Sonic, the man known for getting Brood War back on OGN is back yet again with another surprise up his sleeve. Only two days since the latest announcement of Sbenu sponsoring the GSL, Sonic took another step forward in cementing his role in e-sports. This time around, it won't be an RTS or a MOBA game that Sonic will be sponsoring.
Instead, he has decided to opt for another genre. No doubt most of our readers have heard of the game Kart Rider. This is quite the surprise and a bit unexpected for many of us. To shed some light on this recent addition to the lineups of great games that Sbenu is already sponsoring, we decided to sit with Sonic and discuss what his current plans are and his vision of the future.
Q. Hi Sonic and thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Before we begin, can you please give a quick introduction to the readers.
Hello everyone. I am the BJ Sonic and Sbenu CEO Hwang Hyo-Jin. I love all of e-sports from every bone in my body and still stream quite a bit on afreeca
Q. Before we get into discussing this latest sponsorship, let's talk very briefly about Sbenu. Just in the last year, Sbenu has seen some major growth and has become well known throughout all of Korea. Is there any specific reason for your success?
I think it has to do with the amount of effort that I put into my work. Back when I first founded my company, Shinbal Farm, things weren't looking great. It was a tough period in my life but I knew that I have to keep working hard so that I can realize my goals and aspirations. I was able to eventually launch Sbenu once things were on the uprise and haven't looked back since.
Q. Seeing all this growth while being the founder, you must feel a certain joy out of it?
Yes, you're right. It does feel great. Nothing feels better than seeing all of your hard work pay off.
Q. You mentioned goals earlier. Do you mind elaborating a bit more on that?
As I mentioned earlier, I love all of e-sports. Friendly competition and fun games are things that I feel are well conveyed through several games like Starcraft and League of Legends. My original goal revolved around reviving the Brood War scene and getting it back on OGN. Having achieved that, I've decided to take things a step further and sponsor other games such as League of Legends, Starcraft II and the recent addition, Kart Rider. I wanted to give other viewers the same pleasures that I've had when it came to Brood War.
Source: inven.co.kr
Q: That makes sense. Now, let's discuss Kart Rider and this recent sponsorship. Tell us how you got into this game in the first place.
As everyone knows, I'm very passionate about Brood War. The game has played a big role in my life and nothing made me happier than being able to get it back on OGN. What a lot of readers may not realize is my love for Kart Rider. Back when the game was first released, I used to play it a lot with some friends. It was a fun competitive atmosphere and the game meant a lot to many of us. Personally, I felt the same connection with Kart Rider like I did when I used to play Brood War at PC bangs back in the day.
Q: You mentioned connection? Do you mind explaining that a bit further?
In Brood War, there are many aspects to the game. This include things like strategy, decision making and a whole host of others. In the end, no two games are the same which made for many unique experiences. Even when you are behind, you can always come back if you make the right decisions and keep on top of your production. I feel that Kart Rider embodies those same aspects. Deciding on the rider as a personification of your own personality, timing your drifts and knowing when to boost, studying the various maps and understanding their intricacies. These and many others are all present and reminiscent of what made Brood War great.
Q: Thank you for the detailed explanation. Is it possible to get more details about the sponsorship? I realize that we haven't touched on that yet.
More details about the sponsorship will be released in the upcoming days. Stay tuned!
Q: With all these recent sponsorships, you have taken Korea by surprise. Some are even referring to you as the "overmind" due to how well you have been able to spread your love for e-sports. What do you think of this nickname?
This is the first time that I've heard of it (t/n: laughs). I don't really mind what people call me. I've mentioned before that I would like people to remember me as a leader in Starcraft's revival and if "overmind" makes people happy, that's fine by me (t/n: laughs).
Q. What are your future goals from this point on?
My goal is to focus on the current sponsored titles and keep working hard for the fans. I would like to eventually sponsor even more e-sports titles so that people playing other games can share the same joy that I've felt with Brood War.
Q. Thank you for the interview today. Do you have any closing words for your fans and our readers?
I want to thank all my fans that have stuck by my side from the first day. I could not have gotten to this stage without all your support so thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is only the beginning! I plan to work harder and make sure that e-sports becomes more widespread.
Original Article: http://m.sports.naver.com/esports/news/read.nhn?oid=442&aid=0000009109&type=esportsPremier