Wyld is a Twitch streamer, Minecraft modpack creator, and internet personality who has made a huge career change through entertaining his audience and creating content live on the internet.
Join Wyld and our host Jason Imms as they discuss how a life can change through getting into livestreaming, the challenges and joys of playing games on the internet for a living, and the ethical side of publisher relations and junkets.
This week's Game Hugs features the founder of Queerly Represent Me, sessional academic at the University of the Sunshine Coast, and freelance games journalist and columnist Alayna Cole.
Alayna joins host Jason Imms for our usual jaunt through the career that has led to her current position in the Australian games industry, as well as something of a rebuttal. In response to Game Hugs Episode 55 with Lisy Kane on the subject of how tertiary education is serving and failing the Australian games industry, Alayna adds her point of view as someone actively working to help her students be the best candidates they can be.
So, join us to hear her side of the story, how her work in mapping queer representation in video games has moved from strength to strength, and for a sobering discussion about working a freelance journalist for the enthusiast press.
Disclaimer: The audio quality of this and the following episode doesn't live up to our usual standards, and for that we apologise. We felt that the discussion as-recorded was worth preserving, however, so please bear with us. Rest assured, the source of this issue has been found and repaired.
Say hello to Luke Lancaster, who was until recently a well-known Australian associate editor at CNET, before being selected as the new PAX Australia Content Manager, replacing ex-Game Hugs host Guy 'Yug' Blomberg. He's also a co-creator of The Badguys, an excellent weekly webcomic that recently took home the top prize in Stan Lee's POW! Media Superhero Comic Contest.
This episode marks the beginning of a Game Hugs multi-part episode experiment, in which we check in with Luke in the week before he kicks-off his new and high-pressure role, to talk about hopes and fears leading up to taking the help of his first PAX. We'll speak to Luke again after PAX Australia 2017 to see how it all went, and how much of him survived.
Tune in to hear Luke and host Jason Imms discuss journalistic ethics, the realities of working in your dream job, and the power and responsibility that comes with being a focal point for an entire region of game developers.
Ken Wong is the founder and creative director of Mountains, a self-described "craft games studio," based in Melbourne. He's also well known for his work as the lead designer and artist on Ustwo's seminal mobile title, Monument Valley.
In this episode, Ken and Jason discuss his work with Ustwo, being discovered by American McGee, his work on Alice: Madness Returns, and much more.
Katie Stegs is co-founder and creative director of games PR and marketing agency Lumi Consulting. You might think this would place sufficient burden on Katie's calendar, but NO. Katie has also co-founded Blush Box, a collective of game creators that focuses on romance, love and sexuality, and a symposium and game jam called Heartbeat which hopes to give that community a chance to come together and grow.
In this episode, Jason Imms chats with Katie about her dark caravanning past, what drives her passion for games about passion, the challenges of running a consultancy for small games studios, and more.