DIGITISER: THE SHOW Launches 9th March on Kickstarter | GamesYouLoved
Just days before the launch of DIGITISER: THE SHOW we spoke to Mr Biffo aka Paul Rose and grab a few words about this project.
PROJECT NOW LIVE – BACK IT HERE: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1534877882/digitiser-the-show-proper-retro-gaming-tv
We used to follow Digitiser way back in the 90s, and heard a few weeks back about Mr Biffo bringing a new Retrogaming show to Kickstarter.
So let’s speak to the man himself, Mr Biffo.
Q1. Tell us why you want to make a new show about something like classic gaming?
Mr Biffo:
There are plenty of great classic gaming YouTube channels out there, but none of them feel like an actual, proper, show.
People seem to be nostalgic for the likes of Games Master and Bad Influence! – arguably, the two biggest gaming shows ever in the UK – so it’s long overdue we had another. I’ve given up hope of broadcasters ever coming through, so I figured… well, stuff it. I’ll make one myself. I think there’s an audience hungry for something like this.
Timing wise, it feels right. Retro gaming is bigger than ever. Plus, I’ve written about games for 25 years, worked in TV for close to 20, and so I’ve got a fairly unique set of skills and experience. I know how to make a show that’s big and ambitious and entertaining in its own right, while never losing sight of the games. I honestly believe that this might be our one chance to get the sort of gaming show we all want to see.
Q2. You wrote for Digitiser in the 90s and continued for many years. For someone not in the UK or perhaps old enough to know – what was Digitiser about for gamers?
Mr Biffo:
Digitiser was a daily games magazine on something called teletext – which in many ways was the precursor to the internet. We couldn’t compete with printed mags by using screenshots, so we compensated by being weird and funny. At first it was just a way to entertain ourselves, but gradually the audience latched onto our characters and humour, and we gained a very passionate following.
We also had a reputation for being brutally honest about games, asking questions that other mags wouldn’t – or couldn’t – dare to. It’s fair to say that Digi was like nothing else. A pretty unique blend of comedy and gaming. That’s what I want to bring to Digitiser The Show.
Q3. What about the guests on the show – can you reveal any at this stage and why you included them?
Mr Biffo:
Absolutely. Digitiser was pretty massive back in the day, yet it amazes me that people still remember it fondly enough that they want to be involved in Digitiser The Show. Stuart Ashen is going to be our first guest. I’ve known Ashens for several years now, and few people know more about old games than him. He is, of course, a YouTube legend, and one of the nicest people ever.
Also, from the world of retro gaming we’ll have DJ Slope, Kim Justice, Nostalgia Nerd, and Octavius Kitten. We’re also planning a challenge featuring some of the biggest games journalists of the 90s, pitting old media against new media!
Though not in the way you might expect… Beyond the realm of YouTube, we hope to have writer and broadcaster Danny Wallace, Edinburgh festival sensation Imran Yusuf, plus two icons of 90s gaming – Violet Berlin and Big Boy Barry.
Lastly, I’d asked the brilliant Larry Bundy Jr on as a guest, but he was so keen to be involved that he’s now going to be co-hosting alongside myself and Gameplay Jenny!
I couldn’t be more excited.
DIGITISER – THE SHOW. Trailer:
Q4. How do people find out more before the show – tell us your links etc!
PROJECT NOW LIVE – BACK IT HERE: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1534877882/digitiser-the-show-proper-retro-gaming-tv
Mr Biffo:
They can follow me on Twitter at @mrbiffo and on Facebook as facebook.com/digitiser2000 or check out my website, http://www.digitiser2000.com where they can sign up for a Digitiser the Show newsletter, for exclusive news and insider info about the series.
DIGITISER – THE SHOW. Pre-launch kickstarter video trailer
