PALGN: Can you briefly describe what Good Game is for those who haven't seen the show yet?
Junglist: Good Game is a magazine style show which aims to provide an informative & entertaining analysis of the gaming industry in Australia. We have news, reviews, tech tips, interviews with developers, challenges, and some miscellaneous stuff only gamers will get. We aim to provide a show enjoyable to all gamers: young and old, male and female, hardcore or new.
PALGN: Has the show been in planning for a long time?
Junglist: Well, Janet Carr (the shows series producer) and I had been talking about the mainstream media's coverage of gaming for some time. She was working at ABC2, and it was originally her idea to submit a proposal about a gaming show. So in real life terms, thinking wise, we were planning it for a long time but from the proposal being submitted to our first episode going to air it took only a few months, which in industry terms, is at a pretty fast speed. ABC2 loved the interactive and cross-platform opportunities, and also the fact that it appealed to a younger audience than the ABC was used to catering for.
PALGN: How long does it take to film each episode?
Kapowski: We try to film as much as we can at once, as it is very hard getting everyone in the same place at the same time. Then it's a matter of compiling the segments into an episode. Once we have decided what goes into an episode we do the "studio links".
Junglist: Now that we're in full swing we have a very small turnaround time & pretty much make every episode the week before. Its hard work this way, but we like it because we can implement feedback very quickly. We listen to all the suggestions & comments on our forums, email, chat & polls.
PALGN: Who comes up with the humour for the show? Do you get much input into the content?
Junglist: Some stuff on the show is scripted, some is ad lib. Janet & I write the scripts when we need them. It's a very small team working on Good Game so we all have a lot of input. If we think something is funny we'll stick it in... it's a tricky area though. Comedy is tricky in general, but the biggest obstacle would be the multiple "filters" that everything has to go through. We might write a segment, then it has to pass through a morality filter, an ABC editorial policy filter, a legal filter, an executive approval filter, etc. In the first few episodes there was a sharp eye on our activities from a lot of people, but its getting to the stage now where we can focus more on gamer humour rather than family acceptable humour. That said, we always focus on content first and humour second.
PALGN: What process did you go through to become a host?
Junglist: Well I've been involved with the process of getting Good Game up and running from the start. Janet and myself wrote the proposal together, made the pilot together, and now we make the show with a core few others. There was no audition process or anything like that... it was more a case of recognising an opportunity and pouncing on it.
Kapowski: Junglist and I have been friends for three years or so and we used to work together before the show in a call centre. Junglist retired and went onto his professional gaming career (he was unemployed) and did really well with f.bang (a CS:S clan). I was in the clan from the begining but real life had it's toll and eventually I was expelled. f.bang held a very good status on the GA and GS ladders, but before all that Jung was really into is AOM (Age of Mythology) and I believe that's how Janet and Jung met. Janet threw around the idea of setting up a show for (and I quote) "for gamers, by gamers". It was a catchy idea and the "Good Game" brand was very well thought out - as we all know, it is what gamers say to one another after a game. I pretty much begged to be on the show and it has worked out very well. Jung and I work well together. I suggested a few ideas for the show "build pc segment" and another that can't be disclosed at this time (it's a suprise).
PALGN: What's been the best part of working on Good Game so far?
Junglist: Definitely all the people we've met so far - everyone has been heaps keen to help, and there's some really cool gamers out there. The Pure Pwnage guys for instance, very cool, smart guys in real life worthy of all our respect. The Gamestah shoutcasters who provide their service for the good of the community...the show has forced us to look around at the industry and uncover a lot of great personalities.
Kapowski: I enjoy the game conventions that developers throw. I always enjoy a good party.
PALGN: Have either of you been recognised on the street yet?
Junglist: Just once so far! Kapowski and I were out on the town (checking out some jungle music actually
) and a group of girls started following us for a bit. I'm not too fussed about the "fame" the show will generate. I'm at work most of the time anyway, but I think its really cool when people come up and give suggestions at LANs and stuff - a lot of them are really good and we end up trying to implement them ASAP.
PALGN: When you're not playing games or filming Good Game, what do you do?
Junglist: I'm heavily into Jungle/Drum&Bass music. I love a good DnB night, and do a bit of mixing now & then. I go to the gym when I can. Work & games kind of dominate my life now though.
Kapowski: I participate in the CAMS NSW Supersprint championship. I just got into motorcar racing and I am really enjoying it. I also like watching the NRL (in season of course), I am a huge Manly fan. When the surfs good I bodyboard Shark Island in Cronulla. I also enjoy a good night out with my girl friend, you might catch us at the front of the dance floor.
PALGN: If you could only buy one next-gen console (Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii) what would it be?
Kapowski: It's definately the Wii. If I want to play a regular game I'll load it onto my pc. That's what it's for! I loved duck hunt back in the day and this is what I would really call "next gen". It's not just about beefing up the specs on a console, it is about re-inventing it. That is where I give my brownie points. I just hope it's all that it sets out to be.
Junglist: Gunna have to say the Wii man - I've always been a fan of gameplay before graphics & hardware power. The Wii has massive potential, and it'll depend on what Nintendo & the game developers do with it to see if they realise that potential. But it actually is a new way to play games - we took a look at it in Ep 2, and just a simple tennis game was more fun than a lot of other games I've played, just due to the new way of playing it. Add in my childhood favs like Zelda and so on... I'm sold.
PALGN: We know that you're both passionate gamers. What the most embarrassing moment you've had while playing a video game?
Junglist: Would have to be planting the bomb on de_train in CSS. It was a ladder match, I was the last T left, got the bomb down, and crouched under one of the trains. There was one CT left, Kermit, and I was positive he'd come from the B corridor. Well... I was wrong, and he stealthed up behind me and knifed me in the back. Shortly after it was in his first COTW. Look up Kermit's CSS video, I'm pretty sure it's still available for download somewhere.
PALGN: What will be your next game purchase?
Kapowski: Dark Messiah, BF2142, Supreme Commander and Total War: Med 2
Junglist: For me, I like to pick my games and go hard on them. I've been looking for a new game lately that I can really get into competitively. I've been reviewing DoW:DC recently and that's been a lot of fun, but I'm unsure as to how the competitive scene will turn out. Supreme Commander is definitely on my shopping list, but we're gunna have to wait a while for that. As far as non-competitive, I'm pretty excited about Zelda, Metroid, Mario, Wario, all the classic stuff coming out on the Wii. Dark Messiah: Might & Magic looks like it has a fair bit of potential as well. Of course there's a lot more - there's a lot of great stuff coming up and it's a great time to be involved in the industry.
PALGN: So, who can we blame for coming up with the idea of P_Nutz, the computer-hacking ape? If he is kicked off the show, do you think that will be the end of his television career?
Junglist: Haha, well, a cheat segment wasn't in the original plan for the show. Neither myself, Kapowski, or Daneel wanted to be associated with a cheating section. But it became one of the things we had to do, so we ended up fobbing it off to the puppet. His voice is what most people find annoying, so that'll have to go. As for his TV career, well, he's never been the same after his skin was turned yellow in an unfortunate smelting accident. Might be time for him to get a real job.
Kapowski: From the feedback on the forums though it is safe to say that our viewers feel insulted by the puppet. I guess it makes them feel immature watching "Good Game" with one. Personally I don't blame them. Kids love the puppet. I think we should sell the puppet on Ebay, announce the successful bidder on the show and donate the proceeds to a needy charity. That would definately end his television career.
PALGN: It there any chance we'll see Good Game on ABC1 at some stage?
Junglist: I can't really speculate. ABC2 took a huge risk is commissioning the show and we're grateful for that. If theres one thing we've proven so far, its that Australia definitely has the audience for a national gaming show. The feedback has been very positive and the support from the community has been amazing. The online capabilities of ABC2 compliment the show very well, and the elements of a gaming show combined with government funding are an unexpected yet brilliant mix. Gamers love the fact that we don't actually promote/endorse anything so all our reviews are honest. I don't think it would be the same show anywhere else - but whether we ever move to the main channel depends on what ABC wants & of course the feedback from the viewers.
Kapowski: If I were the Managing Director I would say yes to that question, but since I am just the presenter I will say "I don't know"
PALGN: Can you give us any hints on interesting segments you have planned for future weeks?
Junglist: Yes! We've got some great stuff coming up. In Ep 5 (17th Oct) you'll get a huge look at Dark Crusade, the expansion to Warhammer: Dawn of War. Plus, due to many requests on our forums, we've got an interview with Jeremy from Pure Pwnage. Ep 6 will be a big week for previews/reviews, with the new Dark Messiah, Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six, and Sims 2 Pets coming up. More Roffle Cups are planned, and many many cool things we're saving for later in the season
A new episode of Good Game is shown each Tuesday on ABC2 (the digital version of ABC’s free-to-air offering) at 8:30pm. If you don’t have a digital box you can download the episode each week from the show’s website; http://abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/
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PALGN would like to extend its thanks to Junglist and Kapowski for taking the time to answer our questions. We'd also like to thank Janet Carr for helping to organise the interview.
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