Last year at the
Montreal International Game Summit
I had
the privilege of meeting
Donna Mei-Ling Park, the Co-Host of
The Electric Playground
. It was my first experience at a major international gaming event and I was a little nervous and very excited to meet Donna (she was great company!).
The Electric Playground, which airs on G4techTV Canada and CityTV, is easily the most-watched and most popular gaming show in Canada. Recently I had the rare opportunity to turn the mic around on Donna (she's so used to
running
interviews!) and ask her a few questions about her work at EP, as well as a bit about her personal life. It was a really fun interview to do and I'm sure everyone here at the Future Shop Tech Blog will enjoy it!
Paul Hunter:
You’re a host of Electric Playground, probably the most widely known and popular video game show on Canadian television today. Can you tell us a little bit about your background? How did you land the job at EP?
Donna
Mei-Ling Park
:
Hmmmm.... My background? I went to Simon Fraser University and as a Communications Major, I started to get really interested in researching and writing about media. One particular course, based on the 'Cultural Industries,' got me thinking about video games as a unique social phenomenon. As someone who's played games since I was 7, I got hooked on writing about gaming. I was in the middle of writing a paper on the policy behind regulating games when I met Victor Lucas (EP's Creator and Executive Producer) just by absolute fluke! Victor and I spoke about games for a little while and next thing I know, I am privileged enough to be a part of the EP team. It still seems surreal sometimes! So, I guess the short answer to how I landed the job at EP is luck!
PH:
You’ve visited many of the world’s top publishing houses from Ubisoft to EA to Activision. What is it like to interview the makers of video games? How have these experiences changed how you perceive video games?
Mei-Mei:
Many game developers are just awesome people that I am now proud to call my friends! It is a straight-up honor to talk to people that are so creative. They are responsible for creating a product that is so widely enjoyed and yet collectively, they are such humble beings! That being said, having the opportunity to speak to them one-on-one does change my perception of games. Before I was a game journalist, I just blindly judged games. Now, I can't help but take into account what I know of the team behind the title. Sometimes games are just bad. BUT sometimes, bad things happen-- maybe it was a good idea that didn't translate well, or maybe there was a push to ship in time, or major technical difficulties, or my personal favorite, a license that dictated the direction the game could take... I guess you could say that I now have a little more grace in evaluating games.
PH:
Your bio states that you’re a huge fan of games such as Tetris, Puzzle Quest and DS Sudoku. It also states that you enjoy Shooters and Action-Adventure games. Can you give us some examples of games you’ve played recently that you’ve really enjoyed?
Mei-Mei:
Absolutely! UFC 2009 Undisputed and Street Fighter IV are obvious favorites! My Xbox has also recently housed Far Cry 2, Call of Duty: World at War and Left 4 Dead.... And I confess, Kung Fu Panda was a lot of fun too! Who doesn't love Jack Black?!
PH:
Earlier this year you moved to Montreal as the official East-Coast EP correspondent. What was it like to move away from your White Rock, B.C roots? What is the most appealing part of Montreal in your eyes?
Mei-Mei:
Like the protagonists in so many titles, I love adventure! I haven't lived in White Rock specifically for quite some time, but I still love to visit-- I seriously think (bias alert!) that it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been (Dubrovnik, Croatia is right up there too!) Being from a place like Vancouver is an amazing gift. I miss the mountains and ocean everyday. But, Montreal is no dud! The creative, artistic, cultural scene here is unbelievable, people are awesome, winters are awful and most importantly, the game development community is kick-ass!
PH:
You’re stated many times in the past that you are a member of “Team Mei-Lei”. Who else makes up the composition of this team? Are you the ringmaster of the team?
Mei-Mei:
Ringmaster! I like that! But, no. Team Mei-Lei (for those who don't read my blog, ahem, Paul!) is composed of myself and videographer/editor/co-producer Leland Miller! I am known as Mei-Mei around the EP office (derived from the "Mei" in Mei-Ling and possibly the fact that I look a little like an anime character that came to life-- doesn't Mei-Mei sound like she could be in Naruto or something? LOL) Similarly, Leland's pet name in the office is Lei-Lei... So when we started working together consistently we became Team Mei-Lei! Collectively, we perform "Melee" battle techniques on the coolest content in games, entertainment and technology. Get it? We slay stuff! Like ninjas! We are a family at EP and really, neither of us is the 'ringmaster' (as cool of a ring as that has to it-- haha! Pun intended!) we work collaboratively and organically. Lei-Lei is the s***!! Let me just take a moment to say that videographers, editors, writers and other members of a production team rarely get the recognition they truly deserve-- so a big shout out goes to all of you!
PH:
Who is the most interesting or unusual person you have ever interviewed? Who would your dream interviewee be?
Mei-Mei:
I have been very lucky to have had the opportunity to interview some great individuals, but I have to say, I almost peed my pants when I got to talk to Georges St. Pierre. I am a HUGE fan of the UFC and he is by far my favorite fighter. I was so nervous and excited! I'm sure I was blabbering like an idiot, I know I forgot half the questions I wanted to ask him and frankly, it happened so fast I barely remember it! My dream interviewee is top secret, if I told you, I'd have to kill you...but feel free to use your imagination!
PH:
Back in January you started interviewing musical acts for EP. How has that experience been different from interviewing gaming celebrities?
Mei-Mei:
It's only a little different because the media is different. In many ways, it's actually very similar. I am still talking to the creator/performer of an art form that was created to entertain people. We know music can have a very real emotional effect on its audience and I certainly think the same can be said for games.
PH:
I’ve read on your blog that you feel there is still a major misconception out there that gamers are all unkempt males who live in their parent’s basement. Why do you think that perception is still out there? What do we need to do to break down this false stereotype?
Mei-Mei:
Haha! So now you claim to read my blog!
Let me just say this, someone very distinguished on the EP team recently pointed the following out: "The Beatles, Steven Speilberg and James Cameron all took to the stage on the first day of E3 this year to talk about videogames they're excited about and involved in. Media doesn't get more mainstream than the world's biggest rock band, the world's most successful film director and the director of the number one movie in box office history. Translation: videogames are mainstream and if you don't know that yet, you're not paying attention." Now what can I say to that?!
PH:
You’ve stated before that game makers are among the most interesting people in the world. What is about the creators of video games that you find particularly appealing?
Mei-Mei:
What's not appealing? Game developers are not a homogenous group by any means, so it's hard to pinpoint what single quality it is that's appealing to me... I certainly admire the creative vision that many game developers possess.
PH:
I’ve read that you can sometimes be a little reticent about embracing certain technologies, for example you didn’t immediately take to the iPhone and you were against joining Facebook until very recently. What is it about certain technologies that disinterest you? Do you feel that technology has become too pervasive in our lives?
Mei-Mei:
Yeah, I'll definitely have to admit that sometimes I am slow to embrace new technologies, especially social networking tools. They just have the potential to turn into an obsession and just get overly pervasive in your day-to-day. I'll embrace what works for me, but only when I'm ready. My iPhone should now be sewed to my hand and yet my Facebook page is often neglected... I can't speak to how technology fits into "our lives" in any general sense, but I can say that for me, some technology that claims to create social networks actually creates more of a gap between people. Personally, I would prefer a phone call or text message. Maybe that's just me?
PH:
I noticed you have a thing for Chun-Li from the Street Fighter series. If I were to throw a Hadoken at you how would you defend yourself?
Mei-Mei:
C'mon! You know, "Spinning Bird Kick" fo'sho!
PH:
Do you have any final words or something you’d like to say to all your fans in the Future Shop Community and in Canada?
Mei-Mei:
Keep watching EP Daily. Read my blog at
www.elecplay.com
. Teach me joys of this thing you call Facebook by adding Donna Mei-Ling Park. Follow me on Twitter: DonnaMeiLing. That's all the shameless plugs I have! LOL! Stay awesome Future Shop Community! I am proud to be Canadian! Can you believe Crosby won the cup! Yesssssssssssssss! Good Vibes Only!
