Fatal1ty - The Business

Just like the pros of other sports, Johnathan has created his own brand image, starting in 2003 after his spot on MTV selling mouse pads and other products. Since then he has moved into making products with partnering companies.

THG: Would you tell us about your business?

Fatal1ty: "I just got tired of being sponsored by different companies and knowing that in a year or two that I could be replaced. Personally I didn't think that would happen as I thought I would keep playing for a long time. I thought about the long term after I retire - how am I going to keep making money or how am I going to survive? I thought that if I made my own company for gaming that I could sustain myself, but also help build up gaming world-wide to other gamers.

"In 2003, I started selling mouse pads. I sold about $50,000 in mouse pads in about four months, which I turned around to help sponsor five other gamers to travel with me. I paid for their airfare, hotels, and for the games they played. This was my main goal when I made this company: giving back to gaming. I knew it had to work, because no one else was doing this for the community. You have the leagues and so forth, but I am more optimistic to give back. I hope that everyone can see that."

A classic rivalry at QuakeCon 2004, Daler vs. Fatal1ty

THG: Your business was doing well then. I saw that you had some lower place finishes compared to previous years; was the business straining your game play?

Fatal1ty: "I was making a lot of money selling mouse pads, but I thought, how can I be number one in the world playing games and also run this business? In 2003 I contacted AuraVision because they held the patent on back-illuminated keyboards. I worked out an agreement with them for more than that. The agreement gave AuraVision the rights to become my master licenser of the Fata1ty brand.

Johnathan lost to Daler in his own Doom 3 shootout

"It was a great match for me to hook up with these guys, because they have a lot of background with Body Glove for surfing, which is big worldwide. I definitely knew we were a good combination, because Body Glove's brand and mine are based on lifestyle. They were influential in creating the surfing lifestyle people recognize, and mine is based on the image of gaming. Since 2003, we have made deals with Abit for motherboards, and Zalman for CPU and VGA coolers, and now with Creative."

After losing again to Daler, Johnathan worked his way back up to win the Cinderella story from the bottom. With that win, he gained one more title and $25,000.

Currently his product set is seven items. He will be adding another nine in the next year, and it will keep growing and growing. Johnathan said, "I think that people like the fact that a gamer is behind the company and not a person behind a desk -someone who actually cares about the community." I think he might be right; as the adage goes, "they won't care until they know how much you care."