Game Culture

It was with great pleasure to have interviewed the person who placed 1st in Sonic Adventure in the speedrunning community, with a total running time of 1h 06m 28s, WitherMan! Here's how our interview went! 

How did you discover speedrunning?

I discovered Speedrunning at school, with the first Speedrun I ever watched being CGN's run of F-Zero GX at AGDQ 2014. There was something so magical about that run that made me enthralled with watching runners from that point forward, but it would be YEARS before I ran anything myself.

What made it interesting for you to check it out?

I think what really pushed me to get into Speedrunning big time was wanting to step away from the FGC. I've had a lot of problems in my local scene and finding a way to stay competitive without having to directly compete with other people has scratched the itch I once had for fighting games. My favorite part of fighting games has always been the feeling of self-improvement, and Speedrunning gives that to you tenfold.

What were the biggest issues you encountered in the community?

I don't particularly want to get into this one, but there have been some bad apples in a lot of the communities I've been in. I've left any community which was full of them, and thankfully in the Sonic and Billy Hatcher communities, bigots and self-centered room-dividers are typically handled with efficiency.

What would be the best memory or moment you’ve experienced?

After trying nearly every day for a year straight, getting the sonic story world record during my GDQ Hotfix run. It was the most climatic run I've ever had, and finally fulfilling the dream and pushing Sonic Adventure further in front of the biggest crowd the game has ever seen is something I'll never take for granted. That run is forever etched in history, and a core memory.

Should other people also try and check out speedrunning? Why so?

100%! Speedrunning is a hobby that when approached with a healthy mindset can really change the way you look at everything. Every game has a Speedrun community somewhere!

What makes the speedrunning communities special?

We're all here to celebrate our favorite games and push them further than anyone had ever intended. They're communities formed with love, and that in and of itself is very magical in a way.

Who do you think would enjoy speedrunning as well?

Idk what this question means, sorry!

How would you describe your experience and stay in the community?

Very welcoming. It's extremely easy to get into the Sega speedgame communities. It really does feel like a second family at times to me.

What are your suggestions for the speedrunning community?

Never stop pushing. Be willing to do what other people don't want to do. If you want to run on obscure hardware or play a game no one cares about, that's awesome. Commit to making yourself happy, and running what you want to run.

What made you stay long in this community?

The support. While there was a tiny bit of pushback in the beginning with attempting to argue in favor of Sonic Adventure, the overwhelming amount of support I've received from the community in several different ways has totally changed my life and given me a drive that I thought I had long since lost.

What is your message to those who admire and watch you?

Subscribe I suppose? Idk, it's very strange to imagine having admirers 

Check out WitherMan on Speedrun.com and follow them on Twitch and Youtube to get more updates on their speedruns!

Want to see more of things like this? Or maybe you like cats or the Game Boy or the NES? If you do, let's have a catjam together! Join Mega Cat Studios on Discord for more fun and excitement!

Mega Cat Studios had the awesome chance to converse with the Achievement Hunter fan, Jefflez from Reddit! We asked about their experiences and stories from the guys they admire on Achievement Hunter and the AH fan community they belong to. They gave us a sneak peek at how their community dynamics are! Here's how our interview with them went.

How did you discover Achievement Hunter and how long have you been in the community?

Oh man if I had to guess, I was browsing YouTube way back in 2010-ish and I got recommended a rage quit Michael did in Mirrors Edge, which I was playing at the time. And I remember just laughing and then going to the AH channel and subbing immediately. So yeah about 13 years I've been with this community, it's been a wild ride for sure 🤣

What were the biggest issues you encountered in the community?

Ooof, after all this time, I'd say welcoming new things, whether it be ideas, cast members, or just something against the norm.

Ever since the days when even Lindsay was featured as a small role in letsplays, I've seen comments always nitpicking the new members whether it be for how they play, or just how they flow in gameplay. And occasionally when they'll start a new series, people would immediately dislike it and do not let it grow the way it should. Not to say that everything AH puts out is Gold, but hey no Channel has consistently perfect content, but sometimes the Community would be way harsher than they need to be. 

One example would be the Galacticraft let's play or Skyfactory series, and more recently ya dead ya drad.

Especially when members left, it would create unnecessary divides in the community, when Ray first left, everyone had thought "oh they ousted him out" when it was just Ray wanting to do better things, and blatantly ignoring explanations. Worse when Ryan was removed for good reason, god that whole month was terrible just hope some people would sympathize with him and actually bully the AH members on social media. Like, y'all don't think that was hard for them too?

The community really does have some one-way relationship sometimes, but those are the vocal minority, the true enjoyers like me just watch, leave a like, and go on.

What would be the best memory or moment you’ve experienced?

Oh man, I'd say the day they started doing GTA IV let's play. Those let's play we're just back-to-back hilarious, and I'll never forget rushing home from school with my mates and we'd scramble to watch the next one. Between that and the recent UNO Livestream 🤣

What would be your all-time favorite video from Achievement Hunter and why?

Ummm. Ironically I'd say either the first Gmod Murder or Prop Hunt video. Those 2 series I always go back to, and both videos just perfectly depict what AH is all about, fun times with friends and making everything funnier in-game wise

Should other people also try and check out Achievement Hunter or Rooster Teeth? Why so?

Absolutely! While I personally don't check out everything they put out, they do seem to offer something for everyone. I mean I remember watching Red Vs Blue and discovering RWBY way back in the day, and now I'm anxiously waiting for Volume 9. And while the members may often change, sometimes you'll find that you like the actual person themselves and you can check out their personal streams. RT/AH really does offer a nice community for people who appreciate gaming, fictional stories, or even just chatting around. It really is a nice place on the internet

With that, does that makes the community special?

Oh absolutely. It may have its problems, but it really is people just loving to hate, they still think the channel will miraculously be like the old days.But in reality, it's just the same group of people who love playing video games

Sure it may be different by comedy standards, but that's kinda the test of time. What's funny now may not be funny 10 years from now.

Who do you think would enjoy the community as well?

Anyone who likes to play games really. Very LGBT friendly too, and I don't listen to Face Jam but I hear that's also good for food reviews too, so really just anyone who enjoys internet/gaming culture

How would you describe your experience and stay in the AH community?

I've always had a good experience here, whether it be in the YouTube comments, the subreddits, or even on the old RT forums. Of course, during times of controversy, it wasn't always pleasant, and a lot of ignorant/hateful posts, but after a few days it's back to normal cause it really is jus people who love to hate. But in time I've made lots of cool friends that I continue to play games online with and it's a time of my life I'll never forget

What are your suggestions for the whole AH community?

If I had to suggest, Be more open-minded, like if we get a new member/series just give it time to grow, let them get the reins in, and if it's a struggle for you to watch still, voice your criticism and move on. Just don't be an asshole about it. And try to remember that this is a company that started out from just 5 dudes in college that got drunk and played video games a lot. Yeah, it's different now, obviously, but it's not like these bigger media companies like IGN or Gamespot or even the parent company Warner Bros. themselves.

They are just entertainers and they gotta do their best to entertain. Also, it's okay to stop watching, maybe just try the podcasts or other stuff, but its okay to move in from something that doesn't make you happy.

And don't be afraid to check out members' personal streams, sometimes they ARE better when not under YouTubes/WB Age-Restricts vision

Check out Achievement Hunter in Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram! 

Want to see more of things like this? Or maybe you like cats, retrogames, or the NES? If you do, let's have a catjam together! Join Mega Cat Studios on Discord for more fun and excitement!

Have you ever had dreams about the apocalypse or maybe fighting off zombies? We did, and Mega Cat Studios had the awesome chance to interview the Producer from Coldwild Games, Vladimir Slav, about the development of their up-and-coming turn-based zombie RPG, Stories from the Outbreak. Get your guard up and prepare your weapons as we get to know their story on making this game.

How was this game born?

We want to make fun games that try to tell a story or provide a specific experience. The main idea is to combine and reflect on the fragmentation of society through gameplay mechanics and the fates of different people.

What was development like?

The project was overambitious at first, but we toned it down and focused on a few systems that we wanted to perfect. The map became smaller, but much more intense in terms of events. The Combat was the primary focus for multiple months of development.

What did you learn about yourself through this game?

That longer projects are still tough to complete but are doable. We’ve learned that we can rely on one another and solve things together, through ups and downs.

What makes this game special?

Eastern/northern-European setting. There are not many games that take place in Latvia, showing a pretty unique fusion between different cultures.

How does sound play a role in the game?

We’ve tried to create an apocalyptic atmosphere with a soundtrack made by Roman Lamcev: he actually built some of the instruments that he used to record it, to give the soundtrack a “makeshift” vibe, as if it was made with instruments built after the apocalypse.

What games influenced this one the most?

Octopath Traveller, Darkest Dungeon, Slay the Spire, Faster than Light

Any fun stories or wild moments during development?

When I had to describe a conversation system between characters to the team, I took a chat log and split it algorithmically: * person 1 does something -> * person 2 reacts -> * person 1 gives a reply. Based on this, we’ve built an in-game conversation engine.

Do you think preserving older gameplay mechanics in new games is important?

I think every mechanic should serve a purpose and answer the question “what am I trying to achieve.” If an older game mechanics achieve something best – there is no need to discard it only because of its age.

What's your favorite memory as a gamer?

Playing Heroes of Might and Magic 3 and appreciating every part of it.

Who will enjoy this game the most?

People who like JRPGs and games with roguelike mechanics; people who like apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic games.

Bottom Line, why must someone play this game?

Zombies, stories, amazing turn-based combat.

How do you want this game to be remembered?

I want the final version of the game (post-early access) to be not only great gameplay-wise but also a storytelling tool that shows the fates of different people and how they deal with hardships and go through the apocalypse together, as different as they might be.

What's next?

Early access release, then a marathon towards the full one. More characters, more items, more stories to tell.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Thank you for your questions and good luck with your own games!

Check out the game on Steam

Check out Stories from the Outbreak trailer here:

Follow Coldwild Games on Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube to get the latest updates from them!

Mega Cat Studios had the chance to interview the title holder of being the fastest person to finish Super Mario Bros. Any% with a total running time of 4m 54s 798ms, in the speedrunning community, Niftski! He shared his insights and issues with the community as well as some motivations for those who are aiming to enter this community! Here’s how our interview went!

How did you discover speedrunning? 

I discovered speedrunning through Bismuth and Summoning Salt’s Super Mario Bros. speedrunning YouTube videos, and it greatly sparked my interest.

What made it interesting for you to check it out? 

Super Mario Bros. was a game I grew up playing ever since I was around 5 years old and seeing people speedrun it gave the game a whole new feel and interest.

What were the biggest issues you encountered in the community? 

Occasional bad apples and immature people that come along in the community are probably one of the only issues, but pretty much every community in speedrunning has to deal with that.

What would be the best memory or moment you’ve experienced? 

Although I’ve beaten this run twice, the day I got my former world record of 4:54.948 in SMB1 Any% is still to this day the best memory I’ve experienced in speedrunning. It is also still to this day the happiest day I’ve ever had in my life.

Should other people also try and check out speedrunning? Why so? 

Absolutely. If you are bored of casually playing games you’ve already played many times and want to add a fun and competitive aspect to it, speedrunning is probably the best way to go about that!

What makes the speedrunning community special? 

Everyone uplifts and motivates each other while promoting positivity and the hope that they can improve their speedrunning times.

Who do you think would enjoy speedrunning as well? 

Members from other gaming communities that take interest in competitive and fun games (like I was at one point with games like CS: GO) would likely also love speedrunning.

How would you describe your experience and stay in the community? 

Out of a few other communities, I can say by far that this community is the best and most positive one I’ve ever been in.

What made you stay long in this community? 

The friends I’ve made along the way, my interest in the game, and the positivity that has been spread along the way have made me stay with this community.

What are your suggestions for the speedrunning community? 

Surround yourself with positive people and always believe in your abilities, as it is very likely that you haven’t even reached your full potential yet.

What is your message to those who admire and watch you? 

You can do anything you put your mind to, my world records are not by any means unbeatable and at the end of the day, we are all human!

Anything else you’d like to add? 

Always believe in yourself, because at the end of the day, nobody else can achieve things on your behalf 😊

Check out Niftski on Speedrun.com and follow him on Twitch and Youtube to get more updates on his speedruns!

Want to see more of things like this? Or maybe you like cats or the Game Boy or the NES? If you do, let's have a catjam together! Join Mega Cat Studios on Discord for more fun and excitement!