Have you ever wondered about the gaming world? I recall being a child and hearing people talk about being paid to play video games. I never gave much thought to it because I suck at video games. So when I met Tsunami, a gamer, who devotes six hours a day to gaming, I knew that I had to interview her.
Who are you. What is your age. Why do you what you do?
My name is Tsunami, known in the gaming community as Poisoned. I’m 16 and I’ve been a competitive call of duty player for years now! I mainly focus on live-streaming and creating content to take the stress off of my viewers while sharing the funny moments I have with friends on video games.
How long have you been gaming?
I’ve been on the grind since COD4 aka since 2007, but I still had a love for the desktop games we all played before then. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was definitely the game that sparked something in me when it comes to dedication.
How did you get into gaming?
It all truly started with a young emo playing Rock Band 2, learning the words to every Bon Jovi song for the sake of it (this also started my love for Panic! at the Disco but that’s another story). Even before that, there were the Wii games and PS2 classics. I feel like gaming has been a part of my life forever. In Advanced Warfare (2014), I met my friend Verse who was streaming at the time and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world that he let me play with him while streaming. That completely opened new doors for me when it comes to what I envisioned was possible on a video game.
Could you tell us about a time in your gaming history that stands out?
Putting all accolades aside I’d say that the time in my gaming history that most stood out was when I grinded with the homies. There was never a dull moment playing with them, I for sure was at my best, and we played for hours and hours on end. I truly wouldn’t trade that time period for anything. I was fortunate enough to make some lifelong friends on the same path as me and that’s pretty much how my entire road to competing started.
How many hours a week do you devote to gaming?
During Black Ops 3 (2015-2016), I made it a habit to play 6 hours everyday, no matter what. I perfected my game play as well as worked on making better YouTube videos. Call me crazy, but this was by far one of the happiest and most productive times of my life. Nowadays, my schedule has limitations that are even out of my control, so right now I’m focusing on content production. I live stream to twitch for 3-4 hours a day during the week and about 16 hours total on the weekends.
Which games do you excel at? What games are you looking forward to?
Without a doubt, my best game is Call of Duty. I truly love COD so much. Another game that I would say I excel in is Fortnite, simply because I put a lot of time into it these days. The game I’m most looking forward towards is Call of Duty Black Ops 4. It’s going to incorporate pieces from former COD titles while also having a battle royale mode and completely different multiplayer gameplay. It’s sort of the game that’s going to “make or break” the Call of Duty scene right now.
Do you participate in gaming conventions and if so, how would you describe your experience?
Gaming conventions, LAN tournaments, all of it. For gaming conventions, I’ve been to Video Gamers United in DC. LAN (local area network) tourneys I’ve been to consist of NJRODs in Pennsylvania. For Call of Duty, LANs consist of two teams of four going against each other in a bracket.
Monitors are placed in rows so if you get hype you can stand up and start yelling at the team you’re playing since they’re directly in front of you. A Call of Duty major I’ve been to is Call of Duty Champs in Florida and I’m going again this year in Ohio. That weekend was the most memorable in my life. Think of it as going to a concert right, you spend all this time in your room listening to this music that you feel no one knows as well as you, and then all of a sudden your hundreds deep at a concert wondering where all these people came from that know all the songs you do too. It was like that but a million times better. Watching pro teams compete for thousands of dollars surrounding by diehard screaming fans doesn’t compare to anything.
What is one is one misconception about gamers that you want to set straight or give more insight into?
I’ve been a straight A student since my first year in high school (except Chemistry and like Java Programming but I really act like those didn’t happen). I have a cumulative GPA of a 4.2 so far this year. I am in no way, shape, or form a slacker and I feel that’s a large misconception for gamers. Whether it be because we don’t apply ourselves or can’t thrive is a world so dependent on test taking, it is true that a lot of us do struggle in school. It is NOT true that we aren’t intelligent. There are gamers that don’t go to college because they are chasing their dreams, and I feel that society shouldn’t be so hard on people that are harvesting their talent towards their passion. Many games create situations where we have to solve problems or make crucial decisions on the spot (we call this “in-game smarts”) while sometimes incorporating things like teamwork. Also, millions of people watch others play video games everyday just as people would watch a sport or TV show.
Something specific I want to give more insight to is mental health. There’s such a stigma surrounding it, especially in gaming. It isn’t talked about enough and I want to change that. I diagnosed with severe depression at fairly young age but kept my feelings bottled up for far too long. I remember always watching videos and feeling at ease whenever I found content that made me feel something. Having a good laugh, improving a craft, or seeing something relatable can be so cleansing for a person. I want to repay the world and do for others what YouTube in middle school did for me. Just the idea of possibly putting a smile on someone’s face everyday keeps me going even when the road looks impossible.
Could you tell me the story of how you got contracted?
I had never played video games with a female for 8 years. One day an eSports organization approached me on Twitter asking if I’d join their team for the Female Pro League. I felt as if an all-female league was not for me because I never felt like we needed to be separated from male competition. Once I met Gabby who was the captain of the team and Bree, we were friends instantly. The next person on the team was Britt and we’ve been inseparable ever since. The idea was to put our time into this league to get our name out into the community, although unsuccessful with the roster, I was fortunate enough to team with my best friends Britt and Wolf after that. The connections I’ve built in the gaming community are stronger than any others. I’ve had organizations approach me about building a roster under them, but we typically moved and searched for options as a team. I’ve had a home in a few really great eSports organizations that also opened insane opportunities for me.
What advice do you have for people who want to be contracted?
For Call of Duty, you’re not allowed to compete in majors until you’re 18. Yet, you can still build your name in the community playing in local and online tournaments from any age. Getting yourself out there, building connections, and finding a set group of people you can grind a game with to the point that you’re confident in your team is key. Organizations pick up players based on performance. Trust the process even when others can’t see the picture!
The Alt Black 
Leave a comment