Sunday Read: EGX, And Sharing Your Gaming Experiences

Sunday Reads

Alex Parker 
18th September 2022

Game On...

We’re just one week away from the carnival of games that is EGX. Visitors can expect to get their mits on the latest video and board games long before the general public has the chance, attend panel discussions with some of the leading lights of the industry, and even take part in a game of HADO (look it up, it’s mad).

As someone who has had some form of console or gaming PC since the age of 4 when I received the greatest Christmas present ever, a SEGA Master System, I’m a regular attendee of EGX and its indie-centric sister event, Rezzed, which has now been incorporated into the main expo. Having the opportunity to try new games while they’re being developed and meet the people making them is fascinating, especially when you pick up the finished article months later to see what was tweaked and changed.

One of the many reasons EGX is so special is the striking lack of alternatives – games expos like E3 were in decline long before the pandemic, as streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube continue to grow and eSports becomes more mainstream. For many events, COVID was the final nail in the coffin, as the industry at large found digital ways to peddle their wares and hype up their fans without spending millions on physical installations and booths. EGX continues to succeed due to a focus on community, diversity and the feeling that the special bit is the occasion itself.

Of course, independent creators and gaming sites have been building communities since long before AAA publishers jumped on the bandwagon. Camera, audio and streaming technologies continue to evolve and improve, and it’s easy and inexpensive to produce content from the comfort of your own home. The latest consoles even include a suite of built-in features for basic streaming at the touch of a button. Meanwhile, podcasting has never been more accessible or popular, as everyone and their dog has the potential to become an internet sensation, and millions are listening to pods worldwide. What's more, companies like Acast have cornered the market in podcast advertising, allowing creators to inject up-to-date ads into their podcasts so they can be monetised years after their release.

If you want to start streaming and podcasting, or you’re already doing it and want to level up your production, Hireacamera has a boatload of options and I’ve dabbled with a lot of them myself – my own podcast concluded after 266 episodes, helping define the phrase “less is more”. From the latest cameras you can use as webcams, to desktop microphones, audio interfaces and video switchers, with a little funding and know-how you can achieve the sort of results that really help to explain why conventional TV channels are shedding viewers at an alarming rate.

 

Amazing gameplay

Capture cards have been around for a fair old while, but traditionally were rather expensive, and came in the form of either a board you had to slot into a tower PC, or a VCR-looking black box taking up space on your desk. In contrast, Elgato Cam Link 4K is a powerful USB dongle that lets you plug HDMI sources like games consoles straight into your computer for capture. A great option for recording gameplay, this also means you can take a raw feed into software like OBS or Streamlabs and increase your production quality with skins and templates rather than just using your console’s default UI.

Toss out your webcams

As streaming and digital content creation has blown up, major camera brands have stepped up their software game accordingly. Many mirrorless cameras can now be plugged into your computer and used as webcams, without the need for an HDMI in, or a separate video interface. This is fabulous news for those who strive for dynamic, crystal-clear 4K image quality, especially when you think about all the wonderful lenses you can leverage, and all the shallow depth of field and creamy bokeh that comes with using them.

Sony’s Imaging Edge software for example, means there’s no extra kit required to hook up a Sony a7S III with an FE 24mm F1.4 lens attached. Likewise, Panasonic’s Lumix Webcam software means a Pansonic Lumix GH6 and a Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 II is a viable alternative to whatever ‘high definition’ webcam you were stuck using before - a USB cable into your computer and you’re away! What’s more, as these programs just send the camera’s liveview to your computer, they aren’t physically recording, so limited record times and overheating issues are non-existent.

Do bear in mind that these setups don’t pass through audio, so if you normally pop a shotgun mic on your camera, you’ll need to connect that up via some sort of separate interface like the Zoom H6 recorder or plug a USB mic into your computer instead. Most computers don’t have a dedicated 3.5mm mic input, but you can get inexpensive splitter cables online, letting you plug in any mic you want. Speaking of mics...

Hear me now

For solo podcasting setups, the Rode NT1-A is a great XLR option, coming with a pop shield and desk mount so all you need is an audio interface or adapter to plug it into. For multiple mics, audio interfaces like the Zoom livetrak L8 let you hook up several microphones to your computer and record into audio suites like Logic or Audacity, with wireless LAV mics like the Rode Wireless Go and Sennheiser ew 112P G4 being extremely popular. You can even record everything to an SD card in the L8 without involving a computer at all, plus this SD card can store sound effects, liners and jingles for strategic deployment during a live show.

 

All the angles

Being able to change between multiple video angles immediately elevates your show, meaning a multi-cam setup is extremely desirable. A switcher like the Blackmagic ATEM Mini Pro lets you plug in several cameras or sources via HDMI and cycle between them at the touch of a button, or even set up a macro to make them switch automatically throughout the course of your stream. This is a great way to introduce older cameras you may have discarded back into your setup, plug in your laptop to display your screen on stream, or even make use of a GoPro for a wider studio angle.

In the background

For streaming on-camera, you'll likely want to be able to cut yourself out of your room and superimpose yourself onto your game footage. If you’d rather not paint an entire wall of your room a vibrant, sickening green, may I suggest a freestanding background in that very colour as an alternative. Whilst collapsible chroma key panel kits might seem the best bet, you’re sort of tied into whatever size they are with little room to grow/shrink in the future. A decent alternative is something like the Bowens Background Support Kit – this can be adjusted to whatever size you need, and then you can grab fabric or card backgrounds separately and replace them as necessary.

 

These are just some of the many options for streams, podcasts and broadcasts. You probably don’t need me to tell you that the actual content you create is the most important bit, but your kit choices are a big part of what makes that content unique. Regardless, technology is giving more people the chance to engage and entertain. The world is watching a wide array of talented creators, rather than just vegging out in front of tired corporations churning out mundane, conventional programming to a tight schedule. Sounds like progress!