Carolina Gamer Spotlight: Meet Gregory Fong-Wilson
Video games are all the rage, so we decided to shed some light on local video game stars in the Carolinas. This week, we had the chance to sit down with local community gamer, Gregory Fong-Wilson, and ask him about being part of the gaming community! Fun fact: Greg is also a student currently at Johnson C. Smith University here in Charlotte, North Carolina!
How did you get into gaming? What was the original goal?
I got into gaming at a really young age back when the original PlayStation and GameCube were out. I really started to love gaming during the Xbox 360 years. There was no original goal I was a kid having fun, but as I grew and started watching YouTube clips of different gamers, I wanted to be just like them. However, that didn’t come to be as my emphasis was on traditional sports; however, I hope to rectify that in the coming years.
What’s been your best moment as a gamer?
My best moment as a gamer would have to be playing Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies. I was playing a very long gaming session with a couple of friends, and I was on round 80, which is a high round especially for 4 people. We were trying to get to round 100, but the host quit in the middle of the match. As an 11-year-old, I would not stop talking about this to all my friends and family.
What games really speak to you?
I really love games that let you get lost in the world, and make your own story. Whether that be a Skyrim or something less known like a Mount and Blade or a Kenshi, I love being able to replay and have a completely different experience than the first time I played. As for multiplayer games, I have always been a Halo kid, and I cannot wait for the newest installment to release next year. Other games I play include Apex Legends, Rocket League, and Call of Duty just to name a few.
What advice would you give to aspiring gamers?
Whether you want to go into eSports or just content creation, do it because you love it. It’s a dream to be a pro-gamer, just like it is to be in the NFL or the NBA. My parents didn’t really understand how big gaming was and is still becoming; however, maybe now your parents can see it as a viable path just like playing football or basketball.
What’s been one of the biggest surprises that you never thought of going into gaming?
I never thought that I would be on an eSports team, and thinking about starting my organization. I really hope to get started with a LAN gaming center for some of the kids like me. They understand the industry, but their parents do not. So, giving a center where they can compete in a league, and train up just like AAU basketball or pop warner football. This way it can bridge the gap between generations and help them see what is possible in this career path. Hopefully, by being a part of the first-ever eSports Gaming and Management program at an HBCU I can start along my path to achieving this goal.
