We're proud to have Carlo "A|ive" Ortega on our side of the table, Carlo is a proud supporter of the e-sports scene and has played in various LAN tournaments like theCPL, CGS and Howies, not only has he played in some of the biggest tournaments in North America, he currently is working at the Crisp office in LA as the Social Media Manager & Sales Representative for G8brand, our leading apparel sponsor for MODSonline.

We asked Carlo a few questions about his experience playing as professional gamer and some question about the job that he currently works at:

How does it feel to work in the Crisp office?
When you walk into the Crisp Branding Agency office, you might see a dog or two people walking around, Nerf bullets being shot from one side of the office to the other, random songs being sung by a fellow coworker, or the enticing smell of chicken/beef grilling in the kitchen.  It can be utterly random, loud, and fun all at the same time.  BUT when it comes down to business, everyone enters clutch mode and gets on their A+ game.  The people I work with are very inspiring, creative, and hard-working individuals.  I love G8 Brand and the Crisp Brand Agency!

Did you ever expect to be as popular in the gaming scene as you are?
No, definitely not.  I'm like every other gamer, I just play video games for fun.  I got addicted to Counter-Strike the instant I joined a public server, and I consistently played until I got better.  I hated knowing people were better than me, so it motivated me to improve my skills.  I got to a skill level that was worthy enough of playing in competitive leagues (CAL, CEVO, ESEA, etc..) and for the most part I did well.  The journey to fame wasn't all that easy, though.  I had to go to local LAN tournaments to prove that I can compete with the top players - this was the quickest way to get noticed.  If I could do it online, I had to do it on LAN or my reputation would quickly be ruined (you guys know what I'm talking about).  Luckily for me, I met the right people and played with the right teammates.

What is one thing you want to do but haven't go to it yet?
Play 1-on-1 against Kobe Bryant in real life, and then beat him in the virtual life.  But in terms of gaming, I would love to learn how to play real-time strategy games competitively.  More specifically, I want to learn how to play StarCraft 2 like the professionals.  It's not something that can be learned over night, and getting to the level of the Koreans like SlayersBoxer is a far-fetched dream.  I just downloaded it, so I'm really excited to be a part of the StarCraft 2 fan base.  I also want to learn how to play DOTA and HON :)

Do you think e-sports will grow in the next year?
Of course!  Gaming will never die, and it just keeps growing every year.  I never thought competitive gaming would get as popular as it has in the past 10 years.  Seeing the growth of the community and being a part of the wave has been an amazing experience.  There is still a big chunk of our society that thinks competitive gaming is nerdy, silly, and a complete waste of time, but it wont be long before their minds change.  I believe competitive gaming is a real sport.  Obviously you can't get ripped abs from sitting in a chair all day, but you can get ripped forearms lol.

What do you hope to see out of the gaming scene?
I would like to see a break in the stereotype that all gamers are nerds.  I feel like this is the image that continues to prevent competitive gaming from being as big as it should be.  No one wants to see a bunch of nerds playing video games on Television, right?  That's the response you'll get from the majority, and companies like G8 Brand are making efforts to shift the perception from 'nerdy' to 'awesome'. Aside from that, I want gamers to get the recognition that they deserve.  The talent needs to be seen worldwide, and too many gamers aren't getting credit for the hours they invest.  More leagues with sponsor support are necessary if we want competitive gaming to rise to the top.  Maybe one day we can live in a world where gamers get paid top dollar just like professional athletes!

And for our last question, Where do you see MODSonline in the next year?
The sky is the limit for MODSonline.  They've done a great job in reconstructing the site to make it easier for the already impressive database of MODSonline fans.  The great thing about MODSonline is that they allow the growing community to expand their creative process in gaming and modding in general.  I have the utmost respect for the staff, and I want to help this company get to the next level.  I'm a gamer at heart, and I will continue to network with other gamers because we all share the same passion for video games.
If you want to know more about Carlo, you can email him at Alive@G8brand.com or talk to him on the forums.