Genese Davis's Blog, page 13
April 18, 2014
1337LoungeLive Hosts E-Sports Panel
Live at HD Films Studio, a one of a kind appearance is happening tonight at 1337LoungeLive!
Genese Davis (The Holder’s Dominion & MMORPG.com,) Scott “SirScoots” Smith (MLG, Evil Geniuses,) Eric Abramian (Blood Legion, Team Razer) Margaret Krohn (Sony Online Entertainment,) John Liao (Evil Geniuses,) and Johnathan Wendel (Fatal1ty) will be appearing live in LA at HD Studios on 1337LoungeLive! From 9:00pm-11:00pm join their discussion as they divulge the opportunities and obstacles players face when seeking viable careers as e-Sports competitors. This high-powered panel will divulge exactly what it takes to become a pro gamer and how the e-Sports evolution is impacting the video game industry at large.
Watch live and join the conversation at www.1337LoungeLive.com
Let’s connect! Find me at GeneseDavis.com, on Facebook, Google + and Twitter.
April 17, 2014
Genese Davis Signing at WonderCon
Exclusive autograph signing tomorrow at WonderCon with authors Genese Davis, Cecil Castellucci, and Gretchen McNeil at Mysterious Galaxy booth #709 Sunday 3:00pm!
Genese Davis is an American author, host, columnist and media personality. She is the author of The Holder’s Dominion, a next-generation video game thriller heralded as a breakthrough novel by Publishers Weekly. Davis is the founder of The Gamer in You and was recently awarded IGR Woman of the Year. She is a prominent moderator for Wizard World National Conventions and is a featured columnist for MMORPG.com. Davis appears internationally for literary, entertainment, and business events all over the world. She lives in Irvine, CA, where she advocates for her other passion, animal rescue. To learn more, visit GeneseDavis.com
Snag your copy of The Holder’s Dominion and get it autographed by Genese Davis this weekend at WonderCon!
SHOW HOURS
Friday, April 18, 2014 – 12pm – 7pm
Saturday, April 19, 2014 – 10am – 7pm
Sunday, April 20, 2014 – 11am – 5pm
LOCATION:
Anaheim Convention Center
800 W. Katella Ave.,
Anaheim, CA 92802
WonderCon brings pop culture to life in a most extraordinary way celebrating the art in entertainment, and bringing together epic fandom and esteemed creators.
April 16, 2014
WonderCon Programming April 18-19-20
Don’t miss Comic Con International’s WonderCon event at the Anaheim Convention Center. The following high-powered panels are a must see!
Friday, April 18
5:00 – 6:00 E-SPORTS: HOW TO BECOME A PRO COMPETITOR
We’re seeing a groundbreaking evolution happening in e-Sports as pro players become recognized as professional athletes who are awarded visas and salaries. However, the journey for them has not been easy. Join Genese Davis (The Holder’s Dominion & MMORPG.com,) Johnathan Wendel (Fatal1ty,) Scott “Sir Scoots” Smith (MLG, Evil Geniuses,) Eric Abramian (Blood Legion, Team Razer) Margaret Krohn (Sony Online Entertainment,) and John Liao (Evil Geniuses) as they discuss the opportunities and obstacles players face when seeking viable careers as e-Sports competitors. This high-powered panel will divulge exactly what it takes to become a pro gamer and how the e-Sports evolution is impacting the video game industry at large.
Sunday, April 20
12:30 – 1:30 SURVIVING WELL
Saving the world is always important, but so is the quality of life for the survivors. WonderCon Anaheim special guest Marjorie Liu (Labyrinth of Stars), Cecil Castellucci (The Tin Star), Genese Davis (The Holder’s Dominion), John Mulhall (Geddy’s Moon) and Gretchen McNeil (3:59) discuss when “just” saving the world is not enough. Moderated by LeAnna Herrera of Mysterious Galaxy.
Genese Davis is an American author, host, columnist and media personality. She is the author of The Holder’s Dominion, a next-generation video game thriller heralded as a breakthrough novel by Publishers Weekly. Davis is the founder of The Gamer in You and was recently awarded IGR Woman of the Year. She is a prominent moderator for Wizard World National Conventions and is a featured columnist for MMORPG.com. Davis appears internationally for literary, entertainment, and business events all over the world. She lives in Irvine, CA, where she advocates for her other passion, animal rescue. To learn more, visit GeneseDavis.com
Get The Holder’s Dominion autographed & meet Genese Davis at WonderCon this weekend!
SHOW HOURS
Friday, April 18, 2014 – 12pm – 7pm
Saturday, April 19, 2014 – 10am – 7pm
Sunday, April 20, 2014 – 11am – 5pm
LOCATION:
Anaheim Convention Center
800 W. Katella Ave.,
Anaheim, CA 92802
WonderCon brings pop culture to life in a most extraordinary way celebrating the art in entertainment, and bringing together epic fandom and esteemed creators.
April 15, 2014
Critical Mass Business Radio Features Genese Davis
Tune in at 4:00 PST to hear Genese Davis and Ric Franzi discuss the opportunities and challenges in literary and entertainment business
Click here to listen live – OC Talk Radio
As an internationally known speaker, author, and radio host, Richard Franzi explores topics targeted for CEOs seeking to strengthen their firm and improve their decision ecosystems. Franzi is the chair of CEO Peer Groups, a firm dedicated to helping business executives lead and grow their firms. Franzi’s philosophies have been featured in prominent business magazines and published in three books written for executives of middle market firms. To find out more, visit LinkedIn.com/in/RicFranzi
Genese Davis is an American author, host, columnist and media personality. She is the author of The Holder’s Dominion, a next-generation video game thriller heralded as a breakthrough novel by Publishers Weekly. Davis is the founder of The Gamer in You and was recently awarded IGR Woman of the Year. She is a prominent moderator for Wizard World National Conventions and is a featured columnist for MMORPG.com. Davis appears internationally for literary, entertainment, and business events all over the world. She lives in Irvine, CA, where she advocates for her other passion, animal rescue. To learn more, visit GeneseDavis.com
Critical Mass Business Radio offers strategic advice for leaders seeking to elevate their business in today’s quickly-evolving industries.
April 11, 2014
e-Sports – Three Pro Competitor’s Interviews
We’re seeing a groundbreaking evolution happening in e-Sports as pro players become recognized as professional athletes who are awarded visas and salaries. However, the journey for them has not been easy and challenges are ever present. What does it take to become a pro gamer? Is a viable e-Sports career possible? Let’s meet three amazing pro competitors who were kind enough to lend their thoughts on the subject.
Meet Eric Abramian
Eric played the character Ararat in the guild Blood Legion in World of Warcraft. His guild competes against other guilds in the raiding scene, pushing to finish the presented content as fast as possible. They have a roster of over thirty members with a team of twenty-five actually competing. Teamwork is emphasized a lot in this type of competition and being able to keep everyone on the same page is essential.
Eric led the guild through most of his time there. He stopped participating in the raiding scene about one year ago. Blood Legion is currently ranked #2 in the world and constantly pushing to be #1 and is currently sponsored by Razer. Eric appears with Blood Legion in the movie Race to World First (http://www.racetoworldfirst.com).
I asked Eric to describe the opportunities and obstacles players face when seeking viable careers as e-Sports competitors:
Eric Abramian
“The issue with e-Sports currently is that it isn’t completely mainstream yet. If you wish to have a career in it, then it takes a lot of sacrifice and risk. Your friends and family would be very weary of your involvement in it and would believe you are wasting your time. I have experienced this first hand. The biggest difference between when I was heavily involved in competitive gaming and now is that there are a lot more opportunities for players. I am especially impressed with how Riot Games has created their own professional league in which teams can qualify to join, and at that point they are essentially given a salary from Riot Games to exclusively play League of Legends, and compete at various events held throughout the year.
“I currently work for Red Bull and they are building a lot of infrastructure to host all their tournaments in house. They have a great team that I have personally met and I have assisted in configuring their gaming network for the company. Red Bull is known for a lot of non-traditional sports and e-Sports is something they take very seriously. I am looking forward to the future of e-Sports and watching it grow.”
What does it take to become a pro gamer?
“To be a pro gamer you have to practice a lot. First you have to develop the skills necessary. You have to train and get better. You must be able to identify mistakes and learn from them. I know League of Legends teams have managers or coaches who direct practices and provide what the players need to play. From computers to housing to food, they cover it.
“Just like any other sport it takes lots of time and dedication. You have to be willing to stare adversity in the face and overcome it. You also need to work with other players with equal skill or you won’t get any better. Iron sharpens iron is a motto in the world of MMA and it applies to e-Sports as well. The best only get better by competing against the best.”
How is the e-Sports evolution impacting the video game industry at large?
“From the explosive growth of League of Legends, twitch.tv and Starcraft II worldwide, you can see that people love to watch high level gameplay and compete for championships. Even in the simple game of Hearthstone by Blizzard Entertainment, people love to watch it on streams, live events or on YouTube. Players are speaking so loudly about it that they are developing a spectator mode built into the game.
“In addition, if any game developers wish to have their game be part of e-Sports then they have to focus on balance and the skill level required. If you look at Starcraft you can see that it has a very high skill cap and the game is constantly balanced even after release.
“People hold games to a higher standard if it is to be a part of e-Sports. It will in the end be better for players, since they will have all the best games available to them as well as the ability to see the best in the world compete against each other on grand stages.”
I also got to sit down with John Liao
John “Nuvas” Liao played for Team EG (Evil Geniuses) in World of Warcraft. His team was EG’s first WoW team and the entire roster of nine players was enlisted. Outside of EG, they are also known as the HUKs to friends and supporters.
During John’s time with EG, his team won notable achievements such as placing 1st in the Blizzard North American Regional and 2nd for Blizzcon’s World Tournament (first season). In addition, EG flew them to several locations around the U.S, France, and Sweden where they often placed 3rd – 5th.
Here are John’s thoughts on e-Sports and becoming a pro gamer:
John Liao
“The amount of obstacles to overcome are staggering and the opportunities are minuscule. It’s hard to keep up with the workload required of a pro gamer, especially if you plan to make a living off of it. You need to stay on top of your game and stay motivated. But not only that, your entire team needs to be and remain in the same mindset. The team and I would easily put in eighty hours a week practicing while going to college. Needless to say, we didn’t have much of a life outside of school and WoW.
“Speaking of the team, the hardest part of getting into the pro gaming scene is finding that group of gamers that you get along well with and have the talent it takes to reach the top. That’s difficult and can take months to years to accomplish. In addition to all of that, you’ll also need to stream. This is where you can make your own opportunities. And that’s what really ties e-Sports and the video game industry together. Streaming is huge and if anyone want’s to seriously consider being a pro, start streaming. Game companies already make heavy use of streamers and it is only going to grow more and more popular. It’s going to be exciting to see what the future holds for e-Sports.”
I also talked with Jesse Ryan
Jesse “Koorban” Ryan played for Evil Geniuses and accomplished these, among other, notable titles:
1st in First Ever World of Warcraft 5 vs 5 Arena US Regional Championships
3rd in First Ever World of Warcraft 5 vs 5 Arena World Championships
3rd in WSVG Toronto 2007 3 vs 3 World of Warcraft Arena Championship
5th in WSVG Event 3 vs 3 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament
Invited to Dreamhack WoW Arena Competition in 2007
Jesse’s thoughts on e-Sports and becoming a pro gamer:
Jesse Ryan
“E-sports is something that brings a long a lot of opportunities but also takes a lot of commitment. Our success was short lived due to just that. We flourished as a team when we all had the most time to commit. As time passed it was much more difficult to get everyone together to play as much as we needed to in order to keep up with the challenges of the changing aspect of the game, as well as the new competitors getting involved. For WoW, we were the very first team ever signed to a sponsorship from Flow Gaming, but soon joined on board with Team EG due to their vast experience in the gaming scene. This opened up more chances to travel and even make some money from the game I’ve loved playing for so long.
“If it wasn’t for e-Sports I would have never been able to travel across the globe. The biggest obstacle for me was real life. I was just finishing up college and trying to get myself settled into a job. During school I had all the time in the world to play but once that was done I had to switch up focuses and my fellow teammates were in a similar position. Getting everyone together became harder and harder and we just eventually decided to stop all together. Had the e-Sports scene been introduced to WoW just a few years earlier I believe we would’ve had some more time to cement our legacy in the game. I imagine for current gamers job security is a major concern if you’re looking to e-Sports as a career. Not only is it important that there is an interest in your game but you must also be able to be successful at it. Financial stability is important in anything a person does.
“Becoming a pro gamer is a way of life. The amount of time you put in basically makes it like a job. Between preparation, travel, and planning there is a lot of commitment there. When 5 vs 5 arenas first came out it was only backed by Blizzard so there was a very small monetary foundation there. It was not something we could rely on financially. Sure, there were a couple of tournaments, but it took a while for the foundation to build up and other third party events to happen. Even with those they were not frequent enough and there was no compensation from our sponsor to practice so that we could do that full time and forgo an every day job.
“New games, especially FPS, are designed with competition in mind. With online streaming sites such as Twitch being very popular now, it’s easier than it ever was to get exposed. I wish when we were playing that that was something we had! If it was around, I was unaware of it, but it would have helped greatly for our exposure and getting our name out there. New games are tweaked and balanced so that competitive play is fair and entertaining and easy for spectators to follow. Just look at the spectator system for Dota 2 or Counter Strike as an example.
“In summation my two years in the pro gaming scene was a great experience. It allowed me to meet people who I may never have seen outside of digital pixels. I was able to travel many places I would have never dreamed of visiting otherwise. For a short while we were the absolute best in 5 vs 5 for arenas in WoW. During Season one we had the highest rated team in the world for quite some time. We were also the first team to ever be sponsored for WoW. All these things didn’t come free though. We had to commit countless hours to accomplish what we wanted to do.”
Huge thanks to Eric, John, and Jesse for sharing their thoughts. Thankfully, the discussion doesn’t end here! Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel, Scott “SirScoots” Smith, and Margaret Krohn (SOE), will be speaking alongside Eric, John, and me for a one of a kind e-Sports panel at Comic Con International’s WonderCon. Check out the details below. Hope to see you there!
Friday April 18th
5:00 – 6:00 E-Sports – How to Become a Pro Competitor
We’re seeing a groundbreaking evolution happening in e-Sports as pro players become recognized as professional athletes who are awarded visas and salaries. However, the journey for them has not been easy. Join Genese Davis (The Holder’s Dominion & MMORPG.com,) Johnathan Wendel (Fatal1ty,) Scott “SirScoots” Smith (MLG, Evil Geniuses,) Eric Abramian (Blood Legion, Team Razer) Margaret Krohn (Sony Online Entertainment,) and John Liao (Evil Geniuses) as they discuss the opportunities and obstacles players face when seeking viable careers as e-Sports competitors. This high-powered panel will divulge exactly what it takes to become a pro gamer and how the e-Sports evolution is impacting the video game industry at large.
Let’s connect! Find me at GeneseDavis.com, on Facebook, Google + and Twitter.
April 3, 2014
Wizard World Presents: What Video Games Can Teach
4:00 – 4:45PM WHAT VIDEO GAMES CAN TEACH
Advocating for a learner-centered approach often brings up the question, “Won’t my kids just play video games all day?” Although the answer to that is multi-faceted, we know that no experience is devoid of learning. And, in fact, some may have more opportunities for development than we first believe. Join special guests Genese Davis (The Holder’s Dominion & MMORPG.com,) Eric Kieron (Warcraft, Diablo, Starcraft,) Matt Raithel (Studio Director, Graphite Lab,) Carol Mertz (Happy Badger Studio,) and Sam Coster (Butterscotch Shenanigans) as they discuss the benefits and potential drawbacks to video games and how to navigate both. This high-powered panel will plunge into video game culture and its social development divulging how video games affect our lives and education. (ROOM 144)
SHOW HOURS
Friday, April 4, 2014 – 3pm – 8pm
Saturday, April 5, 2014 – 10am – 7pm
Sunday, April 6, 2014 – 11am – 5pm
LOCATION:
America’s Center
701 Convention Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63101
Wizard World Comic Con brings pop culture to life in a most extraordinary way. By producing these one-of-a-kind conventions across North America, Wizard World celebrates the entertainment industry, bringing together epic fandom, esteemed creators, and breathtaking artwork.
Let’s connect! Find all the latest updates on my Facebook and Twitter!
Next-Gen Video Game Thriller On Sale Now!
TIME IS RUNNING OUT
The Holder’s Dominion is on sale now till Sunday for only 0.99 cents!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes
“Ms. Davis descriptions of the online world of Edannair were so detailed, so beautiful, amazing and intriguing . . . I will definitely recommend ‘The Holder’s Dominion’ to anyone and everyone, not just readers of a genre or videogamers. It is an amazing story that flows beautifully, catches the reader’s interest very quickly and leaves you wanting more. My only question—will there be a sequel?—My Bookish Fairy Tale
“Through Davis’ work, my fledgling relationship with ‘gamer’s lit’ has evolved into a full-blown love affair. . . . The best part about The Holder’s Dominion is the way Davis relates the game playing. It is a story within a story. You’re not going to hear about which button she pushed or what happened on Kaylie’s computer screen. . .” —Seacoast Online
“Davis is really good at putting the reader into both worlds effortlessly. You forget that the characters are actually just sitting at computers playing a game rather than truly being within the world of Edannair. The world she has created for the game is very thought out and fully realized that I felt I was reading a fantasy novel instead. Because of this, despite not being familiar with this culture of gamers, I had no problem getting sucked into the story.” —MariReads
Watch the award-winning movie teaser:
Get your copy of The Holder’s Dominion today!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes
April 2, 2014
Video Games and Our Future Panel at Wizard World
6:30 – 7:15PM VIDEO GAMES AND OUR FUTURE: WE’RE ALL GAMERS
Four giants of the Video Game industry join forces for this highly anticipated panel. Don’t miss author Genese Davis (The Holder’s Dominion & MMORPG.com,) Seth Coster (Butterscotch Shenanigans,) Eric Kieron (Warcraft, Diablo, Starcraft,) and Jen Patton (International Game Developer’s Association, & The Comic Creator’s Coffee Club) give their insight on everything ranging from creating futuristic video games to delving into themes that span the most prevalent elements of pop culture. Video gamers of all ability levels can get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at video game story details, gameplay features, and the influence video games possess in both video game culture and pop culture at large. The high-power panelists will discuss the past of video game culture as it compares to today and how it can all show what is to come. (ROOM 144)
SHOW HOURS
Friday, April 4, 2014 – 3pm – 8pm
Saturday, April 5, 2014 – 10am – 7pm
Sunday, April 6, 2014 – 11am – 5pm
LOCATION:
America’s Center
701 Convention Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63101
Wizard World Comic Con brings pop culture to life in a most extraordinary way. By producing these one-of-a-kind conventions across North America, Wizard World celebrates the entertainment industry, bringing together epic fandom, esteemed creators, and breathtaking artwork.
Let’s connect! Find all the latest updates on my Facebook and Twitter!
Genese Davis presents Wonder Women of the 21st Century
WONDER WOMEN OF THE 21ST CENTURY
We couldn’t imagine our favorite comic book, TV show, or film without our beloved super heroines, however the journey for them has not been easy. Whether it’s cultural barriers or societal sexism, super women have had to fight more than just crime in order to survive. Come join author Genese Davis (The Holder’s Dominion) Eric Kieron (Warcraft, Starcraft, Diablo,) Megan Levens (Madame Frankenstein,) Danny Fingeroth (Superman on the Couch,) and Julianna Pardue (Creative Distillery) discuss the challenges and obstacles of creating relevant female protagonists. They will divulge not only important discoveries, but relevant discussions about gender in entertainment and pop culture. (ROOM 144)
Wizard World Comic Con brings pop culture to life in a most extraordinary way. By producing these one-of-a-kind conventions across North America, Wizard World celebrates the entertainment industry, bringing together epic fandom, esteemed creators, and breathtaking artwork.
Be sure to stop by the St. Louis show April 4-5-6!
Let’s connect. Find all the latest updates on my Facebook and Twitter!
April 1, 2014
Wizard World Presents: The Hero’s Journey
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: EXPLORING STAR WARS, LOTR, HARRY POTTER AND MORE
In this exciting panel our special guests will discuss Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey and how his analogy fits in with many pop culture series. Join Rhiannon Paille (Last City on Earth,) Genese Davis (The Holder’s Dominion,) Adron Buske (Loop & Hoodie, Good Intentions,) and Jeffrey Johnson (Hex Games) explore everything from Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and more. Join us for a fun time! (ROOM 144)
Wizard World Comic Con brings pop culture to life in a most extraordinary way. By producing these one-of-a-kind conventions across North America, Wizard World celebrates the entertainment industry, bringing together epic fandom, esteemed creators, and breathtaking artwork.
Be sure to stop by the St. Louis show April 4-5-6!
Let’s connect. Find all the latest updates on my Facebook and Twitter!
