Ones To Watch : Nintendad

So it is time to carry on the ones to watch series and today is a quick interview with Kieran from Nintendad, who runs the site which is absolutely brilliant for all things Nintendo. Nintendad has become one of my go to sites for reviews of games & accessories so here is a bit more from Kieran and how got the idea of the site along with some hopes for the future...

TNGG :Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do?

Kieran : Hi TNGG readers, and thanks Lucy for taking the time to reach out to us.

My name is Kieran and I own a little site called nintendad.co.uk. Funnily enough, it actually started life as my personal blog but one fateful October morning, I got an email from the PR team at Nintendo, following up to an email I had sent them months prior. Ever since then, the site has been growing exponentially and as things have moved forward, so to has the size of the team. I could actually field a football team now, as I have 11 people contributing to Nintendad. This includes 2 editors, a community manager, a couple of guys who deal with video and talented team of writers to boot.

So to answer your question in a very roundabout way, I'm Kieran, and I collect brilliant people to run my website.

TNGG :What got you into gaming? And what is your earliest gaming memory?

Kieran :This was actually one of my 1st blog posts, talking about this. My parents divorced when I was two and I spent my summer holidays in the South of France with my dad. My mum obviously foresaw me coming back in a bit of a grump so acted proactively. When I returned home to Blighty, there was a gift wrapped in my front room. As I tore through the wrapping paper, I quickly discovered a NES waiting for me with Super Mario Bros. 3. My sister and I played that game to death over the coming months, and while she matured into a proper adult with responsibilities and what not, I never looked back!!

TNGG : What got you involved in blogging about what you do?

Kieran : Funnily enough, my partner started a mummy blog shortly after our daughter was born, to share some of her experiences of parenthood. I thought it would be funny to do a dad blog, the rest as they say, is ancient history.

TNGG : What are some goals you want to achieve from your blog?

Kieran : In all honesty, I've kind of put into place what I wanted to achieve. I consider myself an average writer at best, whilst I have some form of A Level in combined English, I feel that college was a write off and I never made it as far as Uni. I'm more of an ideas guy, and with the write people around me I feel like I can achieve anything, so long as they buy into my vision. When I decided to really run with the idea of Nintendad as an actual game's site, the underlying ethos was too create content that I would be happy to read. I found, at the time with the success of the Nintendo Switch, there were so many similar sites out there.

To quote Jimmy Iovine "I always felt that I had to work harder than the next guy, just to do as well as the next guy. And to do better than the next guy, I had to just kill. And you know, to a certain extent, that's still with me in how I work"

TNGG : What are some of the best experiences you have had thanks to your content so far?

Kieran : Going to Gamescom recently, as a member of the press, was definitely up there. As a kid I'd always dreamed of going to a games show but I never for even the most fleeting moment would have thought I'd have the opportunity to attend, along with all the perks of a press pass. Aside from that, being invited to the post E3 demo of all of Nintendo's upcoming titles, at their UK HQ was wild, as was being invited to a Bandai Namcon event to show off the Witcher 3, at the same location.

TNGG : What is your favourite thing about what you do?

Kieran : I absolutely love finding small companies that make interesting accessories for the Nintendo Switch. I've found some really cool products over the past year and it's always a genuine pleasure interacting with the visionaries who are trying to turn their ideas into reality.

TNGG : In terms of content what are some of your favourite type of posts to do?

Kieran : Would it be weird if I said SEO editing? I obsess on numbers so I love tying to make posts appear as high up in the Google search base as possible.

TNGG : If you could only play 1 game for the rest of your life what would it be?

Kieran : Ooooof! That's a near on impossible question. I think I'd say Dark souls. Maybe by then I'd be able to complete it.

TNGG : Where do you see yourself in the future in terms of your content?

Kieran : More than anything, I hope the people that visit my humble little site enjoy the content we put out. That's the biggest gratification I can take from this. I'd love to take Nintendad to a place where it generates enough money to cover more than the cost of running it, and in turn, I could pay my staff a token fee. That, I would consider a job well done.

TNGG : Where can we find you (i.e social media, YouTube, Twitch etc)

Kieran : Site: nintendad.co.uk, Twitter: @nintendad, Twitch: twitch.tv/nin10dad YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Nintendad

So there you have it that is a little bit more about Nintendad especially Kieran. If you love Nintendo I highly recommend taking a look at the Nintendad site.

Who would you like to see me ask a few questions to in the future?

See you soon, 

I Am Getting Back To The PC Gaming.

Remember this time last year when I started looking at gaming PC's so I could easily play what I had in my Steam library? Well it is almost a year since I received that PC and WOW it has been neglected. My nights & weekends have either been filled with football, shopping or sorting the house out, but now I am trying to make a change. In the next few weeks work on our new bathroom starts and we are currently half way through sorting out our spare room, so obviously that is a fair bit of money that me and Liam have going out of our accounts plus with Christmas just around the corner we need to try save up so I am hoping to limit shopping trips to only those that are essential & the days out will probably only be to the football. But by doing this it means I should have a lot more time on nights and weekends just to sit down and enjoy the games I own at long last. To help this as well I am going to try manage my time better too set times for blogging instead of every night so I can game more and there is plenty of content to review on here.

So to kick all this off I have spent some time looking through my Steam library to see which games I really fancy downloading onto my PC to get playing at long last. Some of these games I have had for years but have never got around to playing. Here are those games that I am going to be downloading first....

Life is Strange : Before the storm - I have actually almost completed this one (on my old PC) I just need to complete the bonus chapter and this one is ticked off my list. Honestly though I love the game so much I don't understand why I haven't wrapped this one up soon.

Behold the Kickmen - This is possibly my most recent game purchased for the PC and I just need to get it downloaded. Since it is football I definitely can't wait to give it a go. To be honest though I don't know much about this game, just that I saw people on Twitter talking about it.

Borderlands - I have this downloaded and ready to go since me and Liam tried to play this together. But it is safe to say I think I will be playing this alone as things weren't going to plan, I like to look around the game as I haven't played it before where as he has played it and likes to jump straight into things. Maybe we will try play it together again but to be honest I may stick to playing this alone.

Lucius - I believe I got this game all thanks to Dodger, I have definitely had it a long time. I did originally start this game on my old PC however, it just wouldn't run so now is the time to give it a go again and hopefully complete it.

Portal - Yet another game me and Liam started playing together but I believe that was on his Xbox 360, it didn't last long though as I was apparently a nightmare on it. But maybe this is another game I should try get through on my own? Especially with Portal 2 also being in my library.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter - This is also a recent purchase and it came from plenty of recommendations on Twitter, I think this game could be an interesting one for me as it is described as a horror action and anyone who knows me will tell you I don't do horror games. Fingers crossed though it is a game I can get lost in.

I am actually really looking forward to sitting down in a nice warm games room in my lovely and comfy  gaming chair to finally sit and tackle my Steam library, I just need to try stay away from any other offers they have on.

What games do you want to finally play on your Steam library?

Ones To Watch : StevoB

Moving on from my previous ones to watch post that featured Michael from Prudent Gaming today we have Stephen from StevoB on YouTube & Twitch. Stephen was quite a recent follower over on our Twitter but he is absolutely brilliant just like his content. So let's find out a little more about him...

TNGG : So tell us a bit about yourselves

Stephen : Hi! My name is Stephen, I'm 28 and from the North West of the UK. I'm an IT degree graduate with experience in Web Design/Development, video production, image editing and a little game design. I've been gaming for well over 20 years mostly on PlayStation and have in recent years been running my own YouTube Let's Play channel and Twitch.

TNGG : What got you into gaming & what is your earliest gaming memory?

Stephen : When I was very young my Dad bought a Sega Mastersystem II and I loved watching him play the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog and Alex Kidd in Miracle World. I played a little myself but preferred to watch him as I wasn't very good! In 1996 we bought our very first PlayStation along with Tekken 2 and as a family got much more into gaming, gradually building up a nice little collection of games. It wasn't until 2000 when I got my very own PSone along with Driver 2 where I then got serious about gaming.

TNGG: What got you into streaming?

Stephen : I think really I just kinda came across Twitch and thought I'd give it a go! I've always preferred YouTube but have always streamed alongside running my channel.

TNGG : What are some goals you want to achieve from streaming?

Stephen : My current aim is to be a Twitch Affliate! I've been streaming for a while and unfortunately it has taken me longer to achieve, but I try to stay postive and keep pushing.

TNGG : What are you best experiences earnt from streaming so far?

Stephen : Streaming has been one of the many things I've done to improve my self confidence which I've always had a real lack of. If it wasn't for Twitch I don't think I'd have had the confidence to go ahead and put commentary into my YouTube videos. I've also had some real fun moments whilst having friends watch me!

TNGG : What do you love most about streaming?

Stephen : I think really it's the real time interaction you get with your viewers! It definitely feels good seeing a viewers reaction to something as you're playing and to also have someone to chat to. :)

TNGG : What are your fave types of game to stream & record for YouTube?

Stephen : Typically I prefer to stream online competitive games on Twitch, so games like Call of Duty, GTA Online, Metal Gear Online and Gran Turismo. On YouTube I do Let's Plays of the single play or story part of a game. So far this has included games such as Uncharted, Skyrim, Metal Gear Solid and Spider-Man.

TNGG : If you had to give up streaming or YouTube which would you chose?

Stephen : Sorry Twitch but my YouTube channel is my baby! xD

TNGG : Where do you see your self in the future in terms of streaming?

Stephen : My main aim at the moment is to continue building up a nice little community of friends that enjoy watching me and keep pushing to reach Affliate. I'm always going to be more active on YouTube but will aim to improve and grow on both platforms!

TNGG : Where can we find you (i.e social media twitch etc).

https://www.youtube.com/stevob https://www.twitch.tv/stevob_

https://twitter.com/StevoB_

https://www.instagram.com/iamstevob

So there you have it that is a little bit more about Stephen. You need to go check out Stephen's YouTube out for yourselves I am sure you will love it.

Who would you like to see me ask a few questions to in the future?

See you soon, 

Ones To Watch : Prudent Gaming

One of my favourite people to talk to on Twitter or Instagram is Michael from Prudent Gaming, he also makes some great content whether that is on his blog or his YouTube so I was delighted when he said he would be happy to take part in a little interview for here on my blog. Michael is a pretty recent discovery for me as we have only being following each other since this year but he has definitely become one of my favourite blogs to read and I find myself watching quite a few of his YouTube videos and honestly I think you lot with love his content too so let's find out a bit more about him... TNGG: So Tell us a little bit about yourself. Michael: My name is Michael Neale and my brand is Prudent Gaming. I have been gaming for as long as I can remember and it’s a real passion on mine, so I’m trying to share my passion with the world through my blog (www.prudentgaming.com) and YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/prudentgaming). Balancing this with a full-time job and a six-month-old son can be challenging, but I am determined to turn my passion into a career to support my family and bring myself happiness and fulfilment. I would be honoured for you to follow my journey.

 TNGG: What got you into gaming & what is your earliest gaming memory?

Michael: The PlayStation One was what really got me into gaming. The games that came out for that system provided some of the best times and experiences with my friends and I’m so thankful for it. My friends and I would always go to each other's houses to play games like Spider-Man and Abe’s Oddysee. My earliest gaming memory is of playing Golden Axe on the Sega Mega Drive with my parents and older sisters. Was I any good? Most likely no.

TNGG: What got you involved in blogging about what you do?

Michael: I have a passion for gaming and I wanted to share that. I began seeing a lot of bloggers on my Twitter so I decided that I would try it out for myself. I looked up a tutorial on YouTube showing me how to create a WordPress website and Prudent Gaming was born!

TNGG: What are some goals you want to achieve from your blog? Michael: Some goals I want to achieve for my blog are to show people just how powerful games can be in terms of emotional connections. I would also like to create a robust guide on how to play all the games you want without breaking the bank. It’s important for me to put my readers and viewers first and to provide valuable content for them.

TNGG: What are some of the best experiences you have had thanks to your content so far? Michael: I consider myself to be quite new to blogging and I have had some extended breaks at some points so I can’t say I have had many experiences because of my content. However, I had a message from someone on Instagram recently, saying that my content and engagement has re-lit their passion for games and they have now started creating their own gaming content. That blew me away and I am incredibly happy for that person. I really hope they win at what they want to achieve.

TNGG: What is your favourite thing about what you do? Michael: My favourite thing about what I do is making videos and blog posts by being completely myself. It’s that simple. I love the fact that I can be unapologetically me and people will listen to what I have to say. I’m thankful every day.

TNGG: In terms of content what are some of your favourite type of posts to do? And what are your favourite types of videos to do on YouTube?

Michael: I don’t think I have posted enough to fully answer this question, but my favourite video I have made so far is the story of when I was stopped by police at a midnight release of World of Warcraft Cataclysm. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDR9Meqqy9c) I’m exploring different types of posts and videos so this will probably change in the future!

TNGG: If you could only play 1 game for the rest of your life what would it be?

Michael: One game I would play for the rest of my life is Final Fantasy IX. It’s my favourite game of all time and it always will be. It means everything to me. TNGG: Where do you see yourself in the future in terms of your content?

Michael: I see myself making more deep and meaningful posts and videos that people can look to for advice and can have in-depth conversations about the topics I discuss.

TNGG: Where can we find you and your content?

Michael:  You can find me on the following platforms:

Twitter - @_mneale (www.twitter.com/_mneale)

Instagram - @_mneale (www.instagram.com/_mneale)

Blog - www.prudentgaming.com

YouTube - www.youtube.com/prudentgaming  

So there you have it that is a little bit more about Michael and Prudent Gaming. I would 100% recommend you checking him out over on social media and his blog & YouTube because there is there is brilliant content over there. Personally my favourite blog post of his is the Great Video Game Soundtracks post. 

Who would you like to see me ask a few questions to in the future?

See you soon, 

PlayStation x Primark

Primark is most definitely one of my favourite shops, only beat by Game. But one of the best things about Primark at the moment though is their selection of gaming and anime products in the men's department I could easily buy everything I lay my eyes on. They have some fantastic Dragonball jumpers and t-shirts, even pyjamas which I will be picking up hopefully. But the range that is really standing out to me and one I have a couple of items from at the moment is the Primark x PlayStation range. 

Unfortunately though when shopping a lot of the items are sold out so I haven't got everything I had been wanting but the 2 main items I picked up as soon as I saw them as I wasn't missing out on these. The 2 items I got are the Hoodie and the colour block t-shirt. 

The hoodie is one item I saw on the Primark men's Instagram page and told the family to look out for straight away. I loved the colour block details and the logo bold in the centre. I am used to hoodies like this sometimes looking a bit tacky but this one definitely isn't, it feels perfect to me and actually fits really well. My favourite part though is definitely the PlayStation logo tapered on the shoulders, it isn't too in your face but you definitely get drawn to it. This is a hoodie I will wear whilst gaming but even when out and about.

My sister and nephew got me the colour block t-shirt for my birthday a few weeks ago. This goes perfectly with my hoodie but is perfect for those days where it is a little warmer. It is super simple with the logo in the centre then a smaller one on the sleeve but that is what makes it great. Normally I don't go for t-shirts that have a big section of white on them but the way this is at the top is brilliant and it isn't see through like most white tops. This is almost too good just to lounge around in so I will also wear this whilst I am out and about.

The best part about this range to me though is definitely how affordable it is, there is no breaking the bank to get PlayStation items for once. I actually have all my family looking out for the rest of the range for me as I love it so much. Fingers crossed I can find all the items I am after, if our local stores ever get better men's sections. Have you got anything from the range yet?

See you soon,