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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 Todd Friedman: raw-recording
Creator: Rao, Xi, Houlihan, Jodi
Date: 2015, 2015

Title: Interview with Todd Friedman: photos
Creator: Rao, Xi, Houlihan, Jodi
Date: 2015, 2015

Title: Interview with Todd Friedman
Creator: Rao, Xi, Houlihan, Jodi
Date: 2015, 2015

Title: Interview with Todd Friedman: ToddFriedman_92515_Transcription_OralHistoryProject
Creator: Rao, Xi, Houlihan, Jodi
Date: 2015, 2015

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.
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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 Chaz Evans: Photos
Creator: Deanda, Michael
Date: 2014-11-14, 2014-11-14
Description: Chaz Evans is the curator of the Video Game Art Gallery (VGA Gallery), a traveling exhibit established in 2013 that displays pieces of art...
Show moreChaz Evans is the curator of the Video Game Art Gallery (VGA Gallery), a traveling exhibit established in 2013 that displays pieces of art from video games. VGA Gallery’s co-directors, Jonathan Kinkley and Chaz Evans, have a deep passion for sharing these artifacts that provide audiences an invitation to enter into discourse surrounding video games through the presentation of art from or inspired by the game. Evans works closely with the designers of the video games featured in the exhibit to ensure that the art pieces they include reflect the designers’ vision of the game. In the time that they have been displaying their exhibit at different events in Chicago, such as Bit Bash, ACTIVATE, Multiples Art Fair, and INTERPLAY Chicago, Evans says that their gallery has been met with much admiration and curiosity from both gamers and non-gamers. Through the process of curating games, he argues that archives and exhibits not only tell a history of video games, but also contribute to the current and ongoing story of video games and provide instances for further discourse and analysis in understanding the video games media. He describes his future aspiration for VGA Gallery to include installations in interactive spaces that contain playable demos of the games alongside the artwork that together provide a threshold for people to experience and appreciate the game.
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Title: Interview with Chaz Evans
Creator: Deanda, Michael
Date: 2014-11-14, 2014-11-14
Description: Chaz Evans is the curator of the Video Game Art Gallery (VGA Gallery), a traveling exhibit established in 2013 that displays pieces of art...
Show moreChaz Evans is the curator of the Video Game Art Gallery (VGA Gallery), a traveling exhibit established in 2013 that displays pieces of art from video games. VGA Gallery’s co-directors, Jonathan Kinkley and Chaz Evans, have a deep passion for sharing these artifacts that provide audiences an invitation to enter into discourse surrounding video games through the presentation of art from or inspired by the game. Evans works closely with the designers of the video games featured in the exhibit to ensure that the art pieces they include reflect the designers’ vision of the game. In the time that they have been displaying their exhibit at different events in Chicago, such as Bit Bash, ACTIVATE, Multiples Art Fair, and INTERPLAY Chicago, Evans says that their gallery has been met with much admiration and curiosity from both gamers and non-gamers. Through the process of curating games, he argues that archives and exhibits not only tell a history of video games, but also contribute to the current and ongoing story of video games and provide instances for further discourse and analysis in understanding the video games media. He describes his future aspiration for VGA Gallery to include installations in interactive spaces that contain playable demos of the games alongside the artwork that together provide a threshold for people to experience and appreciate the game.
Show less

Title: Interview with Chaz Evans: R05_0005
Creator: Deanda, Michael
Date: 2014-11-14, 2014-11-14
Description: Chaz Evans is the curator of the Video Game Art Gallery (VGA Gallery), a traveling exhibit established in 2013 that displays pieces of art...
Show moreChaz Evans is the curator of the Video Game Art Gallery (VGA Gallery), a traveling exhibit established in 2013 that displays pieces of art from video games. VGA Gallery’s co-directors, Jonathan Kinkley and Chaz Evans, have a deep passion for sharing these artifacts that provide audiences an invitation to enter into discourse surrounding video games through the presentation of art from or inspired by the game. Evans works closely with the designers of the video games featured in the exhibit to ensure that the art pieces they include reflect the designers’ vision of the game. In the time that they have been displaying their exhibit at different events in Chicago, such as Bit Bash, ACTIVATE, Multiples Art Fair, and INTERPLAY Chicago, Evans says that their gallery has been met with much admiration and curiosity from both gamers and non-gamers. Through the process of curating games, he argues that archives and exhibits not only tell a history of video games, but also contribute to the current and ongoing story of video games and provide instances for further discourse and analysis in understanding the video games media. He describes his future aspiration for VGA Gallery to include installations in interactive spaces that contain playable demos of the games alongside the artwork that together provide a threshold for people to experience and appreciate the game.
Show less

Title: Interview with Jessica Kent: R05_0009
Creator: Wojtowicz, Daniel, Vadakumchery, Tony, Polk, Tamia, Toppel, Dennis
Date: 2015-10-01, 2015-10-01
Description: Before video games were invented, people initially played coin-op games like skeeball. The most prominent coin-op game was pinball, and its...
Show moreBefore video games were invented, people initially played coin-op games like skeeball. The most prominent coin-op game was pinball, and its appeal endures to this day. However, the arcade and coin-op scene, including pinball, has a relative lack of women players. This is why Jessica Kent, one of the founders of Down to Flip, has such an interesting story. Her push for diversity and encouragement for female players is making significant changes to the pinball and coin-op community, and her work will continue to make these changes. Jessica Kent is the creator of the Down to Flip pinball group, an all women pinball group. Down to Flip started as a Facebook page but has now grown into a group with over 100 members, and over twenty-five active pinball players. Her inspiration for the group came from observing women groups like LA Bell and Chimes in Los Angeles. From a young age, she was involved in the arcade scene, and she rediscovered her love for arcade gaming during college. Jessica has been an avid gamer for most of her life; before rediscovering her love of arcade games and coin-op games, she was a big at-home gamer. She started playing pinball regularly about two-and-a-half years ago, initially on a laundry room pinball table. She prefers the feel of real life tables over digital ones due to her love of other hands-on arcade games like skeeball. Currently, Jessica plays pinball one night a week, but she travels extensively checking out different arcades and other places with coin-op games. Jessica has done a substantial amount of research on pinball and arcade games. Currently, her favorite pinball table is Attack from Mars. Her favorite arcade is Logan Arcade, and her Down to Flip meetings take place there. Jessica’s favorite parts of pinball is that she can track her progress regularly, the randomness of the game, competing against her personal best scores, and the level of hand-eye coordination required. Additionally, Jessica gets a sense of nostalgia from playing pinball and other arcade games. One of Jessica’s goals for Down To Flip is to promote pinball and arcade games to the younger generation and others who aren’t big gamers themselves. She also feels that Down to Flip as a group promotes pinball and coin-op games to people of all backgrounds, especially women, and wishes to use the reach of the group and her own interests to promote causes she believes in to others. Down to Flip and pinball ties into coin-op and video gaming as a whole since it shows a revival in the coin-op and arcade scene that is especially prominent amongst young adult in their twenties and thirties. Recently, numerous arcades and bars such as Galloping Ghost, Logan Arcade, Headquarters, and Level 257 have opened up and are thriving. Coin-op and arcade gaming can be considered to be the true beginning of the gaming community, and these sort of games have been around since the 1930s. However, in the subculture, there has been a relatively lack in diversity; female players were not very prominent, for instance. Jessica Kent’s group Down to Flip encourages greater player diversity by promoting pinball and arcade gaming for women and attempts to encourage younger children of all sexes and demographics to play pinball and other arcade games, thus promoting a more diverse and varied pinball and gaming community. During the interview, Jessica mentions one interaction in the pinball community where she was competing and one of the male pinball players ridiculed female pinball players. According to Jessica, upon getting a very good high score, the person ridiculing her stopped his actions. Groups and people like this break the stereotypes of gamers, and allow females and minorities as a whole to gain equal respect and opportunity.
Show less

Title: Interview with Jessica Kent: photos
Creator: Wojtowicz, Daniel, Vadakumchery, Tony, Polk, Tamia, Toppel, Dennis
Date: 2015-10-01, 2015-10-01
Description: Before video games were invented, people initially played coin-op games like skeeball. The most prominent coin-op game was pinball, and its...
Show moreBefore video games were invented, people initially played coin-op games like skeeball. The most prominent coin-op game was pinball, and its appeal endures to this day. However, the arcade and coin-op scene, including pinball, has a relative lack of women players. This is why Jessica Kent, one of the founders of Down to Flip, has such an interesting story. Her push for diversity and encouragement for female players is making significant changes to the pinball and coin-op community, and her work will continue to make these changes. Jessica Kent is the creator of the Down to Flip pinball group, an all women pinball group. Down to Flip started as a Facebook page but has now grown into a group with over 100 members, and over twenty-five active pinball players. Her inspiration for the group came from observing women groups like LA Bell and Chimes in Los Angeles. From a young age, she was involved in the arcade scene, and she rediscovered her love for arcade gaming during college. Jessica has been an avid gamer for most of her life; before rediscovering her love of arcade games and coin-op games, she was a big at-home gamer. She started playing pinball regularly about two-and-a-half years ago, initially on a laundry room pinball table. She prefers the feel of real life tables over digital ones due to her love of other hands-on arcade games like skeeball. Currently, Jessica plays pinball one night a week, but she travels extensively checking out different arcades and other places with coin-op games. Jessica has done a substantial amount of research on pinball and arcade games. Currently, her favorite pinball table is Attack from Mars. Her favorite arcade is Logan Arcade, and her Down to Flip meetings take place there. Jessica’s favorite parts of pinball is that she can track her progress regularly, the randomness of the game, competing against her personal best scores, and the level of hand-eye coordination required. Additionally, Jessica gets a sense of nostalgia from playing pinball and other arcade games. One of Jessica’s goals for Down To Flip is to promote pinball and arcade games to the younger generation and others who aren’t big gamers themselves. She also feels that Down to Flip as a group promotes pinball and coin-op games to people of all backgrounds, especially women, and wishes to use the reach of the group and her own interests to promote causes she believes in to others. Down to Flip and pinball ties into coin-op and video gaming as a whole since it shows a revival in the coin-op and arcade scene that is especially prominent amongst young adult in their twenties and thirties. Recently, numerous arcades and bars such as Galloping Ghost, Logan Arcade, Headquarters, and Level 257 have opened up and are thriving. Coin-op and arcade gaming can be considered to be the true beginning of the gaming community, and these sort of games have been around since the 1930s. However, in the subculture, there has been a relatively lack in diversity; female players were not very prominent, for instance. Jessica Kent’s group Down to Flip encourages greater player diversity by promoting pinball and arcade gaming for women and attempts to encourage younger children of all sexes and demographics to play pinball and other arcade games, thus promoting a more diverse and varied pinball and gaming community. During the interview, Jessica mentions one interaction in the pinball community where she was competing and one of the male pinball players ridiculed female pinball players. According to Jessica, upon getting a very good high score, the person ridiculing her stopped his actions. Groups and people like this break the stereotypes of gamers, and allow females and minorities as a whole to gain equal respect and opportunity.
Show less

Title: Interview with Jessica Kent
Creator: Wojtowicz, Daniel, Vadakumchery, Tony, Polk, Tamia, Toppel, Dennis
Date: 2015-10-01, 2015-10-01
Description: Before video games were invented, people initially played coin-op games like skeeball. The most prominent coin-op game was pinball, and its...
Show moreBefore video games were invented, people initially played coin-op games like skeeball. The most prominent coin-op game was pinball, and its appeal endures to this day. However, the arcade and coin-op scene, including pinball, has a relative lack of women players. This is why Jessica Kent, one of the founders of Down to Flip, has such an interesting story. Her push for diversity and encouragement for female players is making significant changes to the pinball and coin-op community, and her work will continue to make these changes. Jessica Kent is the creator of the Down to Flip pinball group, an all women pinball group. Down to Flip started as a Facebook page but has now grown into a group with over 100 members, and over twenty-five active pinball players. Her inspiration for the group came from observing women groups like LA Bell and Chimes in Los Angeles. From a young age, she was involved in the arcade scene, and she rediscovered her love for arcade gaming during college. Jessica has been an avid gamer for most of her life; before rediscovering her love of arcade games and coin-op games, she was a big at-home gamer. She started playing pinball regularly about two-and-a-half years ago, initially on a laundry room pinball table. She prefers the feel of real life tables over digital ones due to her love of other hands-on arcade games like skeeball. Currently, Jessica plays pinball one night a week, but she travels extensively checking out different arcades and other places with coin-op games. Jessica has done a substantial amount of research on pinball and arcade games. Currently, her favorite pinball table is Attack from Mars. Her favorite arcade is Logan Arcade, and her Down to Flip meetings take place there. Jessica’s favorite parts of pinball is that she can track her progress regularly, the randomness of the game, competing against her personal best scores, and the level of hand-eye coordination required. Additionally, Jessica gets a sense of nostalgia from playing pinball and other arcade games. One of Jessica’s goals for Down To Flip is to promote pinball and arcade games to the younger generation and others who aren’t big gamers themselves. She also feels that Down to Flip as a group promotes pinball and coin-op games to people of all backgrounds, especially women, and wishes to use the reach of the group and her own interests to promote causes she believes in to others. Down to Flip and pinball ties into coin-op and video gaming as a whole since it shows a revival in the coin-op and arcade scene that is especially prominent amongst young adult in their twenties and thirties. Recently, numerous arcades and bars such as Galloping Ghost, Logan Arcade, Headquarters, and Level 257 have opened up and are thriving. Coin-op and arcade gaming can be considered to be the true beginning of the gaming community, and these sort of games have been around since the 1930s. However, in the subculture, there has been a relatively lack in diversity; female players were not very prominent, for instance. Jessica Kent’s group Down to Flip encourages greater player diversity by promoting pinball and arcade gaming for women and attempts to encourage younger children of all sexes and demographics to play pinball and other arcade games, thus promoting a more diverse and varied pinball and gaming community. During the interview, Jessica mentions one interaction in the pinball community where she was competing and one of the male pinball players ridiculed female pinball players. According to Jessica, upon getting a very good high score, the person ridiculing her stopped his actions. Groups and people like this break the stereotypes of gamers, and allow females and minorities as a whole to gain equal respect and opportunity.
Show less

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