*By Zane Bhansali*
Mike Sepso is a gilded name in esports.
His latest win? The senior VP of Activision Blizzard was recently appointed a strategic partner of Overwatch team league New York Excelsior.
And he also happens to be the leader of Major League Gaming, which he founded with partner Sundance DiGiovanni in 2002. But before he assumed his throne, Sepso conceived MLG during a single lazy summer when he and his partner were basking in the glory of their previous company, Gotham Broadband.
"What we wound up doing a lot of was playing 'Halo' competitively against each other and other people and going to Yankees games," he told Cheddar of that period.
"And somehow, over the course of lots of games of 'Halo' and winning some money from the guys that lived down the hall from Sundance, lots of Yankees games, and sort of thinking about it, the idea for MLG came together."
Sepso may sit above most in the esports stadium, but he's still able to spot all the changes from his perch.
"I think you have the new world of the gaming industry ー it's different," he said. "The old genres don't really matter anymore."
He distinguished the most popular titles by their goals, and said "Overwatch" was "built for esports" and Epic Games' phenomenon "Fortnite" was "made for broadcast and streaming."
Of superstar streamer Ninja and his game of choice, he said, "I think it's sort of a symbiotic relationship. I don't think Ninja would be playing 'Fortnite' if there weren't a lot of people interested in watching."
And of course, it's all about the fans.
"I think part of it is he just got really, really good at streaming and developed a really good rapport with this fanbase. And then this game came out, and it was sort of perfectly attuned to him."
But, Sepso said, it's also a matter of skill and expertise. Ninja, among other things, has mastered his craft.
"It's rewarding if you're a really skilled player, and certainly he's got a long history of being a very skilled player and very practiced."
Major League Baseball plunged into its first work stoppage in a quarter-century when the sport’s collective bargaining agreement expired and owners immediately locked out players in a move that threatens spring training and opening day.
Cheddar has been covering the biggest news of the week with some of the biggest names in the biz. In case you missed it, we've pulled together some of the highlights that will keep you informed as we get ready for the week ahead.
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Cheddar's Chloe Aiello reports from the US Open in New York City as the tournament returns to a very different landscape for players and fans.
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Car racing remains a male-dominated sport but there’s hope for change with the Formula E all-electric vehicle competition, which has already featured three female drivers during its seven seasons.
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Michael Chernow is known as a chef, TV host, and entrepreneur, but now he's taking a break from restaurants and stepping into the world of healthy breakfast. 'Kreatures of Habit' is a new lifestyle and wellness brand with the goal of helping people establish healthy habits. Michael was able to raise 2.2 million dollars to launch the company, which was originally set out to be a café concept, but transformed during the pandemic. Michael Chernow, celebrity chef, entrepreneur, and fitness expert joins us to talk about his new venture.
