Search results
(1 - 20 of 49)
Pages
- Title
- Interview with Steven Blajeck: Photos 2
- Creator
- Lopez, Ramon
- Date
- 2015, 2015
- Title
- Interview with Steven Blajeck
- Creator
- Lopez, Ramon
- Date
- 2015, 2015
- Title
- Interview with Thomas Glenn: photos
- Creator
- Thai, Christopher, Zhong, Franklin
- Date
- 2015, 2015
- Title
- Interview with Thomas Glenn
- Creator
- Thai, Christopher, Zhong, Franklin
- Date
- 2015, 2015
- Title
- Interview with Steven Blajeck: 1128_131426
- Creator
- Lopez, Ramon
- Date
- 2015, 2015
- Title
- Interview with Thomas Glenn: R05_0001
- Creator
- Thai, Christopher, Zhong, Franklin
- Date
- 2015, 2015
- Title
- Interview with Chris Dammacco: 1_Audio Transcription
- Creator
- Mcnamar, Sydney, Hernandez, Christopher, Nguyen, Michael, Takiddeen, Yasser, Garcia, Jonathan
- Date
- 2015-10-02, 2015-10-02
- Description
-
Chris Dammacco began as a cheese broker for the majority of Midwestern states until one day he confronted a video game shop owner about the...
Show moreChris Dammacco began as a cheese broker for the majority of Midwestern states until one day he confronted a video game shop owner about the poor treatment of his customers; the owner’s response was “If you don’t like the way I do things, then why don’t you start your own shop”, and that’s exactly what he did. Dammacco founded Windy Gaming officially in January of 2015, but first invested in the idea in September of 2012. Windy Gaming specializes in import games, specifically from Japan. He mostly runs the business by himself; the only help he gets is a mechanical engineer that comes in once a week to repair games and two unpaid college students who assist him during convention weekends. The majority of his inventory is games from the late 80s and early 90s because this is the era that Dammacco finds most intriguing. Windy Gaming attends several gaming conventions a year, the favorite being the Midwestern Gaming Convention. At Windy Gaming’s first year at this convention, they only had two eight-foot tables; this past year they had grown so much as to be able to purchase a private room. Dammacco was able to meet many famous internet personalities and players through these conventions some of which included James Rolfe and the hosts of the “Sat Guys” YouTube channel. These two to three day conventions can bring in as much as five figures according to Dammacco and make up a majority of his sales. Dammacco’s friendly treatment of the buyers has created a league of loyal customers that will follow go so far as to follow to him to conventions. Each product he sends out comes with a hand written, personalized note from Dammacco expressing gratitude for their purchase. Dammacco will facetime, skype, email, tweet, Facebook message, call, and the like if the customer wants a deeper understanding of the product or inventory as a whole. The most unique thing about Windy Gaming is that despite sales being entirely online, Dammacco strives to make himself known so the customer is aware that it is a man they are making deals with, not a soulless computer screen. He also makes an effort to keep prices as low as possible in order to cater to the player so they can enjoy the experience of the game without the guilt of overpriced items. Dammacco feels the poor treatment of the players and customers in this industry will be its eventual downfall because the overpriced, never to be played games that certain vendors are selling are not true to the real meaning of a video games. Games are a hobby meant to be enjoyed by those who love to play. His efforts at creating a standard for pricing and customer interaction are making an impact on the gaming industry. The amount of growth that Windy Gaming has produced in such a short time is truly amazing and serves as a commentary on the success of the modern video industry. Prospects are high for Chris Dammacco’s Windy Gaming as well as the gaming industry as a whole.
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- Title
- Interview with Chris Dammacco
- Creator
- Mcnamar, Sydney, Hernandez, Christopher, Nguyen, Michael, Takiddeen, Yasser, Garcia, Jonathan
- Date
- 2015-10-02, 2015-10-02
- Description
-
Chris Dammacco began as a cheese broker for the majority of Midwestern states until one day he confronted a video game shop owner about the...
Show moreChris Dammacco began as a cheese broker for the majority of Midwestern states until one day he confronted a video game shop owner about the poor treatment of his customers; the owner’s response was “If you don’t like the way I do things, then why don’t you start your own shop”, and that’s exactly what he did. Dammacco founded Windy Gaming officially in January of 2015, but first invested in the idea in September of 2012. Windy Gaming specializes in import games, specifically from Japan. He mostly runs the business by himself; the only help he gets is a mechanical engineer that comes in once a week to repair games and two unpaid college students who assist him during convention weekends. The majority of his inventory is games from the late 80s and early 90s because this is the era that Dammacco finds most intriguing. Windy Gaming attends several gaming conventions a year, the favorite being the Midwestern Gaming Convention. At Windy Gaming’s first year at this convention, they only had two eight-foot tables; this past year they had grown so much as to be able to purchase a private room. Dammacco was able to meet many famous internet personalities and players through these conventions some of which included James Rolfe and the hosts of the “Sat Guys” YouTube channel. These two to three day conventions can bring in as much as five figures according to Dammacco and make up a majority of his sales. Dammacco’s friendly treatment of the buyers has created a league of loyal customers that will follow go so far as to follow to him to conventions. Each product he sends out comes with a hand written, personalized note from Dammacco expressing gratitude for their purchase. Dammacco will facetime, skype, email, tweet, Facebook message, call, and the like if the customer wants a deeper understanding of the product or inventory as a whole. The most unique thing about Windy Gaming is that despite sales being entirely online, Dammacco strives to make himself known so the customer is aware that it is a man they are making deals with, not a soulless computer screen. He also makes an effort to keep prices as low as possible in order to cater to the player so they can enjoy the experience of the game without the guilt of overpriced items. Dammacco feels the poor treatment of the players and customers in this industry will be its eventual downfall because the overpriced, never to be played games that certain vendors are selling are not true to the real meaning of a video games. Games are a hobby meant to be enjoyed by those who love to play. His efforts at creating a standard for pricing and customer interaction are making an impact on the gaming industry. The amount of growth that Windy Gaming has produced in such a short time is truly amazing and serves as a commentary on the success of the modern video industry. Prospects are high for Chris Dammacco’s Windy Gaming as well as the gaming industry as a whole.
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- Title
- Interview with Chris Dammacco: Audio Transcription
- Creator
- Mcnamar, Sydney, Hernandez, Christopher, Nguyen, Michael, Takiddeen, Yasser, Garcia, Jonathan
- Date
- 2015-10-02, 2015-10-02
- Description
-
Chris Dammacco began as a cheese broker for the majority of Midwestern states until one day he confronted a video game shop owner about the...
Show moreChris Dammacco began as a cheese broker for the majority of Midwestern states until one day he confronted a video game shop owner about the poor treatment of his customers; the owner’s response was “If you don’t like the way I do things, then why don’t you start your own shop”, and that’s exactly what he did. Dammacco founded Windy Gaming officially in January of 2015, but first invested in the idea in September of 2012. Windy Gaming specializes in import games, specifically from Japan. He mostly runs the business by himself; the only help he gets is a mechanical engineer that comes in once a week to repair games and two unpaid college students who assist him during convention weekends. The majority of his inventory is games from the late 80s and early 90s because this is the era that Dammacco finds most intriguing. Windy Gaming attends several gaming conventions a year, the favorite being the Midwestern Gaming Convention. At Windy Gaming’s first year at this convention, they only had two eight-foot tables; this past year they had grown so much as to be able to purchase a private room. Dammacco was able to meet many famous internet personalities and players through these conventions some of which included James Rolfe and the hosts of the “Sat Guys” YouTube channel. These two to three day conventions can bring in as much as five figures according to Dammacco and make up a majority of his sales. Dammacco’s friendly treatment of the buyers has created a league of loyal customers that will follow go so far as to follow to him to conventions. Each product he sends out comes with a hand written, personalized note from Dammacco expressing gratitude for their purchase. Dammacco will facetime, skype, email, tweet, Facebook message, call, and the like if the customer wants a deeper understanding of the product or inventory as a whole. The most unique thing about Windy Gaming is that despite sales being entirely online, Dammacco strives to make himself known so the customer is aware that it is a man they are making deals with, not a soulless computer screen. He also makes an effort to keep prices as low as possible in order to cater to the player so they can enjoy the experience of the game without the guilt of overpriced items. Dammacco feels the poor treatment of the players and customers in this industry will be its eventual downfall because the overpriced, never to be played games that certain vendors are selling are not true to the real meaning of a video games. Games are a hobby meant to be enjoyed by those who love to play. His efforts at creating a standard for pricing and customer interaction are making an impact on the gaming industry. The amount of growth that Windy Gaming has produced in such a short time is truly amazing and serves as a commentary on the success of the modern video industry. Prospects are high for Chris Dammacco’s Windy Gaming as well as the gaming industry as a whole.
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- Title
- Interview with Chris Dammacco: Raw Audio Recording
- Creator
- Mcnamar, Sydney, Hernandez, Christopher, Nguyen, Michael, Takiddeen, Yasser, Garcia, Jonathan
- Date
- 2015-10-02, 2015-10-02
- Description
-
Chris Dammacco began as a cheese broker for the majority of Midwestern states until one day he confronted a video game shop owner about the...
Show moreChris Dammacco began as a cheese broker for the majority of Midwestern states until one day he confronted a video game shop owner about the poor treatment of his customers; the owner’s response was “If you don’t like the way I do things, then why don’t you start your own shop”, and that’s exactly what he did. Dammacco founded Windy Gaming officially in January of 2015, but first invested in the idea in September of 2012. Windy Gaming specializes in import games, specifically from Japan. He mostly runs the business by himself; the only help he gets is a mechanical engineer that comes in once a week to repair games and two unpaid college students who assist him during convention weekends. The majority of his inventory is games from the late 80s and early 90s because this is the era that Dammacco finds most intriguing. Windy Gaming attends several gaming conventions a year, the favorite being the Midwestern Gaming Convention. At Windy Gaming’s first year at this convention, they only had two eight-foot tables; this past year they had grown so much as to be able to purchase a private room. Dammacco was able to meet many famous internet personalities and players through these conventions some of which included James Rolfe and the hosts of the “Sat Guys” YouTube channel. These two to three day conventions can bring in as much as five figures according to Dammacco and make up a majority of his sales. Dammacco’s friendly treatment of the buyers has created a league of loyal customers that will follow go so far as to follow to him to conventions. Each product he sends out comes with a hand written, personalized note from Dammacco expressing gratitude for their purchase. Dammacco will facetime, skype, email, tweet, Facebook message, call, and the like if the customer wants a deeper understanding of the product or inventory as a whole. The most unique thing about Windy Gaming is that despite sales being entirely online, Dammacco strives to make himself known so the customer is aware that it is a man they are making deals with, not a soulless computer screen. He also makes an effort to keep prices as low as possible in order to cater to the player so they can enjoy the experience of the game without the guilt of overpriced items. Dammacco feels the poor treatment of the players and customers in this industry will be its eventual downfall because the overpriced, never to be played games that certain vendors are selling are not true to the real meaning of a video games. Games are a hobby meant to be enjoyed by those who love to play. His efforts at creating a standard for pricing and customer interaction are making an impact on the gaming industry. The amount of growth that Windy Gaming has produced in such a short time is truly amazing and serves as a commentary on the success of the modern video industry. Prospects are high for Chris Dammacco’s Windy Gaming as well as the gaming industry as a whole.
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- Creator
- Rao, Xi, Houlihan, Jodi
- Title
- Interview with Todd Friedman
- Creator
- Rao, Xi, Houlihan, Jodi
- Date
- 2015-09-25, 2015-09-25
- Description
-
We conducted an interview with Todd Friedman, a game competitor who holds over 100 game world records, on Sep 25, 2015 at his home in Gurnee,...
Show moreWe conducted an interview with Todd Friedman, a game competitor who holds over 100 game world records, on Sep 25, 2015 at his home in Gurnee, IL. Todd Friedman is a game competitor and competition organizer. His personal game collections consist of 2,840 games and he has been playing video games since he was five years old. His world records are recorded on the Twin Galaxies Score Database website. For the Wii DJ Hero alone he has three pages filled with records of him placing 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th with songs ranging from Foo Fighters to Jackson Five. However, Todd has never worked as a full-time game competitor. Instead, he is an EDI (Electronic data interchange) analyst at HubGroup, a truck company. Generally, he arrives home from work at 4:30pm and plays games or works out with his children. Todd has his own philosophy for life and gaming. He holds world records but has never thought of earning money from playing games or having it as a “real” job. Rather, he loves the competition itself. In his view, playing games is more like something that brings people fun and happiness, instead of a tool to make money. He also enjoys being a spectator and watching others play games. This is one of the reasons why he loves not only to participate but also to organize game competitions. How does Todd balance his daily life with his gaming life? If you ask Todd they are one and the same. In fact, a quote of his is “Working and being father is my typical day.” He works his full time job, spends time with his family and ensures that he also spends time on his professional gaming activities. He has twins, a boy and a girl aged 9 years old that he does the normal after school activities with like, soccer, cheerleading, etc. He also loves video gaming especially with his family! One controversial view is that coin-operated video gaming has been a target of negative perceptions. However, Todd completely discredits this argument -- that gaming is a negative influence. He credits video gaming for keeping him on a good path, away from drugs and alcohol, fueling his interest in technology, and obtaining friendships from an array of different cultures all due to being able to meet, talk and play video games with people from around the nation and around the world. Are e-sports according to Todd a real sport? The short answer is “yes.” Todd has two favorite sports, Bowling and video gaming. He compared video game competition to bowling to how some people do not believe it is a sport by discussing hand and eye coordination, mental focus, and talent. You have to beat the other person and practice to get better at it, which is exactly like bowling or golf. According to Todd, a professional gamer, a sport consists of using your mind, practicing, and playing against someone to win. And e-sports falls within his definition. Through the interview, we found that Todd was not in agreement with a lot of the negative stereotypes that people have about gaming, such as, video games are bad for young kids, it wastes their time, money and may have a negative effect on their behaviors and social skills. Instead, he is an average guy who has been playing games since 7 years old and it has helped to evolve him socially and as a positive role model. He credits video games to keeping him away from drugs and alcohol and is also a mechanism that helps to relieve stress. It also positively affects his relationships. He is a better friend, father, husband and co-worker because of his involvement with games.
Show less
- Title
- Interview with Todd Friedman: Todd Friedman_9-25-15_Transcription_Oral History Project
- Creator
- Rao, Xi, Houlihan, Jodi
- Date
- 2015-09-25, 2015-09-25
- Description
-
We conducted an interview with Todd Friedman, a game competitor who holds over 100 game world records, on Sep 25, 2015 at his home in Gurnee,...
Show moreWe conducted an interview with Todd Friedman, a game competitor who holds over 100 game world records, on Sep 25, 2015 at his home in Gurnee, IL. Todd Friedman is a game competitor and competition organizer. His personal game collections consist of 2,840 games and he has been playing video games since he was five years old. His world records are recorded on the Twin Galaxies Score Database website. For the Wii DJ Hero alone he has three pages filled with records of him placing 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th with songs ranging from Foo Fighters to Jackson Five. However, Todd has never worked as a full-time game competitor. Instead, he is an EDI (Electronic data interchange) analyst at HubGroup, a truck company. Generally, he arrives home from work at 4:30pm and plays games or works out with his children. Todd has his own philosophy for life and gaming. He holds world records but has never thought of earning money from playing games or having it as a “real” job. Rather, he loves the competition itself. In his view, playing games is more like something that brings people fun and happiness, instead of a tool to make money. He also enjoys being a spectator and watching others play games. This is one of the reasons why he loves not only to participate but also to organize game competitions. How does Todd balance his daily life with his gaming life? If you ask Todd they are one and the same. In fact, a quote of his is “Working and being father is my typical day.” He works his full time job, spends time with his family and ensures that he also spends time on his professional gaming activities. He has twins, a boy and a girl aged 9 years old that he does the normal after school activities with like, soccer, cheerleading, etc. He also loves video gaming especially with his family! One controversial view is that coin-operated video gaming has been a target of negative perceptions. However, Todd completely discredits this argument -- that gaming is a negative influence. He credits video gaming for keeping him on a good path, away from drugs and alcohol, fueling his interest in technology, and obtaining friendships from an array of different cultures all due to being able to meet, talk and play video games with people from around the nation and around the world. Are e-sports according to Todd a real sport? The short answer is “yes.” Todd has two favorite sports, Bowling and video gaming. He compared video game competition to bowling to how some people do not believe it is a sport by discussing hand and eye coordination, mental focus, and talent. You have to beat the other person and practice to get better at it, which is exactly like bowling or golf. According to Todd, a professional gamer, a sport consists of using your mind, practicing, and playing against someone to win. And e-sports falls within his definition. Through the interview, we found that Todd was not in agreement with a lot of the negative stereotypes that people have about gaming, such as, video games are bad for young kids, it wastes their time, money and may have a negative effect on their behaviors and social skills. Instead, he is an average guy who has been playing games since 7 years old and it has helped to evolve him socially and as a positive role model. He credits video games to keeping him away from drugs and alcohol and is also a mechanism that helps to relieve stress. It also positively affects his relationships. He is a better friend, father, husband and co-worker because of his involvement with games.
Show less
- Title
- Interview with Todd Friedman: raw-recording
- Creator
- Rao, Xi, Houlihan, Jodi
- Date
- 2015-09-25, 2015-09-25
- Description
-
We conducted an interview with Todd Friedman, a game competitor who holds over 100 game world records, on Sep 25, 2015 at his home in Gurnee,...
Show moreWe conducted an interview with Todd Friedman, a game competitor who holds over 100 game world records, on Sep 25, 2015 at his home in Gurnee, IL. Todd Friedman is a game competitor and competition organizer. His personal game collections consist of 2,840 games and he has been playing video games since he was five years old. His world records are recorded on the Twin Galaxies Score Database website. For the Wii DJ Hero alone he has three pages filled with records of him placing 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th with songs ranging from Foo Fighters to Jackson Five. However, Todd has never worked as a full-time game competitor. Instead, he is an EDI (Electronic data interchange) analyst at HubGroup, a truck company. Generally, he arrives home from work at 4:30pm and plays games or works out with his children. Todd has his own philosophy for life and gaming. He holds world records but has never thought of earning money from playing games or having it as a “real” job. Rather, he loves the competition itself. In his view, playing games is more like something that brings people fun and happiness, instead of a tool to make money. He also enjoys being a spectator and watching others play games. This is one of the reasons why he loves not only to participate but also to organize game competitions. How does Todd balance his daily life with his gaming life? If you ask Todd they are one and the same. In fact, a quote of his is “Working and being father is my typical day.” He works his full time job, spends time with his family and ensures that he also spends time on his professional gaming activities. He has twins, a boy and a girl aged 9 years old that he does the normal after school activities with like, soccer, cheerleading, etc. He also loves video gaming especially with his family! One controversial view is that coin-operated video gaming has been a target of negative perceptions. However, Todd completely discredits this argument -- that gaming is a negative influence. He credits video gaming for keeping him on a good path, away from drugs and alcohol, fueling his interest in technology, and obtaining friendships from an array of different cultures all due to being able to meet, talk and play video games with people from around the nation and around the world. Are e-sports according to Todd a real sport? The short answer is “yes.” Todd has two favorite sports, Bowling and video gaming. He compared video game competition to bowling to how some people do not believe it is a sport by discussing hand and eye coordination, mental focus, and talent. You have to beat the other person and practice to get better at it, which is exactly like bowling or golf. According to Todd, a professional gamer, a sport consists of using your mind, practicing, and playing against someone to win. And e-sports falls within his definition. Through the interview, we found that Todd was not in agreement with a lot of the negative stereotypes that people have about gaming, such as, video games are bad for young kids, it wastes their time, money and may have a negative effect on their behaviors and social skills. Instead, he is an average guy who has been playing games since 7 years old and it has helped to evolve him socially and as a positive role model. He credits video games to keeping him away from drugs and alcohol and is also a mechanism that helps to relieve stress. It also positively affects his relationships. He is a better friend, father, husband and co-worker because of his involvement with games.
Show less
- Title
- Interview with Daniel Bishop: photos
- Creator
- Armas, Cesar, Parnell, Tesoro, Nguyen, Minh, Scroggins, Colt
- Date
- 2015, 2015
- Description
-
Mr. David L. Bishop is the Vice President of Namco USA, and works at Level 257 in Schaumberg, Illinois. Growing up working in an arcade as a...
Show moreMr. David L. Bishop is the Vice President of Namco USA, and works at Level 257 in Schaumberg, Illinois. Growing up working in an arcade as a teen, he instantly fell in love with video games. Defender was the game that sparked his interest in the industry and from that point on the rest of his life would be intertwined with the coin-op industry. In college he studied as an electrical engineer, and was later hired by Atari. He then moved to Namco USA and worked his way up the ranks to Vice President. His role at Namco is exploring how to expand beyond home entertainment in the future, in order to create social and meaningful experiences between people and games. He strives to make playing games more accessible, not necessarily a “pay for play” anymore. This would change the term “coin-op” as the future holds a different form of payment. He believes that using gaming as an “element” in unison with other elements can create a much more meaningful and satisfying experience. Studio 257 is a modern style restaurant that encompasses his idea of using games as an element. It includes a full hall of games, but it also features HD televisions, open bars, bowling lanes, and family style sit downs. Games are not the center of attention here at Level 257. Instead, they serve as a compliment to the overall experience. In this way, Bishop paves the way for those who haven’t played video games in years to be able to enjoy them again. They do not feel like they’re forced, rather the games are there, and since the option presents itself, they are more likely inclined to add that to their experience. Mr. Bishop offers some very valuable insight into the coin-op industry and its change in culture, technology, and audience. In terms of culture, the past seemed to have demonstrated video games as poison to the youth. At one point in his life, Mr. Bishop was representing the coin-op chains of America. He, himself often felt like a “poster-child” growing up, since there were many active protest and lawsuits against violent video games. He notes that regardless of the bad publicity, it drove sales. Video game popularity skyrockets when it generates controversy. This is present in modern day games as well but not to such a large extent. Games gave gravitated towards more violence; however the response has never been more accepting. He stresses how games are an art form, and how they can be, and should be appreciated. They are an integral part of his life, and he hopes that they remain an integral part of everyone’s life moving forward.
Show less
- Title
- Interview with Daniel Bishop
- Creator
- Armas, Cesar, Parnell, Tesoro, Nguyen, Minh, Scroggins, Colt
- Date
- 2015, 2015
- Description
-
Mr. David L. Bishop is the Vice President of Namco USA, and works at Level 257 in Schaumberg, Illinois. Growing up working in an arcade as a...
Show moreMr. David L. Bishop is the Vice President of Namco USA, and works at Level 257 in Schaumberg, Illinois. Growing up working in an arcade as a teen, he instantly fell in love with video games. Defender was the game that sparked his interest in the industry and from that point on the rest of his life would be intertwined with the coin-op industry. In college he studied as an electrical engineer, and was later hired by Atari. He then moved to Namco USA and worked his way up the ranks to Vice President. His role at Namco is exploring how to expand beyond home entertainment in the future, in order to create social and meaningful experiences between people and games. He strives to make playing games more accessible, not necessarily a “pay for play” anymore. This would change the term “coin-op” as the future holds a different form of payment. He believes that using gaming as an “element” in unison with other elements can create a much more meaningful and satisfying experience. Studio 257 is a modern style restaurant that encompasses his idea of using games as an element. It includes a full hall of games, but it also features HD televisions, open bars, bowling lanes, and family style sit downs. Games are not the center of attention here at Level 257. Instead, they serve as a compliment to the overall experience. In this way, Bishop paves the way for those who haven’t played video games in years to be able to enjoy them again. They do not feel like they’re forced, rather the games are there, and since the option presents itself, they are more likely inclined to add that to their experience. Mr. Bishop offers some very valuable insight into the coin-op industry and its change in culture, technology, and audience. In terms of culture, the past seemed to have demonstrated video games as poison to the youth. At one point in his life, Mr. Bishop was representing the coin-op chains of America. He, himself often felt like a “poster-child” growing up, since there were many active protest and lawsuits against violent video games. He notes that regardless of the bad publicity, it drove sales. Video game popularity skyrockets when it generates controversy. This is present in modern day games as well but not to such a large extent. Games gave gravitated towards more violence; however the response has never been more accepting. He stresses how games are an art form, and how they can be, and should be appreciated. They are an integral part of his life, and he hopes that they remain an integral part of everyone’s life moving forward.
Show less
- Title
- Interview with Daniel Bishop: transcription
- Creator
- Armas, Cesar, Parnell, Tesoro, Nguyen, Minh, Scroggins, Colt
- Date
- 2015, 2015
- Description
-
Mr. David L. Bishop is the Vice President of Namco USA, and works at Level 257 in Schaumberg, Illinois. Growing up working in an arcade as a...
Show moreMr. David L. Bishop is the Vice President of Namco USA, and works at Level 257 in Schaumberg, Illinois. Growing up working in an arcade as a teen, he instantly fell in love with video games. Defender was the game that sparked his interest in the industry and from that point on the rest of his life would be intertwined with the coin-op industry. In college he studied as an electrical engineer, and was later hired by Atari. He then moved to Namco USA and worked his way up the ranks to Vice President. His role at Namco is exploring how to expand beyond home entertainment in the future, in order to create social and meaningful experiences between people and games. He strives to make playing games more accessible, not necessarily a “pay for play” anymore. This would change the term “coin-op” as the future holds a different form of payment. He believes that using gaming as an “element” in unison with other elements can create a much more meaningful and satisfying experience. Studio 257 is a modern style restaurant that encompasses his idea of using games as an element. It includes a full hall of games, but it also features HD televisions, open bars, bowling lanes, and family style sit downs. Games are not the center of attention here at Level 257. Instead, they serve as a compliment to the overall experience. In this way, Bishop paves the way for those who haven’t played video games in years to be able to enjoy them again. They do not feel like they’re forced, rather the games are there, and since the option presents itself, they are more likely inclined to add that to their experience. Mr. Bishop offers some very valuable insight into the coin-op industry and its change in culture, technology, and audience. In terms of culture, the past seemed to have demonstrated video games as poison to the youth. At one point in his life, Mr. Bishop was representing the coin-op chains of America. He, himself often felt like a “poster-child” growing up, since there were many active protest and lawsuits against violent video games. He notes that regardless of the bad publicity, it drove sales. Video game popularity skyrockets when it generates controversy. This is present in modern day games as well but not to such a large extent. Games gave gravitated towards more violence; however the response has never been more accepting. He stresses how games are an art form, and how they can be, and should be appreciated. They are an integral part of his life, and he hopes that they remain an integral part of everyone’s life moving forward.
Show less
- Title
- Interview with Daniel Bishop: Bishop, David Interview (Audio)
- Creator
- Armas, Cesar, Parnell, Tesoro, Nguyen, Minh, Scroggins, Colt
- Date
- 2015, 2015
- Description
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Mr. David L. Bishop is the Vice President of Namco USA, and works at Level 257 in Schaumberg, Illinois. Growing up working in an arcade as a...
Show moreMr. David L. Bishop is the Vice President of Namco USA, and works at Level 257 in Schaumberg, Illinois. Growing up working in an arcade as a teen, he instantly fell in love with video games. Defender was the game that sparked his interest in the industry and from that point on the rest of his life would be intertwined with the coin-op industry. In college he studied as an electrical engineer, and was later hired by Atari. He then moved to Namco USA and worked his way up the ranks to Vice President. His role at Namco is exploring how to expand beyond home entertainment in the future, in order to create social and meaningful experiences between people and games. He strives to make playing games more accessible, not necessarily a “pay for play” anymore. This would change the term “coin-op” as the future holds a different form of payment. He believes that using gaming as an “element” in unison with other elements can create a much more meaningful and satisfying experience. Studio 257 is a modern style restaurant that encompasses his idea of using games as an element. It includes a full hall of games, but it also features HD televisions, open bars, bowling lanes, and family style sit downs. Games are not the center of attention here at Level 257. Instead, they serve as a compliment to the overall experience. In this way, Bishop paves the way for those who haven’t played video games in years to be able to enjoy them again. They do not feel like they’re forced, rather the games are there, and since the option presents itself, they are more likely inclined to add that to their experience. Mr. Bishop offers some very valuable insight into the coin-op industry and its change in culture, technology, and audience. In terms of culture, the past seemed to have demonstrated video games as poison to the youth. At one point in his life, Mr. Bishop was representing the coin-op chains of America. He, himself often felt like a “poster-child” growing up, since there were many active protest and lawsuits against violent video games. He notes that regardless of the bad publicity, it drove sales. Video game popularity skyrockets when it generates controversy. This is present in modern day games as well but not to such a large extent. Games gave gravitated towards more violence; however the response has never been more accepting. He stresses how games are an art form, and how they can be, and should be appreciated. They are an integral part of his life, and he hopes that they remain an integral part of everyone’s life moving forward.
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- Title
- Interview with Sheri Rubin: Audio Transcription
- Creator
- Dammeier, Cole, Riley, Chris, Aynessazian, Jacob, Zaveri, Raj, Ludwig, Wes
- Date
- 2016-12-09, 2016-11-21
- Description
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Sheri Rubin was a quality assurance tester for Intelligent Technologies. As a tester, she would play the games for hours searching for odd...
Show moreSheri Rubin was a quality assurance tester for Intelligent Technologies. As a tester, she would play the games for hours searching for odd glitches and such. She played a major role in the development of some of the biggest games from the company, such as Big Buck Hunter and Golden Tee series. She got into the industry through volunteering at a card game company. Using this experience, she became interested in her friend’s work at Incredible Technologies. After finding a few flaws, her friend started asking her to try specific things. After a time, she was hired by the company as a quality assurance tester. She was eventually promoted to product support administrator, which included running the online tournament and managing the quality assurance testers. She later worked for High Voltage Software, where she helped develop and design games. She then started her own company, Design Direct Deliver. The company helps people with job searching and personal branding. She is still very active in the video game industry, spending time helping other game developers and volunteering for many organizations. She has been a member of the International Game Designer Association since 1999. She has been secretary in the past and was a board member from 2012 to 2014. She uses her status in the industry to support women in the field by leading special interest groups, or SIGs, such as Women in Games. She has spoken many times at Girls Who Code, a group that introduces women to computer coding. Additionally, she has volunteered for the American Red Cross and Girl Scouts. Sheri Rubin hopes that in the future, game developers learn to respect the coin-op industry, and learn from the mistakes she made. She feels that, too often, developers make the same mistakes others have made in the past. She also wants to inspire a new generation of game developers who continue making games. She wants to see more diversity in the video game industry, and works hard to make women accepted in the industry.
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