The Gamer Guide - Issue 3

The Preamble So, you have stumbled across The Gamer Guide and you are wondering, “Why do I need a guide to gaming?” Well, we will not guide you on how to game, but we will keep you informed as to what the gaming industry has to offer to get you the best gaming experience! Now, the second thing you are probably wondering is, “How did The Gamer Guide start?” Well, it can be a slightly long story. However, the shortened version is that the journey of three Twitch streamers brought them together, and with their passion for gaming, their experiences of streaming, and their love for everything within the world of entertainment… The Gamer Guide was born.

But what exactly is The Gamer Guide? The Gamer Guide is a digital magazine that focuses on everything gaming and streaming. This includes the latest/upcoming releases, reviews on gaming accessories, streaming tips, and even interviews with streamers and industry professionals from across the globe. Our readership is predominantly other gamers and steamers, just like us! We understand that the love and passion for gaming extends far beyond just playing a game, and that is what we are all about!

So, who are the people behind this magazine?

Josh Hyland - Managing Director Josh, also known as DifferentialUK (or Diff for short!) has been a gamer since he could walk and has been streaming since September 2020. He started PC gaming as a kid, and moved his way through the various consoles, but has returned to the PC master race and is very much a PC gamer (although he still has his Xbox to hand!) His go to games include Sea of Thieves, Destiny 2, Gears of War, but as a variety streamer/gamer he has a wide genre range.

Aside from the gaming and streaming world, Josh is also a beatboxer & Singer performing in venues across the country, and also runs an automotive Twitch series called Hard Drive Auto Show.

Emily Welfare - Creative Director Emily, also known as CreativeTrashGaming, started streaming in the latter half of 2020 with the goal of bringing a bit of joy and laughter to the world, as well as the aim of raising money for various charities.

Her favourite types of games are those with a compelling story, or those that just make her inner Fantasy Nerd go ballistic. She also likes spooky stuff, not just in the gaming realm but in general, and has a podcast with her two sisters where they discuss all things horror. Emily loves to dabble in the art world often, creating digital art pieces and learning new crafts. A graphics designer in her full time job, Emily is an integral part of the team whom designs the entire layout of our magazines from top to bottom!

1

Cal Howie - Content Director Cal, also known as EyeStayProd has been streaming since September 2020 and loves everything about it whether it be the community, the rage moments or even just having fun and brightening people’s days!

Predominantly he is an Xbox Gamer and recently added the Series X to his arsenal, but he also has a PS4 for certain games as well as having the Nintendo Switch to hand!

His game of choice is Apex Legends but is no stranger to RPGs and other games, such as every Pokémon game in the franchise, the Fable Series, Call of Duty amongst loads more.

Brandon Sawyer - Head of Networking & Marketing Brandon, also known as Sawyers Gaming Central or Sawyer for short has been streaming since April 2020 and absolutely loves everything about it from the communities to the gameplays and reactions even a couple of rages thrown in there on a couple of occasions, but mostly he just loves to have fun and make people laugh which he can be quite hilarious at times!

Predominantly he is an Xbox Gamer where he mostly plays his Xbox Series X but also has a gaming pc, a Nintendo switch, and even a Playstation. Sawyer is mainly a variety streamer with his main love is Gears of war and RPGs due to sawyers background he has come on board with The Gamer Guide as the Head of networking & marketing,so I’m sure you’ll all learn to love this familiar face so don’t hesitate to pop by and say hi!

Scott ‘Eddy’ Hamill - Editing Manager Scott, known as Eddy to his friends, is a sweary Irish journalist and author who started streaming in early 2021.

He likes nothing more than a cold beer after a productive day, but an evening of Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley are just as nice when he needs to unwind. An eclectic gamer, Majora’s Mask, Silent Hill 2, and Final Fantasy X are among his top picks.

Scott sticks mainly to consoles, of which he has just about every one ever made, though he prefers to play mainly smaller and indie titles on his PC. Scott’s background in writing and editing had him finding his way onto The Gamer Guide’s team, finally ticking videogame journalism off his bucket list.

2

contents

3

4

Recent releases

6

What’s the deal with lovecraft titles?

7

popeart

13

loot crate

17

e3 recap

27

twitch: a beginner’s guide

29

vampire the masquerade: bloodlines

31

ones to watch - bananasplitti

35

ones to watch - spartakus

38

super servers

Property of Rare & Disney - Sea of Thieves

Credit: Tomas Sala

RECENT RELEASES Find out about the upcoming titles that are due to be released in August - September 2021

August 2021 In Sound Mind Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Developer: We Create Stuff Release date: 3rd August 2021

Lemnis Gate

Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, PC Developer: Ratloop Games Interactive Release date: 3rd August 2021

Credit: Ratloop Games Interactive

The Falconeer Platform: PS5, PS4, Switch Developer: Tomas Sala Release date: 5th August 2021

Icarus Platform: PC Developer: RocketWerkz Release date: 11th August 2021

Credit: RocketWerkz

Kings Bounty 2 Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch Developer: 1C Entertainment Release date: 24th August 2021

KeyWe

Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, Switch Developer: Stonewheat & Sons Release date: 31st August 2021

Credit: Stonewheat & Sons

september 2021 Riders Republic

Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, Stadia Developer: Ubisoft Annecy Release date: 2nd September 2021

Life is Strange: True Colours

Credit: Deck Nine & Square Enix

Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, Stadia, PC Developer: Deck Nine Release date: 10th September 2021

Tales of Arise Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, PC Developer: Bandai Namco Release date: 10th September 2021 Credit: Ubisoft Annecy

Aragami 2 Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC Developer: Lince Works Release date: 17th September 2021

Ghost Runner Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch Developer: One More Level Release date: 28th September 2021 Credit: Line Works

The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures Platform: PS4, Switch, PC Release date: 27th July 2021

5

Credit: One More Level

Credit: Cyanide Studio

What’s the deal with lovecraft titles?

I love Lovecraft, I really do. Well, his work anyway, not sure I’m a big fan of him as a person (don’t Google the name of his cat), point is I like Lovecraft’s stories and the works they inspired. What I don’t like is the sheer refusal to call a spade a spade.

We now have at least two games called Call of Cthulhu. We have Dark Corners of the Earth, and we have the simpler Call of Cthulhu that came out back in 2018 to basically zero fanfare. Thing is, neither of these games even come close to portraying any of the events found in the Call of Cthulhu story, which – despite its fame – even Lovecraft claimed was far from his best work, referring to it as ‘middling.’

When you load up either of these Call of Cthulhu games and prepare to be underwhelmed, what you’ll actually find yourself playing is my personal favourite of Lovecraft’s works, The Shadow Over Innsmouth. In fact, the first two acts of Dark Corners of the Earth are effectively just a dramatic retelling of the story.

I get it, I do. Cthulhu is a recognisable name and easily the most famous of Lovecraft’s many horrific creations, but those going into these games looking to play as Francis Thurstan bumbling his way around through textbooks will be for some reason disappointed to find that they’re playing as generic early 20th Century PI #482 searching for Person McGuffin-Face in what I guess you could call Innsmouth.

If I sound critical, it’s because I am. Lovecraft’s works seem to have gone down the same route as Orwell’s 1984 or Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby in that the majority of people who reference them for their own works don’t actually seem to have read them.

Remember in Aquaman when the horrors of the deep segment was foreshadowed with The Dunwich Horror sitting on a coffee table? Seems clever, right? Well yeah, unless you’ve read the story and know that The Dunwich Horror is one of the relatively few Lovecraft stories that has absolutely nothing to do with the ocean.

And that’s the feeling I get when I see Call of Cthulhu on a game title and get anything but Call of Cthulhu. Don’t get me wrong, an actual Call of Cthulhu game would be incredibly boring, but The Shadow Over Innsmouth – while not unknown – is not getting the recognition I feel it deserves because creators are latching on to famous titles to boost sales instead of honouring the material on which their stories are based.

Diluting things like this is to dumb down your work and insult your audience. Call a spade a spade, guys. Or, at least a shoggoth a shoggoth… or is it shaggoth?

Written by: Scott Hamill 6

7

POPeART

Imagine a world where every gaming console, controller and accessory was tailored to you, or customized in your favourite game’s branding. Well this is certainly a reality thanks to POPeART, who has been designing and creating custom controller fan art and skins since 2017. With over 32,000 followers on Twitter, Pope has built a fanbase that is hard to come by. We would be silly NOT to speak with him!

TGG: Hey, first of all thank you very much for agreeing to an interview. We are very excited to have you in the next issue of The Gamer Guide!

Thank you for wanting to do a story on POPE. And it’s always my pleasure.

TGG: Your art is quite amazing. How did you first discover your penchant for creating?

So, I have been designing for 25 years, mainly in shop retail and events for big brands. The whole thing with the controller and console art began about a year into my twitter years, I joined around 2014 so that’s about 7 years ago now. I don’t really see myself as a graphic designer, it’s definitely not what I am trained to be at least.

I am in fact I am an interior designer; I just see the art I do as my way to tell a story about the subject or game I’m doing on the controller and console. I just add that personal touch for the person for whom I’m working, since all my work is based on requests form the gaming community.

TGG: Did you find it difficult to break onto the scene?

What struggles did you come across and how did you overcome them?

To be fair, I never set out to become something or someone in social media. People might love or look up to me, but as I’ve grown over the years it just became like that, and I get lots of messages from people who I inspire to do good things or get back into art and design, so that is a nice feeling.

Struggles-wise, I guess as I grew larger, I became more and more noticed, and it can be hard to hide. You might get a mixture of love and hate on the social media channels, but I tend to just ignore the hate side if possible.

I always tell people that, in design, there is no right or wrong. Each person will always have a different take on the problem and solution. It can be draining on your mental health at times, but as a person who spends his days always calm and chilled, it’s very rare I have to take breaks away.

8

I have a wonderful community and they are very respectful to me and give me space when I need it, or, as they would normally say, ‘POPE, I know you’re super busy, but can you do this or that…?’ haha, bless them.

NO matter how big POPEART might get, he’ll will always be super grounded and here for his community to put a smile on your face no matter who you are, I promise.

TGG: Where did the name ‘Pope Art’ come from?

Since you were originally ‘Xbox Pope’, we’d like to know what made you choose to brand yourself with Xbox, and what made you step away from the Xbox name.

I began social media under GeordieTommy, which is actually my Xbox gamer tag at the time. And it’s what you will see as a commonly visited Easter Egg in the game Sea of Thieves.

Many years ago, while I was working on some fan art requests, someone said to me; ‘You are like the Xbox POPE,’ and the community wanted me to become that person, so I did. And from then I was the Xbox Pope – which, by the way, if you ever Google that name you will just see lots of news

9

and images of my work!

But I knew there was going to come a day I would need to retire the Xbox Pope name, even though it was massively loved. This was only because I was doing more requests for other platforms like PlayStation and Nintendo, and I guess the community gave me a bit of a hard time over it; asking why is a guy called Xbox Pope was doing PlayStation stuff etc.

So with my knowledge of brand design, I had to slowly introduce this new Pope’s brother; POPeART. This way, you don’t shock your loyal fans, so these two Popes hung around for a bit on social media, having fun between the two. But what the community didn’t know was one would die away, and it was when we were revealing the OUTRIDERS controllers I did for Square-Enix, that I made the announcement Xbox Pope died.

This had huge backlash, but I think people have become to understand it’s the same guy really, just with a different name. The Name POPeART is just a mix of POPE, which people call me, and ART, but then the art from POP ART, so it’s a play on two words really.

TGG:: You have an impressive portfolio and have worked with some big names. Do you have any interesting stories to tell about working with such notable brands?

Thank you! Yes, I have designed and worked alongside over 65 big-name brands in my normal job, but only since last year have I had many gaming partnerships all wanting to work with Pope and get a Pope-designed controller to give away to their fans in competitions. This has been wonderful, of course. It’s not every day you get a call from Square-Enix or Bethesda.

I think what always surprises me is I have these Teams or Zoom calls with people I quite look up to, and they are all fan-boying; ‘Oh my god it’s really Pope/Xbox Pope! You’re a legend! Your designs are the best!’ I am like ‘Haha! No way, man!’ so it’s nice they treat pope this way, but it’s kind of weird to me since I just don’t look at myself or Pope like that, I just like to be normal.

TGG: What are your favourite pieces? Are there any that are particularly meaningful to you? If so, tell us about them.

I get asked this a lot and, to be fair, the answer will always be the same: I can never say which is my favourite because I work for the community.

They’re all special to me and to the people for whom I do them, even people they’re not meant for fall in love with them and share screenshots with me, showing me that my designs are now their screensaver or PC wallpaper.

People even print them out and frame them in their gaming rooms. It’s always a shock to me no matter how many times I see it.

TGG:: What tools do you use for your work? Are there any materials you find to be better than others?

I guess this means when I do the fan art, so it all begins in a 3D software called 3D Studio Max,

10

which has been around for a long time. I’ve used it for many years along with Photoshop to create the textures to wrap onto the 3D model.

There are a lot of 3D software programs now, but I just stick with the good old faithful.

Once it’s rendered, I do a little post-production and share it. Some designs can be easier than others, and I try to avoid just putting on a graphic and saying ‘that’ll do.’ I always try to give it some dimension or feel by imaging myself holding the controller, figuring out where my hands are what is hidden. Those areas that might be hidden become what I call grip areas, so I might break up the design as if it’s a grip, or give it a different texture.

Process-wise, there are a few ways to realise them. Spray-painting is more for one-offs, since it’s normally done by a spray artist. Hydrodipping is more robust on seamed and vinyl skins. Some vinyl stick-ons are less durable, but a much cheaper option. Each will have their own cost because of time and shipping expenses if ordered from countries like China. Making controllers looks like easy business, but it’s not.

You’re always trying to find ways to keep costs down so it’s not expensive for the consumer.

COVID has also made getting materials and other hardware more difficult.

TGG:: What advice would you give to other artists who are just beginning or wanting to break into the customization scene?

Don’t do it! Haha.

No. Look, I never set out to become who I am today, and I don’t wake up thinking I’m anything special. There are always other great people to look up to for inspiration when you think you need it, but never try to become them by simply copying them. Design and art should always be fun, and making mistakes is super important because that’s how you learn and develop your skills. It helps if you discover who you are as a designer or artist, and learn to become your own style of designer.

This is why I tell people that there’s never a right or wrong answer to design. Yes, take on someone feedback or criticism on what you

13 11

might have done, but don’t think any one person is 100% correct. If you can justify your directions, you can get people to think ‘Ah, okay.

I never knew that. Wow, yes! I see it now!’ but they might also get excited by your design and want to help improve it, which is also cool.

Remember, you can actually become blind to your own work.

TGG: Finally, are there any big things coming up for you now that you are excited about? If so, could you give is a peek?

Now you’re not going to get me that easily just because you have insider knowledge!

I design secrets every day. Haha. All I can say is that I’ve been super lucky to be working with Square-Enix, Bethesda, and all the other big names on my social media profile. Yes, big things are coming this year, and who knows, maybe even for years to come.

One thing, going a little back to one of your questions, Xbox Pope was a person, but POPeART has become a brand and that’s how I must treat him now. I do have a merchandise store coming out this year, so Pope designed hoodies and shirts and poster art and stuff, so that might be fun!

There is one other thing I’ve wanted to try out. I have always helped streamers, big or small, and I will do themed fanart designs to share and say ‘Go check this amazing person out!’ etc. But I wanted to have designs I do put in streamers’ stores for their community to buy a controller with their brand. I think it’s a great way to say thank you, or just to have this controller sit there in someone’s home as a reminder of the streamer.

Thank you very much for your time!

Follow POPeART: Twitter: @POPeART_ Instagram: @popeart_design Website: www. pope-art.com

14 12

Geek. A word that carries an essence of negativity, when actually it means you are passionate about a certain subject or subjects. Here at TGG we absolutely LOVE geeks, hell all of us here are geeks! Which is why when we had the opportunity to interview Michael at Loot Crate, we jumped at the chance! Read on to find out more about the company!

TGG: Hi Michael, thank you for speaking with us! How did you become involved with Loot Crate?

Thank you! I’ve been with Loot Crate for over 6 years, I’m technically employee #5 I think. I got involved with Loot Crate simply because of my passion and fandom. All my life I’ve been a gamer and general pop culture nerd, Loot Crate was the perfect fit for me.

Not only being in the geek/gamer space in general but also getting to create products for the titles that I love.

13

TGG: What is your take on the gaming, geek, and pop culture industry now especially with a global pandemic? Is it an exciting space to be working in?

The gaming, geek & pop culture space is incredibly exciting to work in, not just recently because of the pandemic but over the years as it has truly exploded. But the pandemic showed us how these forms of entertainment, especially gaming, can keep us connected and social during a time when those two things were extremely hard if not impossible to do. And the rise of social games like

TGG: Briefly introduce me to Loot Crate. E.g., a brief overview of the company, your main focus, products, locations etc.

TGG: Briefly introduce me to Loot Crate. E.g., a brief overview of the company, your main focus, products, locations etc.

Loot Crate is a subscription service that strives to not only bring exclusive, in house created products to our subscribers but also create products that support and elevate your fandom. Our products range from figures & apparel to kitchen items, fun accessories and pretty much anything that we can make work.

Loot Crate is a subscription service that strives to not only bring exclusive, in house created products to our subscribers but also create products that support and elevate your fandom. Our products range from figures & apparel to kitchen items, fun accessories and pretty much anything that we can make work.

TGG: What, for you, differentiates Loot Crate from other similar companies operating within the same industries as yourselves?

TGG: What, for you, differentiates Loot Crate from other similar companies operating within the same industries as yourselves?

I really believe it is the creativity that sets Loot Crate apart. If you look at the sheer range of product types we have created, produced, and shipped to customers it speaks to our relentless drive to find the most fun ways to express different fandoms.

I really believe it is the creativity that sets Loot Crate apart. If you look at the sheer range of product types we have created, produced, and shipped to customers it speaks to our relentless drive to find the most fun ways to express different fandoms.

14

TGG: As the most well-known and leading subscription box in the market, how do you ensure you retain that position? How important is innovation, and as the leading brand, do you feel that you would rate your social media presence as one of your priorities?

Again, it’s our creativity. We are not afraid to try something different and pull deeper references. Social media presence is actually part of that. Seeing trends, moments, memes just in general what are the fans talking about and hyped about.

Through the years Loot Crate’s social presence has shifted though, back a few years there were really only 4 platforms we had to focus on. But now with so many different platforms and crates we try to focus on the platforms that matter the most to our audience. That’s why we’ve been building our Discord channel and bringing back our Twitch streams.

15

TGG: Are there any past projects or achievements that you’re particularly proud of which you’d like to highlight in the article?

On a personal level, when we initially launched our Fallout Crate it was a huge success, but seeing the products I designed sitting in a display case at the Bethesda booth at E3 was truly an achievement. Company wise I think what we were able to do during the pandemic is really an achievement. Working remotely we were able to not only keep crates coming but launched new product lines like Capsule Collection.

Looking ahead, what does 2021 bring, what are the plans and projects for the coming year?

MORE! Always more, pop culture doesn’t quit and neither do we. We have some fun limited editions coming down the line, rad partnerships and cool new products.

16

17

E3 2021 RECAP

Written by: Scott Hamill

Times are tough and life has been very strange for the past forever, but there’s one thing we can always count on to deliver us some exciting and distracting news of things to look forward to. E3 2021 ran from the 12th-15th June, and now that we’ve all had some good time to process what we saw, here’s The Gamer Guide’s retrospective of some of the most impressive highlights, as well as some news that’s come out since.

Because of the extensive and impressive array of things on offer, we can’t quite cover everything. So instead we’re going to take a look at the announcements that excited us the most!

18

Day one Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Platform: PC, Xbox Series X, PS5 Release: 2022 Love it or hate it, James Cameron’s Avatar has been a notable addition to pop culture, even 12 (that’s right, 12) years since its initial release, people still talk about the blue-tinted Ferngully with enthusiasm and excitement.

While a tie-in videogame was released alongside the film, there hasn’t been much by the way of new releases since 2009. And this year Ubisoft raised quite a few eyebrows with Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, an open world game being developed for PC and consoles.

The story is largely unknown, but what we do know is that it features a standalone plotline that features new characters not seen in the movie.

This first-person adventure has some lofty goals, including a ‘fully reactive world,’ that responds to the player’s actions, mimicking the fragile ecosystem of Pandora as is highlighted in James Cameron’s world-famous film.

19

Mario and Rabbids: Sparks of Hope Platform: Nintendo Switch Release: 2022 If there was one thing we didn’t see coming, it was the announcement of a new Mario and Rabbids game. If you thought the combination of the main Mario cast and the rascally little furballs of Rayman fame ended back in 2017, you wouldn’t be the only one. But E3 2021 proved us wrong, releasing the upcoming Switch title to much excitement.

With a roster of only nine characters, the Ubisoft-Nintendo combo still aims to be a diverse and replayable game of strategy, cunning, and – let’s face it – some good ol’ fashioned silliness that the fluffy, Minionesque little things are sure to bring to the table.

Borderlands No, not a new game. This time, E3 gave us a fresh look at the movie adaptation of the Borderlands franchise. Eli Roth, of Hostel fame, has taken the helm of this adaptation, and many people are excited to find out what he’ll do with it.

While videogame movies haven’t seen much by the way of praise or success (did anyone actually like Assassin’s Creed?), the excitement at some of these behind-the-scenes peeks at the Borderlands movie was palpable.

Is it that we really want to see this movie come to life?

Or do we simply never learn? Time will tell!

Farcry 6 Platform: PC, Xbox, PS4, PS5 Release: October 2021 E3 was not the first we saw of the muchanticipated Farcry 6, but it did give us some new insights into what we can expect from the massive series. While their initial announcement came a while ago, with an initial launch due February 2021, Ubisoft kept many details close to the chest until their announcement in May this year. What we got from E3 was an idea of what we can expect from the Season Pass, the most exciting feature of which is the ability to play as some of the villains from the franchise. While most attention is focused on the often- and incorrectly-quote Vaas, who comes with an insanity bonus (shocker!)

These villains appear in post-story episodes, making people believe these episodes will be non-canon versions of the Arkham Knight bonus DLC episodes, letting you play as different characters. These episodes don’t seek to shake up the world or change the story, but instead offer some good old catharsis that comes with playing as the bad guy. Also included in this Season Pass will be a full bonus set of equipment from the oftenunderappreciated Blood Dragon, the chaotic ‘80s throwback that was a lot of dumb neon fun and a guilty pleasure for many FPS fans.

20

Day two While Ubisoft showed off some very cool stuff on Day One, E3 was only getting started.

Onlookers held their breath as Microsoft, Bethesda, and Square-Enix stepped up to the plate to show off what they’ve been working on.

Starfield While there’s been no real news of Elder Scrolls VI since the painfully lacking announcement trailer three years ago, Bethesda still turned quite a few heads with news on their previously announced Starfield.

First announced back in 2018, Starfield is set to be a space-bound adventure along true Bethesda standards. With an ultra-futuristic setting and a soundtrack by Fallout veteran Matt Gardner, people are already looking forward to this sci-fi adventure slated for release on the 11th November 2022, which so happens to be the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s 11th anniversary.

True to fashion, the relatively short trailer featured no gameplay and very little by way of details, but we can expect more and more announcements in the coming months as Bethesda seeks to get us fully hyped for their first new universe in over two decades.

21

Halo Infinite Bungie may not be front and centre in their immensely famous franchise anymore, but that hasn’t stopped the hype from continuing as hardcore fans eagerly await a new instalment.

Halo Infinite is set to be the sixth main-series instalment in the franchise, making it the sixteenth game overall to carry the Halo name.

Sticking to its FPS roots and continuing the story of Halo Guardians, which will be turning 6 this October, fans are eager to see where the iconic Master Chief’s story will take them next.

While we’re not sure whether or not this is a publicity stunt, developer 343 has announced that they have no plans to continue with Halo for a long time if ever after Infinite’s release later this year. Many are speculating that this could be the final end to the franchise and its decades-long story.

Even if this is true, we’ve all been fooled by this concept before. The Final Destination, Saw: The Final Chapter, and Final Fantasy have all shown us that the idea of something being the end doesn’t always ring true.

But we can be sure of one thing; anyone even remotely invested in Halo’s extensive and sometimes complex story will want to grab Infinite when it drops later this year.

Marvel Games The inescapable and culture-defining rise of the MCU has brought and kept superheroes in the spotlight for over a decade now, and it seems to show no signs of slowing down. After SquareEnix’s anticipated Avengers game released to very little fanfare, not many people expected much of their continuing partnership with the cinematic giant. However, hopes were raised with the announcement of Guardians of the Galaxy, and Black Panther: War for Wakanda expansion for the Avengers game.

Don’t be fooled, these are not tie-ins with the MCU, and instead focus on a more comic bookaccurate depictions and dialogue. While Black Panther is being touted by many as glorified DLC, the visuals did raise more than a few eyebrows. Developed by the legendary Eidos Interactive and published by Square, Guardians of the Galaxy’s Mass Effect-reminiscent trailer has got many people excited to visit the unique locations and characters on offer. Fans of the movies and comics alike are hoping for some good gameplay on its release this October.

Sea of Thieves Last but by no means least on our highlight reel is the expansion for multiplayer swashbuckling adventure game, Sea of Thieves.

If you’re not quite done shooting animals out of cannons or exploring the seas with your friends, you’ll be glad to know that the Rare-developed open world is about to get a lot more piratey with the Tia Dalma narrated trailer featuring the one and only Captain (that’s Captain) Jack Sparrow. You’d be forgiven for thinking the infamous pirate of movie fame was voiced by Depp himself, but it’s actually Jared Butler, who has previously voiced the good-ish captain in official Pirates of the Caribbean games as well as Kingdom Hearts III. While the main selling point of this expansion is adding many characters from the films to the game, it will also feature a new campaign that can be played solo or with friends, and takes inspiration from both the movies and the ride that inspired them. While you can’t play as Captain Sparrow himself, you can begin this standalone quest with a new character.

22

Day three The videogame industry isn’t just about exciting releases and mind-blowing next gen effects and gameplay, it is the platform for an art that faces the same issues and problems as many different forms of media.

In light of this, Day 3 of E3 2021 brought us some much-needed information regarding the industry as a whole. We’ve all now heard about the deplorable behaviour of Activision-Blizzard’s staff, and it’s high time we all do something about it.

Before looking at this information, let’s take a quick look at why the videogame industry is considered such a male-dominated field.

Way back when, the idea of gender-neutral toys was barely even a concept, and toy stores and departments were divided into girls’ and boys’ sections. When new technology made home videogaming a possibility, marketing departments had to decide where they would go.

And so, via arcade attendance statistics and little more than a coin flip, videogames were allotted to the boys’ section, and this began the idea of videogaming being a boys’ club as it’s still commonly seen as today.

Here at The Gamer Guide, we know that the idea that men are better geared for videogames is a complete load of words I cannot say in a magazine. We are committed to diversity in gaming and streaming. I know more than a few women who regularly kick my butt in Street Fighter and Smash Bros, and TGG’s own CreativeTrashEm along with the other female gamers and streamers we’ve featured and interviewed are some of the best content creators around.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at Take-Two Interactive’s panel on diversity and equality in the videogame industry.

23

Take-Two Diversity Panel Take-Two Interactive’s panel on day 3 shone some welcome light on the admittedly already well-known problem, that the videogaming industry and perception of videogames as a whole lacks diversity in many fields.

Many of us will recognize Ubisoft’s constantly changing PSAs at the start of its Assassin’s Creed games, ensuring players that the games were made by diverse teams of people from different backgrounds, races, sexual orientations, and gender identities.

While this is clearly just a back-covering measure to ensure that the historical racial-, religious-, sexuality-, and gender-based persecution and slurs are perceived as the views of the characters rather than the company itself, the message is still something of a breath of fresh air. Many companies seek to increase diversity within their workplaces, and Take-Two outlined many ways to ensure that the male-oriented perception of videogames becomes a thing of the past. These include earlier initiatives in schools to teach programming and videogame development for all genders, better marketing so no games are directly targeted at any one gender, and stricter measures on companies to promote a more equality-oriented environment.

Take-Two have worked with videogame giants like Rockstar and Private Division to help create legendary games like GTA IV, L.A. Noire, Bioshock, The Outer Worlds, and Kerbal Space Program. So this observation on the industry as a whole comes from experience with different companies and working on different games, showing just how prevalent the lack of diversity still is. If you’ve been active on Twitch or Twitter discourse, you’ll likely have seen the hate speech and even entire campaigns that push hatred and intolerance against women and minorities in videogaming, and this needs to be addressed. Did someone say cancel your WoW subscription? Lord knows I did.

Accessibility Panel

Capcom

Videogames are for everyone, (provided you’re old enough for certain ones, of course) and thankfully, more and more companies and services are coming up with innovative ways to ensure they’re accessible to all.

With the success of the well-enough-received Resident Evil VII DLC, it came as very little shock that Capcom announced their ongoing development on DLC and added features for Resident Evil Village, as well as Monster Hunter and Ace Attorney Chronicles.

Diversity doesn’t just take sexuality, race, and gender identities into account, but also the handicapped and those born with birth differences. Controllers can be modified to compensate for players with nerve damage, for example.

Those of you familiar with Games Done Quick Express will likely already know of Able Gamers, one of the companies looking to increase the accessibility options and technologies to make videogaming available to everyone.

Intellivision Amico Any gamer out there who’s also a parent will tell you how excited they are at the idea of introducing their little ones to the world of videogaming. And it’s with this in mind that Intellivision’s Amico was created, bringing family-friendly videogames to households.

Instead of focusing on story or lore, Capcom is going to be adding Re:Verse, an online multiplayer that will pit players against each other in a teamed survival mode. This will be free for all those who already own Village when it drops. While it was supposed to come out this month, July, it is instead being pushed to 2022 in a last-minute delay.

Monster Hunter Rise’s Breath of the Wild-esque open world was brought to the public just a few weeks ago to an overwhelmingly positive reception. Some compared it to an adultsized Pokémon, while many others praised the addictive nature of the game similar to many open world games like Breath of the Wild and Genshin Impact.

The games planned are suitable for all ages and skill levels, and are designed to be affordable too. With the additional games all being a fraction of the cost of most AAA titles today.

Its name, of course, coming from the Italian word for ‘friend’, is a likely homage to the Amiga of Commodore fame, whose name meant the same in Spanish.

Not all of the Amico’s games are edutainment, however, and many focus on retro favourites and tabletop games. All in all, Intellivision seems to want to remove the noise and flashy price tags and focus on simple entertainment for everyone.

The simplicity and apparent return to form may be exciting to many, but there’s no denying that this is an experimental idea the likes of which we’ve seen before, so there’s no telling just how well the Amico will be received until its launch this October.

24

Day four Wrapping up an event like E3 is always a sad turn of events. People who saw what they wanted now have to wait for their long-anticipated games, and those who didn’t will just have to hope they get some news later down the line.

Either way, we’re sure everyone found something that got us charging up our controllers and topping up our Steam wallets in anticipation.

Nintendo Nintendo’s own Direct has been largely seen as their own mini E3, and so not much news is expected of them at the massive convention these days. This time around, they came out of the park with a new fighter announced for Smash Bros.

Ultimate, Kazuya Mishima of Tekken fame.

A new trailer for the much-awaited Breath of the Wild sequel was unveiled, with a quite literally lofty focus. Given the original’s expansive horizons and massive world, it’s only natural that Nintendo would take a more vertical approach to the direct sequel. With floating islands, new mechanics, and skydiving – all reminiscent of the recently rereleased Skyward Sword – Nintendo did well in bringing back a lot of the hype for their beloved franchise’s new installment.

However, players will have to wait a little longer to get a real chance at the great expanse of Hyrule again, as the vague ‘2022’ release combines with its notable lack of title to make us believe it will be a while yet before we really know what we’re in for and when.

25

Bandai Namco The highly divisive Until Dawn brought a new way for players to experience horror, from the detailed character models and ever-twisting story, it gave Supermassive Games and Bandai Namco a real place in the horror market.

Building on this, the Dark Pictures Anthology was popular with gamers and streamers alike.

Man of Medan and the lesser talked about Little Hope were still very much on the cards for anyone looking for a good scare that blurred the line between videogames and films.

showing off a different side of gaming that’s often forgotten by people who aren’t niche content creators.

Play with your friends in survival game Tales of the Wild or use your mind to figure out a mystery in detective game Mohism. Any of the eight titles announced are well worth a look for those of you who really want something different.

The newest title in this anthology is House of Ashes, which promises to bring just as many spooks to the table. With a storyline that appears similar to Amnesia: Rebirth, the old formula of multiple characters, diverging paths, and an impressive array of endings is awaiting us on its scheduled October release, just in time for Halloween.

Differences to the gameplay include a fully player-controlled camera, replacing the fixed angles of previous titles, and the ability to toggle the flashlight. Although, having played the other games, why you’d ever want to turn the thing off is beyond us. Another key difference is that this is the first game to not take place in the present.

Due to its setting in the Iraq war, it’s set in the early 2000s, which is way more in the past than many of us would like to believe.

Yooreka Games Eclectic and somewhat underknown developer Yooreka games was not messing around this E3, and announced eight new games, all of which are available as demos on Steam right now.

From top-down shooter Metal Mind to construction and management sim The Immortal Mayor, there’s at least one thing for everyone in this rather large announcement of relatively small games. While some argue to go for quality over quantity, many of these demos really do show off how fun and worthwhile these games are. Yooreka really went out of their way to showcase something for those who are sick of massive AAA titles that take years to come out and roughly one weekend to complete, 26

Twitch: A nervous beginner’s guide The pandemic brought a massive wave of streamers to Twitch. Bored people furloughed or working from home were finally finding the free time and excuse to get a streaming channel off the ground, and a lot of people stuck with it.

I myself started streaming because I figured if I was going to be playing videogames anyway, I may as well do it with some nice chat going.

But over time I learned that there are some unspoken – or at least underspoken – rules that no one really told me when I started.

This advice is different from most guides you’ll find in that these aren’t pointers to get better views or more subs. These are my own personal notes on how to best keep your mental health intact while streaming. Fun as it is, streaming can be stressful. And these are just some little things to keep in mind if you’re nervous about throwing your hat into the ring.

You Don’t Need a Webcam I myself use a webcam, but only because I’m vain. There are many streamers out there who aren’t comfortable using their webcams and it needs to be reiterated time and time again that that is 100% okay. Maybe you’re not comfortable with how you look, maybe you just don’t like the idea of a bunch of strangers knowing how you look, or maybe you just have a bad webcam and are worried people will think you’re cheap.

Whatever your reason, you need to know that you don’t need one. You may get pressured by your audience, even friends, to ‘show your beautiful face’, but just remember that it’s your channel, and how you use it to display yourself is up to you. It doesn’t decrease your viewership, and it doesn’t make you any less of a streamer.

Webcams are optional, don’t worry.

27

It’s Okay to Take Breaks If you’re serious about streaming and want to turn it into a job, then sticking to a schedule is a very good way to remain consistent and therefore get consistent viewership. However, it’s okay to take breaks sometimes.

I myself have found it hard to find the energy to stream lately, so I’ve taken a long break from it.

But I know when I get back, I’ll be welcomed by the small community I’ve got. Taking a hiatus is fine, and people will understand.

Your mental health should always come first.

This goes for short or even last-minute breaks too. If you had a rough day at work, you can cancel a stream. Just like taking a sick day, people will understand if you’re just not up for it. And if they don’t… it’s your channel, do what you want. Streaming when you straight-up don’t want to stream is both bad for you and your stream in general, sometimes it’s better to just call it off and tell your viewers you’re sorry. It’s okay, I promise.

Don’t Feed Trolls This one both goes without saying, and is also easier said than done. Trolls will happen, they are an unfortunately unavoidable part of life right now. But responding to them or even getting visibly upset will just make them happy and give the sad little specks a reason to keep doing what they’re doing to you and others.

I’m gay and my first troll was a homophobe. I looked at his comment, I snickered, and asked my mod to deal with it because it wasn’t worth my time. Just block and move on. Every time.

Don’t Give Away Too Much Information As you get into streaming, you’ll find yourself getting comfortable with your chat. It’s fun to talk, and it can be easy to overshare. But please keep in mind that Twitch is a public platform and it can be very easy to let slip things you don’t want to.

I live in a city, so people knowing my general location is fairly safe. But if you’re from a small town and/or live with people who may not be too happy that their abode is being broadcast, then be careful.

Stalkers and creeps are not as common as trolls, but they’re still a concern. Even I’ve gotten messages from guys asking to see pictures of my feet. Be careful and protect yourself, and only give away as much information as you’d give a stranger at a bus stop.

Even if your chat is full of friends and trusted names, you never really know who’s watching. It sounds sinister, but it’s true.

love, have dumb point redemptions, challenge yourself, laugh with your chat.

Whether as a job or a hobby, streaming should be fun for all involved, yourself included. Taking on challenges or doing dumb things at another’s behest can be fun, but never do anything you don’t want to do, and know that it’s okay to stop streaming if you get salty, mad, or just stop having fun.

Yes, if you’re streaming as a job then there is a certain level of professionalism your viewers will expect, but try not to take it all too seriously, yeah?

Written by: Scott Hamill

Keep Your Audience in Mind I reign myself in writing these articles, but I swear like a sailor who just stubbed their toe.

I cannot even begin to explain how foul my mouth is.

For this reason, I’ve had a mature content filter on my streams from day one. This isn’t to protect any innocent minds out there, it’s more because I don’t want angry parents yelling at me because their kid said the C word at the dinner table.

If you like to swear and make sex jokes, consider doing the same. Yes, under 18s will still watch you, but at least you’ll know that they know they shouldn’t be.

Conversely, if you want to be more of a familyfriendly streamer, then make sure you keep that in mind should you decide to play Mortal Kombat in front of what could be children.

Have Fun An obvious last entry here, but an important one. Have fun with what you do. Play games you 28

What is this whole bloodlines thing?

A Spoiler-free vampire the masquerade: bloodlines retrospective The World of Darkness universe isn’t exactly unknown, nor is it particularly obscure. The now 30-year-old tabletop game has seen fandom all over the world in that neat little Venn diagram overlap between DND players and vampire fans.

Despite this, you’d still be forgiven for looking at some videogame news lately and wondering why there’s a ‘2’ at the end of this whole ‘Bloodlines’ thing.

The weirdly long-titled videogame Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines is something of a cult entry to White Wolf Publishing’s universe. Made from the same engine as the (quite literally) game-changing Half-Life 2 – as well as being the first game to do so – it was kind of a buggy mess. The physics barely worked, the AI was borked to high Hell, and the sound effects were delayed and awkward. Still, if you’ve played through any more than the tutorial, you likely have some fond memories of this flawed-butloveable title. And honestly, even if you’ve never tried it before, you could probably run good ol’ VtM:B on a toaster these days, so there’s no real reason not to try it, at least while the sequel still seems to be stuck in Development Hell.

After spending an hour (or maybe that was just me) selecting your clan, attributes, and abilities, you begin your journey as a fledgling; sired unlawfully and thrown into a world you can’t understand. Except you do understand because a character voiced by John DiMaggio (of Futurama, Adventure Time, and FFX fame) is there to pedantically, and weirdly eloquently, explain to you just what your one-night stand has gotten you into.

29

This tutorial comes in the form of a vampire turf war that happens to explode right as you need to cut your freshly sharpened teeth. So it’s pretty much the worst walk of shame ever. Or best, if you happen to like murdering semi-feral monsters while wondering whether or not you should get tested for more than just vampirism.

From this tutorial, you’re thrown into a grim apartment in downtown LA. There are stains on the walls, your bed is barely a bed, and the radio is on with an oddly seductive voice telling you what’s going on as far as the humans know.

And this is where the game begins to shine, which is impressive since the whole thing takes place at nighttime for obvious reasons.

You’ve got a computer, which you have to type commands into manually (don’t know why I find that cool, I just do) and it tells you where to go.

But you don’t really have to. Downtown is yours to explore as you want.

You can interact with people, run into the local wildlife (i.e. humans) and figure out what’s going on. If you want to beeline straight to where you need to go, you can, but you can also begin to explore to your heart’s content.

There are side quests galore and stories both minor and major that interconnect in increasingly fascinating ways as the world slowly opens up to you in the form of LA’s various districts.

VtM:B is very much a case of the more you look, the more you’ll find, and while putting in the time and connecting the dots yourself is not necessarily needed to get the story down,

it certainly helps you get to grips with just what the blueberries is going on.

You’ll soon find that it gets a lot less like Half Life and closer to System Shock in terms of open-ended approaches to problems. If you’ve decided to go the sneaky route, you’ll be turning invisible, picking locks, and hacking computers to get both what and where you need. You can also charm, convince, or straight-up intimidate and threaten NPCs to get your way.

Or you could go full ham and massacre everyone in sight. Honestly, it’s your call.

There are too many clans to talk about here, but the two that stand out are Nosferatu and Malkavian.

Nosferatu have to stay out of sight to protect The Masquerade, a game mechanic that has you trying to act as ‘human’ as possible so as not to alert the delicious humans to your presence.

The mere sight of a Nosferatu will screw with this, so you’ll be sticking to the sewers for the majority of your journey through the game. Not my style, but you do you.

And then there’s Malkavian, a band of lunatic intellectuals. With the brand of blood-born insanity Malkavians carry, you’ll find yourself able to choose from some very… interesting dialogue choices. You’ll also be talking to the TV and having it talk back, getting into arguments with stop signs, and even hearing tattletale whispers that reveal the true intentions of who you’re speaking to.

I won’t be spoiling anything here, but VtM:B is definitely a game worth checking out if not just for its camp value alone. You can breeze through the story in a couple playthroughs, or you can take in the sights and sounds of Los Angeles and discover more as you play.

The replay value is something to mention too. I myself have completed VtM:B quite a few times now, and found a new joy in playing through with all the cheats. If starting day one being able to literally boil someone’s blood in their body until they explode doesn’t have you reaching for the gem, I really don’t know what will.

Written by: Scott Hamill

30

31

Ones to watch

bananasplitti When we talk about illnesses, disease, and mental health, there is always a lot of stigma attached. This can be down to several things, but mostly it’s down to misinformation or a lack of awareness about a specific condition.

Twitch Streamer BananaSplitti suffers from Crohn’s Disease, but she doesn’t let that define her or even stop her from being an awesome gamer and streamer. With over 6,000 followers on Twitter and 3,000 on Twitch, BananaSplitti is not letting anything hold her back. Of course we needed to find out more!

TGG: Hey BananaSplitti. First of all, we would like to thank you for chatting with us today. How have you been?

TGG: That’s fair. What is the most important thing to you personally when it comes to your streams?

I’ve had better days with my back pain haha. Other than that I’m just living life.

To keep the passion. If you don’t have the passion, the community will see it.

TGG: Fingers crossed you aren’t in too much pain! Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? Have you always been a gamer? And what got you started in the world of streaming?

I’ve experienced it. I took a break for a while and came back and started loving it again. Other than that, you don’t really need much, you can stream straight from a console and still have the community you want. You just have to shape it for yourself.

I’m 22, I play video games for a living, I live with Crohn’s disease along with a back injury from being hit by a car when I was 18. I’ve always loved gaming and played Call of Duty for a while just for fun while raging and talking crap to other players on Hot Mic. I saw my friend playing the new Black Ops 4 at the time and I asked them to play, and of course I still had my skill at the time. They were talking about streaming so I was like, “Shoot... I think I could do this.” That was two years ago, so I started streaming and simply didn’t stop.

TGG: Awesome! It’s great to see you haven’t stopped. What made you choose Twitch as a streaming platform?

That is the streaming platform I’ve known about for a long time. My friends introduced me to that platform, so I’ve stuck with it.

TGG: We totally see the passion in your streams, that’s for sure! You’re a streamer who suffers from a hidden disability. How do you tackle that day-to-day with your streams, and how does it affect your attitude and approach when it comes to streaming?

Well right now I have medicine that’s helping me. They’re called infusions, and the medicine I am getting right now is called Entyvio. It’s draining the day I get it usually, but it has helped my pain tremendously.

Usually the pain will make me immoble, I can’t eat, shower, drink, or move from my bed. It’s pretty tiring, so usually when it is really bad I can’t stream unfortunately, ‘cause I don’t want to fake being okay when I’m not.

32

TGG: We definitely understand that, and it’s definitely important to put you first! As someone who suffers from Crohn’s Disease, what advice would you give to people who may also suffer with IBD related illnesses - or any other hidden disabilities - who want to get into streaming?

out there more, so I will work on that. I’m hoping by this time next year I’ll have grown a bit more and be streaming longer. Any progress is good progress!

I’d say to not let it stop you. Everyone goes to the bathroom, we all have bathroom breaks, and to try and not let IBD define you. I did for a while and it tore me apart. The medicine obviously helps, but don’t let the gamer diet take over because that will knock you down haha.

A couple months after I started streaming, a big YouTuber that I had been watching for years came into my stream and noticed me, they also started donating bits. That was the main thing that did it for me. Honestly just any one of my friends or bigger streamers sharing their community with me means a lot.

Get some homemade meals as often as you can. I even have a burp counter in my stream since I burp a lot from my Crohn’s and, instead of being gross about it, we joke about it and add it to the counter.

TGG: We bet that must have been so surreal!

What is your go-to game, the one game you could not live without, or the game you turn to when you just need to have fun?

TGG: A burp counter! That’s awesome! So, let us talk a little bit more about you! What is something that no one who watches your channel/content knows about you?

I’m pretty open with my stream so I am not sure what they don’t know. I don’t talk about my back injury as much as I do my Crohn’s, because it usually doesn’t affect me as much.

However, in 2016 - a month after I turned 18 - I was hit by a car and got a back injury called a herniated disc in my L5 vertebrae.

Then approximately 8-9 months later, I was in another accident which totaled my car and made my back injury worse. So I have an L4 bulging disc and L5 herniated. Which turns into a lot of pain when it gets bad. But it’s been managed so far. Surgeons said surgery wasn’t needed because I was young and it should heal up. But some days it does get bad and it is hard.

TGG: Wow, we are sorry to hear that, it definitely shows how strong you are! What does 2021/2 have in store for you? Do you have any plans for the coming years? And where do you want to be this time next year?

I want to put more work into my YouTube and post more TikToks of my stream to put myself 33

TGG: We’re sure that will happen! What is the best moment you have had streaming?

Oh god, it’s so hard for me to answer this.

Because no matter how much Apex Legends makes me angry, I love it so much. I’ve been playing it for almost 2 years I think, and I’ve improved so much. Seeing the improvement makes me feel good.

TGG: Our very own Content Director can appreciate the Apex Legends love/hate relationship! Finally, what is something you would like our readers to know?

If there is anything I would like to say to anyone, I would tell them to take a chance on that smaller streamer. The bigger streamers are nice and fun to watch, but take the time to say hi or just chill with a smaller streamer for a little bit. I bet you it would make their day just for you to stop by.

TGG: That’s awesome! Thanks so much for chatting with us!

Head over to BananaSplitti’s social media links here: Twitch - twitch.tv/bananasplitti Twitter - @KayleeGromoll TikTok -@kayleegromoll

If you want to find out more about the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, check out their website below:

www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org 34

35

spartakus TGG: Hey Spartakus, thanks for chatting with us, how have you been?

I’ve been doing very well. Living the dream!

TGG: Tell us a bit about yourself, have you always been a gamer? What made you jump into the Streaming world?

I’ve always been a gamer. I played NES and Super Nintendo to start when I was growing up. I got into games a little more with the N64 watching my older sister play Zelda. I played a lot of Mario Kart, Star Fox, and Star Wars: Rogue Squadron with my family.

In 2001, my older sister and I wanted the Xbox, and my parents made us work for it! We lived in the country, and my family farmed. My dad talked to some neighbors and had us hoe their cotton field. We put a lot of hard work and sweat into earning that first Xbox! From there, I got into Halo and Halo 2. I played a lot of single player or split screen games, and Halo 3 is where I truly got competitve and started working on my FPS skills grinding ranked. Lots of fun and lots of good memories with friends and family when I think through my gaming journey.

TGG: What made you choose Facebook Gaming as the streaming platform for you?

I originally chose Mixer for streaming. I made that decision because I always played Xbox, and Mixer was integrated into the Xbox homepage.

Mixer was also new, so discoverability was much higher on that platform. With the help of Mixer’s PUBG Hypezone, I started to grow my stream! I switched over to Facebook Gaming whenever Mixer decided to close down. A lot of Mixer streamers chose Twitch, but Facebook had offered us instant partnership and $2500 if we switched over. This showed me that Facebook Gaming valued our content and was

willing to make an effort to aqcuire our skills.

From there, my channel has more than doubled in size in under a year!

TGG: What is the most important thing to you personally when it comes to your streams?

This can be what is important to stream, or what is important when you are live or anything else important to you.

Lots of things are important when it comes to streaming. I always want to play a game that I enjoy, but it also needs to be a game that is easily watchable. For example, I loved playing Valheim with friends when it released, but that game is not easily watchable. It is very slowpaced. I love shooters and bettering my skill in shooters, so Warzone is a lot of fun for me.

Warzone is also easily watchable because it is fast-paced and exciting!

However, the most important thing for me when streaming is to keep it positive and fun.

Of course, everyone complains sometimes, and I’m notorious for yelling “I HATE THIS GAME!” But in the bigger picture where the gaming world can be very toxic or whiney, I strive to keep things positive and fun, even if games aren’t going my way TGG: With over 220,000 Followers on Facebook and another 11,000 on Twitter, how do you keep everyone engaged and returning for more content? What do you try and do to stand out from the content creator crowd?

I like to keep my content consistent, but not stagnant. My and my Warzone squad are always dropping big games, having fun, and bantering with each other. Everyone knows they will have good laughs and see great plays when they tune in. To mix it up, I like to play as certain characters I’ve created, carry randoms to wins, or check into Warzone news across the gaming/streaming world.

36

TGG: Curiously, where did the name Spartakus come from, can we assume you are a fan of Roman History?

This is a funny question because my theme is “Spartans.” A lot of people come into my channel to educate me about Spartacus. The historical Spartacus was a Roman gladiator slave who led a revolt. It is a very compelling historical account, and yes, I’ve seen the classic Kirk Douglas “Spartacus.” Great movie!

I’ve been known since the days of Halo 2 (2004) as Spartakus, and when becoming a streamer, I decided to choose “Spartans” as my theme because Spartans are seen as great warriors in history. I’m also a Halo fan, and the Halo supersoldiers are called Spartans. The movie 300 is also another inspiration! So all in all, I do enjoy history, but I chose the Spartans of ancient Greece to be my theme because of there reputation as warriors. Also, “Spartakus” spelled with a “k” is the Greek spelling of the name “Spartacus.”

TGG: How do you keep the momentum going, and keep that upward trajectory? Is it purely social media, is it working with other streamers, or does your community play a part?

Community always plays a part! I believe a lot of my Spartans are constantly telling friends to come check out the stream because they enjoy the content.

The positivity and fun keep people coming back. l do some competitions here and there, but I think the success of my channel is due to the fun and family friendly content, as family friendly as CoD can be!

TGG: What does 2021 & 2022 have in store, what are your plans this year, where do you want to be this time next year?

I plan on continuing to grind and produce top tier content. I do have some plans in store, but I can’t reveal those at the moment. Other than that, big wins, big tournaments, and big hype are what I will continue to bring to the channel!

TGG: We can imagine that being difficult to separate two,scenario, althoughthe happy people TGG: Athe quick last that stream you arehad coming you forwhatever solely gaming didn’ttogowatch to plan for reasonnow! and How youpretty keepdeflated the momentum and youdo were about it, going, how would keep upward trajectory? purelysure social youthat bounce back from thatIstoit make it media, is it working with other streamers, or doesn’t affect your streams moving forward? does your community play a part?

If I have a bad day of gaming, and we all have Working with other streamers key, but you those sometimes, I normallyiswork out,also shower, have say “what can show makesThis me andtohang with is myit Iwife in thethat evening. different” so that when people watch you with resets the mood of my day and recharges me other streamers, know what to lookthe outnext for to wake up andthey come back stronger when day!they come over to watch you.

TGG: Absolutely!

It’sstream certainly the “what TGG: We see you Warzone, but makes what’s meyour different” that counts!

What does 2021 have go to game, the one game you couldn’t in live store, what are your plans this year, where do without? you want to be this time next year?

I’d have to pick Halo. I actually haven’t been A playing tough question.

I would likeHalo to be back got on much Halo lately, but is what themehorse doing voice acting and auditions, into competitive mulitplayer, and its the unfortunately tough the moment.

We will place that I it’s honed myatgaming skills over the getyears. there. Getting a TV show idea I have across the line as well, that would be great.

TGG: Finally, what is something you’d like our TGG: Oohtoaknow TV about/check Show, that out? sounds really readers interesting, we will have to keep an eye out! A quick scenario, the Fb.gg/sparta ;) last stream you had didn’t go to plan for whatever reason and you were pretty deflated aboutyou it, how would bounce back TGG: Thank so much foryou chatting with us from that to make sure it doesn’t affect your Hitman! It’s been a pleasure, keep smashing streams moving forward? those streams, and we will be sure to keep our readers up to date with how you are getting Take on!a few days off and do something else. Over analyzing it will completely deter your process.

Watch other streamers, gainto some Thanks for this opportunity share ainspiration little more and structure what you want to do the next time about myself! I appreciate the opportunity! you stream. Bad advice from me really, as I don’t structure my streams haha!

TGG: That was great advice, structuring streams does getting inspiration key! What’s Youhelp canand support Spartakus by isfollowing his your go to game, the one gameand youfollowing couldn’t live Facebook Gaming channel, his without? socials below: Warzone at the moment - I hope this changes.

Facebook Gaming: gb.gg/Sparta TGG: That’s super thoughtful, caring and Twitter: @SpartakusLIVE kind!

Thank you so much for chatting with us Instagram: @spartakuslive Scheiffer, it’s been a pleasure, keep smashing those streams, and we will be sure to keep our readers up to date with how you are getting on!

A pleasure, you lovely bunch.

37

SUPER

SERVERS! Want to become part of some amazing communities on Discord? Here you can find servers that we have discovered and highly recommend! Be sure to check them out, engage, interact, and grow that community!

Trash Talks

Diff’s Den

https://discord.gg/3CnadAHh9e

https://discord.gg/Gd4jrhHDHF

Phish Tank

The Mighty Discord

https://discord.gg/fjz8FSBYbJ

https://discord.gg/CsqYRqyhjY

Team Delusional

Glue Squad

https://discord.gg/q9qNkWXERG

https://discord.gg/qwCGh7MaRk

If you fancy showcasing your Discord to thousands of readers across the globe, why not place an advert in our Super Server Section of the magazine!

Get in contact on one of the e-mails on the following page for more information on our advertsing rates and opportunites.

38