Legends of Gaming Live is a brand new event dedicated to the very best in gaming across all formats and platforms.
Taking place this September 4th to the 6th at Alexandra Palace, London it gives you the chance to see your favourite gamers battling it out head-to-head and you will also have the opportunity to get your hands on the latest and most exciting new gaming gadgets.
YouTuber Ali-A is one of the biggest gamers on the internet and is a Legend of Gaming. James Gilmore interviewed him about gaming, nipples and a whole lot more...
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James Gilmore: How did you get into YouTube?
Ali-A: I just wanted to share my gaming highlights with friends at school so I bought the most basic standard definition capture card you could at the time and then I uploaded 30 second clips onto YouTube to share them with my friends. Eventually that built momentum over time and more people started watching it, but that initial process was to just have fun and share some gaming clips.
James Gilmore: When did you first get into gaming?
Ali-A: Years ago… I can’t remember when, I was certainly young. My first console was the Game Boy Colour with ‘Pokemon Gold’ and my life was that game. I absolutely loved it and that’s where it all began.
James Gilmore: When did you first realise that YouTube could be a career?
Ali-A: It wasn’t instant because I’ve been around, in the gaming scene, since the beginning and it certainly was not a career then. When I started the see the bigger channels really take off and other channels start to put all of their time into it and turn it into a full time job was probably when I was in Sixth Form (4 or 5 years ago). There were channels starting to hit hundreds of thousands of subscribers and I was at like ten thousand – but just to see those channels do it full time was a great goal and it made me realise that it was possible.
James Gilmore: What’s your ultimate aim with YouTube?
Ali-A: I don’t think there’s ever an ultimate aim. If someone two or three years ago told me that I’d hit a billion views I’d think that they were having a laugh! There’s always a ‘next goal’ but never an ultimate goal because I just don’t know what’s going to happen eventually. I just want to try to better myself, make better videos, hit more targets (10 million subscribers would be insane)… but I’m constantly just trying to do better and better.
James Gilmore: Has YouTube ever gotten you a girl?
Ali-A: I’ve never tried to use it in that way… you probably could but no. I guess I met my current girlfriend through an event that I went to because of YouTube but I’ve never gotten a girl because of my position on YouTube, no.
James Gilmore: So, I was telling people that I was interviewing you and – very strangely – somebody requested that I ask you about: free the nipple. It’s the campaign whereby no matter if you’re a boy or a girl, your nipples are equal. What are your thoughts on this?
Ali-A: Jeeze man!
James Gilmore: These are the hard hitting questions…
Ali-A: These are controversial and I haven’t been asked this before so I like that. Amm… free the nipple. I guess it’s all about gender equality so: Are both male and female nipples fair? Should they both be exposed in the same way? I don’t know. I think it is different for females, they should probably cover up. I think. But that’s just my opinion, I reckon.
James Gilmore: Let’s go into a quick fire game of ‘Would You Rather’. If you thought ‘free the nipple’ was out there, wait until you hear these… Quit YouTube or Quit Gaming?
Ali-A: Quit Gaming
James Gilmore: Eyes for nipples or nipples for eyes?
Ali-A: I think you want eyes for nipples so that you can still see.
James Gilmore: FIFA or PES?
Ali-A: I’m not much of a football guy but I’d go with FIFA.
James Gilmore: Here’s the last ‘Would You Rather’: Have everything you touch turn into Skittles or have every Skittle you touch turn into a mini-you?
Ali-A: Oh my gosh. I think, practicality wise, touching anything and it turning into Skittles just isn’t going to happen and having mini Me’s could be very useful but if I don’t want them I just never touch Skittles again, so I’m more in control with that one so that would be my answer.
James Gilmore: I feel like we’ve learnt a lot! What did you think when you first heard about Legends of Gaming and Legends of Gaming Live?
Ali-A: Well this season has been more about me transitioning from being a presenter to actually being a part of it, so my initial thoughts was that it was going to be a lot of pressure because a lot of the audience would expect me to do well, I do gaming as my job on YouTube and I’m supposed to be good with it! I was up for it for sure, a little bit apprehensive, and then hearing about the Legends of Gaming Live event was awesome – an event literally dedicated to Legends of Gaming is epic and I think it’s going to be really fun getting together all of the Legends and loads of gamers into one place. We all bounce off of each other so well and you don’t really get to see that unless we are in the same room (because a lot of us don’t necessarily record videos together) so I think Legends of Gaming Live will be a great opportunity to see us together, chilling out, being normal people and playing some games. I’m really excited for it.
James Gilmore: You say you’re really excited about it – what in particular are you most excited for at the event?
Ali-A: Probably just going up on stage and seeing all of the guys who have come to visit us, all of the fans are awesome to meet. Also, getting Syndicate [another YouTuber] and I on stage together, battling it out. I’m sure there’ll be a lot of banter between us both and we’re both competitive so I think it’s going to be interesting to see how we do and see how the audience reacts to one of us being a bit better than the other… Or a bit of controversy! Who knows, but I think that’s probably going to be the most fun part of it.
James Gilmore: Obviously, your videos on YouTube get millions of views – but do you think you’ll get nervous playing in front of thousands of people who are physically there watching you?
Ali-A: Yeah, and people always ask me if I get nervous playing games with people around me. Obviously I don’t think about the millions of people who watch my videos (because it’s crazy) and I’ve been lucky enough to do a few things on stage and, if anything, I just get more in the zone and more pumped up when there are actually people sat in front of me and when I’m gaming with people around me. So, I think it’ll be less nerves and more ‘in the zone’… more intense. I’m excited for it.
James Gilmore: We’re backing you to win Legends of Gaming Live… but who do you think has the best chance of beating you?
Ali-A: It’s a really good question! I think, in all honesty, The Diamond Mind Kart has a really good chance because he plays a lot of different games and a few games that popped up (like Mario Kart for example and Tony Hawk as well) which he was quite good at – so I think he was one of those secret ones which could pop up out of nowhere. Also probably Syndicate, me and him are big rivals – we’re both big gamers, we both come from the Call of Duty background.
James Gilmore: One piece of advice for people who want to become Legends of Gaming?
Ali-A: Wow… You have to commit time, you need to be dedicated, you have to enjoy gaming (you can’t just force yourself to play it) and be passionate. If you stick at it you could easily become a Legend of Gaming.
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Click here to read more about Legends of Gaming Live.