ITB Interviews - FocusFire Series
In this week's ITB Interviews, the interviewer becomes the interviewee as we shine the spotlight on host, panelist, writer and content generator, Dan 'Mr. Big Jams' Offen. He is perhaps best know as the host of the fantastic Position 6 podcast series, within which he has spoken to just about every key Dota personality from Sumail to Ceb, and Sir ActionSlacks to Mason. We chat with Dan about his experiences across his rising esports career.
-> Focus 1: Podcast and Interviews
ITB:
Hi Dan, many thanks for taking the time to come to the other side and be interviewed! You've an extraordinary list of interviewees as the host of the Position 6 podcast - what are some of your most memorable moments?
Dan:
There's been a lot of interviews I've really enjoyed, the two I've done with Heen particularly stand out – he's a very open, intelligent and thoughtful man and I think those interviews really encapsulated what I wanted to get out of doing the podcast.
Obviously it was great to talk to both NoTail and Ceb, as well as the other titans of the game I've spoken to. Most talent are much more reserved off the mic, when we talk before hand, but slacks was just non-stop. He was like that too when I met him at the summit.
What also always really stands out is when people tell me they like what I do, it happens less now than when I started – as, and I don't think this is a bad thing, I'm seen as more dependable and steady by fans of the show – but when I get comments and messages from people saying how much they enjoy the show, and how it filled a big gap for them, it really matters a lot.
ITB:
Was this a motivating factor for you? Sensing a gap of content that focuses and very much humanizes the various Dota personalities that we commonly only know about via streams and tournaments?
Dan:
Yeah, this was definitely the main motivating factor. I wanted to create humanizing content, like Kaci's TI Interviews, but all year round.
ITB:
Were there any personalities that surprised you in terms of their reputation or public persona, and then being very different?
Dan:
I think how welcoming and open a lot of players have been has been a surprise, but there's a degree to which everybody has a public face, which is mostly what I see – so often it's hard to tell what somebody is really like. So I don't think I'd ever see a side to somebody much different to their reputation
I think Insania surprised me with just how charismatic he is, I know that comes across a bit, but in person it is still great to see somebody like him in the scene.
ITB:
How about personalities that you might feel are underappreciated in terms of their contributions, skill and personality?
Dan:
I think there are a lot of players that could make great talents, that aren't seeing much at the moment for whatever reason.
Talentwise, obviously Nomad is great and I think his star will continue to rise. I think 1437, who's doing a bit of talent work, deserves a bigger platform. I'd like to see more from Era, Peksu and Ninjaboogie too.
ITB:
After now several years interviewing and doing so with so many seminal figures in the scene, what do you think you've learnt about Dota and it's community?
Dan:
I think it's a big scene with a lot of different people in it, with different goals, beliefs and attitudes. Sometimes people try to categorize players as all wanting the same things, of having the same goals.
A good example is the DPC interviews I did at ESL One Birmingham. Most of them weren't published as the video and audio quality was too bad, but what surprised me there is the huge variety in what people want from the DPC. There isn't this singular player experience or goal which you might expect, they all give different weights to different parts. They care about TI differing amounts, they care about scene stability and the tier two scene differing amounts.
Anybody who claims to speak for the whole player base, or acts like they understand what all pros want, is lying or mistaken.
--> Focus 2: Dan and Career Development
ITB:
It’d be great to hear more on your own development, when did you start to view Dota as a viable career path, and how do you feel about this heading into the future?
Dan:
I think I viewed DOTA as a viable career path right from the start.
I worked as a comedian for about three years, alongside normal jobs. I never made much money from it, but I was on the cusp of being able to call it at least a side gig – which I suppose is on the cusp of it being a real job. I like to think I was good at it, I was making good progress, but when I was pushing hard for bigger, better paid, gigs I started to really hate the grind of travelling miles to do the same jokes to different audiences. I did, also, start to doubt that I was quite good enough to stand out from the crowd – or if I lacked a certain something that agents were looking for.
I felt that if I hated it then, then I'd definitely hate it more in ten years if I progressed to being a pro, so better to step away.
ITB:
How about post-comedy, what were the motivators to move over to Dota?
Dan:
After I left the comedy scene, I thought there was a degree to which I was done with a performative career – but while I was certain I was done with stand-up, I definitely missed creating things for people – I'd always loved DOTA, and the pro scene and had thought about getting involved a lot, so figured it was a good chance to start something.
In terms of the future – I don't know. I'd be lying if there were times I hadn't worried about the lack of opportunities for new, non-casting talent. There doesn't seem to be an easy ladder for people wanting to host, create content and interview at events – but I do have to remind myself that my 'big break', The Summit 12, was only 6 months or so ago – and there haven't been any lans!
We'll see what happens, I'm optimistic to a degree but I don't know what's going to be possible in the future!
ITB:
What about the podcast itself, where did the inspiration lie to pursue your Position 6 series?
Dan:
The inspiration behind position six is that I wanted to make the kind of in depth, grown up content, that I felt was missing from the scene. Having got more involved, I've released there are more amazing people doing amazing things than I released, but I do think there was a gap for interview content that was really trim and professionally done.
I've tried to keep the podcast throughout to being respectful of the listeners time, 100% about the guest and in depth. I didn't want to make another DOTA podcast, I wanted to make something that was just about the people behind the game.
ITB:
What's been the proudest moment of your career so far?
Dan:
Being invited to the summit, even if it was something I asked for, was a really proud moment. The idea that a big company would actually want to fly me out to LA, and pay me, to do stuff on camera was huge for me. I was really proud of it, and loved being there.
ITB:
Given your career development and attendance of some high-brow gigs more recently, do you have any specific metrics or system to know that you're headed in the right direction in terms of your career?
Dan:
It's hard, I think the podcast is getting better as I notice it needs to be edited less and less, so it's more natural. That probably means I'm getting better as a live interviewer.
I've not had enough experience in front of camera to really chart my progress at events, but I did notice myself becoming more comfortable and talkative across the summit. The feedback I got from BTS and the community was really great, but I personally wasn't that happy with how I performed in the event just from appearing the way I wanted. I know there are lots of things to work on, and the next opportunity I get I want to put the work I've done at home into practice.
---> Focus 3: UK Dota and Valve's Engagement
ITB:
One question we ask to everyone we interview is related to UK Dota itself. It has been wonderful to see the success of ESL Birmingham and the enthusiasm of UK fans. How are you feeling about UK Dota, it's community and potential?
Dan:
I'm not sure. I know there remain a lack of UK Pro-Players, Tanner was our first on a big team and we've not heard from him since NiP disbanded. There's a lot of great community T3 stuff happening, which is the bedrock of any scene, but we'll have to see if that bears fruit in the coming years.
ITB:
Could valve or our community do more? How do you think we keep UK Dota alive, and our community engaged and active in the game?
Dan:
Anything valve can do to promote the T2 and T3 scene will help UK DOTA, as it does the rest of the world. I think community is important to, helping to build a professional, welcoming scene is always going to be important – but I'm not a player even close to the level to be involved in this, so I'm not sure past that!
ITB:
Did you attend ESL Birmingham? How do you think ESL Birmingham has brought attention onto UK Dota?
Dan:
I did last year, I did a few interviews there about the DPC which can be found on my YouTube channel. I guess it's brought attention to the fact we're an important audience that cannot be ignored, but past that – I don't know? I don't think the event has ever really been about UK DOTA, as a competitive scene – we know we have great fans and talent, but that's a separate thing.
----> Focus 4: Dota Culture & Community
ITB:
Let's talk about Dota as a community. Dota has grown into a massive 'thing, becoming its own economy and the being the livelihood, hobby, passion and friendship base for so many. It feels like so much more than just a game. Do you think Dota and other games like it will shape the future of esports and general society?
Dan:
DOTA Is the future of esports, in a way isn't it? I mean – it is esports – whatever happens in DOTA will essentially change esports. I do like to think all the scenes learn from each other, I'd expect other scenes start to take on the more casual fun elements of DOTA broadcasting over time.
ITB:
Are games like Dota and esports generally destined to overtake the world’s current largest sports – such as football?
Dan:
No, they're different things. I do a reasonable amount of esports research in my day job, and ultimately the audiences for esports are not dissimilar to the audiences for sports – albeit, younger, more male and nerdier. But ultimately, they act like sports fans.
I don't think when, I dunno, Baseball was invented people worried for the future of cricket.
ITB:
What about the community as a collective, what’re your thoughts with respect to a ‘gaming’ or a ‘Dota 2’ culture, how do you think this differs from everyday society?
Dan:
I mean with everything that's gone on in the DOTA scene in the past year I lost a lot of faith in the community. I don't know the DOTA community is necessarily any “worse” than the rest of the world, I think there are a lot ugly people everywhere you look – but reading a lot of the comments that went towards women who spoke up about harassment, and sexual assault, there was a part of me that never wanted anything to do with them ever again.
But there are certainly good parts to the DOTA scene – and I found those good parts, and I hold onto them.
I think there's a lot that could be said about the way the world is going, generally more divided, with certain aspects of society becoming more aggressive and violent all the day – it's scary. I don't like to talk about it as just a Dota problem, but there are things we can do to make our community better for women, and marginalized groups. Most of it just comes down to listening and respect, so I'd start there.
ITB:
You created a great four-part series entitled women and esports – speaking with Sheepo, Reinessa, Lawliepop and Sajedene. When we spoke to Sheepo and Hoxie, we asked if they felt the community had changed or adapted in response to the numerous examples of sexual assault and harassment by leading figures in the Dota community. Do you think there has been any change in the community at large since these events and your series 3 months ago, or has it largely been lip-service to something briefly covered but not addressed?
Dan:
I know a lot of women are still angry and frustrated with certain aspects of the community. Women still get harassed on twitch. There's still an under representation in terms of women at events, Omega league – for example, which was a great event – which featured a vast number of excellent talent. But it only had one woman in attendance (and one who couldn't attend in the end due to events outside everybody's control). For any scene, something like that happening should be considered shocking.
I think we need to do more to bring more women into the scene, be more receptive to giving opportunities out to new talent, because the old guard are mostly men, and it's very hard for new talent to break in. So if we want more prominent women in the scene, that has to become easier, or we stick with the same old faces. That doesn't necessarily mean diversity enforcement, it just means being open to brining in and developing new talent.
-----> Focus 5: Moving Forward
ITB:
Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?
Dan:
I'm not sure, my ideal right now would be working as a talent alongside a “normal” job. I like my job at the moment a good deal, and I don't know if I want to fully give up that life for esports. We'll see what happens.
ITB:
If you were reborn into a new life, would you rather be alive in the past or future? When and why?
Dan:
We've never had it so good, I'm not optimistic about the future and the past is pretty bad. Can I go back to when I was 18?
ITB: Cats or dogs?
Dan:
Cats, thank you very much.
ITB:
What would it take for you to become an Into The Breach fan? (:
Dan:
Some results? I've not seen much from the team yet, I'm doing a bit of ESL Premiership casting, so I'll see then. I flip flop all over the place with who I support, usually it's teams full of friendly nice guys.
ITB:
We'll definitely try bring some results soon! : D Many thanks Dan, it's been lovely hearing from you. Best of luck into the future and we're excited to see you at more events soon!
[INTERVIEW END]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Hello again Dota People,
This is the third in our FocusFire series, and kicks-off the focus on UK casters. Next week onwards, we'll have MoFarah, Crysen and NomadCasts. Stay tuned!
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