elemeNt: “Gaming is like an ex-girlfriend. What once was, isn’t anymore.”

2007 is the year when Ola “elemeNt” Moum put his mouse and headset away and moved on from professional Counter-Strike 1.6 to “real life.” elemeNt announced his retirement from Meet Your Makers and gaming in general several weeks ago.

The Norwegian player will be remembered for his dazzling spree of success between 2002 and 2004 with goL/eoL, SK Gaming and Team NoA as well as the controversies surrounding elemeNt’s transfers between teams.

And perhaps one more thing - giving good interviews. Enjoy this exclusive Christmas feature.

So… is it all over now? No more elemeNt in professional CS?

Well Carmac, what more can I say? Of course we no longer need elemeNt. We are elemeNt.

There will always be an ‘elemeNt’ in Counter-Strike (CS); as long as the game is being played I’ll have it installed, ready to headshot. There comes a time in a man’s life when he has to chose his path in life, and with the e-Sport industry still being very inconsistent and unpredictable, it was time to start doing something else for the better.

How would you like to be remembered?

Like Jesus. Two thumbs up motherfucker:D

Looking back at all of it, was it worth it?

No regrets! I’ve been so fortunate to have seen and experienced every corner of the world from the Great Wall of China to the skyline of New York. My greatest experience gaming wise has to be winning CPL with NoA – no one expected it, and so well deserved. One thing you can’t put a price on - the adrenaline rush you experience when winning a huge event, and I’m definitely going to miss those. Man, I’m going to miss those. But that’s basically it.

On the flipside, gaming has taken away valuable years I could have spent educating myself further, but I’m sure the life experiences I’ve gathered over the years will pay off a few years down the road.

Did you love gaming?

If you want to be the best at something, no matter what it is, you have to love it. Unfortunately gaming is like an ex-girlfriend to me, and what once was, isn’t anymore.

You are quitting past your prime, at least results-wise. Did you care at all about picking the right moment to leave?

Are you telling me I have to get a 5th world championship in order to retire with my head up high? If I had the motivation and drive like I did when I was 16, I’d take you up on that and show you where the closet should be put. But I don’t, and I didn’t want to stay in gaming just because of a decent salary. To me, gaming was just a repeat of history over and over again. Even when I win.

Would you have done anything differently?

Slapped the shit out of Snajdan when he was acting up in the elevator last CPL. And maybe shot a bit straighter in the finals vs 3D 2002.

In hindsight, how many clan transfers that you were a part of do you consider successful?

First you have to ask yourself, how does one measure success? My success pole has been measured up against my previous achievements, which includes a lot of 1st places so naturally people expect more. Maybe I overestimated my ability to bring a team to victory, even when they didn’t understand a word I said. But I learned a valuable lesson from it, and I’ll be happy to share it with the rest of you: Gaming is a sport of the mind, and I find it impossible to be successful with a team unless you have full (or at least good) communication within the team.

Skeptical? Remember… the game’s chess, it ain’t checkers

You made the life of a couple of managers difficult in several ways. How does one keep tabs on someone like elemeNt?

WHO? I’m not sure if you are referring to anyone specifically, but you should get your facts straight before you distort them as you please. I don’t think anyone has lost sleep because of my actions. However, I have a question to those managers; where is my money?

How can you explain that despite your reputation for changing teams when things no longer felt right, you never had problems finding a new employer?

Timing and a personality that goes around I guess. Wanting to win is a pretty common virtue in most humans today, and I don’t think my presence made any team worse now did it? However, I play to win and as long as I saw hope in winning there was no reason for me to quit a team. When I had achieved that goal, I knew I was living my dream.

How much money did you pick up over the course of your career?

My guess is as good as yours, but according to Wikipedia:

Team winnings: #16 - 1.places
#9 - 2.places
#7 - 3.places
Total known ~ $339,800.

That’s not included salary over 4 years. It didn’t make me rich, but I’ve always been able to eat and drink what I please, when I please.

How much money really stayed in your hands? Minus tax, minus what was never paid out to you.

If I told you the truth now, will it ever change?

What is the e-Sports industry like under the surface that the fans and media see?

It’s definitely a work in progress; don’t immediately rule out unlikely allies. The e-Sports industry depends on its fans and media to succeed, not ‘Hollywood’ standards.

What do you think about the Championship Gaming Series and Valve selling exclusive broadcast rights for Counter-Strike? Is CGS a step in the right direction for e-Sports?

It’s a middle finger affair; gamers know the game hasn’t changed. Not to start beef, I’m a good guy, nothing but peace, love, and fan passion.

What about the entire G7 vs. the CPL affair? Are CPL the bad guys?

Media loves sensationalism, I think it’s something that deserves less talking and more action to becoming resolved.

Are you implying that the teams haven’t tried?

This is a matter that should have been resolved appropriately and not in a manner where gamers and the CPL lose face over a ‘fiasco’ that’s gone nowhere good. In the end, the only real ‘losers’ are the GAMERS who have put in time, energy and dedication to preparing for and attending CPL-hosted events chasing what may be nothing more than dreams.

What next, Ola? Where do you see yourself in five years?

I think that’s an important question EVERYONE should ask themselves from time to time. But let me tell you Michal - if 5 years down the road I have the money; I’ll buy GGL and promote your sorry ass somewhere up the ladder so you don’t end up writing gaming articles and interviews for another decade. Jokes aside, I think gaming needs more positive ambassadors to endorse the rights and interests of the gamers themselves. Hopefully we can see a positive growth in gamers personalities as well as increased stability in organizations. Maybe I’ll be back in a few years if things still haven’t improved. Not as a player, but as someone with a genuine hope to make gaming something grand that people can enjoy as much as I have in the past.

Tell me about the time when you were freshly contracted for SK. You got drunk in Stockholm and wanted to take a cab home to Norway.

What? That doesn’t sound like me.. screenshot or it didn’t happen!

Do you have any parting words for your critics?

Surely I do, but I don’t think this is the right place to express my feelings towards some specific individuals that I’m not very fond of. I’d rather take this opportunity to thank the community and fans, whom have supported me throughout my rocky career, my former teammates who I shared some of the best times I’ve had - You know who you are. Last (but not least), ‘Meet Your Makers’ – you have a great vision and I hope you continue your positive development within e-Sports.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all, Santa’s coming to town! Stop global warming and save the polar bears from going extinct in 2008.