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General11 years agoGosu "GosuGamers" Gamers

GoDz: "The actual Competitiveness of the Tournament is Always Incredible"



We had a small conversation with David "GoDz" Parker about SMM. Read on to know what he has to say about the tournament and more!

Photo: joinDOTA


Hey GoDz, what were your thoughts when you heard that you will be casting SMM this year?

Well, for me it was the opposite! I kept pestering SMM until they had no option except to let me cast SMM this year. Having been essentially the only regular WC3 DotA commentator left, I’m glad they finally caved!

I kept pestering SMM until they had no option except to let me cast SMM this year.
Wow. This one is your first one at this event, GoDz - and quite a story on how you got in too! What isn't a first thought is your coverage to the DotA scene this year. How do you think that has translated leading on to the event?

Well, I take it event by event. Every venue, country, and tournament is just so different. TI2 was one thing, DreamHack another, PGF something totally different, and now there's SMM. I'm excited for the surprises that await.

So how was the first day of casting?

First day of SMM felt like a giant teaser! Having just the Malaysian teams was a nice way to whet my appetite and make me want more! I was interested to see how Orange would do with this roster, and sadly it went as average as I expected. The synergy just wasn't there. MUFC coming in, I felt were a top 3 favorite (next to Emaxx and Dreamz in my books) and breezed through the day's matches. We had a few technical issues, but all should be fixed for the coming days.

GoDz on the stage set-up


This event would have less production than TI2 and DH Winter, which you were able to attend. Could you give us thing's on which you think SMM will be better than those 2 events?

Well, those tournaments invest a lot into the stream production and catering to the online audience. The Asian events excel in having some incredibly passionate live crowds and great venues such as where SMM will be held.

Currently, how is SMM doing compared to your expectations - below, just about right, above?

SMM, I wasn't too sure what to expect, so it's hard to say. I'm impressed by the stage construction, it's heaps cooler than I ever imagined, and the matches so far have not disappointed either. It's too soon to say how the event as a whole will pan out!

So far, only 8 international teams had confirmed for the tournament. Of course, quantity doesn't always mean quality. Do you think that this decline on international teams would decrease the competitiveness of the tournament?

I don't think so. The Pinoy and Thai teams have been really playing well in DotA lately, and add to that some strong Malaysian power house teams, and you have a fantastic tournament. I guess it's hard to argue that the overall quality doesn't decrease a little, but I think either way when it's SMM the actual competitiveness of the tournament is always incredible. This is the tournament that year after year people look forward to most as one of the premier international DotA events.

[The] actual competitiveness of the tournament is always incredible
Noticeable is the absence (currently, at least) of Chinese teams on this year's SMM. Of course, we know that they have ruled SMM for the past several years - from EHOME, to FTD, to EHOME once again, and into iG. Do you think this is a sign of them letting go of WC3 DotA, or there just happened to be bigger competitions that they need to prioritize?

DK have already made statements as to their focus on Dota 2, and apparently even have been a driving force in G-League switching to Dota 2. It seems the big organizations and top teams have made the switch to Dota 2, but the majority of Chinese teams (Tier 2 teams, amateur teams, pub players, casual players, etc) still plays WC3 DotA.

Which team do you consider to be the dark horse, and which team do you consider to be the favorite?

Without a doubt, Dreamz is probably the favorite. They are playing on foreign soil, but they always performed best on LAN in the Philippines and are coming here as the PGF champions. I think dark horses are possibly Mineski and iDeal.Gigabyte. While Mineski are a big name and possibly people may consider them one of the more favorites, their results and current position among their fellow Pinoy teams isn' that great, but they have some of the most veteran players, and experienced players who are coming back to SMM as the team who took down LGD last year and grabbed 3rd place. I'm sure they'd love to do even better this year (Bimbo, Wootz, Owa).

SEA teams will put on a hell of a show and produce a true world class champion
Any players or teams or game/match-ups that you are looking forward to?

Mineski vs Dreamz, for the rivalry between Julz and his old squad. They always have amazing matches. Also, Mineski vs Orange. Something about these two teams, but the matches are guaranteed to be nail-biters, go 60-80minutes, and leave you on the edge of your seat.

What can you promise to the fans regarding the event?

That no monitors will be hurt throughout the making of this SMM *chuckles* Nah, that even without the Chinese teams or any Western teams (Kudos to EG for making the trip last SMM although they found themselves in unfortunate circumstances), that the SEA teams will put on a hell of a show and produce a true world class champion.

Thanks for the interview.

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