Let’s face it, sports would be pretty lacklustre without commentators.
Imagine an Origin match without Ray Warren, or the Australian Cricket team playing to silence rather than the voice of Jim Maxwell.
Commentators explain exactly what’s going on to the folks at home, provide an expert voice and opinion on the game and each team’s strategy, and most importantly, provoke excitement, and add drama, so we at home feel like we’re there.
In Esports, this crucial role is called a “Shoutcaster”. One such Shoutcaster is Australian Toby ‘Tobiwan’ Dawson, who is currently on a career high, having signed to commentate the biggest Esports event on the calendar – The International 2019, a Dota2 tournament to be held in Shanghai this week.
It hasn’t been an easy journey becoming one of the most prolific Shoutcasters in the game, a path Dawson had to endeavour on his own.
“I was always looking to be a stronger part of the community,” Dawson told Nine’s Wide World of Sports.
“First as a team leader, then helping run the tournaments, and eventually I found commentary.
“The scene I was part of was slowly dying and I wanted to find a way to bring it back. So I asked a local commentary group if they would cover it. They said no. So I just did it myself.”
As a child, Dawson said he was inspired by icons of traditional sports commentating, and grew up idolising some of the Australia’s broadcasting greats.
“Ray Warren was a big idol of mine as a kid. I actually lived and commentated with his nephew Craig Warren in the early days.”
Dawson’s journey didn’t stop at national tournaments. As the scene progressed, so did he.
“I just kept at it until an opportunity came up that I got selected for, which was the World Cyber Games Asia finals in Singapore. Which was the point I realised that this is more than just a hobby it is an industry,” he said.
With The International 2019 (TI9) drawing near with its record smashing $US33 Million Dawson shared some of his insights into the booming Dota2 market.
“Dota2 was actually the first game to make waves with its prize pool, in the first edition of The International when they set a $USD1.6 million prize pool,” Dawson said.
This happened back in 2011.
“I will say though that we are reaching a point of diminishing returns,” he said.
“The numbers always seem big in news headlines but there are so many big numbers for both small and large-scale events that the industry needs to begin the move from player financial gain to long living prestige.
“Not an easy task for an industry that is always moving onto the next hardware, software, and games.”
Two Australians are among the eighteen teams that will compete during TI9. Exciting for local audiences, but Esports in Australia still has a way to go to reach the booming heights of other countries like the US, China, Germany, and South Korea.
Dawson explained some of the setbacks Aussie Dota2 players face in the scene.
“Being a player in Australia has to be the roughest. Your training ground is only as good as those that push you to get better, which is fuelled players better than yourself,” he said.
“Because of Australia’s location and the slow, but still growing, Esports infrastructure it makes it a lot more challenging.”
As part of the Dota2 compendium, players can now use in-game sound grabs from Shoutcasters to enhance their own gameplay.
One such grab is from Dawson himself taken from The International 2015 (TI5) broadcast where he shouted the now legendary quote, ‘It’s a disastah!’
“It is very enjoyable to be able to spam my own lines when I play,” Dawson said.
“But even more so when other players both professional and casual think the line can enhance their own moments.”
Dawson joins other elite Shoutcasters this week for The International 2019 Dota2 tournament broadcasted on Twitch and Youtube.
