Johnathan 'Fatal1ty' Wendel

[riser]

ok, supposedly this is the world's most famous gamer... and rightly so since he's talked about on Tom's and other websites.

Now, I was looking at a picture of this guy.. I figured out why he's good.

He has an unfair advantage. He has a lazy right eye. Check out the picture of him on SoundBlaster's website.

How do you get into that kind of thing? Was he hired by a company to play games and that's how he became known?

Couldn't 'they' have picked someone without a lazy eye.. someone more appealing to the world community and non-gamers than a kid with a lazy eye??


haha.

 

[Dulahey]

I've been an avid gamer my entire life, and I have never heard of this kid. I also will not buy any of the Abit stuff with his name on it, simply cause I don't want that litle punk getting any money.

 

[RichPLS]

<A HREF="http://www.shift.com/images/content/art-413.jpg" target="_new"> This guy? </A>

<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>

 

[BigMac]

How do you get into that kind of thing? Was he hired by a company to play games and that's how he became known?

It's the other way around. He was getting really good, and then thought up a way to make a living out of it. Good for him, too. He negotiated his sponsor contracts himself (with legal assistance, obviously).

Now why anyone would buy a branded product from the kid, I honestly don't know. You'd have to ask the kids with dreams of becoming a professional gamer that consider him a role model.

Everything that he's making, he's earned it. To any wannabee's out there. Don't think it's all fun when you go pro, it's hard work and only the best of the best will actually be able to make a good living out of it. If you want it bad enough though, go for it but don't forget the business side, you will need sponsors to keep up with the competition.



BigMac

<A HREF="http://www.p3int.com/product_center_NWO_The_Story.asp" target="_new">New World Order</A>

 

[BigMac]

I've been an avid gamer my entire life, and I have never heard of this kid. I also will not buy any of the Abit stuff with his name on it, simply cause I don't want that litle punk getting any money.

Good for you.

Do I detect some jealousy here for the simple reason he's making lots more money than you? Or is there another reason why you don't want the kid to get any money?

What do you care if he gets money or not? That YOU don't wanna give him money, that I can understand. It's not worth any money to me either to have a piece of equipment with his name on it, but apparently that doesn't hold for a lot of people out there.


BigMac

<A HREF="http://www.p3int.com/product_center_NWO_The_Story.asp" target="_new">New World Order</A>

 

[Wolfy]

He might be showing up at a lan party in Ireland. It's a bitch cos I can't attend (

"Its only when you look at ants closely with a magnifying glass on a sunny day that you realise how often they burst into flames"

 

[riser]

Reading up on him.. he only plays Counter-Strike..

I don't really think gaming has reached a professional level yet.. I don't think games require enough skill yet to be on a professional level.

Counter-strike was fun.. but I never really found it to be that great of game that everyone talks it up. I thought Rogue Spear was so much better..

 

[mrface]

hes won plenty of UT2K4 competitions so.

"Like a scrotum, there it is in a nutshell."
<font color=red>Roll Tide!</font color=red>
<A HREF="http://www.cameronwilliamson.com" target="_new">-={Apathetic As<i></i>shole.}=-</A>

 

[RichPLS]

I say more power to him... That is the American dream, capitalize on something you love to do.
Hope he can keep it up and when his skills wain, has a backup plan.

<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>

 

[riser]

Didn't find anything on him playing UT2k4.. I didn't look hard though.

I wonder how he 'trains'? haha


yeah no doubt make money off it.. like bottling water. I personally don't have any desire to go to a tournament just to play him though.

The problem with FPS games is gets to the point of how well you know the map/board you're playing on and where people are..

I think they should have custom boards that no one has played and put the tournament on that.. I think we'd see who really was good.. based on reaction and skill over knowing where someone will be around a corner..

that being said.. you can only wonder how much he's getting paid for it.. and I wonder if they've seen any increase in profits or turn-outs with him as their poster boy? I'd doubt it.. except for a few PR tournaments.

 

[mrface]

hes really good they have made a couple tv shows about him already.
here is his website<A HREF="http://www.fatal1ty.com/" target="_new">clicky</A>

he takes all of his winnings and puts it back into his company.

he actually got beat by some asian guy named rocketboy a month or two ago and abit(his biggest sponsor; hence the fatal1ty mobos) bought rocketboy a house and they will probably pimp him out to the asian gamers.

"Like a scrotum, there it is in a nutshell."
<font color=red>Roll Tide!</font color=red>
<A HREF="http://www.cameronwilliamson.com" target="_new">-={Apathetic As<i></i>shole.}=-</A>

 

[dhlucke]

I hear he's a canibal.

<pre><font color=red>A64 3200+ Winchester
DFI Lan Party NF4 Ultra-D
1GB Corsair 4400C25PT
WD740GD, WD2000JB, WD1200JB
ATI X800XL
Dell 2405FPW</pre><p>

 

[RichPLS]

Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel started professional gaming in 1999 by entering the CPL (Cyberathlete Professional League) tournament in Dallas and won $4,000 for placing third. Emerging as one of the top players in the United States, he then flew to Sweden where he competed in a tournament against the top 12 players in the world. By winning 18 straight games and losing none he took first place, becoming the number one ranked Quake III player in the world. Two months later he followed that success in Dallas by successfully defending his title as the world's best Quake III player and winning the $40,000 grand prize.

Since then Fatal1ty has traveled the globe to compete against the best in the world, winning prizes and acclaim, including the first DOOM 3 Inaugural Deathmatch Championship at QuakeCon 2004 for a $25,000 grand prize. He presently reigns as the only 3 time CPL Champion of the Year, winning each, annual title in a different game, a feat never before accomplished.

Now, products of the highest quality are being introduced under the Fatal1ty brand. The same dedication that drives Fatal1ty to be the world's best gamer is being translated to offer innovative products intended to enhance the gaming lifestyle and experience. At the same time, Fatal1ty is dedicated to expanding the popularity and opportunities for cyber athletes.


<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>

 

[Wolfy]

He is still a nerd

"Its only when you look at ants closely with a magnifying glass on a sunny day that you realise how often they burst into flames"

 

[CorpusBiscuit]

but a nerd with money...

 

[lonelypauly]

Rocketboy beat Fatal1ty once or twice, but by all accounts Fatal1ty Pwns Rocketboy just for the record.
<A HREF="http://www.thetechzone.com/?m=show&id=279&page=3" target="_new">http://www.thetechzone.com/?m=show&id=279&page=3</A>

<b><font color=blue>Athlon64 3200+ Winchester/MSI Neo4 Platinum SLI/MSI 6800 Ultra/1 GB Kingston HyperX (Dual Channel)/74GB WD Raptor/600Watt Enermax Noisetaker/ Dual Mitsubishi 21 Inch Monitors</b></font color=blue>

 

[riser]

Ok, the kid was like 13-14 and wanted to stay home and play games all day. He told his dad/parents that he wanted to join 1 competition.. and he placed 3rd and made like $4,000 off it.. after that his parents let him keep doing it because he was making money on it and all. Now he does it professionally..

Gamed full time, school part time and work part time.
I sure hope he did/does go to college though, because while it's good he's making the money now, if in a few years he finds himself not able to compete or able to really maintain his field career (honestly, in technology, people come and people go, we all know this) so hoepfully he's using his money to make a future for himself.

I don't think he's the best out there.. I'm sure there are far more people who are better than he, but he just got the breaks needed to get the fame. With that being said.. his time will come when he meets someone who can stop him.

Now I think it would be really cool if all the brands took their own "Champion" or teams and competed against each other at events like this.. assemble the best games you can find and endorse them.. kind of like a pro sport.. that would be something that would generate some money..