"The opinions and views expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent SK Gaming or their affiliates in any way, shape or form."

Gaming wasn't as fancy as it is today, but it sure was a great experience for all people involved.

Duncan 'Thorin' Shields, along with Richard Lewis and a couple of others, spearheaded eSports journalism and in-depth live coverage.

eSports has come a long way without the mainstream "backing". Why do we seek it so heavily now?

Images are courtesy of Twitter, DailyDot and YouTube.

Dear reader,I am writing this with a heavy heart as the assimilation has begun. The mainstream media have been knocking on the door of eSports for awhile now and sooner or later, major publications will come in and do what they do best - write uninformed pieces with regards to the industry, it’s community and insiders. Portraying people in a twisted (and sometimes idiotic) manner, these “legitimate” press representatives come in, do their “thing” and leave. We, on the other hand, the people who do report the events within eSports are left with a bitter taste.“But Daniel, you’re just a small writer trying to be a big shot, why so bitter? Don’t we have enough bitter journalists already?”Before you ask yourself that, take a step back and join me. In the beginning of the 2000s, the eSports scene was radically different from what we know now. It wasn't an accessible hobby, but it did start a small and passionate following. With the growing accessibility to computers and internet all over the world, it was inevitable for computer (and video gaming in general) gaming not to grow. The tournaments were not broadcast as there were no streams - period. We understood of the early greats such as Thresh, Fatal1ty, Zero4 and Grrr from an even smaller, hard-working and dedicated group - the first eSports reporters.They sat down on their PCs, wrote detailed reports from the tournament, got an interview or two (which were incredibly rare back in the days and people tended to look at you in a weird way when you asked to interview a computer gamer), upload a demo (if they were available which once more, was a rare occurrence) and did their best to paint the perfect picture for those who could not attend. Needless to say, this was all done in their spare time and with limited resources. In every discussion after the competitions, there would be idealistic fantasies which portrayed eSports more or less the way we have it now - filled stadiums, stable salaries, big cash prizes and great tournament circuits. Everyone knew that sooner or later it was going to happen.Hardware and peripheral manufacturing groups first took notice and started sponsoring tournaments, teams and the really lucky players even got personal funding. It was a developing industry with a few hiccoughs here and there. One key distinction however, it was not mainstream. What this means is that only the very best, those who managed to endure metas or are extremely hard-working or possessed the sheer talent to be at the top again and again would get the lion’s share. The true “champions”. No Twitter stars and no fan favourites who can barely stay in the LCS. Of course it was not perfect, but it had its charm.It wasn't long until mainstream publications turned up. As usual, we had the ridiculous articles who portrayed us as brainwashed kids and I, back then, couldn't really blame them. The generation was different and the last people I expected to “get it” were the aforementioned publications. Fast-forward to 2009-2010. The streaming “revolution” gained incredible traction and almost single-handedly created a source of income which would transform gaming and subsequently, eSports. Some saw opportunities, some entertainment and others, the end of the “romantic” eSports era.ESports journalism grew. The major publications continued to give us “some” attention, but the researched and well-informed articles could be counted on one hand. On the other hand, we had established journalists who created their own “path” in our industry - Duncan ‘Thorin’ Shields, famous for his analytic and in-depth approach, Richard Lewis (also known as Dr. Gonzo at the time) who tended to write critical open editorials on topics he felt needed discussion and Rod ‘Slasher’ Breslau, who worked closely with teams and put out stories which few could at the time. Although not famous or recognized outside the industry, they dedicated their time to pursuing and bringing out quality content. Ask whichever current eSport journalist you want, they will cite one of those three as an inspiration.And now, after this rather brief history lesson on the eSports scene and journalism, I will express my thoughts on the DailyMail publication’s impact.It pains me to see such low-quality stuff be connected with eSports, but moreover, I got extremely frustrated at the people who found this “publication” entertaining or funny. This is not what we, as a community and people, should be portrayed as. I don’t like to think that someone is actually interested in Hai’s personal life or the amount of “action” he is getting. And that goes for every single pro player out there. This article doesn't deserve the attention it got, but it does point to an issue inside the industry - community versus journalism and not just any specific journalist, but everyone all together.Hard-working people like Duncan ‘Thorin’ Shields, Richard Lewis, Travis Gafford, Rod Breslau, Kelsey Moser, Nilu Kulasingham and many, many others are being scolded every single day just because they don’t appeal to the most common denominator. These people have gone above and beyond to bring out great material, top-notch story lines, in-depth analysis, live interview coverage and yet, most of the time, they are abused on social media and reddit for one or many past wrongdoings. The more you shun that hard-working bunch, the more DailyMail articles you will see, because at the end of the day, what you’ll be left with is that type of “mainstream journalism”. Just remember the other example of laughable journalism - the Playboy article in which the author had the audacity to request money from the community to write more.It pains me to see that. Most of all, I do not understand why the majority of the eSports community requires validation? Why? If you like playing computer games just enjoy the game. Does a show about eSports on a major publication or television channel impact you in any way? No. Will it benefit you in the long run? No. It will benefit sponsors, managers, personalities and maybe pro players. The vast majority that requires validation is still a bunch of people playing computer games in their past time. And there is nothing, I repeat, nothing wrong with that. Richard Lewis perfectly summed this point while discussing the Playboy article and made some excellent points with regards to the desperate crave of our community to have eSports right up there with football, basketball, volleyball and many others.You don’t need this. We don’t need this. And worst of all, you’re turning your back on the people that have (mostly) dedicated their livelihood to bring you great content. Why? Because they said something you did not agree with or talked about your favourite player in a bad manner.I don’t want to be in eSports where our Thorins, Richards, Slashers and Kelseys are being laughed at, shunned, harassed, made fun of and this trash DailyMail article “makes us laugh”! It’s sad. It’s very, very sad. You laugh at Thorin and Richard for allegedly being unprofessional and attention-seeking, yet you act in a completely childish manner when past events are brought up again and again and again. You claim half the titles on reddit are “click-bait journalism” or how a journalist’s only purpose is to stir up drama, but then have a great laugh at the DM article. Worst of all, you retweet it, giving exposure to the people who gave you literally nothing in return.If that’s the way things are going to be from now on, the articles and pieces you read will become only worse. Driving away the motivated and hard-working people in favour of publications who neither understand, nor respect you is not a recipe for mainstream success or acceptance. The more your drive away our Kelseys, Thorins and Richards, the more DailyMails, Suns, Washington Posts and CNN’s you’re going to get. And the articles they release will become even more ridiculous.Right before the very end, I will make a simple request. Support the group that is here to create content. Do not agree with them, do not love them or adore them, but at least give them the respect they deserve for their work. The attention the Playboy and DM article received is a sound hit to all people, amateurs and professionals, who have dedicated their time and effort to bring out worthwhile pieces to this world. Of course they are not all messiahs, but who on this world is?At the end of the day, I would like to thank the DailyMail for making me so mad, that I overcame my fear of writing open editorials. I would also like to thank those who have nurtured my passion for eSports and supported my writing and/or live reporting. And I ask you to do the same - follow those whose content you enjoy, regardless of whether it is an incredible in-depth analysis or a sugary interview about pro gamers and chipotle. Simply because at the end of the day, those people care and respect you as an audience infinitely more than any mainstream reporter ever will.With that fellow reader, I end my article.I hope you, yes you, will think at least for a second before succumbing to another mainstream trap.Sincerely yours,DPY