UPGRADE We started our own gaming events because some organizers were cheating us off our winnings. A lot of players were already complaining, pero at the time they really had no one to complain to. Kami rin naman, walang choice, sumusunod lang kami sa kung ano’ng meron, up until dumating ‘yung point na sinabi ko, “Hindi na pwede ‘to.” With Mineski, I was just trying to fix what was broken. Slowly, the players started appreciating my efforts. So when we started, it wasn’t really for business, but more for the community—there was something in it for everybody.
CV RONALD “RHOM”/“RORO” ROBINS, 29
Currently: • President and CEO, Mineski Franchise Corp. Formerly: • Team Leader, Mineski Education: • De La Salle University, Finance Management
It’s difficult if you’re not on a level playing field. The organizers respect me because they know that I’m always looking for the real champions—pantayin niyo lahat para walang dayaan at para yung pinakamagaling na players ang manalo.
Marami akong natutunan sa paglalaro ng DotA—even my leadership philosophy, especially now that I’m running this business, galing ‘yan sa paglalaro ko ng DotA. I was never a student leader. But when we started playing the game as a team, ako na ang naging leader, and I started to think differently—iba kasi kapag the group moves together as opposed to mag-isa ka lang.
HOW I DID IT From DotA boy to ‘Father of Philippine e-sports’ We started playing DotA back in college and eventually formed a team composed of players from different colleges in La Salle—so merong from business, computer science, political science, etc. Then, we started joining tournaments. Back then, maliliit lang yung events, so it’s more to engage with teams from other universities. Back then, pagtatawanan ka ‘pag sinabi mong gusto mong maging cyberathlete. Wala pang sponsors nun, so kapag player ka at hindi ka nanalo, wala kang kita. Or kung team kayo, share na lang talaga kayo sa kung ano’ng meron. 122 FH M NOVEMBER 2015
I learned how to analyze people. Minsan may personal issues talaga ang mga players, and you’d know when they have problems because it reflects in the way they play. So I learned how to motivate other players.
Before a tournament, lahat kami nagpapakalbo. We did that back in the day to tell ourselves that dapat linisin mo muna ang ulo mo before going into a tournament. It also signified that everyone was prepared and dedicated to win, and that how they looked didn’t matter.
Kung magaling ka, chicks na ‘yung lumalapit sa’yo. Like before, yung mga naging kakampi ko, hindi naman kapogian, hindi naman macho, pero makikita mo that the girls have…an appreciation for what they’re doing.
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I can’t compete anymore. Alam kong kung maglalaro ako, dudurugin lang nila ako. Alam mo ‘yung kasabihan: “Quit while you’re ahead.” Other people think e-sports isn’t really a sport—I’m determined to prove them wrong. And if I can’t, then my life’s work is a joke. I want to have players tell their parents that they never wasted their time playing a game. I want an all-Filipino team to win the world championship. So now my focus is mentoring new players to reach that goal. By training and supporting them, I feel like I’m still playing. FH M
www.fhm.com.ph
P H OTO G R AP H Y: H E I D I PAS C UA L- AQ U E N D E ; I N T E RV I EW : TO N I ANT I PO R DA
The “Father of Philippine e-sports” title came later, along with the community that gave me that title. Kapag may mga problems kasi sila, sa akin sila tumatakbo. Kapag dinadaya sila ng ibang organizers at sinumbong sa akin, yari talaga yung mga organizers na yun sa akin—tutumba talaga sila hanggang sa hindi na sila makakagawa ng event ulit.
