Kaillif Ammen
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Q. Who are you and what do you think your doing here?
Hi! I am Kaillif Ammen! I was the first person to host the Library of Games podcast before Patrick came in (who has now left us...he's not dead!) and I currently edit the podcast together. I am also the site's caretaker and one of the two currently contributing writers (and lead editor).
Q. That sounds boring and frivolous. How long have you been in the gaming industry?
I've been playing video games for as long as I can remember. I only started becoming super into video games since I got my original Xbox in 2005, and I've only been completely immersed by video games since 2007. I opened a website back in early 2008 which I post on from time to time and now I work here!
Q. Isn't that sweet. What makes Library of Games seem different than any other gigs you've done?
There is more than one person that cares. Seriously! Byrdie has been doing some awesome stuff for the website and Stanley puts a surprising amount of work into the podcast! I'm also happy Aaron and Malic can stand talking about video games and other nerdy things with us for about an hour straight! I love it!
Q. You've been here part of the club for about half a year. What do you think this site will become?
This club has become something bigger over the past 6 months. This started out as two people who raised their hands when they said they wanted to review games for the library, which has now become a larger group of people who now talk about video games weekly for an hour and a website. I don't know what it will become, but it will grow from what it is now.
Q. Whenever you do these long, meaningless posts and work on the slightly frivolous website, what stays in your mind to keep you going?
I don't think they are meaningless, and I don't think this site is frivolous. Everything has to start somewhere, you know? I think it's the thought in the back of my head that says that "something good will come out of this." Yeah, that's it.
Q. Any tips for people that want to start a podcast or a website?
Be different. The key is to stand out from the crowd to get the attention of people that you want to listen to you. We are different because we are teens on the internet that won't spend half of the time spewing racial, sexist, homophobic slurs and speak about video games with thought! Right now, that's not enough to get everyone's attention, but we are currently thinking of ways to stand out (and Byrdie seems to be on the right track!)
Q. Experience, work ethic, or talent? What are you looking for with these guys?
These guys come to the podcast every week and bring something to the table, so there's work ethic. These guys have enough experience talking about games and other geeky things with friends all the time, so what I would want from them is the talent to make something interesting on the podcast or website. For me personally, I have basic experience and talent to start up this place (because I'm egotistical like that) but if you know me, I LACK work ethic. There are about 4 podcast episodes you readers haven't heard because I was too lazy to edit them on time. Don't worry! I'm trying to change that right now!
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Matthew "Byrdie" Byrd
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Q. Who are you and what do you think you're doing here?
Hi I'm Matthew Byrd but you can call me Byrdie. I've been into Video Games since I had the Original Playstation and N64 but I didn't get really into them until I got the original XBOX. I had a tough transition into next gen system but when I did I became a full on Gaming nerd. For the podcast I am a contributing writer for the website and one of the co-hosts on the Podcast.
Q. How long have you been in the gaming industry?
I've been playing games since I was 5 but I didn't "really" get into games until I was 12 (2007) when I got the Xbox 360. I fell in love with games like Call of Duty, Dead Space, Batman: Arkham Asylum and they really fueled my passion for Single Player games.
Q. Please describe to me why your a single player supporter.
Well I feel that single player games are good for three reasons. One. They (the good games) offer intriguing stories that are interesting to play through. You just can't get that in multiplayer. Second, they are free from the homophobic and racist people who inhabit Xbox Live and PSN and finally they offer me quiet alone time with games.
Q. Did joining the Podcast late alienate you from the rest of the group?
Oh no not at all. Kailiff and Stanley are some of my best freinds from school and I already knew Malic, Aaron and Taylor so no, not at all.
Q. What do you think of your fellow LoGers?
Oh they're awesome. You see I was alienated in Elementary school because I was a "nerdy gamer" while my other "friends" were into frat boy shooter gamers. This was very sad and really made me hate myself so I stopped gaming for a period of 7 months. When I got to my new school and met these guys at the Library I didn't feel alone anymore. I could play games and be cool. They really saved me from never gaming again.
Q. What do you want to see changed about LoG?
I would love for us to be on iTunes but that's out of my hands. What I would like is for us to branch out into videos with video reviews and achievement tips, but I would still write text for both of those since there are people who want both. So to answer your question, I would like to see us be a more video oriented website.
Q. Final Question: What are your favorite games?
Dead Space, Red Dead Redemption and Spongebob: Battle for Bikini Bottom
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Taylor Bayless
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Q. Who are you and what do you think your doing here?
I'm the one who started this shindig! I'm a librarian at YOUmedia, the Chicago Public Library's teen space at the Harold Washington Library Center. My colleagues were lamenting the fact that teens in the space were only playing video games and not doing much else. Well, why not create a program about video games? The original program was called YPlay (I'm not very good at naming things). YPlay only had two members (Kaillif and Stanley) but once we started to record podcasts new members started to join. Stanley, our current podcast host, came up with the great name Library of Games and not long after our current stable of hosts came together: Kaillif, Stanley, Malic, Aaron, Byrdie, Patrick (who has now left us to go to Boston University) and our producer Sannya.
Q. That sounds boring and frivolous. How long have you been in the gaming industry?
I was a cinema studies major at New York University and focused on animation and special effects. This led me to studying the wonderful world of gaming and the connection between traditional animation and game animation. I then went on to University of Michigan where I studied the connection between the use of video games in the library and teen participation. But don't fear I'm not all theory. I actually play games. My first console was an SNES and for the vast majority of my youth I was attached to my Game Boy. However, my true gaming love lies in the world of PC gaming especially LucasArts adventure games of the 1990s. If it's puzzly or has great story I'm sold.
Q. Wait you love adventure games. Didn't you hear that the genre died about 15 years ago?
No it didn't. Okay, maybe a little but the influences of the adventure genre are everywhere. I mean without all those point and click Indiana Jones games you wouldn't have Uncharted. Plus adventure games are evolving (i.e. Heavy Rain). I'd like to think in the middle of all those depressingly grey shooters there's room for a game about comical pirates, rabbity things or film noir skeletons.
Q. I'm sold. Bring on the point and click. What makes Library of Games seem different than any other groups you've worked with?
First, Library of Games is a group of teenagers speaking intelligently about video games. It's hard to find that online and in an organized fashion. We have a group that truly cares about games. They care not only about playing games but also about the future of gaming. All of our contributors to the podcast and the blog are proactive and care about what they are doing. I mean I don't even need to give out assignments they create features on their own and come up with material to fill one hour of chat every week. Basically, you guys make my job really easy.
Q. You've been leading the group for about half a year. What do you think Library of Games will become?
I really hope that we can get the podcast on iTunes and grow our readership and listener base. I would love to see us as the go to site for teen opinions on video games and technology.
Q. Why are you an evil genius librarian?
One. I run a video game program in a library. Two. I successfully made a teenager read War & Peace (It's a little less than 2000 pages). Note: I brag about this endlessly.
Q. I'm a teenager. I live in Chicago. How can I find out more about this YOUmedia thing?
Visit us in person. We're located on the 1st floor of the Harold Washington Library Center at 400 S. State St. in downtown Chicago.
Visit us online. Or follow @libraryofgames and @youmediachicago on Twitter.
Q. Favorite games?
Grim Fandango, Psychonauts, Portal, BioShock, Half-Life 2 and Land of Illusion (Favorite game of my childhood. I played it on the short lived Sega Game Gear)
.... more soon to come!
