SEA Rising: Eri Neeman November 27th, 2013 00:34 GMT Text by riptide Focus Mode

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"This Is How We Do It

In The Philippines!"

The SEA region has given us players like iceiceice, WinteR, Xtinct, Orange, Zenith,



The question remains, then: why do we know so little about SEA Dota? It could be the fact that it's so far away, or the fact that its local scenes don't get a lot of international exposure. It could even be that the region is overshadowed heavily by its Chinese cousin. But why doesn't matter anymore. SEA Rising aims to change all that, and in its first installment we are proud to bring you someone from outside our usual line of sight: Eri Neeman.



Eri Neeman doesn't play Dota. In fact, he hadn't even seen the game before a few weeks ago. Why then, are we featuring him as a part of our Dota 2 Coverage? Because a few weeks ago, Eri gave those outside the Philippines one of the best introductions to Pinoy Dota and everything it's about. Eri was the host of the





The GMPGL Grand Finals - Mineski vs Titan



Force Staff Gaming!











Eri Neeman MCing the LAN



Who wins the Macho Man contest?

Find out before reading further!

Force Staff Gaming!Who wins the Macho Man contest?Find out before reading further!



Can you watch that video and dislike the Pinoy Dota scene? We don't think you can. Thus, we're excited to begin our new feature segment on SEA Dota with an interview with the Master of Ceremonies himself!



Eri Speaks



What did you know about Dota before you hosted GMGPL?



I knew that it was huge here in the Philippines. But to be honest, I've never played Dota or Dota 2. I've made sure to have that clear before I hosted the event. I said I knew nothing about Dota. But I am a gamer. Not as much as before, but I'm a gamer. SF4, that's my game man. Final Fantasy 7 & 8. Those were my games. At the end of Final Fantasy 8, I thought Squall died. I cried. Hahaha!



"I said to myself, if I got into [Dota], my girlfriend would hate me."



:D So what was your first thought when you saw your first game of Dota?



I said to myself, if I got into this game, my girlfriend would hate me. I think I'd get really addicted if I tried it. That's why I guess I never picked it up. I couldn't afford to get addicted. Hahaha.



But the boys have been telling me about it. That there are endless and unlimited strategies within the game. Every game is different. That's why it's lasted all these years and that's why people get hooked. Probably also the third party in any gamer's relationship.





Do any of your friends or family play Dota? How many of them?



Nope, no family plays Dota. Some of my friends mentioned playing it, but I didn't get into it. So like I said, I didn't know much about it.





Have you ever MCed a gaming tournament before? What were your expectations before hosting GMGPL, and what were your feelings when you finally went on stage at the event?







For GMPGL I didn't expect anything. I thought it was going to be like any other event that I hosted. But man, it was different. The set up. The crane and camera set up. The intro videos. The audience. The stage. Everything was at a different level. It was a different feel. Then what happened that night, happened that night - it was epic!



Yeah, I hosted it. But one important thing to point out as well is that wouldn't have happened if the audience weren't who they were. That was just as much a part of why the night was so fun and an overall success for MINESKI and GIGABYTE. "Sure I didn't know about Dota, but I know how it feels to be a gamer. "



E-sports, I feel, isn't as big as it should be here in the Philippines. It's not getting support from the government. Only a few companies are open to supporting and sponsoring. But hopefully after what happened at GMPGL, the big companies and the government can see how big it actually is. And how much bigger it is going to get here in the Philippines.



I mean I didn't know Godz. I didn't know who Winter was. But I just wanted to make sure everything was fun. But gaming is universal. Sure I didn't know about Dota, but I know how it feels to be a gamer. I say that because I don't get to game as much as I'd like, but knowing how it feels made it easier to host it.



But we Filipinos are fun and crazy, man. It was great to get to show that side of us through the GMPGL. The feedback has been overwhelming. It was such a fun night. I love the gaming community. Yes, I've hosted gaming events before. I've actually hosted a gaming show called MOG TV a few years back. It had an X-Play and AOTS type of feel. love the gaming community, man. I'm a host and a Stand Up Comedian. Gamers are smart, and crazy, and always game. Hosting for that kind of crowd is always fun. I loved the games we played. Those were all not planned by the way. That was just on the spot.For GMPGL I didn't expect anything. I thought it was going to be like any other event that I hosted. But man, it was different. The set up. The crane and camera set up. The intro videos. The audience. The stage. Everything was at a different level. It was a different feel. Then what happened that night, happened that night - it was epic!Yeah, I hosted it. But one important thing to point out as well is that wouldn't have happened if the audience weren't who they were. That was just as much a part of why the night was so fun and an overall success for MINESKI and GIGABYTE.E-sports, I feel, isn't as big as it should be here in the Philippines. It's not getting support from the government. Only a few companies are open to supporting and sponsoring. But hopefully after what happened at GMPGL, the big companies and the government can see how big it actually is. And how much bigger it is going to get here in the Philippines.I mean I didn't know Godz. I didn't know who Winter was. But I just wanted to make sure everything was fun. But gaming is universal. Sure I didn't know about Dota, but I know how it feels to be a gamer. I say that because I don't get to game as much as I'd like, but knowing how it feels made it easier to host it.But we Filipinos are fun and crazy, man. It was great to get to show that side of us through the GMPGL. The feedback has been overwhelming. It was such a fun night.





You said in our pre-interview chat that you don't think Dota gets the exposure it deserves in the Philippines. Care to elaborate on that?



Here's an example that RJ from Mineski just gave me (he's the Editor in Chief of www.mineski.net) . So, during the TGX 2011, all of the gaming titles were won by Filipinos. TGX is one of the biggest gaming events in Asia at that time. They tried to pitch the story to the mainstream media, but they didn't think it was news worthy. Even before some of the WCG representatives from the Philippines had a hard time getting their Visas. They didn't get to join the WCG because their Visas were denied. Which f***ing sucks.







What are some of the things you think the government can do to better support gamers and esports? "[The government can] at least help in getting the gamers their Visas. Or just simply accept e-sports as a real sport."



I'm voicing out what Mineski is saying. At least help in getting the gamers their Visas. Or just simply accept e-sports as a real sport. Once they do that, then a lot of things would be a lot better and whole lot easier for things to grow here.







Let's talk about the event itself. Was the Macho Man contest setup by the organisers? Give us some background here!



Hahaha. That was my idea. I came up with that game at a gaming event I hosted before. But I thought that since we had gamers from all over the world, we could make it the first ever international Macho Man contest. Which Winter of course won. He has that now. He can tell his grandkids that. Godz was right up there with him though. They had a good Macho look. But the hair sweep did it for Winter. Pro-move right there.







What was your favourite moment of the entire event?



Godz had that all-eyes stare. Which was very strong I might add. I peed a little when he did that look. Godz had that all-eyes stare. Which was very strong I might add. I peed a little when he did that look. But Winter took it. That was one of them.



My favorite one was the "Final Kiss" game. Man that was fun. The crowd erupted when Rene from Indonesia gave Apple a kiss through the glass. Man that was such a great moment. Celebration. That was great. I'm still smiling just thinking about it.







Is there any chance Dota fans will see you at future events in the Philippines?



It looks like it, man. I think I'll definitely be able to connect with the crowd more once I play Dota. I'm excited to try it out. The boys from Mineski will teach me. So I'm warming up my trash talk. At least I have that while I'm learning.





Hahaha! Have you played any games yet? So far, which heroes do you like watching or playing the most?







I'm liking Juggernaut, and Pudge looks interesting. I saw H4nn1 from Fnatic play Pudge and I found the hook really cool. Reminds of Scorpion from Mortal Kombat. Hahaha.



But Mineski just told me the fountain hook got nerfed. That sucks. Not yet, but I'll definitely talk about it once I do.I'm liking Juggernaut, and Pudge looks interesting. I saw H4nn1 from Fnatic play Pudge and I found the hook really cool. Reminds of Scorpion from Mortal Kombat. Hahaha.But Mineski just told me the fountain hook got nerfed. That sucks. Pudge looks interesting. [...] But Mineski just told me the fountain hook got nerfed. That sucks.



In conclusion, Eri, tell us a bit about your background. If people want to see more of you, where can they go?







If people want to get in touch or troll me, they can contact me on



Thanks for this interview, TL! Come down to the Philippines and we'll give you a first hand a experience of how we do it here. It'll be fun. Hahaha. I'm a host and stand up comedian. What Mineski is trying for e-sports in the country, we are trying to do for Stand Up Comedy through Comedy Manila If people want to get in touch or troll me, they can contact me on Twitter and Facebook Thanks for this interview, TL! Come down to the Philippines and we'll give you a first hand a experience of how we do it here. It'll be fun. Hahaha.







It was our pleasure! Thanks a lot for your time, Eri. We look forward to seeing you on stage again soon! :D







Helping Out with Haiyan



For those of you who don't know, the Philippines was recently hit by









Would you like to follow SEA Dota?











CREDITS

Gfx: riptide

Editors: riptide, Firebolt145

The SEA region has given us players like Mushi YamateH and Ohaiyo to name a few, and is home to teams like Titan MUFC and Mineski . In fact, though this is the first of a series of articles on the region we are calling SEA Rising, our first piece with that name came out immediately after TI3, when we discussed Orange's dominance at the tournament The question remains, then: why do we know so little about SEA Dota? It could be the fact that it's so far away, or the fact that its local scenes don't get a lot of international exposure. It could even be that the region is overshadowed heavily by its Chinese cousin. But why doesn't matter anymore. SEA Rising aims to change all that, and in its first installment we are proud to bring you someone from outside our usual line of sight: Eri Neeman.Eri Neeman doesn't play Dota. In fact, he hadn't even seen the game before a few weeks ago. Why then, are we featuring him as a part of our Dota 2 Coverage? Because a few weeks ago, Eri gave those outside the Philippines one of the best introductions to Pinoy Dota and everything it's about. Eri was the host of the recently concluded GMPGL SEA LAN Final . Here's what you missed if you didn't tune in!Can you watch that video and dislike the Pinoy Dota scene? We don't think you can. Thus, we're excited to begin our new feature segment on SEA Dota with an interview with the Master of Ceremonies himself!For those of you who don't know, the Philippines was recently hit by Typhoon Haiyan . The country is in need of help, and if you feel like contributing, head over to this thread , as it includes a lot of information on how you can support them in this hour of need. Administrator SKT T1 | Masters of the Universe