The video game industry grows larger every minute thanks to streamer and Twitch ambassador RemiTheSiren whose mix of personality and creativity adds new dimensions to unexpected games.
YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook Gaming feature live streams from gamers who have mastered the art of playing games and saying interesting things at the same time. As a gamer, I can attest that it’s not easy to do either well, let alone both things at the same time. Many streamers focus on competitive shooters or hyper-popular MMOs (massively multiplayer online games). In Remi’s case, she entertains her growing number of followers (nearly 24,000 at the time of this writing) by adding role-playing to games like Grand Theft Auto V and others that don’t traditionally highlight the RPG aspects.
PopAxiom spoke with Remi about video games, streaming, and playing roles.
Welcome To The Water Temple
Remi’s personal history with gaming goes back a long time. “The first game I remember playing was Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I had to be four, maybe five … my parents had a Nintendo 64 ��”
Veterans of Ocarina will understand Remi’s next statement better than anyone. “I played it over and over until I could beat it. I remember getting stuck in the water temple for the longest time.”
For Remi, Ocarina of Time is “… one of my first and fondest memories of video games.”
Gamer To Streamer
Watching people play video games is a massive and growing industry, a by-product of the gargantuan gaming industry. “I watched people stream on Twitch for a long time but never thought it was something I would be able to do. But one day I was watching some people do GTA role-play and it was on a server I had already played on before. A bunch of people watched it, and I thought ‘Maybe I should just play on there since I’m already on there and whatever happens, happens.’”
What happened was a lot of new followers and an eventual career.
Remi started on Twitch, where she says that part of a successful stream requires “… making it an entertaining experience. Taking something that people have played 100 times but then putting your personality to it …”
Like any good gaming role-play, Remi’s process is a light character sketch with a lot of improv. “I attach a character and some ideas… ‘Do we want her to be evil? Or what would she do in this situation?’ We stick these ideas together and tell a story as we go along.”
For Remi, “… games, where the worlds feel alive, are awesome.”
Playing Roles
Role-playing games and video games were destined to unite. Today, you’ll find many games having “RPG elements.” Remi’s connection to role-play goes back as far as her love for video games. “I’ve always liked to role-play. I did it on my own when I was younger but didn’t quite play it up so much because I didn’t have an audience.”
Remi’s played D&D since high school, which also influenced her connection to playing characters. She tries to role-play whenever possible. “I saw GTA RP had a good role-playing thing going on, and I wanted to jump in on that. GTA is an accessible platform for a lot of people. So, it was nice to jump into something familiar to a lot of people and add an interesting twist.”
Remi’s audience is as inclusive as it gets, mostly due to her natural attitude. But creating a community that embraced everyone was also “… Something I wanted to do from the start. I wanted a place where people could talk about anything, whether it was exciting news about having a kid or something like losing their job or a loved one—a place where people could have a sense of community.
Remi’s driven by a desire to bring positivity into the world and help her fellow humans. “I’ve always had this idea that if I could help one person, then all of the work and all the hours … is worth it.”
Wrapping Up
Remi mentions other streamers who inspire her. “Devin Nash … he talks a lot about analytics and building your brand. Arcadum, I like people who are passionate about what they do. He’s one of those people. He loves Dungeons and Dragons … lives it and breathes it. I’m inspired by people who turn a passion into something that gives people a good time.”
Grand Theft Auto is the most well-known game Remi plays, but she also streams “… Paths of Exile. I have a Dragon Age series play-through. We’re on series two now. That’s interesting because all of the games tie into each other.”
However, the streamer shares an emerging technology that has her excited. “Something I’ve been getting into is virtual reality role-play. It takes a little getting used to moving around in the VR world, but it’s crazy being there. It makes you feel like you’re in this other world, which has been super helpful with everything going on with the virus that you are with these other people.”
Remi beams when she talks about the people involved in VR. “The community right now is so dedicated to it, and is constantly making maps and new character models. There’s a lot of passion for the people who are there.”
Final Fantasy VII recently received a pretty and polished remake, and so have many other classic games. What game would Remi want to receive a makeover? “I would love it if they remastered [Legend of Zelda] Majora’s Mask. I remember my first time playing through it, the way you uncover the story in that game, and the side quests for getting masks and more of the story. I would love to see a remastered version.”
Remi’s stream is active with videos and discussions. What’s coming next from the streamer? “The biggest thing to keep an eye on for my channel is the VR RP. Watching the characters come to life in front of you; it’s so crazy. When other people reach out to you, you can almost feel the touch.”
Follow Remi on Twitch or on Twitter
Thanks to RemiTheSiren and Impact24 PR
for making this interview possible.
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