Profile of Angel Munoz on Famous Like Me

Angel Munoz (born March 6, 1960 in New York City), is a leading figure in the computer games industry, and as founder of the Cyberathlete Professional League is widely regarded as the father of electronic sports.

Background

Munoz's parents (Marce and Arelis) immigrated from Puerto Rico to New York City in the 1950s in search of a better way of life. In 1969, they returned to the island, where Munoz was raised and where he received his primary, secondary and partial college education. As a child Munoz was interested in science, literature, electronics and art.

In 1979, after his first year at the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, Munoz moved to Florida to continue his college education. In 1988 he relocated to Dallas, Texas.

By 1990, Munoz was the President of his own investment banking firm. In 1993 he was introduced to a small game development company called id Software which was rumored looking for financing. He was so impressed with their computer game Doom that he decided to join the interactive entertainment industry, leaving behind a successful career in finance.

Munoz and Computer Gaming

In 1994 Munoz, together with his former partner Jeff Fox, founded NewWorld.com, Inc. Munoz is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of this company. In 1995 he launched the Adrenaline Vault web site [], one of the most respected independent sources of uninfluenced and unbiased PC and video game information.

In June 1997, he launched the Cyberathlete Professional League [] (CPL) as the first league in the world to organize, promote and sanction computer game tournaments as a professional sport. Munoz also coined the term cyberathlete, now an internationally recognized registered trademark.

In 2001, he co-founded the Cyberathlete Amateur League (CAL), now one of the largest online computer gaming leagues in the world, with about 300,000 registered members and year-round online tournaments.

Although the concept of computer game competitions was not entirely new (as amateur competitive gaming had been around for a few years), his vision of a new breed of professional "athletes" that compete against each other in international tournaments, has had worldwide repercussions. In recent years several countries have sanctioned computer game competitions as a legitimate sport. Munoz and the CPL seem to have succeeded in their goal of turning the hobby of multiplayer gaming into a viable professional sport.

Munoz remains one of the most influential and recognized leaders in e-sports. He has been featured in numerous interviews, broadcasts, documentaries and publications - including Texas Monthly magazine, which selected him as one of the "25 Most Powerful Texans in High Tech."

Journalists Heather Chaplin and Aaron Ruby, featured Angel Munoz in the fourth chapter of their new book "Smartbomb." The book is a candid portrait of the "mavericks and geniuses behind the videogame revolution."

Munoz and the Arts

In addition to his leading role in computer gaming, Munoz has had an active role in the arts.

Munoz has been writing poetry since the late 1970's in both English and Spanish. In May 2003, he wrote the foreword for the book "Monster Gaming" published by Paraglyph Press[].

In the music industry, Munoz has collaborated with bands like Reflection Theory, A Boy and a Girl, DAT Guy, Another Now and Superstring[], staging several music concerts at the CPL events. He has also co-written the lyrics for several songs.

In visual arts, Munoz was an early supporter of the new artistic expression referred to as Reflectionism, and helped steer the careers of several Dallas artists like JD Miller, Cynthia Chartier and others. In 2004, he purchased a nearly bankrupt art gallery, and in four months turned into a successful enterprise. In May 2005 he sold his interest in the art gallery.

In 2005, Munoz had a small acting role in the movie Bloodlines, which was inspired by the videogame Counter-Strike, used at the CPL tournaments. More information is located at the Serendipitous Films website[].

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