Houston Retro Gamers livestream for a cause
Houston Retro Gamers hosted their third annual livestream event via Twitch in The Galleria’s Microsoft Store Oct. 15 from 6 p.m. to midnight to raise money for Texas Children’s Hospital.
There’s a few important lessons to learn when you’re on a fixed camera that’s broadcasting you candidly playing video games directly to the internet. First, nothing is ever really candid so long as you can see the camera. You’ll never fully forget that there’s a camera and a microphone pointed at you. Second, you’re never as good at playing video games as you thought you were, but you get better as you settle in. In my case, settling into gaming while surrounded by a host of superheroes and screaming children was not an easy task.
When Regan Bjerkeli, photographer and communication major, and I arrived at the Microsoft Store in The Galleria, Batman greeted us at the door. Meanwhile, Captain America was arm wrestling the Joker, as there was a man nearby with a balloon stuck to his head. I wasn’t sure if I wandered into the right event at the end of a downtown work day. Children scampered over, under and around high-end electronics while a DJ blasted music in which I was only ever 10 percent familiar. I found the Houston Retro Gamers and their Founder Kingsley Alexander. We received our passes and filled out some basic information, as a raffle was to take place. I’ve never won a raffle and my luck did not change.
Surrounded by adorable children and skeptical 20-somethings, I sat with Alexander and his crew as they set up their consoles: a Sega Genesis with all the bells and whistles, a Retron 5 and a Playstation 4. As we got the webcam and livestreaming equipment set up, we played “Pac-Man” and discussed who would win in a fight between Kirby and the Yellow Puck. Kirby unanimously won.
I wasn’t aware when we started broadcasting to Twitch; I was just handed a controller and told to start playing. They challenged my terrible gameplay and commended my mediocre achievements. I was having a blast. I felt like a kid playing games with friends. Cutting through the noise was a thought: why were the Houston Retro Gamers here and what were they doing exactly? This is the third year for the Houston Retro Gamers to run a charity livestream for Extra Life. They consistently raise their goals, and they insist on handling none of the money but instead hand it directly to the charity. They were experienced, professional and respected. But what was I doing here?
Alexander fired up the demo for the new “Resident Evil” game, hardly retro but certainly hyped and fun. The game runs in the same vein as a playable teaser, a demo for a project that has now since been abandoned. The object of the game is horror-based puzzles, ripe with jump-scares and disturbing imagery. This was Alexander’s first time playing the game, but I had already gone through it several times. I suggested things he should do, compared it to playing the end scene of “The Blair Witch Project,” and found myself nerding out while spouting jargon about the genre. I elaborated on the process of making the game and explained the premise to my fellow gamers. I casually slipped into a vein of witty remarks and observations, cracking jokes about Alexander’s careful gaming style. Once he finished “Resident Evil,” he loaded up something that made me squeal with joy: the demo for “Outlast 2.” I launched into it – simultaneously immersed into the lore of the first game and Alexander’s play-through on screen of the second game. Right around the moment I was lauding the game for its non-combative style of play, which restricts the player to only experience and survive the environment through the use of a handy-cam and batteries to power its night vision lens, I realized why I had been asked to participate.
Livestreaming is not just playing videogames. Livestreaming is not just talking to a webcam. Both of these things can be achieved through pre-recorded footage and voice over. Channels on YouTube do this all the time. What makes livestreaming unique is being able to do both on the fly without losing audience interest or detracting from the subject. Playing games with the Houston Retro Gamers felt like I was 14 years old again, hanging out with friends after school as we linked our Xbox’s or dragged our computers into someone’s living room to stay up all night. It was familiar, it was funny and, in this particular instance, playing games with friends while raising awareness for a charity. We had a flow to our conversations. We carried no dead airtime. I didn’t feel like a guest any more than the audience should feel like an audience. They should feel as engaged as the gamer. They should feel like they’re sitting with the gamer.
In the midst of a long and fun night, I found a purpose for participation. Looking around the store, I saw a commonality; people engaging with each other through a medium that often assumes isolation. Kids were playing board games together. Adults were exploring worlds in virtual reality. Superheroes mingled and took photos. Ten years ago one would be hard-pressed to find this level of inclusivity with gamers and nerds, but that night was a night of engagement. I did not sense a room of obligation. Instead, I felt a community pop up for the sake of having fun and working for a good cause. Video games and gamers still remain a contentious subject, but I believe there has never been a better time to be a gamer. From sports fanatics to “Dungeons and Dragons,” we are all nerds about something. I find that to be rather harmonious.
Houston Retro Gamers will live stream again Nov. 5 from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Nov. 6. at the Microsoft Store in The Galleria. You can follow them on Twitch, participate in their leg of the charity and even join them during the stream.
