Today I am going to be doing something a little different and out of the ordinary from what I’m used to writing and probably what you’re used to seeing. What you ask? Well, usually when I do “A Pro’s Perspective,” I’m typically talking to a professional or an established competitive player from the Call of Duty community. Well today like I said, it’s going to be a little different; whereas I am going to be interviewing someone on the other side of the playing field, someone who takes a look at the game in a different perspective and turns what he does into an in-game analysis; and that somebody it Alan “Bricey” Brice.
Many of you know him just as Bricey; a European COD caster, but he does more than just casting for this community. Bricey began as just another gamer who was gaming for some simple relaxation and fun in his life; but that was before he became involved with Xtreme Gaming. XG is where his career in the eSports world would take off and lead him into his future in the eSports world. Now, Bricey has his hand in just about anything he can get in; ranging from; casting events like Gfinity and COD Championships to running events like Insomnia 49 and more.
Bricey has taken his love for eSports and twisted it into something he could possibly do for the rest of his life. Check out this one-on-one talk with Alan “Bricey” Brice.
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**Alright Brice, I’d like to say thank you for taking the time to talk to me and do this interview. First up, for those who don’t know you, why don’t you take a second
to introduce yourself?**
Hi I’m Alan Brice, better known as “Bricey” or even Bricetacular to some. I’m the community manager for Xtreme Gaming; as well as, a Presenter and Caster who has a ridiculous passion for the eSports world.
**Well alright then, you’ve been around the eSports scene for a while now; where did you get your start?**
Well I used to compete back in the day; horribly, but I never had the time to really practice and reach the top. So, when I began attending LAN, it began for me as a chance to catch up and have some good times with a few of my mates; as well as seeing what I could get myself into. Shortly after the first few events and as I continued attending the events, it became all about the intensity and trying to win the game, over the social aspect. Once I realized I could do more than just play, I became a fan of many of the players out there competing today, and will probably forever.
My first; I suppose shot into the limelight, was after working many of the events and covering some media aspects abroad; I was asked to take part in helping out at i45 (Insomnia 45). I ended up casting the stream for the majority of two days, falling absolutely in love with the profession. Following i45, taking a major interest in casting became one of the greatest decisions I’ve made, and continues to benefit me every day.
**If you could tell the world about your casting experience, what would you say?**
Now this question can definitely open up its own can of worms.
If I were to say who my favorite to cast with is, choosing one person would obviously get me lynched. Honestly, it comes down to temperament and the caster, as to why I love casting in general. I love every single one of the EU guys and these days we get along great. I’ve really enjoyed the chance to cast with the Americans recently at Gfinity; especially since I’ve been a fan and I guess you could say, looked up to those guys for an extremely long time.
My favorite part overall is easy to pick; it’s the fans. I wouldn’t be in this position, if it wasn’t for the support I’ve received from everyone out there. I’m also still a fan of many out there and thank my lucky stars that I get to watch some of the best call of duty from around the world, happen right at my fingertips.
I’m my own biggest critic; so, I always strive for better at all times. So, the most memorable game for me would have to be, the first Call of Duty Black Ops 2 LAN at i47 (Insomnia 47). It was Hardpoint on Meltdown between Network and TCM. Both teams were hammering each other for the final Hardpoint and the lead changed several times back in forth. The intensity and excitement of the game reached incredible levels and I will never forget how I felt throughout the entire game. If you can find the game and watch it, it was truly just an incredible experience.
**You recently ran i49 (Insomnia 49), what was that experience like?**
Interesting, to say the least.
See the thing is, I’ve run events before in the industry and know what’s involved; the daunting thing about this one was that it rested solely on my shoulders and it was my reputation at stake, not to mention that technically I was a rival to company’s I’ve worked with before. I couldn’t have more love for my staff and all the people that helped out and still send thanks. I hope if I get the chance to do it again I’ll take it to a whole new level and deliver a tournament with a new and special way.
**It’s safe to say you’ve just about done everything you can in the eSports scene; casting, playing, running and working an event; what has to be the most thrilling/favorite aspect to your job?**
Meeting people, fans, the game, traveling and so much more. I come from a very different line of work that was both heavy manual labor and skilled work; to be honest; I’m still not used to putting a shirt on to go into work. So, I guess that I can still apply some of those aspects like problem solving, to what I do now. And who doesn’t like to travel? Traveling all around world to work in eSports has been an incredible experience I wouldn’t trade for anything.
**Call of Duty Black Ops 2 has been one of the most promising titles for the COD eSports scene, what do you see for the future of Call of Duty? What do you see COD: Ghosts doing for eSports in general?**
Honestly my biggest hope for Ghosts is that we can hold on to everything we have accomplished. I’ll be happy when we all survive the console change and game change, and come out with as much interest as we do now; that’s enough for me; and if not that, then about a billion dollars more in prize money.
**You were in the United States for COD Champs earlier this year; do you have plans on trying to come back to the United States for more events or are you going to stay strictly to the EU scene?**
I would love to, I was enraptured by Halo at MLG back in the day and it’s actually takes a big responsibility for my entire interest in e-Sports. Doing more work in the States and interacting with that community is one of my top priorities to grow in my career.
**So now, one of the questions that I am sure everyone is curious to hear; G2 is coming up in the next few weeks; with some of the top teams coming from both the NA and EU scene, what are some of your predictions?**
Predictions are always so hard especially as CoD is a right now game, and with G2 being a single elimination tournament, things will be interesting. However, I’m predicting a Complexity Vs UNiTE final depending on how the bracket falls and the teams remain the same.
**Do you have any last minute shout outs, comments or anything to say?**
Yes, massive love to @Xtreme_Gaming for everything they have done; to my true friends in the scene, who I know I can turn to if I need to; the fans that support me and the top players who I have discussions at length about the state of the game and strategies that help me break down the game in the future.
As for anything to say… Yes I have a lot of things I could say, the majority of which I cannot say; as it will get me into MAJOR trouble.
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So a special thanks goes out to Bricey for taking time out of his busy schedule to sit down and talk to me.
I know that this “Pro’s Perspective” was a little different than what I’ve done before, but I figured that seeing something different and hearing a different storyline, would be interesting to many out there.
Stay tuned next week for another edition to “A Pro’s Perspective.”
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Remember to follow us [@eSportsNation](http://www.twitter.com/esportsnation) for all of our weekly series, as well as your Call of Duty eSports needs!
Published: Sep 15, 2013 09:22 am