With over 17 years of experience in the industry, James is the Technical Director at Esports Media House and one half of the leadership team, alongside Emma Kuldemir.
What got you into gaming?
I’ve always been around computers my whole life. Gaming was a natural progression and a form of entertainment for me from a young age. My family have always had a computer in the house, starting with, a Commodore 64 and I was always drawn to the consoles of the 90’s that many of my childhood friends had.
What is your favourite game?
Without a doubt, Counter-Strike. I played a lot of PC games as a kid, but the multi-player experience of playing against friends both at LAN parties and online got me truly hooked. Counter-Strike unlike other FPS titles requires time and dedication, teamwork and a had steep learning curve. As a competitive person, it was the perfect title.
Tell us about your experience as one of the top Counter-Strike players!
I was fortunate enough to play one of the earlier versions of Counter-Strike at the top-level in Australia. Unfortunately, my ambition outweighed my talent. So that phase was short lived and when I was no longer able to put in the hours, due to work/life commitments, I pivoted into broadcasting.
Could you tell us about how Esports Media House started?
After Gfinity closed its doors, I spent a few months freelance and working across a wide range of involved projects. At the time, Emma was coming to a realisation that she wanted to go full-force in industries she loved rather than her time spent with big brands in the advertising/finance space. Together we recognised several gaps in the market and with our passion for Esports/Games combined with business backgrounds, we took a leap together to bring our vision to reality.
What’s been one of your biggest or most exciting achievements at work?
Launching our company has provided one of the most exciting challenges. It has been a chance to create something from scratch and take it in a direction that we want to take it.
Who in the video game industry inspires you?
A source of inspiration has always been the level of passion everybody has in the industry. The industry is being built on the backs of countless individuals many of them remain thankless. I’ve been fortunate enough to see esports evolve out of its infancy and I’m excited that with EMH, Emma and I have a chance to shape the future.
Be sure to follow James on Twitter to see all the awesome work he and Esports Media House do!
