I was going to do a podcast but I opted not to. What I want to say is better suited for text. That is one of the key elements that many people with sites do not think about. What is the best method to get your point across?

I closed comments Monday on #4 because I figured out how #5 was going to end and I wanted comments about #5 to all be in one place. By closing comments I left only one outlet for communication: email. I stopped paying attention to the numbers after they went over 750, which did not surprise me but I still find very humbling. Some people enjoyed the episode. Gamers did not enjoy the episode. Ciji is very disliked. People feel VERY sympathetic to Dante’s situation. This echoes the conversation across the internet in multiple areas.

WCG Ultimate Gamer #5 was definitely drama filled. There was a lot going on and it is important to shift through what is real and what is an illusion, while remaining objective. If you have not seen the episode yet, you can view it on Hulu.

Robert

I want to get one small detail out of the way about the Robert/Dante alliance. Robert did not promise, in a partnered situation, he would take Jamal out. The clip was shown out of context. Robert did right by not throwing the game and I seriously doubt that Dante would harbor bad feelings over it. From Robert’s or Dante’s standpoint, they’d have to go head to head anyway if they both made it that far but as friends, they should play their best and let the best man win. Keep in mind that the clip of Dante and Robert talking was taken out of context.

Ciji & Mark

May as well get the Ciji and Mark situation out of the way as well. Again, another ratings move ala editing. If you remember, she placed her arm around Mark in a previous episode as they were building up this storyline. The events as we are seeing them obviously are not in the order they actually took place.

Did they kiss? Who cares…it literally doesn’t matter. This happened months ago, Mark is still with his girlfriend, Dante is with his girlfriend and to my knowledge, Ciji is alone (who cares?).

It’s old news.

Ciji Throwing the Match

True gamers do not throw matches. They especially do not throw matches in team play. Ciji might be skilled at some games but she threw a game for her personal agenda…get rid of Dante. Perhaps her teammates knew she was going to throw it. Perhaps they were surprised to find out she did that.

I do not buy that if she did not throw her game Dante still would have lost…because she felt the need to throw the game. To me, that implies their team could have won, otherwise why bother? Why ruin her reputation for something that would naturally happen anyway? I think she threw the game to get rid of what she knew was serious competition. Her strong games were done and she doesn’t have much to offer anymore.

IMO she threw the game (purposely lost) because she knew her time is limited. It’s a desperate, pathetic move. I hope, if there is an other series by WCG, they put it in the bylaws that purposely throwing a game leads to immediate removal from the house. It is a disrespect to the sport.

Dante AKA The Guy Who Picked the Wrong Ball

Almost no one agrees with the way Dante’s exit happened. Even people who dislike Dante do not like it and that says a lot. Be eliminated based on your own skill (or lack of). Being eliminated because he had rotten luck on the picking of team choices has nothing to do with finding the Ultimate Gamer (how the show is advertised) and people seriously do not like it. Add to that his own team mate threw the game and it is just an ugly exit.

An ugly exist that Dante took like a good sport. In truth, he went to a better situation. He went home to a loving girlfriend with a lot of new gaming experience under his belt. He’ll have time to practice to not let people like Jamal irritate him. The next challenge he will come back stronger than ever. I do not want to say too much since I will most likely be interviewing Dante but things have a way of working out the way the should. More on this in a minute.

Looking Into the Future

People are upset about how the show is not “really” about finding the Ultimate Gamer. I sympathize with their point of view. See, if it were an independent company (WSJ, Bank of America, General Motors – insert company here) that was not directly involved with the competitions the angle of it just being a show and not about the gamers would be easier to swallow.

WCG handles global competitions. Have all the drama you want but when it comes to the games, let them be fair, cannot be fixed and the best person wins each episode. Let me be clear: I’m glad the show is on the air. I hope the series is successful.

Tying this to business: as a gamer your reputation has more weight than your skill. This show proves it and I said it before. More evenly matched players, whether they are the best or not, makes for better “entertainment”. In the end, what do you want your reputation to be?

Cheat: to deceive; influence by fraud.
Fraud: deceit, trickery, sharp practice, or breach of confidence, perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonest advantage.
Trust: reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.
Integrity: adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
Champion: a person who has defeated all opponents in a competition or series of competitions, so as to hold first place.
Fool: a silly or stupid person; a person who lacks judgment or sense.
Respect: esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability.

What do you want your reputation to be and more important…is your reputation now anywhere close?

A Word on Revenge…and Karma

Karma:

action, seen as bringing upon oneself inevitable results, good or bad, either in this life or in a reincarnation: in Hinduism one of the means of reaching Brahman

Ciji wanted Dante out of the house and she got her wish. Not only did she achieve her goal but she:

• Created a huge amount of sympathy for Dante.
• Increased the curiosity of viewers on what Dante will be doing next.
• Increased Dante’s exposure triple-fold.
• Helped show how lucky he is to be in a loving relationship with his girlfriend (ie: he made the right choice).

I could go on. By creating all the personal drama she sparked an interest in Dante that wouldn’t have come out otherwise. He would have been the quiet player that might not even be highlighted until later episodes. Think about it, take out all the drama from Ciji (which led to the Jamal drama) and he’s the quiet gamer with cool hair. Like Mark was the quiet gamer…haha until Ciji Thorton. Swoozie is a good player but there isn’t a lot of drama around him, is there? Or Robert?

And that interest has the potential to be worth way more than $100,000. The fact that he handled himself, in a tough situation, with integrity (even with the complaints of Dante being whiny) makes him much more appealing to sponsors than a drama-filled gamer. One thing this episode shows is how much editing goes into the show…and how things might not be the way they appear (I proved it above). Maybe Dante isn’t “whiny” like some people think. Maybe Ciji didn’t really throw the game this episode but her desire to do it previously makes it 100% believable. Congratulations Ciji on achieving your goal…and more.

Don’t put your heart in your mind’s position.