Esports Book review 1:GameBoys

Game Boys: Professional Videogaming's Rise from the Basement to the Big Time by Michael Kane covers the rivalry between the two biggest organizations in North American eSports history: compLexity gaming syndicate's vs Team3D. The book details the event directly after 3D's second win at the World Cyber Games and compLexity's win at ESWC - during that winter during the CPL.

However if you are looking at this book at a detailed breakdown of strategy or games, look elsewhere. This book is primarily a look at the two organizations and the drama between them. Team3D's status at the time as possibly the second biggest organization in terms of money in the western world - only trailing behind Sk-gaming - competing against the poor house compLexity gaming. Think Brooklyn Dodgers vs. New York Yankees - except instead of baseball they played counter-strike.

The book describes the characters and the storyline quite well. The loud, boisterous managerial style of Jason lake, owner of compLexity, versus the calm cool and collected Craig Levine, owner of Team3D. These caveats towards developing a feel for the characters, however, does not stop the overall progress of the narrative. The writer even goes into player transactions, sponsor deals and player salaries while still pushing the story forward in a good, tangible narrative. The book even mentions the dollar amount that was given Team3D and to the then startup Evil Geniuses, even giving out the player salaries which is generally a no-no in eSports journalism.

Some of the stories, about the founding of CAL i was not even aware of until the reading of the book. Others, like why and how Dave "Moto" Geffon and Sean "bullseye" Morgan were forced out of retirement, are a well told tales but still does bring some of the drama to the book and really does push the plot along.

Although the author does show that he is not of the gaming world - describing compLexity as a team that could never do it on LAN and was more of an online team when they won the biggest event in CS(ESWC) and did quite well, placing top 10 at CPL winter 2004. Furthermore when describing Team3D as the "best CS team in the world" may be a good narrative device, it was far from truthful. At the time of the book compLexity was force on the field - 3D had the best sponsors - and they weren't even the biggest organization in terms of dollar amount in eSports - that was, and is, SK-gaming.

Then you go into his descriptions of the action, it's clear his understanding of the game is not at the level required to really be giving a blow by blow, let alone go for a strategic breakdown of the events which are happening in the games themselves.

Overall i'd recommend this book to those which are not very well acquainted with counter-strike, and it's long storied history, but for those who already know it in depth, it leaves much to be desired.