In the run up to presenting something like ESL One, what do you do?
As a host, as I am at ESL One, it starts weeks before, sometimes months before. ESL One for me started back in March. The reason is because I’ve never done Dota 2 before. It starts with playing the game, understanding the mechanics, the heroes. Generally getting a good feel for the game. I guess I’ve probably put in about eighty hours of gameplay since March, which is enough to give me a reasonable base of understanding. Alongside that is drenching myself in the community. Understanding the funny stuff, understanding the memes that they use.
Every community is very different. Starcraft is quite intellectual, while the Dota community is much more fun. You really need to be in tune with that. With Dota, it’s really important to me that I’m connected to the crowd and the people back at home and I understand what they want from the show. I’ve found that to be part of a winning formula for hosting well at shows. ESL One’s no different.
What stories are you looking forward to see play out at ESL One, given that this is the last big tournament before TI4?
Well we’ve got all three previous International winners and that’s a storyline in its own right. iG are looking pretty strong right now but Na’Vi and Alliancethey’re the big names but they’ve not been playing much and when they have been playing they’ve not been playing that well. For me it’s intruiging whether the five that have not got an International title to their name, can they step up a few weeks before TI4 and give these guys something to think about? What does that do to them, going into TI? If Alliance win this at a canter, what signal does that send to everyone else? If they don’t win it, and they crash out in the quarters, what signal does that send to them about how much harder they’re going to have to work?
If Dendi reaches the semi-final
Quelle: http://www.pcgamer.com/uk/2014/06/13/paul-redeye-chaloner-talks-esl-one-frankfurt-casting-and-the-future-of-e-sports/