Time: 03:41:03 CET 18:41:03 PST 21:41:03 EST 10:41:03 Seoul 09:41:03 Beijing
NEWS
coL's Jason Lake interviewed by fnatic
fnatic.com has recently conducted an interview with the fiery chief executive of compLexity - Jason '1' Lake.
By Mark 'XOXOmark' Emmerson
Apr 27, 2011 23:34
fnatic.com has recently conducted an interview with the fiery chief executive of compLexity - Jason '1' Lake.For those of you who don't know, Jason '1' Lake was one of the pioneers behind the North American eSports scene and the founder of one of the most successful organisation in North America back in the day - compLexity.
Since the sudden downfall of the Championship Gaming Series however, Lake has not been as loud as he once was in the eSports scene. With children and a full time job now, Lake has slowly edged away from the eSports scene, however he still works behind the scenes at coL and in a recent interview with fnatic.com he has shared plans to bring coL back to eSports scene as well as talked about his personal life, historical events and much, much more.
Bellow is a brief extract of an interview with the legendary Jason Lake:
It is sad to say, but compLexity is not as synonymous with eSports as it once was back in the days of CounterStrike, do you ever worry about yours or compLexity’s legacy in eSports now that things are changing so rapidly?
Jason Lake:
Why did compLexity move out of the North American CounterStrike scene, are there any intentions of going back?
Jason Lake:
Are there any plans for you to come back and manage compLexity full time like previously?
Jason Lake:
What are your future intentions or ambitions for compLexity? What do you want to see your team grow into in the next few years?
Jason Lake:
The rest of the interview can be found on the fnatic website.
Since the sudden downfall of the Championship Gaming Series however, Lake has not been as loud as he once was in the eSports scene. With children and a full time job now, Lake has slowly edged away from the eSports scene, however he still works behind the scenes at coL and in a recent interview with fnatic.com he has shared plans to bring coL back to eSports scene as well as talked about his personal life, historical events and much, much more.
Bellow is a brief extract of an interview with the legendary Jason Lake:
It is sad to say, but compLexity is not as synonymous with eSports as it once was back in the days of CounterStrike, do you ever worry about yours or compLexity’s legacy in eSports now that things are changing so rapidly?
Jason Lake:"Absolutely. We made an educated gamble by going all-in with the CGS and we got burned big time. At the time it was the only logical move. Even if we had stayed independent we would have lost all our stars to the $2,500 salaries CGS was offering. Plus, the original concept of the CGS (before it was torn apart by corporate suits) was a solid idea that held great promise.
While we were gone EG swooped in and did a fantastic job with obtaining sponsorships and signing great players. That period of time enabled them to leapfrog compLexity and 3D and the results are showing today. It’s been a rough road of rebuilding during a horrible global economy but we’re still alive and kicking. Quitting isn’t really in our DNA so we’re weathering the storm and still dedicated to the brand and fans we love. Frankly, it comes down to funding. (I’m not willing or able to invest $500k+ like when I founded compLexity.) We are experts at building gaming organizations but it takes loads of cash. Once we add more partners to support the wonderful sponsors we already have we’ll return to the top of global prominence.
However, as far as my own legacy I could honestly care less. I was in gaming and I’m still in gaming because I love it. I never set out to create a personal legacy, but to build a storied brand. Many such brands in history have gone through ups and downs. The trick is to hang in there and keep fighting."
While we were gone EG swooped in and did a fantastic job with obtaining sponsorships and signing great players. That period of time enabled them to leapfrog compLexity and 3D and the results are showing today. It’s been a rough road of rebuilding during a horrible global economy but we’re still alive and kicking. Quitting isn’t really in our DNA so we’re weathering the storm and still dedicated to the brand and fans we love. Frankly, it comes down to funding. (I’m not willing or able to invest $500k+ like when I founded compLexity.) We are experts at building gaming organizations but it takes loads of cash. Once we add more partners to support the wonderful sponsors we already have we’ll return to the top of global prominence.
However, as far as my own legacy I could honestly care less. I was in gaming and I’m still in gaming because I love it. I never set out to create a personal legacy, but to build a storied brand. Many such brands in history have gone through ups and downs. The trick is to hang in there and keep fighting."
Why did compLexity move out of the North American CounterStrike scene, are there any intentions of going back?
Jason Lake:"We moved to Brazil because at the time we had struggled (and failed) to find a consistent roster of players with the right mindset to build a championship team. coL.br had that mindset but even they fell apart recently. These are tough times for CS unfortunately. As for coming back to NA we’ll have to see what the future holds. We have no immediate plans for that."
Are there any plans for you to come back and manage compLexity full time like previously?
Jason Lake:"Now that I have a family I doubt I’ll ever return to the crazy full time schedule I once held with compLexity. However, as I mentioned, I’m here every day and actively involved with all decisions. I also plan on attending more events and being more of a public face once again."
What are your future intentions or ambitions for compLexity? What do you want to see your team grow into in the next few years?
Jason Lake:"We’re going to claw our way back to the top just like we did the first time around. The scene is different so we’ll have to adapt how we do it but the challenge is exciting and eSports is still an amazing place to invest your life and your energy."
The rest of the interview can be found on the fnatic website.
RELATED NEWS
7 comments
Loading comments...
Personally, I think Jason Lake is a complete moron, and he should just give up on coL especially in the Counter Strike area because there isn't an American team that will come close to beating any of the top 5 international teams...if anything EG needs to make a few changes and they could be among the top 5 in the world...and I doubt Jason Lake will get grasp of the EG roster anytime soon.
Another wrong move by Jason Lake was him getting involved with JaX...if any of you guys knew Jax Money Crew, they were an "ok" team for a short time in the American scene, until they were sucked into the CGS. JaX had an ok team, with an ok setup. His team wasn't anything special, they weren't going to do much other than doing well in CAL, and taking top 5 at some smaller tournaments in America. So why would Lake get mixed up with JaX? I don't know, but ever since Team Complexity has just gone down the drain and Jason Lake has some hope that his team will do decent...which will probably never happen.