Good Game SP for MANIA

It's the lighting, not jaundice. OR IS IT?

While I was working at Good Game and Mania magazine, I’d always wanted to do a photo feature on the show but refrained from doing so because of the conflict of interest. It was frustrating because here I had access to the set of Good Game, its presenters, and a tonne of props to produce a really fun feature for kids but I had to keep putting it off for obvious reasons. Even when my contract with the ABC expired, I was still apprehensive about doing a feature on Good Game because I was concerned that there would still be a conflict of interest, so I ran it past my editors and the people at the ABC and only proceeded when I got the green light. The feature I ended up producing was for Good Game Spawn Point and basically introduced Bajo and Hex to Mania’s readership. I did a short Q&A  and then did a photoshoot with the two presenters.

So was it weird interviewing the people I work with? Not really. Both were used to being interviewed and I was used to asking silly questions for Mania, so it wasn’t that big a deal for either of us. I got them into the studio and they sat in their usual chairs, joking with each other and texting on their iPhones (they’re both a bit attached to their phones – if they’re not texting, they’re Tweeting or checking Facebook). When it came time to photograph them, I think being friends with them was an advantage inasmuch that I could tell them exactly what I wanted them to do without worrying that I was asking for too much. I’m sure I said “Ok Hex, now can you facepalm Bajo? Yep, a little more violent please” a few times and asked for an excessive amount of enthusiasm from both hosts. They were both great sports and Bajo seemed fine with copping a number of palms to the face.

I think the issue of Mania with my feature in it is on sale now, although I’m not entirely sure because I left for France before the issue went to print. *shrug*

PICTURES AFTER LINK.

National Tournament On A Purple Bus

Gaming bus in Place de la Victoire

Prior to coming to France I was told that the country had a really large gaming scene; significantly larger than Australia’s, which excited me muchly. But since my arrival, I haven’t really been keeping my eye out for games at all – in between adjusting to living in a foreign country, enrolling into university, dealing with the French bureaucracy, and trying to conserve body heat by sitting in positions that make me really small, games haven’t exactly been hot on my mind. That is, of course, until today.

GRAND NATIONAL VIDEOGAME TOURNAMENT PHWAAAR

A large purple bus was parked in Place de la Victoire this afternoon when I got off the tram with a spruiker standing beside it going on about some tournament and luring unsuspecting passers-by onto the bus to play Xbox 360 games. I approached the bus to see what it was all about. My French isn’t very good and I still get incredibly nervous whenever someone speaks to me in French, so as soon as the spruiker saw me approach, he tried to get me to sign up to compete and asked me which game I wanted to compete in. What I wanted to say to him was “Qu’est-ce que c’est?” (What is this?), a line which I have used many times before and normally rolls off my tongue with ease. But in my moment of nervousness, I said “Je vais réfléchir” (I will reflect).

Yeah. What the shitting fuck, Tracey? I will reflect? What the butt does that even mean?

He laughed, gave me an entry form, and sent me off on my way.

Christmas Time At Good Game

If you've ever wondered what sits on the back shelf of the Good Game den, here's some of it.

I worked at Good Game for almost a year and in that time I took a tonne of photos. Using my phone, my compact digital or my DSLR, I took a photo on every shoot I ever went on and then some more around the office because I’m insanely sentimental. I was meant to post these photos up around Christmas time when we filmed the Christmas special, but I never did because more important things got in the way, such as my search for discounted thermal pants for my trip to France (and in case you’re interested, the search was successful and I now have a woollen wardrobe that not only protects me from the cold but also makes me look demented in five different ways).

Here’s a few!

Bajo wore Transformer cufflinks for this episode but always needed help putting them on. HEX TO THE RESCUE!

This was the least Asian pose in the batch. I am slightly embarrassed, but also somewhat impressed by my consistency at reinforcing racial stereotypes.

WHAT A BUNCH OF CUTE CATS!

Some of those photos were taken on my compact digital and the first and last one my DSLR, hence the difference in quality. All the best with season 6, cats!

So I’m In France…

I actually bought a bunch of these toast plush toys in bulk and brought one with me to France.

Hey kidlets!

So I’ve hopped on a plane and flown to France where I’ll be studying for a year. If you’re interested in my French adventures, you can wander over to my silly little travel blog, which can be found here.

I don’t have internet in my studio apartment at the moment and am mooching off internet off a friend, so posts will come through extra slow. In the coming days/weeks I’ll be posting up things that I’ve been meaning to post for ages, namely photos and bits and pieces from Good Game.

Also, before I forget, I have an article on the fall of Red Ant Enterprises that is in the upcoming issue of Hyper magazine, so keep your eyes peeled. PEELED LIKE POTATOES. And then go and buy it (and proceed to rub it all over yourself).