Former Good Games presenter, Twitch Partner, and overall good guy! Bajo chats with us about nostalgic gaming, and the love for his community!
What’s the first game you remember playing?
My first game I can remember playing was a Pacman handheld from around 1985. It was hard to separate me from this little guy. But it wasn’t until I got my first proper console, the atari 2600 (with real wood paneling.. mmmm!) that my love for gaming began. I grew up on a fairly isolated small hobby farm in Toowoomba, QLD. All I did was hang out with animals and play games all day. After that, I became obsessed with buying or trading games in the local paper and at school so I could play the latest games. I was the FIRST person in my school to get all the chaos emeralds in Sonic 2! I loved the challenge of trying to beat these incredibly difficult games, and loved reading gaming mags and discussing the finer points with my friends. All of which refused to play Mortal Kombat with me, after ruthlessly slaughtering them every game. Times have changed, now I am the one getting slaughtered.
What’s been one of your biggest or most exciting achievements?
I’m so proud of my old TV show Good Game, and the still-running Good Game Spawn point. Every week, a team of awesome people made me look great.. what’s not to love?
The show came about at a time when games were transforming in so many ways. Big and small online experiences. Deep narrative stories. The App store happened while we were on air. 3d, motion gaming, touch screens.. what a time to journal it all. It often felt like new genres were being created every few months, and it was a thrill to be a part of that. I’m also so proud of my Twitch stream and our community. Pivoting to working for myself and doing something that used a completely different set of skills but also do something a bit different to stand out in the crowd was a real challenge. My community supported me right through it and still do. I’m definitely not being forced to type how much I love them, and definitely not threatened by violence to say they are fantastic and make my dreams come true and definitely do NOT smell.
Who in the video game industry inspires you?
Heck, can I just say ALL the developers? These often unsung heroes create art every day that then use to make a living out of. I’m a bottom feeder of their art. I’m scum. You see how I’m scum?
What are some other hobbies you enjoy?
I love motorcycles! Anything on two wheels actually, but I have a specific interest in the latest and greatest tech. I have an electric motorcycle coming in April, and I’m so excited! Riding takes a lot of concentration and skill so it seems to calm my brain. It’s kind of like a video game, but with no extra lives, and everyone wants to kill you.
Why is supporting cancer research important to you?
It’s such a big, horrible killer. Since becoming a streamer, more and more I hear stories of how cancer affects people’s lives. We’ve lost some in our community, we’ve got plenty fighting hard to beat it as I type this now. It’s one of the final bosses we need to keep plugging away at, so we can brag about it to our future generations.
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