Mylgn.com je napravio intervju s “ocem esporta”, Angel Munoz-om. U istom Angel pokazuje da je i dalje “smooth talker” te priča povjesti/budućnosti CPL-a, Severityu, svojim novim projektima i sl.

Podsjetimo nekad prestižni CPL je 2008.god. bio kupljen od strane investicijske grupacije iz Ujedinjenjih Arabskih Emirata te su prije par mjeseci održali svoj prvi event u Kini.

My legacy, although somewhat tarnished by the critics, cannot be erased. Good or bad I’ve made my contribution, now it’s up to others to improve and innovate in eSports.

izvor: Legacy Gaming Network

Angel Munoz is a man that needs little introduction. He founded one of the biggest eSport event circuits (CPL), which lasted for a little over a decade before shutting down and bought by outside investors in 2008. For his work in eSports, Angel Munoz has often been considered the “father of eSports”, but he is not without his controversy.

LGN got the chance to sit down with Angel Munoz for an exclusive interview.
Firstly, thank you for doing this interview with me Mr. Munoz. How have you been and what have you been up to these past couple years?

Angel Munoz: Hi. Wow my first written interview in two years, thanks for the opportunity!
My first project after CPL was to re-launch the Adrenaline Vault (www.avault.com), (a website I originally launched nearly 14 years ago) and although the format of the site is now very simple, it took us a year to get it back on track.  Then we launched the Avault Podcast (www.avaultpodcast.com), a Podcast show about video games, hosted by Turks, Micieli and Billy. The show has a new guest every week and it’s been fun working with the guys and producing the show.  I also did some consulting and helped several companies in and out of gaming to launch different products or ideas.

As everyone knows, you sold the CPL to an investment group from the United Arab Emirates in 2008, are you still involved with CPL operations or perhaps consulting? Is it still the same people running the CPL but under new ownership or has that changed?

Angel Munoz: The original plan was for me to be on the Board of Directors and for my company (NewWorld.com) to retain a 10% interest in the new CPL, but that did not work out.  So now that CPL has moved its main operations to Asia, I will no longer retain my board chair or have any interest in the CPL. The new CPL has excellent management, advisors and partners, and honestly no longer need me to agree or disagree with their plans.

Is the CPL with the new ownership going to run events differently than the old CPL? If so, what will change?

Angel Munoz: Well I can only judge them from their LAN event in Chengdu, China this past October, where among many things they held a qualifier for DreamHack. To me it looked extremely professional, there was lot of production value to the event, but most of all the new management seemed very focused on returning the entire esports scene back to basics.  This is good as I think that the old CPL lost its core competency after 2004 and became more corporate and removed from the audience it served.  I really hope that new owners are successful in bringing the CPL back to its glory days. Nothing will be more rewarding for me personally and professionally.

Do you know what the plans are for the new CPL? Will they be holding events outside of Asia like in Europe or the U.S. in the future?

Angel Munoz: Unfortunately I don’t. I do know that the Asian gaming market is huge and growing even more, so to me it seems perfectly logical that they focus on that market right now.

Do you know if Severity is still being produced? If so, do you know how far along the game is?

Angle Munoz: No. We were never able to convince Game Publishers of its value. But the good thing is that we have a huge set of multiplayer standards, inventions and ideas that we can apply to other projects.

If given the chance to run or help manage a big eSports event like the CPL again, would you do it? That also begs the question, if given the chance to run the CPL again from the start, what, if anything, would you do differently?

Angel Munoz: No. I’m not interested in putting myself at the center of such huge controversies ever again.  My two years of semi-solitude have taught me that other things in life are vastly more important.  My legacy, although somewhat tarnished by the critics, cannot be erased.  Good or bad I’ve made my contribution, now it’s up to others to improve and innovate in eSports.

Although going back in time is impossible: If given the chance I would have established a closer relationship with the community of gamers and would have made our operations more transparent.

There’s a rumor that you made millions running the CPL. Is it true?

Angel Munoz: The truth is that I received a low six-figure salary for my work as CEO of the CPL’s parent company, and did not receive any additional compensation for my work at the CPL.  I certainly did not make millions during my eleven years of working at the CPL.  Maybe people just don’t realize how expensive it was to run the CPL.  Our payroll was well over $1,000,000 a year, and add prizes, taxes, employee benefits, attorney fees, event production, promotions, operational expenses, etc. and we were running at a marginal profit and sometimes at a loss.

Do you know if the owners of CAL plan to bring it back or something similar?

Angel Munoz: No. I really don’t.

Not many associate Puerto Rico with video gaming, what exactly is the Puerto Rico Association of Gamers (PRAG), what are you doing with them, what is the gaming scene like in Latin America and what is PRAG doing to help gaming there?

Angel Munoz: I think I should first clarify that beyond the fact that my parents were born and live in Puerto Rico, I have great affinity with the people of Puerto Rico and I’m very proud of that wonderful cultural heritage I’ve received from my parents.  I’m an advisor for PRAG (pragpr.com), something I do to help and receive no compensation for my work.  PRAG is a joint venture between different organizations in Puerto Rico including several private enterprises and media organizations.  Their primary goal is to help bring investment dollars from the industry to the island, and that facet of their work is what interests me the most.  Puerto Rico consumes over $300,000,000 in video games a year and the industry has ignored them as a market.  If we can create opportunities for the industry to re-invest a small percentage back it would create jobs, help a collapsing economy and will most likely increase their own sales of video games on the island.

How will PRAG’s events differ from your CPL events?

Angel Munoz: PRAG sanctions a yearly event called the Gaming Xplosion Fest or GXF. The GXF is not a league or a pro event like CPL, but a yearly festival of gaming and technology.  Their sponsors are Burger King, GameStop, Microsoft, Sony, Best Buy, OneLink, Boundless Games and others.  I have no personal role in the event at all.  My focus is elsewhere, and the people behind GXF have tremendous event production experience, in and out of gaming.

What is the Online Combat Arena and how will it be different from CAL? Can everyone no matter where they live be able to participate in OCA?

Angel Munoz: The Online Combat Arena (OCA) is a social platform with a competition platform.  It’s not a league like CAL, but more of an open social network where people from anywhere can interact with each other about gaming and they can also schedule matches.  And while I do not directly own or operate OCA, I personally have a non-controlling interest in the company that owns OCA.

By the way OCA was developed independently, the developers never even saw CAL (live or otherwise) or had any access to its engine or engineers, something that will be plainly obvious once it launches in beta form on November 14.

Do you still follow the competitive PC gaming scene, and what are your thoughts on eSports’ current state? Where do you see eSports going?

Angel Munoz: I really don’t anymore.  I do like that so many organizations around the world have taken the original concept to such different levels.  It would seem that once the code is cracked on how to get the general masses involved as spectators it will really become a spectator sport.

What game(s) have you been playing the most lately and which ones are you looking forward to the most?

Angel Munoz: I enjoy Left 4 Dead (Expert – Death Toll), and also enjoyed the single player experience of Uncharted 2.  My son is playing the multiplayer and likes it.
Wolfenstein was a let down because it could have been so much better.  I just started Borderlands and that seems different in a good way, but I do not enjoy loot management.
The game I’m waiting for is Modern Warfare 2.  My son really wants the night vision goggles!

Again, thank you so much Mr. Munoz for taking the time to answer our questions, we wish the best to you and your ventures. Any last statements/shout-outs/plugs?

Angel Munoz: I would like to thank everyone that kept in touch with me during my absence from gaming, and that no matter what was said or portrayed about me, they remained my friends.  Especially John Romero, Randy Pitchford, Mike Wilson, Mike Wardwell, Tom Mustaine, Stevie Case, Marcus Graham, Jace Hall, Nikki Pounds, Derek Perez, Tan Min-Liang and Kim Rom.  And to the wonderful staff at the Adrenaline Vault lead by Michele White and Michael Smith, and two my three buddies at the Podcast  show (Mark, Chris and Billy).  Oh and to my partners and friends in Puerto Rico especially Funky Joe, Jorge and Hambo.  And finally…. To the two souls entrusted to my care – my son Alexander and my beautiful daughter Gabrielle.