Despite having finals in a week, I felt very compelled to write a blog, discussing some issues I have heard recently in the past month. From being stalked in LA auditions to harassed on Twitter to being attacked on a video blog, I’ve had an eventful month and it seems like I can’t ever escape petty drama. But one thing that did get my attention in this ordeal is hearing about a false and made up title that I have seen creep up in the competitive gaming community. It is a dangerous thing because it is claims like these that will be used to deceive more gamers and possibly companies into undeserving sponsorships. This is an infectious problem that needs to be weeded out before it grows root. What I’m talking are people like Ciji who call themselves “multi-genre gamers”. First of all it is a self-named title that mediocre players give themselves to cover up their less than average skills. Second, almost all gamers are multi-genre gamers unless they only have played one game in their life. These people have accomplished nothing more than the average gamer except they are foolish enough to enter into competitions and lose in every one of them. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with competing in multiple tournaments but marketing yourself as the best male or female multi-genre gamer when the truth is you’re not good in any of the games you play or even come close to competing at a top tier level is just plain bullshit. Even Fatality and Justin Wong as accomplished as they are in multiple games, have competed solely in their own genre of games. How dare you, Ciji, call yourself the best at anything when you haven’t won a single prestigious or notable event/title? You can’t compete with the best Guitar Hero players no matter how easy the game gets. You aren’t even close to being top 20 in Street Fighter and not even the best female fighter. Your “MI state champion” Soul Caliber 2 title has been proven false by the community and whatever else game you’ve played in you’ve never even gotten a glimpse of the top. So what is this fabricated multi-genre gamer title?

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Having recently returned from the national finals in New York City I feel like I can breath a sigh of relief. I invested a lot of time into the song list for this event and would have no issue if I never heard any of them again for the rest of my life. Practicing a game like this has small downfalls like that, especially when they are songs you don’t care for to begin with. However it’s all part of the regimen and must be overlooked to focus on the task at hand.

Now, onto the event itself. Little did I know I would be walking into the hardest tournament of my life, and probably the hardest in competitive Guitar Hero history. No joke, I say this with complete honesty and not a matter of making excuses. People like to throw around the difficulty level of competitions to give reason for a loss but if you did not literally 100% every song, every round and squeeze where possible then you were not going to make it through to the next match. There was absolutely no room for error and I have never seen such consistency in players before. A lot of time it all came down to luck. Both players would get FC’s and the winner was frequently determined by less than a 10 point difference in score. Who FC’s “Hot For Teacher” during a competition and still not make it out of their group!? Of course there was your typical lag problems with the big TV’s and lack of being able to hear audio from the game due to the surroundings of an Anime Expo and other tournaments, but that’s how it goes. I have to really give it up to Smokyprogg for taking first place and wish him luck in China later this year.

In addition, I was given the opportunity to play on stage again and the crowd was totally different then last years. Much more people and tons more energy, it was almost like a concert. You would never expect something like that at an e-sports event. Although it was distracting, it was not something to be totally against. With the right application it can be a good thing and draw in tons of new spectators to an otherwise bland viewer experience.

The cast of Ultimate Gamer was there and I finally got to meet up and hang out with everyone in person, including the host. Everyone is really outgoing and easy to converse with to say the least. It’s good to see that what fame may have come from the show didn’t go to their heads, and they can still mesh into the gaming scene without any formalities. Also, it turns out the host is deeply rooted in the gaming scene and wasn’t just a face put out there. Let’s keep hoping for a season two.

All in all it was a great event but it is just going to make me practice harder for the next one. We can all only assume Guitar Hero 5 is going to be the next game used so expect a lot of videos on my YouTube page in the coming weeks of the FC’s I acquire while going through the game. Check back soon!

It has been two years now since I started competitive gaming. I have come so far and exceeded all my expectations as a player. I have traveled to numerous cities, worked with high profiled sponsors, and have risen to the top of my respective game. As I am preparing for my second consecutive World Cyber Games US national final, I am in astonishment at how I even got here. I have a lot of people to thank for helping me achieve what I have today. However, while my competitive personality is an attraction to some, it is also an intimidation to others. My presence sometimes is seen as a threat and my words under certain light may come off as provoking. But it’s who I am and gaming is what I am passionate about. I might offend a few people along the way but I am not afraid to speak my mind. What I have learned in the last two years is that I can’t please everyone and the only way from me to grow is to continue to do what I believe in. And that is to continue competing in what I do best whether it is PC or console.

With less than a week left before the national finals, I am still pushing myself very hard every day to improve as much as I can. Over the last three weeks I have practiced nonstop every day and have made tremendous progress as seen through my full combo videos. I never expected that I could be playing as well as I am and even more so, doing it in such a short time. I am at the point where I can see the realization of my dream becoming possible. Yet, somehow I still feel unsure about how I will perform next weekend. When I think about all the effort and time I have put into preparing for this tournament, and how easily I could lose it all in just a split second if I miss even one note, it makes me wonder if it’s worth it at all. In the back of my mind I question if everything I’m doing is going to be for naught. As I doubt myself, however, I am reminded by a close friend that I can only go so far relying on my own strength and ability. I know I have done everything I can to prepare for this tournament and the rest is out of my hands. I learned that the best way I can gain confidence is by letting go of my worries and letting God take care of the rest. As a result, I am able to put my mind at ease.

Attending the national finals isn’t all about competition either. I look forward to hanging out with last year’s competitors and meeting the new ones as well this year. There will also be a lot of my friends that are attending so I am excited to catch up with everyone. I am not sure if there will be live coverage of the event but be sure to follow my twitter to get tournament updates. Most importantly, I am just thrilled to be in NYC again and competing in one of the largest and most celebrated tournaments in gaming. Wish me luck, I hope to make history!

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Take a look back at some memories from last year’s WCG National Finals: