The meet the management series kicked off a few days back with some great words from two of the management team. To keep the ball rolling and get an even deeper insight into the brains behind Reason Gaming and RNR-eSports, we’ve caught up with the sales end of the crew, Adam “Damage” Parkins, to have a quick chat and talk about Rasta, his eSports experiences and a few steps into the long winding road that is memory lane.
As I’m sure many are aware you were one of the original founders of Rasta-Gaming back in 2007, however, where were you before Rasta? How did you get involved in video games in the first place?
I have always enjoyed video games from a very early age, starting with a Spectrum 128k. Since then I have gamed through the changing forms of consoles and PCs but became primarily a PC gamer for the FPS greats like Wolfenstein and Doom. When the internet spawned (see what I did there 🙂 it changed everything and I began enjoying the competitive side of gaming. I enjoyed healthy stints in Quake 2 and 3 as well as a decent run at Quake 3 Fortress with the old qeF and NBK boys (and now girls) before taking a back seat and focusing on my job and just playing public.
I have Arky to thank for getting me back into the competitive and now growing esports scene. Rasta came about when I needed a new housemate after to share the property I was renting. This turned out to be Arky who was a friend of mine and after many late nights gaming we decided we wanted to have a crack as an actual team. Arky was more up to date with the UK scene and after some research we decided it would be best to set up our own team due to the disappointing attitude a lot of the UK players seemed to have, Rasta Gaming was born.
Having been the face of Rasta-Gaming since it’s conception, how do you feel moving in to represent another eSports name whilst continuing to support the community we all know and love?
I feel really positive about the additional of Reason Gaming. Not only does it give us the professional side that is often missed with Rasta Gaming but it reignites another popular UK brand that will hopefully give the aspiring Rastas something additional to aim for.
The support for the community won’t change, if anything the acquisition of Reason and the launch of RnR eSports will help increase the support we have for Rasta. It will enable us to work with partners on a bigger scale, unlocking doors that were previously closed or incredibly tough to get through. Plus, Rasta is our baby and holds a special place in the hearts of the management. There are a lot of fond memories with that name and I am looking forward to a lot more.
For those that are unsure what the job of the business director entails, could you outline your role within Reason Gaming’s management?
My main focus will be the Sales side of Reason Gaming. Working with sponsors and partners to maximize growth of both the organisation itself and the people we work with. That being said, all of the senior staff will be working and aiding in all areas of the business from team management to business development.
Additionally, I tend to be the team cheerleader at events 🙂
In the past you worked for GSP and LAN event holders, Multiplay. How was working within a fully-fledged eSports business and how do you think what you learned there will benefit your ventures into competitive eSports?
It was one of the best experiences I have had to date. I met some amazing people and managed to experience some incredible events within esports. The knowledge and experience I have gained will be invaluable when it comes to our expansion into competitive gaming. The main asset I have gained from working there is the friends and contacts I have made along the way.
Having been involved with Rasta-Gaming since very near the start, what is the secret behind the community’s rapid expansion and how do you maintain such a good atmosphere with so many to please?
I don’t think there is any real secret other than having a solid group of friends and gamers who are all willing to put in the time and the effort to make it work. Rasta Gaming has been blessed with more than its fair share of hard working individuals who are all absolute legends to boot. With this kind of stability it makes it easy for new gamers to join and feel welcome, as well as chipping in with the work load.
A special mention has to go to the Rasta management and admins, plus all the long standing members who help glue the community together. Without people like Blanks, Arky, RCN, the Danes (Rass, Dude and Thor in particular), biggie, Rastaman, Jinx, Blacktear, Cr@zy, Dreaubond, twst, biggnomenate and many others none of this would have been possible.
When you finally find time to yourself amidst all of the work you do, how do you like to spend your time away from eSports?
Watching tons of mindless T.V. and movies haha! I do enjoy a good pub meal with a pint but I love to just switch off, put my feet up and relax in front of a good series. That and a bit of skiing whenever time and money permit. Even then I think we are having a Rasta ski trip so not always far away from esports 🙂
And I shall end with the same question I left Blanks with: Best, worst and most abstract eSports memories?
Now that is a tough question as there is a lot to sift through. Best is meeting all the gamers at LAN from all over the world, from the super Danes to the sexy Swedes haha! Every time I go to an event I realise why we put in all the work.
Worst has to be the .gif of the cameraman zooming in on my eyeball at the recent i46 event haha! Although jokes aside, Blanks hit the nail on the head with this one, our work with Luke Cory was one of the saddest, hardest things I have ever been involved with. The fundraising and response we got from the community was incredible and something I am proud to have been a part of. I guess this could also go under best esports memories because even though it was tragic circumstances, it was amazing to see the esports community around the globe come together under one cause. There is now the Luke Cory trust which can be found here: http://www.lukecorytrust.co.uk/ – I know they would appreciate any help we can give.
Abstract would have to be when I ordered a LOT of chicken wings for the team at the hotel bar, after a few too many beers. We were at the Gadget Show Live showcasing for ESL and in the evening we had a few drinks with the Team Dignitas lads. Needless to say a lot of fun was had by all and at one point, when we decided we were “peckish”, I thought I would order us some chicken. Eighty quids worth of chicken wings then appeared across 4 tables! What possessed me to order quite so many I don’t know but it seemed like a good idea at the time. They were then devoured by a vegetarian of ten years! (
Next up in the series is the operations director, Ryan “Arky” Kingsley, coming up in a couple of days.
