Rome wasn’t built overnight, and either was GameBattles. The main focus is that GameBattles has continued to move in the right direction, and from my perspective, there is no better place to play. The main focus for USA and EU will be how to bridge the gap without it being hindered simply because of connection issues. What I truly want to see the most is a place where EU and NA can play against one another. Only then, will we know who the worlds best teams are.



Emo: What way do you think GB could entice the truly elite EU competitive gamers back?

Fwiz: GameBattles houses the best players in Call of Duty for the US, undisputed. Since the Call of Duty titles haven’t been developed for LAN support, this has become their home. I don’t think GameBattles has to do any enticing; they are an entity of Major League Gaming. The best competitors in the world are under the MLG roof. I think the main focus should be more integration like what we’ve seen Major League Gaming do with Halo. Major League Gaming has publically said they have wanted Call of Duty on the Pro-Circuit for years, but weren’t able due to flaws in development. I think if Call of Duty could be on the Pro-Circuit, we would see a huge migration of EU/NA powerhouse teams. As of right now, due to these development limitations, it has separated us from one family. This has caused European players to find a more professional focused organization to compete in, since GameBattles/MLG does not offer an EU Pro-Circuit. With these developmental necessities lacking, we are at the mercy of Treyarch to make this happen.

Fwiz playing real life CoD

Emo: Do you not think that on some level the gaming scene in the US and that of console has been dominated by MLG, so much so that if your game isn't featured on the Pro Circuit, then there isn't really anything at LAN to play for?

Fwiz: I think Major League Gaming has done a great job at creating an organization that houses all of our ambitions, and allows all teams to play for the chance to be a Pro. Everyone had fair opportunity to create this organization, they did it first with console. Major League Gaming events are 5-6 times a year, there are so many localized tournaments in between this time period where people can grab serious cash from other companies. If your game isn’t a title on Major League Gaming, chances are it is a small competitive title, and that is just the nature of gaming. When I played Team Fortress Classic under CPL/CAL, it was a joke to everyone. It was BYOC events, and we had to fight for them to even bring them on. You play first, because you enjoy it, you play second, because you enjoy competitive gaming, you play third for notoriety, and you play fourth for money. If you have this list out of order, then you need to re-evaluate your path to success in the gaming industry.



Emo: Let's talk a little bit about MW2. For many this game just didn't live up to the hype compared to CoD4, what's your opinions on it?

Fwiz: Modern Warfare 2 is a solid title. But let’s be honest with one another, it’s the biggest disappoint to the Call of Duty franchise. It had high expectations, and to me, seemed like no effort was even made to reach these expectations. Call of Duty: Black Ops will be the true answer to these high expectations set from Call of Duty 4. In the simplest form, come Novemeber, my XBox and MW2 are breaking up permanetly.



Emo: From a competitive aspect what went wrong?

Fwiz: Everything. Terrible spawns ruined Domination, and flag glitch. Guns were terribly balanced across the board. Deathstreaks, really? Who rewards someone for sucking? This doesn't resemble anything in the history of gaming, and there is a reason for that. Secondary weapons were absurd. Then there is the obvious, like no LAN support. This blows my mind. How are you going to have the most sold title in the world, not allow players to play in an organized offline LAN for tournaments across the world?



Emo: The rules between the EU and US changed, with Decerto v2 rules now inforce, it seems MLG is still stuck on almost it's original ruleset. Which do you prefer?

Fwiz: Decerto v2 rules. I hate Semtex, and love secondary pistols only. However, flash only is not the way to go. Stun should be allowed, as long as Semtex is gone. I hate the Stun/Semtex combo. Which is why I lean more towards Decerto rules. Changing rules for Major League Gaming half-way through a season isn’t fair, so I understand the mentality of keeping it to finish the season.

In the commentary booth with Puckett

Emo: Can Black Ops be as big as Reach now we know it has the correct LAN support?

Fwiz: Well, not all information has been revealed on if Black Ops is going to have everything needed in order to have an efficiently ran LAN. However, almost everything has been revealed that is needed . I think that it would be a little absurd to think Black Ops can overthrow the flagship title overnight. But, rest assured with all the momentum behind this community, we won’t give up easily! Sundance DiGiovanni, CEO of Major League Gaming, has publically announced via Twitter that in 2011 there will be a focus on distributing love across the MLG titles, and not being so Halo-centric. Almost all the ingredients are in play for 2011.



Emo: This leads us nicely onto commentary and your role in the Call of Duty community doing it. How did you first get into it and why?

Fwiz: I got into commentary because I wanted to make Call of Duty more noticeable, and get more attention. At the time, I was the Head of Online Tournaments, and felt that we needed to showcase Call of Duty more. We figured out a way through an online broadcast, GameBattles Live. I felt like I had to figure out how to commentate, and lead the front since I planted the seed. Thankfully, with the direction and assistance from Major League Gaming’s Head Commentator – Chris Puckett – I figured out how to kinda commentate



Emo: What is your style when it comes to commentating? Do you prefer someone with you or is it all about going solo?

Fwiz: My style is certainly always be talking, and be exciting when it calls for it. Having someone in the booth helps for long term commentating. I talk so fast, and cover so much while commentating, that it is good to have another person in the booth to avoid redundancy. When I do videos for Machinima Directors, I prefer to go solo. They are ten minute increments, and I don't have to focus on dishing the mic time out.



Emo: What's your most exciting game you have ever commentated on?

Fwiz: Ahhh, that is a hard one. MLG 2009 Call of Duty: National Championship with Xtravagant vs EnVy Us. It was my first time commentating, and it was at an MLG Event. I will always look back on that event as my most fondest, and favorite. Although, 2010 MLG Call of Duty: National Championship in Novemeber should top that.



Emo: Will the national championships be played on PS3 or Xbox?

Fwiz: When Major League Gaming had to make a decision, there were a lot of JTagging (people modifying files, to create hacks in the game) issues. No one saw any end in sight, and inevitably had to make sure Call of Duty was still on the Online Pro-Circuit. It was the obvious choice at that time. Sony also gave us the platform to broadcast these Pro-Circuit matches, so it was the best choice.



Emo: Do you agree with the decision?

Fwiz: Under the circumstances, it was the choice that had to be made.



Emo: The whole PS3 vs Xbox thing is quite a subject to get into, where do your loyalties lie when it comes to console?

Fwiz: I'm an XBox player, and didn't own a PlayStation 3 until these issue surfaced. I think they both serve their purpose in the console world. I am forever grateful that PlayStation sponsored an event that we could bring it to the public. If people want competitive gaming more relevant in the Call of Duty community, they should thank PlayStation3 for bringing the MLG broadcasts. Ultimately, this is Infinity Ward’s problem for releasing a game so easily hackable off its release.



Emo: Does that mean we could potentially see Black Ops on PS3 instead of Xbox if it made it to the Pro Circuit?

Fwiz: The focus is on 2010 right now, and finishing strong with the situation we are in. That question can't be answered until Major League Gaming evaluates what Treyarch did with Black Ops.

Ryan, middle, back as a player.

Emo: I think you're avoiding the question a little here, so let me rephrase it. If it was down to you what console would you put Black Ops on?

Fwiz: Xbox 360. It's where a majority of us were raised on in Call of Duty. I mean truthfully, my answer is whatever console that will give us the best possibility to showcase Call of Duty on the grandest of scales.



Emo: The ECL may obviously end up doing things different, although in theory a rival organisation to MLG, what do you think of it so far from what you have seen?

Fwiz: I think the ECL created a place that was not capable of offering EU citienz in the US, due to the limitations of Call of Duty development. A place where the EU community could compete for Pro-Status was imperative, and I think they housed that in a time where we had to remain divided due to the title not being on the Pro-Circuit, rather having to be online.



Emo: As mentioned previously the National Championships for MW2 is coming up. Can you give us your predictions on who'll place top 3 and why?

Fwiz: My National Championship Predictions;

#1 – Xtravagant- Rambo / BigTymer / Sidroc / JKap
I don’t know why I favor Xtravagant so strongly, they really fell off in Online Pro-Circuit #3. Once upon a time in Online Pro-Circuit #2, this team had engineered an incredible undefeated playoffs, not dropping one single game through the playoffs. They 3-0′ed every single opponent throughout the entire winners bracket, onto the OPCE #2 Championship. They won both the Championship for Online Pro-Circuit #2 on the PlayStation 3, and the MLG Ladder #2 on the XBox 360 (w/ the same rosters on both teams). Xtravagant looked so solid, and unstoppable. They appeared that way, because they were. Xtravagant showed they were human in OPCE #3, and were handled with relative ease by top teams.
With all that said, they just personally seem to be the most logical pick to win the National Championship. They won last year in 2009, when they beat EnVy Us. I want to see a repeat of this match-up from 2009. Xtravagant is going to have their business together for Dallas. All teams will need to expect the best from this team at that time. EnVy Us took their biggest loss to the team this past year, while Xtravagant acquired their biggest gain, landing Sidroc after his departure from EnVyUs, where he had previously had years of service. This created a 4-headed monster with Xtravagant. BigT/Sidroc being the leagues top Slayers, JKap undisputed T1 at Support, and Rambo a tactician in the Objective Game.

#2 – EnVy Us- Foreplay / Vexel / Ryu / Proofy
I initially didn’t anticipate on making EnVy my #2 team going into Nationals. At one point in the recent playoffs, a match in the Winners bracket separated them from making, or missing Nationals. They were largely irrelevant throughout the entire MW2 Online Pro-Circuit. A team focused more on the XBox 360 side. As time progressed, they became relevant again to conversation in Online Pro-Circuit #3 (PlayStation3) where they are on track to win the Championship, and becoming the MLG Ladder #3 Champions (XBox 360). Their roster is pretty well solidified, Ryu has developed into a more sound objective player on CTF/Demolition. He was inconsistent early on in my eyes, losing crucial 1-on-1′s w/ flag. When he lead previous teams, he had a lack of strategy and tact. His education under the EnVyUs orchestrated system has brought out the best in him, and he’s gonna be a player to keep your eye on at Nationals.
The biggest addition to this team in 2010, has been adding ProoFy. He’s a monster, and his maturity is finally developing as a player. ProoFy’s amazing talent was often overshadowed by his clan-hopping antics. He has found a home in Team EnVy Us, and he has flourished in the mature environment that the team is founded on. Now teams are burning their fingers when they try to touch EnVyUs.

#3 – art of eXecution – Crowster / Clayster / Sinster / Punisher
Art of eXecution was once the most dominant Modern Warfare 2 team upon the games initial launch. Their original core team incorporated NeXx and Prophecy, and that roster was more potent and deadly. After a falling out, partners Crowster and Clayster resurrected art of eXecution, and have brought in talent to alleviate the loss of former teammates. There most unfortunate offseason move this year, was costly. Dropping AcheSlaya for an unmotivated Punisher. Once remembered as one of the most dominant slayers in the game, has dropped off the radar. The toughest thing about reading this team is their ability to take on top tier champions, or crumble like an unstable bridge. They are inconsistent when it comes to their successes. These insecurities I have with the team have placed them at #3. If Punisher opts to not go, and files Free Agency, this placement could go up or down depending on their free agent acquisition for the National Championship.

Working on Gamebattles Live

Emo: Ok before we move onto the quick fire round, where do you see competitive gaming in 20 years?

Fwiz: The way society is trending with competitive gaming, I can see myself being 44 years old, and my children watching Pro Players on television, wearing their jerseys.



Emo: Will you be the John Madden of the gaming world then?

Fwiz: Hahaha, wouldn't that be nice? I think that is up to the viewers to decide. Not me.



Emo: Ok let's get onto the quick fire round!


Puckett or Shibby?
Cant answer that lol. That is like "Do you like your daughter, or son?"


Favourite none MLG advertised food?
Chipotle Mexican Burrito


Hottest girl gamer?
Olivia Munn


Who and where can we find her?
Google.com -> Olivia Munn - > G4 network, where she began co-hosting Attack of the Show! with Kevin Pereira.

Olivia 4 Fwiz?

Favourite Pro Halo Player?
Elamite Warrior


Favourite Pro CoD Player?
NA - Hastro EU - Doped


Ever had a Nando's?
No, what is thatttt?


Who would win in a fight, you or Hastro?
Hastro, he's like 6”8


How tall are you?
5”10


Would you rather live forever or have the ability to fly?
Fly, why live forever when you can fly and see the world?


What equipment do you use to record broadcasts?
I don't push the broadcasts from my house, I just stream video of me, and jump into the game. But, where the broadcast is pushed from, we use a $15,000 Tricaster, and a $3,000 CPU as our encoder with an Osprey card (use to use a Black Magic Intensity Pro). When I'm broadcasting on my JustinTV.com/Fwiz account. I am using an i7 Quad Core with a Black Magic Intensity card.


Wired or Wireless controller?
Wired. Always. Forever.


PS3 or Xbox style analogues?
Xbox


Favourite game of all time?
Counter-Strike


Favourite map of all time?
Crash CoD4


Current headset for gaming?
Astro A40's


Favourite film of 2010?
The Social Network


Favourite song of 2010?
You'll have to download it. Mac Miller - Another Night


All time favourite quote?
"I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan


Finally, origin of your Gamertag?
I wanted a name that was hard, and weird to say, so people remembered it. This is what I came up with.



Emo: Ok thanks for taking the timeout to do this Fwiz, any shoutouts before you leave us?

Fwiz: First and foremost, the Decerto community. You guys are awesome, and thank you for welcoming me with open arms. I will work dilligently for the collective Call of Duty, I promise you that. Major League Gaming for the opportunity to let me commentate for Call of Duty. OpTic Nation for bringing me on in the booth with OpTic League coming to Call of Duty: Black Ops. All my Twitter followers, for always giving me their insight, and letting me know they have my back, and everyone else who believes in me, and what were doing. Booooooom.

Decerto > GB?

You can check out Ryan's live stream at www.justin.tv/fwiz, his twitter at www.twitter.com/fwiz and finally you can check out his re-broadcasts at the new MLG broadcast website http://tv.majorleaguegaming.com/

Decerto.net