Jamaica "RiotRara" King released an interview with XDG Gaming's new manager regarding his acquisition of the League of Legends team, his reasoning behind hiring a new in-house manager, and his plans for the future of, not just Team XDG, but the North American scene as a whole.
Following their recent name change and plans to work more on public relations and growing a fanbase, XDG Gaming, formerly North America's Team Vulcun, welcomes new ownership under Marshall Alexander. In RiotRara's interview, Marshall Alexander explains that he was watching Vulcun perform during the Spring Split, and he became interested in getting involved. Because of his relationship with XDG's former owner, he ended up making an offer this fall.
Marshall Alexander did not come into this decision without a plan. Changes to management are already underway. Christina "Gnomesayin" Laird will be moving out of the XDG house to focus more on PR work and brand management, while Marshall Alexander has hired Julian Collins as the in-house manager to handle day-to-day details and help the guys organize their time. Bringing in an additional hand and a more defined management structure will also free up time for the team's current analyst to focus on coaching and research.
That covered most of Marshall Alexander's plans involving XDG specifically, but his sights extend to the North American eSports scene as a whole. He stated in the interview that "participating in the revolution that is esports is a dream" that he didn't think he would be able to realize, given the fact that he is a bit older than many of those currently involved, but perhaps his experience will be invaluable to the development of the League of Legends scene. As an app developer, he has many ideas that he hopes will connect LCS fans more readily, broaden the appeal of the game to a wider audience, and bring greater value to sponsors, which he hopes will improve opportunities for players.
Indeed, Marshall Alexander's focus seems to be on the players, as he insists he wants eSports to open doors for them.
The longer term vision for the organization includes being able to assist our players in setting up college funds, getting the right connections to the industry, or whatever else will help them achieve their goals for life after pro gaming.
—Marshall Alexander, 2013
The creation of these sorts of opportunities could certainly diminish the negative stigma attached to the professional gaming scene and even make it seem like a viable path for obtaining scholarship and entrance into higher education. If Marshall Alexander's involvement could also increase sponsor participation, his acquisition of XDG Gaming could become a landmark in professional gaming history. For now, however, XDG Gaming fans can only hope that he at least makes good on one promise.
They’ll also see a difference in gameplay...XDG is going to do even better.
—Marshall Alexander, 2013
For Jamaica King's full interview, please visit lolesports.com.
