The ProfNoctis Weekly Show

00:00:00:03 - 00:00:15:27
Evan
Hey, everyone, I'm Evan, and welcome to another episode of the Prof snack to show. We're so excited that you're joining us today. We have the wonderful, the articulate, smart in AKA Genesis seven. It's a great discussion. Wade, what can we expect as we jump into the conversation?

00:00:16:00 - 00:00:38:11
Wade
Yeah. Thanks, Evan. Jen is going to dazzle us with all of his knowledge about not only Final Fantasy seven, but we're going to talk about Sonic the Hedgehog and Sega and his journey into, content creation. Also, Jen just dazzles us with his beautiful British accent and everything that he says is brilliant as a result of that. So, stay tuned.

00:00:38:14 - 00:00:43:23
Wade
get excited for this episode. It's going to be a good one. And with that, let's move.

00:01:11:04 - 00:01:42:21
Wade
Hey, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of profit. Not this weekly show. even though we're not exactly weekly at this point, I guess it's just like a routine and regular. We're having having, Well, you know, with all the interviews and stuff, every Monday we do this every Monday and then some extras as well. But anyway, we are back, and Evan and I are delighted to bring on with us today, a great content creator, Deep diver into all things Final Fantasy seven.

00:01:42:23 - 00:01:45:28
Wade
dearest, any other superlatives that I could add?

00:01:46:00 - 00:01:51:03
Martin
Just and just a Jen. Just a general guy all around my.

00:01:51:06 - 00:01:58:07
Wade
General good guy. Genesis seven, aka Martin. we are so glad to have you with us, and thank you for being on the show.

00:01:58:09 - 00:02:02:19
Martin
Not a problem. Thank you for having me. And I'm hoping that you guys are doing very well.

00:02:02:21 - 00:02:17:04
Wade
Doing great, doing great. We're excited to have this conversation with you. And, just full disclosure, as of recording, we have we've probably done, I think, ten, 12, maybe more interviews at this point. And you haven't seen a lot of them.

00:02:17:06 - 00:02:22:20
Martin
No, zero. Good. So fresh. So we'll watch wait later list.

00:02:22:23 - 00:02:43:11
Wade
That's right. So you can binge for literally days. I think so much content for you. But that's what I love about this. Like you are going to bring, kind of a fresh, pure perspective into all of this. So, why don't you tell everybody a little bit about the content that you make and, some, some of the stuff that you, currently have been working on?

00:02:43:14 - 00:03:02:28
Martin
Yeah. So at the moment I'm probably known for Final Fantasy stuff. So essentially I started a series last year which is called the Final Fantasy Platinum series, where I dive back in to the Final Fantasy games, I complete them, and then I kind of compile a video. When I say complete them, I mean like 100% complete them, do everything, and pop the platinum.

00:03:03:00 - 00:03:21:09
Martin
And then what I do is I take that recent experience, I compare it to my first playthrough, and then I also kind of talk about the struggles of getting the 100%, and then throw it all into one nice rounded video. As of late, I've kind of ventured into other RPG franchises because, there's a lot of games that I've missed.

00:03:21:15 - 00:03:36:01
Martin
We all have a backlog monster just piling and piling up and just slowly going back through those as well. And I also started streaming last year. So, it's just been able it's been a good avenue for me to kind of build a community. So that's been great as well.

00:03:36:06 - 00:03:43:26
Wade
Wow. So that's really interesting. I thought that you had been streaming for a long time. Were you, YouTube creation like prerecorded videos for the most?

00:03:43:26 - 00:03:49:23
Martin
Yeah, I've been I've been doing YouTube for a very long time. okay. So. And I thought.

00:03:49:23 - 00:03:52:21
Wade
You had made videos. I just assumed you were also streaming during that time.

00:03:52:21 - 00:04:08:15
Martin
Oh, I only those. Like, I felt like there was something missing. And like, when I started really diving into Final Fantasy, I really enjoyed reading through comments and stuff, and I was like, I want to do this on kind of like a, a live kind of thing, just kind of vibe and have a good time. And it's been a good time since.

00:04:08:17 - 00:04:10:24
Martin
So yeah. Okay. So it's pretty.

00:04:10:24 - 00:04:13:15
Wade
Different, to use a live format versus the.

00:04:13:20 - 00:04:14:14
Martin
Oh yeah.

00:04:14:16 - 00:04:16:15
Wade
It is a different energy that.

00:04:16:17 - 00:04:18:05
Martin
Yeah.

00:04:18:08 - 00:04:25:10
Evan
Well, I want to know how you got here. like, did you, did you take a car or a train? No. did.

00:04:25:10 - 00:04:28:09
Martin
You. Well, actually, I.

00:04:28:11 - 00:04:46:04
Evan
took my slippers and walked down the hall. the, did you grow up with video games? Obviously, you make content about video games, which I'm going to have quite a few questions about. But what point in your life did you go, hey, I like these things and I like playing them. Or was it somebody who introduced them to you?

00:04:46:04 - 00:04:47:12
Evan
Tell me about that.

00:04:47:14 - 00:05:06:24
Martin
So my venture into video games was literally I would go when I was younger, probably like 3 or 4 as far as I can remember. I'd go around to my granddad's every Saturday and he had a Sega mega drive. yeah. Sega Genesis. Yeah. and he had a collection of games. I think they were more catered to him.

00:05:06:27 - 00:05:29:13
Martin
There's a game like based on Dick Tracy and a few other games that would weigh out my age range, but those one that contained a certain blue hedgehog. oh. Oh, yeah. And just seeing that on the screen and me being able to control that was it blew my mind. I think it blows anyone's mind when they first get to interact with something on a screen.

00:05:29:15 - 00:05:53:18
Martin
And from there on, every Saturday became like the most exciting day to go, to, go to. And then Christmas was coming around and I was like, mom, dad, I need I need a second mega drive. I need to play Sonic. at the time, I don't think they had enough funds for a mega drive. So they took a step back and got the previous system, which is called the Sega master system.

00:05:53:21 - 00:06:19:20
Martin
Mark three I think is the full thing, and that had Sonic the Hedgehog built into it. So that became my console for like the longest time. And then I finally got the Sega mega drive and carried on through that. And then, 1997, 1998, there was a certain, console called the PlayStation and again, open it up and Avenue 3D games.

00:06:19:23 - 00:06:39:25
Martin
stuck with my platformers and then I guess if I'm weaving in like how I got to Final Fantasy as well, I if I may, I went to my local game shop and I seen here in the UK, the Final Fantasy covers back in the day were very clean. They were just literally the logo and the text.

00:06:39:27 - 00:06:58:09
Martin
And I remember seeing that game thinking, oh, you know what? I'm going to turn that around. And this was Final Fantasy seven. I turn around on the back of that box. So I was like, no way is it, this is a game. So I, I rented it, I took it back, I played it and it was a very different game.

00:06:58:09 - 00:07:20:15
Martin
I was used to platformers like through and through. So I went through like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro. Right during the PlayStation era. So as of the very different game I had to read, there's a lot of text, a lot of text. and yeah, I actually died on the first pass against the Scorpion because of a text error, because the attack while the tail's up.

00:07:20:15 - 00:07:39:27
Martin
And I was like, yes, I'll attack with the tails off. I will do that. Watch me out. Game over. I was like, I don't like this game. It's okay. Straight back. I took it straight back. yeah, I didn't I wasn't into it. I went back to some platformers for a while, and then I found myself back in the same game shop, and I looked at the game again, and I was like, what if I got past that, boss?

00:07:39:27 - 00:07:57:09
Martin
What? What is a wait? What if? Yeah. And then the rest is history. and then obviously I've just followed video games ever since, so that's kind of like an origin story to how I got into the to games. That's kind of fancy.

00:07:57:11 - 00:08:00:14
Wade
From Dick Tracy to the Scorpion Tail that is just.

00:08:00:14 - 00:08:04:17
Martin
I know if you write a book for anything, that would be an ideal spot.

00:08:04:17 - 00:08:07:17
Evan
For the Scorpion tale. Genesis story?

00:08:07:19 - 00:08:08:15
Martin
Yes.

00:08:08:17 - 00:08:28:06
Evan
Tale. Genesis tale. I think. Yeah. Yes. What was that? What was it like to growing up in the UK, discovering new games, going to the game shop. You know, we had a similar experience in the United States, but I've heard that in a lot of ways it kind of differed, like you found new games by looking at the covers and reading the back.

00:08:28:06 - 00:08:38:08
Evan
Did the employees tell you like recommend games or describe them to you? You have magazines that you read. What was the kind of the vibe and how did you find new things to be interested in?

00:08:38:11 - 00:08:56:26
Martin
Yeah, it's more of like, word of mouth with friends. So I was one of those people that had the best friends that had everything. So, as I was on my master system going into my second mega drive, he had already got the Mega Drive and got all of the games. So I'd be around that house all the time and I'd be like, oh no, borrow this, can I borrow this?

00:08:56:26 - 00:09:19:04
Martin
Can I borrow this? Same with the PlayStation. And then as I was like allowed to venture out onto my own and go to this game shop, posters on the wall, looking at just back covers and magazines. Magazines were really vital back in the 90s. Just, getting an old getting an issue with a magazine and just opening health and thinking, oh, I want to play that.

00:09:19:04 - 00:09:26:01
Martin
I want to play that. And demo discs. Demo discs was it was what was the gateway to a lot of games for me back in the day.

00:09:26:01 - 00:09:30:14
Wade
So what were the magazines that you're reading?

00:09:30:17 - 00:09:33:01
Martin
what? The PlayStation. Just the gaming magazines.

00:09:33:01 - 00:09:33:26
Wade
Any of them? Yeah.

00:09:33:26 - 00:09:45:14
Martin
Yeah. we had one in the UK. I think it was literally called official PlayStation UK. And each issue, which was monthly, would come with the demo disc and the demo discs.

00:09:45:17 - 00:09:46:05
Wade
Of that one.

00:09:46:06 - 00:10:08:10
Martin
Yeah, there were these colored discs with the number at the top. And I had countless of the those like, I should imagine. I probably got them somewhere. They must they must be here or at my, my parents house, but, yeah, just that collection. And I'd have one of those, you know, the classic kind of CD box where all the CDs and the old.

00:10:08:10 - 00:10:26:10
Martin
I had an older and I remember iteration. Yeah. And that had I'd have like, I have demo 56, but I didn't have demo 55, so I'd like scour like back to the local newspaper shop to try. And you got this issue like, oh yes. Yes. Well, so you have like.

00:10:26:10 - 00:10:28:23
Evan
A complete so the platinum trophy I was.

00:10:28:23 - 00:10:30:12
Martin
About to say. Yeah, yeah.

00:10:30:15 - 00:10:34:07
Evan
Way to go. Well then you know what? You do it.

00:10:34:09 - 00:10:40:09
Wade
I mean, you've been platinum life before you started this Final Fantasy series. That's pretty nice.

00:10:40:16 - 00:10:46:00
Martin
I think that is a fair way to say I think looking back, yes, I did platinum demos that.

00:10:46:00 - 00:10:53:01
Wade
That's beautiful. No, a lot of people have that completionist, mentality outside of their video games, but I appreciate that about you.

00:10:53:01 - 00:10:57:06
Evan
Those are you that detail oriented in life as well?

00:10:57:08 - 00:11:13:24
Martin
I think I've Shino shied away from it as I've grown up because I think I have, like the end goal is not always to finish. It is always to. For me. I've realized it's just to take part and have fun. And if you don't get it done, that's okay. You can reflect that. You can always go back.

00:11:14:00 - 00:11:18:26
Martin
You don't have to do it there and then kind of thing. And that's definitely something I've learned as I've gotten older.

00:11:19:03 - 00:11:24:13
Evan
How do you know when you're satisfied and it's time to put it down?

00:11:24:16 - 00:11:49:02
Martin
oh. I think, I think just filling like a specifically for video games, I think, like just I'm taking something away from it, whether it's something very small, like a I've learned, especially when I was younger, reading the text based games like Final Fantasy, when I finally got into them, learning a new word that I could take to school and be like, I know what the word attire means, everyone will be blown away.

00:11:49:02 - 00:12:01:05
Martin
I like, what's a tie in? Like it's clothing. Oh, but the small things, like just taking something away from it and being like, I've learned something new here.

00:12:01:07 - 00:12:27:04
Wade
when it comes to, rebirth, we've talked to a lot of different people, and, it seems like, at least in the fandom, there has been a sort of split, decision when it comes to, the necessity of completing the game, I guess, there's a, there's a big debate is, of is there too much content, does it affect the pacing, all that kind of stuff?

00:12:27:04 - 00:12:30:12
Wade
What was your impression of that particular thing?

00:12:30:15 - 00:12:47:10
Martin
so for me, I played the game a couple of weeks early before release. so I guess that way I, I kind of was able to put myself in a bubble during that period. I think a lot of people, even when the game came out on its they a lot of people probably would have done the same as well.

00:12:47:12 - 00:13:01:16
Martin
But when it come to like completing it, I told myself I was like, I'm not going to look at a trophy list. I'm not going to, do anything. This I'm going to, I'm going to take the game as it comes. So if I feel like, you know what, I'm going to go adventure and do this side quest.

00:13:01:16 - 00:13:20:14
Martin
I'll do the side quest. And naturally, I did each area before I went to the next one is the way I tackled it, but I it wasn't like I told myself to do that straight off the bat. I managed to naturally, achieve that and I enjoyed it, so I took it slow and steady. I knew it was going to take a long time.

00:13:20:14 - 00:13:37:15
Martin
I wasn't concerned about. I need to get to the end as fast as possible. I just want a this is my favorite game of all time, and this has been a highly anticipated part of that. so I just want to take my time, savor it, and just enjoy it. And I ended up 100% in it, so. Wow.

00:13:37:21 - 00:13:47:00
Martin
And I didn't I personally felt there wasn't too much, I think, and in a way, I probably wanted more. I think, to some extent, sir.

00:13:47:05 - 00:13:49:26
Wade
Good news for you in a few years, we're getting worse.

00:13:49:26 - 00:13:50:14
Martin
Yeah, I know.

00:13:50:15 - 00:13:51:29
Evan
You guys have heard they're making a third.

00:13:51:29 - 00:13:59:16
Martin
World. There's apparently point three. That's breaking news, right? Yeah.

00:13:59:19 - 00:14:17:13
Evan
I want to learn a little bit about, your YouTube channel. And when you started wanting to make content and share and talk about games, what brought that about? You've always said the word of mouth was the thing that you discussed with friends growing up. And at some point, you decided to stick yourself in front of a camera.

00:14:17:13 - 00:14:19:07
Evan
Why?

00:14:19:09 - 00:14:44:28
Martin
So believe it or not, right? This is it's not on my actual channel that I'm running at the moment. but my I first uploaded a video on YouTube of March of 2006. yeah. It was it was, around that time. these were think, like really? Yeah. YouTube was established. It was established around 2005, I think.

00:14:45:00 - 00:15:04:17
Martin
so I was still living at the home at the time, and I was going to college. So I had a lot of spare time at home, and I had more access to the internet because I was older, because I was supposed to studying. but I discovered YouTube, and I made, an a music video for Final Fantasy ten.

00:15:04:19 - 00:15:23:19
Martin
because I just, I was, I pretty sure it was like a Fall Out Boy song or something. I was listening to around that time, and I was like, it was just that era, on YouTube at that time where a lot of people smashing music with clips of Final Fantasy games. Yeah. So that's when I kind of it wasn't a serious thing.

00:15:23:19 - 00:15:29:21
Martin
It was literally I went on Windows Movie Maker. Yeah, put the two together and threw out there, and it's still up there somewhere. I don't know what.

00:15:29:21 - 00:15:35:15
Evan
It's the white text coming across. Yeah. For the intro. You know, the only way to do it.

00:15:35:17 - 00:15:58:28
Martin
Yeah. So that was like my first venture into YouTube, but I didn't really know content creation or buying the bulk of it, because I've always been creative to a certain extent. But I think when I went to, I moved out into my own place 2008, and obviously I was on YouTube all the time. I was like a go to kind of entertainment space.

00:15:59:01 - 00:16:18:25
Martin
and I had a couple of weeks off work and there was another site at the time, I think it was called block TV non-existent now. And that's like what Twitch is essentially now. It's like a live streaming. But it wasn't for video games. It was literally like, a live blog, like just a person, talking to a camera.

00:16:18:27 - 00:16:46:14
Martin
And I started doing that. But because I was off work at the time, I flipped my, sleep pattern around and I was up at night, which would be daytime for you guys. or at least late afternoon, early afternoon. And I managed to harness an audience, because I really think, like, early 20 tens, a lot of people like accents.

00:16:46:16 - 00:16:49:27
Martin
It's, people. Yeah, they still do take the accents.

00:16:49:27 - 00:16:53:29
Evan
With so much memory to act. It's just not fair.

00:16:54:01 - 00:17:11:10
Martin
So I was doing that like this, this live streaming thing, and I was like, getting really big numbers I didn't think were big at the time, but the they're like, they were they were pretty big. And I was put on their front page and all I was, all I was doing was being a goofball. This was before I was doing like Final Fantasy or anything.

00:17:11:12 - 00:17:30:06
Martin
I was, I had, piano, my electric piano at the time. So I was playing random songs. People were throwing in requests because, I always say that I've got something called almost perfect pitch, where I can listen to something and I can do a kind of arrangement. Not exactly. I can pick it up pretty fast.

00:17:30:09 - 00:17:52:06
Martin
So that was the talent that had the hook. And I'd like, sing songs and rhyme words and really improvise and dance to random songs. But then my holiday time at work ended. So. And this is at a point where the, the website contacted me and they're like, we want to like make shirts and stuff like this that like, this was early days as like spread shopped.

00:17:52:06 - 00:18:16:05
Martin
Maybe you spread the shirt or something dropshipping had. Yeah. But so I tried to keep it up for another week. I was back, I couldn't do it, so I just had to give that up for that part of the content creation kind of went. So I decided to make YouTube videos, to fill in the gap, to be able to, like, still communicate with that audience.

00:18:16:05 - 00:18:40:05
Martin
I built that again. Work life at the time was just I could not manage time. So that kind of settled into the sunset time past. And then I made up another YouTube channel, which was based around my passion for music, and I created like, there's a show that came out in the early 90s that I really enjoyed called Power Rangers.

00:18:40:07 - 00:19:05:05
Martin
And, as you know, go Power Rangers and Meet Me. That was a meet I enjoyed the I enjoyed, yeah, I enjoyed the music. I enjoyed the music. But more specifically, I like the background music that was never commercially released, like the kind of like ambient noises and the strings and the trumpets and stuff. Yeah. And so I recreated those, stuck them out on YouTube.

00:19:05:07 - 00:19:14:19
Martin
by. Yeah, using like Fruity Loops. and I garnished like an audience fruit and Fruity Loops, as I called Fruity Loops and Froot Loops.

00:19:14:23 - 00:19:16:24
Evan
I think it's called the Fruity Loop.

00:19:16:24 - 00:19:18:06
Martin
If I were talking about a cereal.

00:19:18:06 - 00:19:18:25
Evan
Studio.

00:19:18:26 - 00:19:27:15
Martin
No, no, no FL studio, let me with. Yeah, I was just there with my bowl of Fruit Loops, and I was just like, I was like, I don't know.

00:19:27:18 - 00:19:32:10
Evan
Yeah. FL studio known as Fruity Loops before 2003.

00:19:32:13 - 00:19:36:06
Martin
Yeah, yeah. There you go. I always know is Fruity Loops.

00:19:36:09 - 00:19:43:06
Evan
we downloaded a very legal version, not from something called LimeWire, because, it was definitely.

00:19:43:09 - 00:19:43:27
Martin
Because I had.

00:19:44:00 - 00:19:44:19
Evan
To learn how to.

00:19:44:19 - 00:19:46:25
Martin
Use the software because. Yeah.

00:19:46:25 - 00:19:48:14
Evan
So we loved that thing.

00:19:48:17 - 00:20:20:07
Martin
Yeah. so I made that music and people really appreciate it. And I think before that I lost that YouTube channel, unfortunately, because I forget and passwords and old email addresses. Right. But one of the songs that I created got like, a million and a half views. Wow. which was crazy to me. And, at the tail of end of that is when I made my current YouTube channel, the one that people know me as Genesis seven, and I created that channel not with the intent of making content straight away.

00:20:20:12 - 00:20:47:22
Martin
What I wanted to do is I was like, I've got this passion. There's something in me that likes doing this, and I need to channel into it to a point where I can not set the bar too high for myself and where I can enjoy it, and it's just a hobby. So I kept it there and, I think literally probably like six months after making the channel, I was playing a lot of mobile games at the time.

00:20:47:24 - 00:20:57:10
Martin
I was, I was just going through like a mobile face, praise and, there was a, there's a game called it was a is based on WWE.

00:20:57:15 - 00:21:04:19
Evan
You beat it because I have a whole line of questioning around how on earth you started making WWE mobile game content.

00:21:04:22 - 00:21:22:02
Martin
So I can I can weave that in. Yeah, I can. We started, Let's Go. So there was a game called WWE Tap Mania and it was a simple game. You gathered the superstars and you just tap the screen to earn cash, to then invest into the superstars, and then you move on to the next stage. And that was all it was.

00:21:22:05 - 00:21:45:09
Martin
And I found a way. I was like, oh, there's no way I'm making any videos on this. I'm going to tap, literally tap my self into this and make some content. So I did that. But little did I know that the company that was, that published the game was Sega. of all companies, which we used back to how I first got into video games.

00:21:45:09 - 00:22:04:05
Martin
So when I found out that and they reached out to me, then there was an individual that reached out to me and that we really liked your content. Would you like to get the news ahead of time so you can make content? So yes. So I dived into that and I built up a little bit of an audience, because I was really into WWE at the time as well, of course.

00:22:04:05 - 00:22:06:27
Martin
So it was, it was even everything in together.

00:22:06:27 - 00:22:10:29
Evan
Random random time out for time out for wrestling talk.

00:22:11:02 - 00:22:11:29
Martin
For asking your.

00:22:12:03 - 00:22:14:09
Evan
Favorite wrestlers.

00:22:14:12 - 00:22:43:11
Martin
My favorite wrestlers. Undertaker. Oh, yeah. That's mine. Oh, yeah. Yeah. ever since, like, probably I started watching at the beginning of the Attitude ERA. So he was Ministry of Darkness by that time. Good era. Yeah. And then went into American Badass. That's when I was really into wrestling, I think from 97 all the way probably. Well, this will we even this will we even to the story actually, if, my thoughts on wrestling so yeah.

00:22:43:11 - 00:23:01:12
Martin
So I was making like the sacred reached out and then obviously with it being Sega, they had another game coming out and they were like, we have a Sonic game coming out on mobile. We would like you to be part of it. And I was like, so Sega talking to me, they want me to be part of a Summit Sonic game.

00:23:01:12 - 00:23:10:11
Martin
Like what I was like. Yes, because it was already in my wheelhouse because I was doing mobile games. Right. And I had the communication.

00:23:10:11 - 00:23:12:28
Evan
And you had the finger for the tapping.

00:23:13:00 - 00:23:20:02
Martin
Yeah. And this was, I think it's called Sonic Forces Speed Battle, I think it's called is still running today, actually. So. Yeah.

00:23:20:04 - 00:23:20:29
Wade
speed.

00:23:21:02 - 00:23:40:17
Martin
Yeah, yeah. And, so I started making content for that as well. So I'd like I was building up two separate audiences at this time. So I'd like the Sonic fans in the the Derby fans. I'm really blessed that I managed to build audiences around this because, I don't think it was my original intent. I wasn't too focused on who was watching it.

00:23:40:17 - 00:24:08:02
Martin
I was just more focused on making the content. so yeah, making the sonic content, making the WWE content. And then another top video game came out called WWE mayhem. And I thought, you know what? I'm just going to start weaving more stuff together and build more things. And then on the Sega side, things, they brought out another game which was like a match three game, to simple, like Candy crush and like that, bits called Sega Heroes.

00:24:08:02 - 00:24:33:01
Martin
And it took all the IPS from classic Sega games and you could fight with them. So I was like building all this content up with that. And that's how I established the YouTube channel. The beginning. after that, I started taking note on content, and it started to become a bit of a struggle for me personally to manage two very different audiences.

00:24:33:03 - 00:24:59:18
Martin
even though there was a common link for me, there wasn't a common link for the people that were watching. And during this time I was I was not as interested in wrestling as I once was. I was this was probably would have been like 2018, 19, maybe 2020. so I wasn't too interested. So I, I kind of like took a step back and I was like, I'm not enjoying this.

00:24:59:18 - 00:25:20:11
Martin
I'm not. I don't want to. I was really afraid of like online, this is something I want to do, but I'm not enjoying it. And there was a lot of conflict constantly. And then, I was likely to change and then how to change. So I was constantly like battling with like, do I just quit and just go back to what I was doing?

00:25:20:13 - 00:25:38:18
Martin
It's like, no, I want to make something. And I had the longest, longest discussion with myself. Like, my favorite thing of all time is Final Fantasy. do I want to push the button on that? Because what I was afraid of in the back of my mind is like, this is something that I love. I've grown up with.

00:25:38:18 - 00:25:58:22
Martin
It's changed. Who I am as a person. if I start to make content on this and then I don't enjoy it, do I then fall out of the thing I love and I was so afraid of that. But then I just had a moment to myself when I was like, no, it doesn't matter. I love this series and there's so much I can do with it.

00:25:58:24 - 00:26:30:04
Martin
I'm just going to roll with it and not worry, not set a bar and just go for it. And then that's that would have been, early last year, late 2023, where I pulled the trigger and I've absolutely loved it. It's been such a pleasure. Like the amount of, doors that have been open, the amount of people that I've met and just, always been always being challenged creatively, but not to a point where I feel like, stressed about it.

00:26:30:04 - 00:26:49:22
Martin
It's like, oh, man, what what can I do here? What can I talk about here in this? And that's where I am now. So yeah, that's that's I might have missed a few things out there. And if you've got questions to fill in the gaps and I'm more than welcome to answer them, but I think that's probably the best way I can describe the journey all the way from 2006.

00:26:49:24 - 00:26:53:13
Martin
Yeah. To right now, 24 2024.

00:26:53:15 - 00:26:59:26
Wade
Well, I didn't realize that your Final Fantasy content had happened, so late, started so late.

00:26:59:29 - 00:27:01:00
Martin
It surprised lot like you.

00:27:01:00 - 00:27:09:08
Wade
You're doing this for years. Yeah, but you have been doing this for years. It's been there. Yeah, yeah. And Sega and all that. So.

00:27:09:09 - 00:27:27:21
Martin
Yeah. So that's what a lot of people that they, a lot of people do think that I've spoken to, I think I've been in the part of the community a lot longer. But I really haven't. I've been like a, a viewer for Final Fantasy content. And to see how I just click that switch and just not think about the end goal, but it more enjoy in the moment.

00:27:27:21 - 00:27:33:14
Martin
And that's what I'm doing right? That I don't think there's any traces of me stopping, which is great.

00:27:33:19 - 00:28:04:18
Evan
How are you finding these things that are feeling like they're challenging you enough creatively, but then you also have the energy to make it happen because you've illustrated a couple of examples where you identify a tension that helps you to kind of stay on track and set boundaries to know when you're not having as much fun anymore. And maybe you're not being challenged, but how are you finding these new things to engage with, and what kind of process do you go through when you determine, okay, this might be something that I could see myself wanting to go deeper on.

00:28:04:21 - 00:28:32:14
Martin
So the way I've tackled it is I look at each video that I create now is like a lesson. So I know that regardless of how that's perceived, whatever the numbers might be, whatever the likes, dislikes, ratio is or whatever the comments are, I'm walking away from that video that I've learned something new, whether it's a new way that I've managed to edit a video, a new, discovering how a certain piece of background music might work in a certain thing that I might be talking about.

00:28:32:14 - 00:28:51:11
Martin
It could be, looking at one of the comments and thinking, you know what? That is a very good point. I'm going to take that, and I'm going to run with it because, yeah, I'm just taking each thing. I look at each video as a lesson, and the term I always like to use is I'm forever learning with content creation, and that's what I love about it.

00:28:51:11 - 00:29:07:13
Martin
I think that's the hook for me. I always go away from either watching or creating with something new, and I think, and that hasn't stopped. So, and that's that, that's been, that's been like, that's how I've been dealing with it this time around, especially with the Final Fantasy content.

00:29:07:15 - 00:29:28:00
Wade
Let's see more of that. Okay. What is, to kind of piggyback on that? so many content creators, when you create something, it's like your baby, right? In the comment section can kind of be brutal. And it is really challenging for all of us to to really look honestly at some of the things that we create.

00:29:28:02 - 00:29:42:06
Wade
Right. How do you manage that level of ownership and also humility as you're trying to take lessons from this, what would you say to aspiring content creators about that kind of mentality?

00:29:42:09 - 00:30:06:09
Martin
I would I would say, forget about numbers. Take the numbers straight out of your mind. with with content creators because that, content creation, because that would, that would become an unhealthy obsession. And comparisons will always every video you make will be a comparison to the last, even though you want to, improve and learn. Don't use the numbers to do that.

00:30:06:11 - 00:30:35:21
Martin
just learn from yourself. So, like when I make my videos, I have nothing. The script, nothing scripted. I don't script anything. it's my personal preference. I'm not saying there's anything wrong, I just can't. I always fall into a very monotone voice when I'm reading from a script. so I usually go off a few bullet points, and then I'm able to, like, come up with things on the top of my mind and roll with that.

00:30:35:21 - 00:30:59:18
Martin
And sometimes that might get cut out because I'm gone on for too long, but sometimes it really might, pinpoint something that's a really valid point and come across. And it will also come across very natural, like we're having a conversation. Yeah. as for like, comments and everything like that, I read all my comments and if there's something that I feel like I don't agree with, I look at it and I was like, I don't agree with that.

00:30:59:19 - 00:31:24:07
Martin
It's fine. I will never make it a thing, but I will always read it, thinking maybe there is something I've missed. Maybe it could be a piece of factual information that I might have brushed over. Wrong. Or maybe there was. One thing that came up recently with my videos is currently my background is my my dining room. It's not like the most attractive background for like a video in some people's minds, but I've never thought about that.

00:31:24:07 - 00:31:44:29
Martin
But I own a green screen, so I thought I'd use my green screen in a video. So I took that comment. I didn't take it personally. I was like, oh, you know what? That is an actual point. I'm going to make my backgrounds a bit more interesting. So that's that's just the way I took it. And then obviously if there's the the trolls and I will, I'll ignore this simply that I so like to.

00:31:45:01 - 00:31:46:18
Evan
Get back under your bridge.

00:31:46:21 - 00:31:48:29
Martin
Yeah. Just just just stay there.

00:31:49:01 - 00:32:17:14
Evan
Begone, troll. Begone! you have talked about some pretty varied interests that you engage with on a high level. You like the video games, you like to play music. You play music or at least enjoy music. kind of a higher level. Being able to kind of improvise and put on a live show really early on and do some improvizational, engaging activities.

00:32:17:21 - 00:32:29:22
Evan
Then you like video games, you like editing, you like learning about background music. Where does that creativity come from, and what was it like for you to cultivate that kind of as you grew up?

00:32:29:25 - 00:32:52:18
Martin
I think I've always had an interest of like just creating in general, because early on before like, doing videos and stuff, I would do like my, my, my dad played, he always had a, an electric keyboard and I'd always, like, listen to him and, I'd always be like, whenever he went to work, I would sneak on and try and replay what he did.

00:32:52:21 - 00:33:12:28
Martin
And obviously he he read sheet music and I. That's mumbo jumbo to me. I can't I still can't understand it to this day. So I'd always like, challenge myself and remember what he played. And I'll try and play it back. And as I went on, I obviously stemmed from that and started listening to music and playing it back.

00:33:12:28 - 00:33:34:12
Martin
And then I was also doing art at the time and I was like, I want to make my own video game. Kind of like when I was a, in my teens. So I've always had like a knack of creativity, whether it's and I do like improvise and I do like as much as it's weird, I like being put on the spot where I can, kind of not.

00:33:34:15 - 00:33:51:16
Martin
I sometimes dig myself out of it because I dig myself in with some of the like. Yeah. So lost in your own words. Sometimes you're like, where am I going with this? Yeah, I kind of like that. Like, sometimes I'll speak myself into a hole and it's a challenge to get myself out. But at the same time, I've got anxiety.

00:33:51:16 - 00:34:18:07
Martin
So when it's a face to face thing, I'm a very different person than I am, not a very different person. I think on the same person in person, than I am in the camera. But I think, there's definitely a, a default kind of all that gets put up that I have to mentally tackle. And I just another thing that I've learned as I've got older is just to kind of not think of nothing about it is as easy as a piece of advice is.

00:34:18:07 - 00:34:39:15
Martin
Just don't think about it and just roll with it. And that's just, again, that leads into the, content creation. It's I don't it's not like I don't put thought into it. I don't put thought into any kind of negative repercussions. I always think positively, like there's going to be one person out there that's going to watch you, and they're going to take something away, and that's that's good enough for me.

00:34:39:15 - 00:34:54:11
Martin
That's that's all I ask. So I think I answered the question. I did exactly what I said I was talking about. What would I like, dig myself into a hole and I'm like climbing out and I'm giving you like four different answers. But I'm hoping that you managed to.

00:34:54:13 - 00:35:10:29
Evan
It's it's one of the things that I really like about and appreciate about your videos, because I know that we would love, if you're comfortable with it, to talk a little bit more about your experience with anxiety and how it's kind of shaped that journey and how you've coped and how the kind of creative process is helped with that.

00:35:10:29 - 00:35:39:09
Evan
But for for me, real quick, before we do, you talk about this improvization and digging yourself into a hole because it's fun to see if you can climb your way out of it. One of the things that I've really appreciated about your presentation style is that it's very balanced to me, where you kind of illustrate both sides of the street with the where the guardrails are, and you say, this is about as far as we're going to go over here, and this is about as far as we're going to go over here.

00:35:39:13 - 00:35:57:18
Evan
And most of the stuff that you're going to experience is going to be in the middle. So for people who like it this way, this is going to land really well for people who like it. This way. You may struggle with this, but this is going to land really well for you. And I think it takes a really empathetic mind to really understand ideas and people to be able to communicate them in the way that you do.

00:35:57:24 - 00:36:18:20
Evan
I wonder, before we jump into that kind of curiosity around anxiety and some of your challenges, where does that style come from for you and have you always been like that, or is your parents like that? What is that balanced and methodical approach that somehow I think the Improvization keeps it really engaging to tell us about that.

00:36:18:22 - 00:36:37:02
Martin
Yeah, I think I don't like to be overly positive and at the same time, I don't want I mean, you explained it perfectly with the with the guardrails either side. Like I don't like to go over to to positivity. not because that's a bad thing just because I again, I like to just keep it in that center lane.

00:36:37:02 - 00:37:01:09
Martin
And it's the same with negativity. Like, I will know there'll be things I talk about that I don't really like, but I always accept that that might just I don't like, say, this is a bad game. It'll be like, I feel like I didn't vibe with this or it might be more on me than the game. Maybe I didn't get what the message was and I'm always very accepting of of like, I know it's my opinion and that will be different.

00:37:01:09 - 00:37:20:23
Martin
I know that my opinion will be different to someone else's, and I will always bear in mind that what they might say about it, and I guess I kind of am like that in, in, in life as well. And I think that's just something that I picked up. I think just, just in general, I don't, I don't think it is an influence from anyone.

00:37:20:23 - 00:37:49:08
Martin
I just never was like, oh, this is awesome. Even though I do have moments where I'm like, oh, yes, right. But it's not like, I don't do that all the time. I usually keep all of that stuff in here in a way, and I try and like save it out to to a point where I can present it where it doesn't, come from, like, for example, like if I was to talk about Final Fantasy seven, I understand that a majority of the things I'll talk about will be biased from me.

00:37:49:08 - 00:38:07:28
Martin
Like, because it's my favorite game. it resonated at a certain time in my childhood, and it affected me completely different to the person I'm probably presenting it to. And I can accept that. So I that's why I go for that level, because I'm not trying to convince anyone. I'm trying to create a conversation. That's probably what I'm.

00:38:07:28 - 00:38:43:25
Evan
Trying to get very invitational. I mean, it really. Yeah. You leave a lot of space for I'll say I'll just speak to my experience as a viewer. You leave a lot of space for me to think and process a little bit before you bring up the next topic. And it's like a it seems like a natural pacing. I'm sure it's something that's somewhat intentional at this point, but as someone who likes to fill space, you create that gap for me to sit in it for a minute before we kind of bring up the next topic, and I would rather hit the next ten things in a row, like, let's see if I could speedrun the

00:38:43:25 - 00:38:51:06
Evan
grocery list. and I really do appreciate that. And wait, I'm curious about kind of what you want to know more about and what you're thinking.

00:38:51:09 - 00:39:15:25
Wade
Yeah. You know, I'm honestly just taking a lot of mental notes. I've observed this about you. We've been on, a couple of shows together. We've, discussed a lot of things, mainly about Final Fantasy. But it's nice to hear the ways that, can you tick, regarding content creation, and I like this posturing of curiosity.

00:39:15:27 - 00:39:55:18
Wade
I think that a lot of times, Views that are reactionary or videos that are reactionary do get a lot of clout and, you know, buzz good or bad or whatever. But for you, it seems every time I've ever been on a show, I've always been really impressed that you come with a grounded impression of the game like it's grounded in like, these are the things that really resonated with me, and I can see how other people may not or all of these things, but I think that that really gives you almost like a sage, like wisdom when it comes to, when it comes to your opinions.

00:39:55:18 - 00:40:18:07
Wade
And I think that it that's why that those opinions hold a little bit more weight when it comes to your content creation. you know, I, I guess, you know, I guess Evan kind of mentioned this. Is that something that you're consciously aware of, or are you trying to practice that, or is that more innate to who you are as a person?

00:40:18:09 - 00:40:45:11
Martin
I think over time it's become more like how I am. Like I'm always I just like to be levelheaded because I'm, I feel like that's the best way you get the other views from both sides is that if I'm right in the middle, then I'm going to hopefully get bits from both sides, and I, I guess, weaving into just like, personal life.

00:40:45:11 - 00:41:04:11
Martin
I do a lot of listening. I like not to be like a fly on the wall, but I, I listen, I think this weaves into my anxiety because I'm very quiet, in person, I always listen and I'll always, like, I'll end up hearing a conversation that's going off over there. And I take it in, and it's not like I take it in and I want to hold up.

00:41:04:11 - 00:41:20:27
Martin
They they've spoken about something, so I'm going to brag about it, I take it, and I let it just kind of sit in there. Most of the times it'll fizzle out because I'm not a kind of I'm not like someone that will, like, brag about something, but I just let things sit and listen. I just, I think as I've gotten older, I'd like to listen more.

00:41:20:27 - 00:41:25:09
Martin
As much as I've wanted to speak up, make sense of it.

00:41:25:11 - 00:41:54:19
Wade
It's that kind of quiet listening and reflection that I think is really sent you into the stratosphere as far as your own content creation, because when you speak again, because of that reflection, because of that curation and curiosity, you have something worth listening to. and I that's, that's every time we've ever been on the show together, I'm always like, Jen is processing this differently than I am.

00:41:54:19 - 00:42:13:11
Wade
I. And I'm like, I want to think like that and learn to listen a little bit better about that. in a world where so many people are trying to get their voice out there, I appreciate you curating voices and then, bringing up your stance. It's really interesting. So it's not a question. It's just an.

00:42:13:18 - 00:42:30:28
Martin
Admonition. Yeah. And I always appreciate anyone that, the one thing I always take away from a video is I'll always appreciate someone that's giving me the time. Yeah, like, that's the the way I always look at content creation. Someone's give me that their time. to listen to what I've got to say. So they want to drop a comment, then I will make sure I look at it.

00:42:30:28 - 00:42:35:29
Martin
And if it's something I can respond to or something we can converse about, then I will. I'll do that.

00:42:36:01 - 00:42:39:13
Wade
And what a refreshing way of thinking about the comment section.

00:42:39:16 - 00:42:40:23
Martin
yeah, I know.

00:42:40:25 - 00:42:48:11
Wade
It's like, oh, you spent time listening or watching something that I did. Yeah. Hey, that back to you?

00:42:48:11 - 00:43:04:26
Martin
I think I'm definitely like at a point where I just personally can't be bothered with people that, bring a negative, like a really negative, purposeful negative, negative energy like that. There'll be people that will have a different perspective. And if they handle it the way that I've handled it, then we can converse. That's how a conversation is formed.

00:43:04:26 - 00:43:18:16
Martin
And it's like even can get into like a friendly debate if it needs to. And that the ones that are purposely negative. I've, I've, I've pretty much locked in to, to to try to put this out the way.

00:43:18:19 - 00:43:25:05
Evan
Get out the way the you're like my favorite wrestling characters thing and you just pull a baseball bat out of the audience. Yeah.

00:43:25:07 - 00:43:31:11
Martin
So just glad down them from the rafters. Sit. There's the comment sections in the ring and I'm just like.

00:43:31:14 - 00:43:55:01
Evan
It's either him or Rey Mysterio or Goldberg. Halifax Goldberg back in the day. Goldberg with it. I mean, my friends and I lost our minds when he came out and just speared everybody over and over. Anyways, so you talk about having a balanced approach. and, but then you also talk about how there's some anxiety that has created some, some real pressure.

00:43:55:04 - 00:44:19:24
Evan
I wonder what your experience has been, because those are two things at odds with each other. You know, I want to I want to be a listener. I want to have balance. I want to make sure that I understand the moving parts of an argument and other people's experience. And then you have an emotion like anxiety, which from my experience, so to speak personally, is is pressure demands an answer like, figure this out quickly.

00:44:19:24 - 00:44:41:25
Evan
There is no relaxing and balanced approach. It is now like you are in trouble. You are potentially in danger. Is the short circuiting that I experience with my brain. and that's the way that that's happened. So those seem to be at odds with one another. What is your journey been with dealing with anxiety and having that personality?

00:44:41:25 - 00:44:48:03
Evan
And how has content creation been a part of that kind of what sounds like maybe a healing and coping process?

00:44:48:06 - 00:45:10:17
Martin
Yeah. So so with anxiety, I, I probably found out or spoke to someone in that kind of field and come to terms that this is what's going on with me, probably like at the start of making this current YouTube channel. which, which will I keep saying weave in? It's like my go to kind of phrase, but we've in, in a minute.

00:45:10:19 - 00:45:30:07
Martin
But at an early age, I always thought I was shy. I thought I was a very shy lad, growing up, and I would always, even like moments like this, talking with, as a group of people I was or I will always think about, like, when's the best time to comment if everyone's speaking at the same time?

00:45:30:07 - 00:45:48:00
Martin
Because I don't want to speak out. That's kind of like how how I was I was like, always not wanting to be rude because the more I thought about it, the more it was easier for me just to be quiet and not say anything and just listen. so as time goes on, it started to affect personal life, like with work.

00:45:48:00 - 00:46:11:26
Martin
So I worked in retail and, Covid was, was was a tough time in retail. So it all kind of like bashed together and I would think way too much like there be a situation where I would be going into work and I'd be thinking, okay, what manager is on? what time is he finishing? What time is the next manager, and who am I in with a wife?

00:46:11:26 - 00:46:44:04
Martin
This customer comes in. But what about this? It's creating all these situations which realistically would probably not happen. And that got on top of me, and I didn't know how to swim out of that. I was just overloading my mind with just things that were essentially in my head. so eventually I went to therapy, and the one thing that I took a took away from that is, I'll always remember, because I take it to this day, is fact an opinion?

00:46:44:06 - 00:47:09:10
Martin
taking the time of listening to a thought in your head and telling yourself, like asking yourself, is this the fact that this actually happening, or is this your opinion? And if it is your opinion and push that to the side, don't worry about it. Concentrate on the facts that are happening in your life. so I took that and I rolled with that and a good way to and that's what went into the content creation.

00:47:09:10 - 00:47:34:09
Martin
It was a good outlet of me, being factual to an extent, like, I knew that I liked content creation, I liked creating content. So I focused on that fact and the opinion of, like, what I had kept failing with previous YouTube channels and doing live shows was setting the bar up too high for myself? I mean, I understood that that was on me.

00:47:34:15 - 00:47:54:19
Martin
That was completely on me. It wasn't on, the things I was doing. It wasn't on like the the websites I was on or anything like that. It was all on me. So I kind of like. It's almost like a soft reset for me. Yeah. so and that's the way that that fact, an opinion thing, is how I've pretty much handled everything now.

00:47:54:24 - 00:48:15:11
Martin
I mean, there are times where I still struggle with anxiety. There will be times where like if we're in a in a show that we've been in before, I will like I really want to get this point out, but, when would be the I still have that thought process. So it's almost like I'm running the same race as someone that doesn't have these problems.

00:48:15:11 - 00:48:31:12
Martin
But I've got a few hurdles that I need to jump over. But I know that I can clear them now. No. So, yeah. So I've learned it to to to live with it. And I've learned, I know that I think the, the ultimate thing was accepting that I had it and then understanding it.

00:48:31:12 - 00:48:54:07
Wade
So I appreciate you saying it like that. And I appreciate the way that you broke it down so specifically, because sometimes we do kind of say, oh, you know, just like, don't jump out there, put yourself out there or whatever. Just keep going. but the delineation between fact and opinion, I, I'm, I'm going to take that from you a little bit and share it with my students.

00:48:54:09 - 00:49:14:18
Wade
because these are no one really is able to talk about that level of self-awareness with such practicality. I think that is what is really useful about this. To, to we sometimes talk about stopping our thought pattern. Yeah, but what do you do with it? and it's, it's really vetting it and say, okay, is this.

00:49:14:18 - 00:49:24:22
Wade
Yeah. Fact is this opinion and if so, on each one of those what do I do with it. Yeah, that's incredibly helpful. Certainly as a content creator. But just as a human being. That's amazing.

00:49:24:25 - 00:49:45:06
Evan
I wonder if you could speak a little bit quickly to the length of time that it took to understand that concept. You know, you have your coping process, which is okay for me, right? This is helpful. I'm going to focus on factor opinion, and that's going to help me get into the right mindset to then be able to cope with some of the anxiety that I'm experiencing.

00:49:45:06 - 00:50:04:04
Evan
Specifically. I think a lot of the time when people talk about anxiety or mental health, we get to that like, and this is the thing that made it click, but we don't get the and this is how long it took for it to actually click, even though I understood it. Could you talk about I think for because we do have a lot of folks who, you know, everybody's dealing with their stuff, right?

00:50:04:04 - 00:50:20:06
Evan
Everybody kind of has some things they're dealing with. Like, was it a bit of a period of time to like, understand the concept, live in to the concept, practice the concepts like talk us through the time frame in which you started to experience that healing. And oh, hey buddy, I'm going to give you.

00:50:20:08 - 00:50:30:08
Martin
This during the show. This is this is, hello there. Oh, I'm to listen to my stories, which.

00:50:30:10 - 00:50:32:25
Evan
Doesn't have headphones. Hold on. Let me give him the headphones.

00:50:32:27 - 00:50:38:02
Martin
So. Oh, my. All right. You got to go. You got to go back to bed.

00:50:38:09 - 00:50:38:27
Evan
Good boy.

00:50:39:00 - 00:50:40:20
Wade
That's for the dogs, you know.

00:50:40:24 - 00:50:44:26
Evan
Sorry, everybody. He's so sweet. I'm dog sitting this week. Hey, we don't mind.

00:50:44:29 - 00:50:45:03
Martin
He's.

00:50:45:07 - 00:50:47:03
Wade
We don't mind the pup.

00:50:47:03 - 00:50:56:16
Evan
Oh, my family now. The other ones. All right, go on. No park. Go. Time to time period. And, the time frame that you go out like you're doing. Yeah, I.

00:50:56:16 - 00:51:24:20
Martin
Think I think the initial time period is quite long, and I think I think it's important to note that I still think that that the, the, the, the click hasn't happened still yet, if that makes sense. Like I don't I think I, I think the one thing you need to accept is that the AI, the click isn't going to happen, in a way like it wouldn't, it wouldn't let me try and like it will not go away.

00:51:24:20 - 00:51:43:04
Martin
But you can learn to be in control of it. and that was, that was the lesson that needed to be learned because I thought I was going to therapy today. They would be like, oh, it's gone now. I thought, oh, I was going, I was going to get rid of it, and I wasn't going to be. I was going to just get rid of it, like, like a broken arm or something like that.

00:51:43:04 - 00:52:02:29
Martin
Right. but slowly, the more that I had these sessions and the more I like, learned about myself, and we had this, like, massive whiteboard and it'll be we've we write in everything, like, from how I was feeling that day to house feeling last week or what did I do here? And it really gave me like an insight of like, okay, right.

00:52:02:29 - 00:52:22:03
Martin
And that's where the the facts and opinion came in. And I think that was that was a really hard thing to do, because when you've got like a billion thoughts coming into your head for usually just once and area like, I could, give you a scenario like I'm going to go to the shop. These are the thousand things that could happen.

00:52:22:06 - 00:52:45:05
Martin
while I walk to the shop. How many of those are actually going to happen? Right. I think the one thing that's going to be happening is I'm going to pay for something, and I'm going to bring it back. Let's just focus on that. Yeah. and that took a while because when you again, when you're juggling so many thoughts and you don't know if they are fact in opinion and you've not really spoke to someone about it.

00:52:45:05 - 00:53:04:12
Martin
And I think that's an important thing as well, speaking to someone that is not related to you whatsoever. Someone is this complete stranger and you get this, feeling of like you are essentially unloading, but you get to feel like how good that feels like, oh, hold on a minute. I'm letting this, this, this actually can come out.

00:53:04:12 - 00:53:25:05
Martin
It can come out of my head. It doesn't need to stay in. So there's all these little things that all add together. And that did take time because I had to accept the fact that I had anxiety. And that was a tough, tough thing. Like, okay, there's there's something wrong in between these, these ideas of mine, and I need to solve it and come to grips with that and that down that road.

00:53:25:05 - 00:53:34:21
Martin
But then talking to a stranger about it, they're going to essentially going to think that they cannot judge me. Are they going to I'm going to tell them that I had this kind of day they could take.

00:53:34:26 - 00:53:35:15
Evan
Even if they're.

00:53:35:20 - 00:54:01:08
Martin
The opinions of it, right? Yeah. And it just took days and days of learning to do it. And again, there's still days like, even like preparing for this. I would have the thoughts into my mind, like, okay, what if I get asked this question? What if I get asked that question? What if the internet goes down? What if this light turns off like, and I'm like, no.

00:54:01:10 - 00:54:17:20
Martin
Now it's a simple thing now where I can. They're still there, but they're not like coming into the like the peripheral, the like the floating around that half the time they're falling out of there. Right. And I'm focusing on like, hey, I'm here for a good time. Let's talk about the thing.

00:54:17:20 - 00:54:19:03
Evan
So they're not in control.

00:54:19:06 - 00:54:50:14
Martin
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I've also noticed also like when I do talk about it, I realize like hey, I'm talking an awful a lot about this. And that's usually a good thing because you are literally coming to terms like you are attempt at terms with it in that moment. So you are happy to talk about it. You are talking about it and you are unintentionally, not unintentionally, but you're like unknowingly and letting all those worries blow off.

00:54:50:14 - 00:55:00:21
Martin
So they might have worries that probably flowed off me just during this conversation. It's there's probably thousands, but I don't need to think about that because I'm, I'm kind of in the moment.

00:55:00:22 - 00:55:02:16
Evan
Yeah. Thanks for sharing that.

00:55:02:19 - 00:55:04:15
Wade
Yeah. Thank you so much for sharing that.

00:55:04:21 - 00:55:08:14
Martin
That's okay. It feels good. Like it always feels good to share it.

00:55:08:16 - 00:55:32:12
Wade
I appreciate you not only saying it, but modeling it for the people of your community, our community, because this is the kind of, thing that helps overcome stigmas. Right? to, to say, hey, this is what goes on with me. And the other thing that, that you said that really strikes me is there isn't that moment where it just clicks and suddenly, oh, behold, I'm healed.

00:55:32:17 - 00:56:06:27
Wade
Right? But instead, you know, we talk in terms of, so many of us think of, issues that we may experience, or, you know, things that we are trying to overcome as problems to solve, but we prefer to speak in terms of tangents, to manage instead. And so to go through life trying, knowing the strategies and the coping mechanisms and the habits, they're going to help us manage those tensions and tendencies that we have, knowing that we're never going to fully overcome that.

00:56:06:27 - 00:56:29:13
Wade
I think that there's wisdom in that, a great deal. Have you, how have you felt as though this has impacted you as a content creator? Because it's one thing to to come onto this show and kind of talk about this is this something you speak openly about in your own, content or try to model, for your community?

00:56:29:20 - 00:56:32:15
Wade
So you began live streaming more recently?

00:56:32:18 - 00:56:56:06
Martin
I think with live streaming, there are definitely moments where I would like, take, take more of a time to be like, let's say, for example, before a stream, I've had a bit of a bad day. I maybe I've spent too long in here to today. I get I've got an I'm lucky enough to have an outlet where there's people coming to kind of join me to kind of do it, and it's like.

00:56:56:09 - 00:57:34:27
Martin
It's not like trauma dumping or anything like that, but it's just like a it's almost like a mutual understanding, like, hey, we all, we all have heads and they all work in wonderful and weird ways. let's just take a, take a moment like I always before I start a stream. I like to chat for like 20 minutes about how people's weeks have been, because the way I've always tackled, like, like speaking to people, like, I have no idea what they might have gone through today, but if I've brought a conversation out of them, if they've struck a little bit of a smile, if they've kind of gone like, hey, like, I've

00:57:35:00 - 00:57:39:11
Martin
contributed to that. And that's that's a good feeling. Like, it's a really good feeling.

00:57:39:18 - 00:57:59:21
Wade
I love that. And, one of my kind of core values is at least when I'm live streaming and stuff is we're going to choose connection over content. yeah. And so if, if I'm able to curate that level of connection, even in that first five, ten minute check in sort of thing, then the content will kind of right itself.

00:57:59:21 - 00:58:33:05
Wade
I mean, I've done the work beforehand, that, that I need for the content, but that connection is something that we all crave, you know, and to be in the position that you are in, you know, this, this, video content creator for years and years. And now to surround yourself with the community. I mean, yeah, I just want to be that outside voice saying to you, the health that you were experiencing and the way that you're able to curate that for others, that that is not insignificant.

00:58:33:05 - 00:58:34:16
Evan
That's really cool. I is.

00:58:34:18 - 00:58:36:03
Wade
Major.

00:58:36:05 - 00:58:37:20
Martin
Yeah. I think it's you're.

00:58:37:20 - 00:58:40:08
Wade
Helping make the internet a more positive place. And yeah, I.

00:58:40:08 - 00:58:57:20
Martin
Think that's been like a missing piece for me, like in the journey. with, with with the mental health and just the content creation in general, like I said, like I wanted to got to a point where I was like, I think I need to build a community for people. And as that time's gone on a year past, like I've got the same people that come in and I absolutely love it.

00:58:57:20 - 00:59:10:10
Martin
I have new people that come in, even if they're just there for that certain game I'm playing, or if they're there for a certain moment, that's fine. But it's that missing piece of just walking. Talking is a super thing.

00:59:10:13 - 00:59:38:27
Evan
And the live streaming format is a little more interactive. Yeah. I wonder, as kind of we wrap up the first part of the interview, if you could talk a little bit about, what you like about the live content versus some of the prerecorded things and where you see some value because you model that kind of vulnerability really well, where it's not full access to every single part of your life, but you are open enough to say, today wasn't so great, but how's everybody else do it?

00:59:38:28 - 00:59:52:27
Evan
You know that just just, you know, cracking the window and allowing some fresh air in, to the time seems like something that's pretty neat in that live format. But what have you found to be enjoyable about it, and what would you compare it with that prerecorded content?

00:59:53:00 - 01:00:12:11
Martin
I think live streaming is a lot easier when it comes to prerecorded content in terms of like work, just work load like a you record the video, you then go through that video, you find all the mistakes, you edit them out, you then put some background music in you, then come up with the thumbnail, you come up with the title.

01:00:12:13 - 01:00:28:21
Martin
So this a I'm not saying it's a bad journey because it's something I enjoy doing, but when you compare it to just pressing the red button and just kind of playing the game, not worried about any mistake, you don't need to worry like, oh, I need to edit this out. I don't need to edit. I'm live like that.

01:00:28:22 - 01:00:56:18
Martin
What happens happens. so that's that's like the easiest go to for that. But I think, all the things when live stream that live it's prerecorded content again, it's just the, just the in the moment. It's like you get to like, when I make the prerecorded content, I'm talking to you about how I felt about the game, like, hey, this is how I felt.

01:00:56:21 - 01:01:13:07
Martin
this is what I like. What? This is what I didn't like. If it's a game, I'm live streaming for the first time. And you, you happen to be there. You get to witness that. Like you get to witness that that that emotion. I get to chat. I'm I'm I'm sharing a first time experience with you. And it's always really nice when it's, someone's favorite game.

01:01:13:07 - 01:01:32:06
Martin
Like, I like going into sneaking into streams of people playing Final Fantasy seven for the first time, because it gives me joy just to. Yeah, hey, how are they going to react to that? Especially as time is going on? It's like, how are they going to react to it? and I'm not one of these people that will be like, the back seaters will be like, oh, this moment coming up is really going to be really good.

01:01:32:08 - 01:01:49:12
Martin
I like to just take the step back and just look, I'm a big lurker. I think the term in the live streaming world. Yes. Yeah. and I like to just and I would like to think that people that are doing that for me are feeling what I feel when I do it. I think that that makes sense.

01:01:49:12 - 01:02:05:21
Martin
So I just kind of like that. I guess it's like it's almost like it is an intimate experience sometimes, like streaming, like you, you're sharing, an emotion life. And it's not that, that, in most cases isn't manufactured as as natural as it can be.

01:02:05:24 - 01:02:24:25
Evan
Genuine. Yeah. well, I think it would be probably pretty good if we took a little stretch break and shared some, get to know you live experiences together. So we're going to take our mini game Stretch Break, which is definitely not going to be recorded at the very, very end of the interview and spliced in. It's something that we're truly, truly about to do right now.

01:02:24:25 - 01:02:27:18
Martin
We would we're ready for doing that. We're about to go film.

01:02:27:18 - 01:02:34:17
Evan
We would never film the mini game Stretch Break at the very end. Well, never in a million, never wouldn't dream of it. So see you.

01:02:34:17 - 01:02:55:27
Speaker 1
Hey everybody, it's that time in the episode for our mini game Stretch Break, which means that we take a little bit of a break and we stretch. So let's get some stretching in everybody. We're here with Martin, aka Genesis seven. and he's getting a good stretch in. It's important to be kind to your body. So wherever you find yourself, whatever's going on in your day, whatever stressors you're dealing with.

01:02:56:03 - 01:03:16:16
Speaker 1
Oops. let's just let those go. Get a little stretching, and don't let it, don't let it be the defining part of your day or week. You got this. You're going to get through it. So that being said, it wouldn't be a mini game stretch break without our theme music. Let's hit it, boys. 321.

01:03:16:18 - 01:03:32:14
Speaker 1
Two. The loom. Nice. There we go. Improvizational jazz. All right. Great. So I am here with the bingo. We love vulnerability. Numbers 150 are in the bingo. Will Martin, as our guest. Please choose a number one through 50.

01:03:32:17 - 01:03:34:17
Speaker 2
I will pick number 16.

01:03:34:18 - 01:03:37:13
Speaker 1
Number 16 is the number. Wait, what's your number?

01:03:37:15 - 01:03:38:09
Speaker 3
21.

01:03:38:09 - 01:03:42:27
Speaker 1
21? I will take number 42, 42, 42. So 16.

01:03:42:27 - 01:03:44:09
Speaker 3
My brothers football number 20.

01:03:44:09 - 01:04:04:08
Speaker 1
One and 42. Listener, make sure that you pick a number. Let us know if you get it in the comments. Here we go. Martin. Tell me when. When. Okay, we have a ball. They have been falling out onto the floor, so I am going to stop it here. Oh wow. So close. The number was 20.

01:04:04:11 - 01:04:06:02
Speaker 2
Oh so close was really.

01:04:06:02 - 01:04:08:06
Speaker 1
Close. You were really, really close.

01:04:08:06 - 01:04:09:19
Speaker 3
You're really, really close.

01:04:09:20 - 01:04:13:12
Speaker 1
What questions are we working with today. And let's hear number 20.

01:04:13:14 - 01:04:25:02
Speaker 3
Today we are going to be reading from Chuck Klosterman hypotheticals 50 questions for Insane Conversations. Also, he is the author of Eating the Dinosaur and Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs.

01:04:25:02 - 01:04:28:22
Speaker 2
So in fact, rather.

01:04:28:24 - 01:04:32:14
Speaker 1
They should be fun. It's okay.

01:04:32:17 - 01:04:39:27
Speaker 3
These are great conversations. I use these in my class, actually, for actual game stretch breaks.

01:04:39:29 - 01:04:51:07
Speaker 3
Okay, so here we go. The title of this question, because the questions have titles, is called The Meteor, which feels very Final Fantasy.

01:04:51:10 - 01:04:52:19
Speaker 1
Coded to you like.

01:04:52:19 - 01:04:54:00
Speaker 2
It was meant to be.

01:04:54:02 - 01:05:01:05
Speaker 3
Are we ready? Okay, so the question is a little long. Bear with me. I'll try to make it a dramatic reading.

01:05:01:05 - 01:05:04:21
Speaker 1
All right. I'm going to see.

01:05:04:23 - 01:05:28:27
Speaker 3
Earth is about to be struck by a mammoth meteor. Though no one knows exactly what will happen. Most scientists assume life on Earth will be totally altered and potentially eliminated. Everyone on the planet is freaking out. Suddenly, you receive a bizarre email. The government demands that you must fly to Washington, DC immediately by order of the president. That includes you to Genesis, you have a longer flight.

01:05:29:03 - 01:05:50:09
Speaker 3
The email message includes a first class plane ticket. Once you arrive at the airport, military police confiscate your cell phone and wordlessly transport you to a secret hangar that houses ten massive space shuttles. You are escorted onto one of the ships, not counting the crew. There are 24 equally confused people waiting on board. You recognize a few of these people instantly.

01:05:50:13 - 01:06:20:01
Speaker 3
Bill gates, the musician Prince Oprah Winfrey when the individuals you don't recognize begin talking and interacting with one another, it becomes clear that all of them are brilliant scientists, consequential artists, or extremely wealthy political figures. The ship's captain informs all of the passengers that the space shuttle will be leaving Earth in two hours. He does not say where you are going, although he does insist that anyone who wants to remain on earth is free to stay behind.

01:06:20:01 - 01:06:40:17
Speaker 3
Now here's the question. You are 90% certain you've been selected for this trip by mistake. Do you remain on board? And if you do, how will you explain your presence to the other 24 passengers? You have no idea if admitting your true identity will disqualify you from traveling.

01:06:40:20 - 01:06:43:22
Speaker 1
Go have question clarifying question.

01:06:43:24 - 01:06:44:15
Speaker 3
Clarifying question.

01:06:44:17 - 01:06:46:10
Speaker 1
Yes, I'm raising my hand.

01:06:46:13 - 01:06:51:11
Speaker 3
Yes.

01:06:51:13 - 01:06:58:16
Speaker 1
Prince. Is he back from the dead or did he never actually die?

01:06:58:19 - 01:07:01:00
Speaker 3
It turns out he never died.

01:07:01:04 - 01:07:01:21
Speaker 1
Okay, so.

01:07:01:21 - 01:07:02:12
Speaker 3
Prince.

01:07:02:14 - 01:07:14:25
Speaker 1
Prince's death was faked. And then he said it. I now see him at a space shuttle. Does he have his guitar? it.

01:07:14:25 - 01:07:18:24
Speaker 3
Does not say. Does it change your answer? If he has his guitar, it.

01:07:18:27 - 01:07:40:01
Speaker 1
It's certainly going to be a factor, because I didn't. Because I give if the scientists brought some supplies and Prince has his guitar and Bill gates has his money. Money or something like that, then I will feel as one of the 24 that maybe I should have had some sort of.

01:07:40:04 - 01:07:40:22
Speaker 3
Attribution.

01:07:40:23 - 01:07:44:17
Speaker 1
Prop or contribution. It would be a contraction figure.

01:07:44:17 - 01:07:47:17
Speaker 3
You've got the figure and then the accessory that.

01:07:47:17 - 01:07:53:14
Speaker 1
Goes with it. So Prince has guitar, Oprah Winfrey has free gifts.

01:07:53:17 - 01:07:56:02
Speaker 3
Yes.

01:07:56:04 - 01:08:03:01
Speaker 1
And do you feel like Oprah's arms for her action figure would articulate really exaggeratedly. So you see you could feel.

01:08:03:01 - 01:08:04:01
Speaker 3
There's a button on that and she.

01:08:04:01 - 01:08:04:14
Speaker 1
Goes.

01:08:04:17 - 01:08:08:15
Speaker 2
Oh, all of the bendable points. You can see.

01:08:08:18 - 01:08:16:20
Speaker 1
The real bendy. Okay, well, I can go, but if somebody else is ready, I certainly would.

01:08:16:22 - 01:08:23:14
Speaker 3
Like you've asked a lot of clarifying questions, so why don't you start us off?

01:08:23:17 - 01:08:31:00
Speaker 1
So let's just assume that my I'm not abandoning, like, family responsibilities and things like that. So.

01:08:31:06 - 01:08:34:16
Speaker 3
Well, I mean, they're they're probably gone in the media.

01:08:34:18 - 01:08:36:14
Speaker 1
The meteor hit yet.

01:08:36:17 - 01:08:37:26
Speaker 3
Well no, I mean.

01:08:37:28 - 01:08:38:17
Speaker 1
I'd rather die.

01:08:38:19 - 01:08:39:02
Speaker 3
24.

01:08:39:04 - 01:08:58:24
Speaker 1
Rather die with my family than get on a ship. Okay, so you get on Oprah. So if, if, if, if they're never going to survive. And I just have to live on with Oprah Winfrey, Bill gates and Zombie Prince, like I, I would rather probably die with my family and just rough out the remainder of it, then get on the ship.

01:08:58:25 - 01:09:22:01
Speaker 1
Now, if we're saying your family is taking care of. So it's just a matter of like it's an impostor thing you have to live on, and we're going to maybe go stop the asteroid than saving my family. It's more of an Armageddon situation that we're dealing with. Then, you know, buckle up. Our Ask Prince if I can rip a few licks on the guitar, and then we're just going to have to, see where we go.

01:09:22:01 - 01:09:41:23
Speaker 1
So, yes, I would do that. and I would try and be overtly mysterious about my reasoning for being there, thus making it seem more valid that I should be there because I, I am the wild card. So I wonder why they asked me to be here of all people. So I thought I would lean into the mystery.

01:09:41:23 - 01:09:46:06
Speaker 1
Anyways, that's me and I'm finished asking clarifying questions for now.

01:09:46:08 - 01:09:53:27
Speaker 3
Okay, so your answer was both. I did. What's up?

01:09:53:29 - 01:10:02:04
Speaker 2
So I'm going to I'm going to make the assumption that the family's either taken care of or they have, they've unfortunately, like, perished in the media or.

01:10:02:04 - 01:10:03:12
Speaker 1
You're saving them.

01:10:03:15 - 01:10:12:16
Speaker 2
Or I'm or I'm saving them. So I'm going to take them out of the equation. In that aspect, when it comes to being on the set, there's ten shuttles in total, right?

01:10:12:18 - 01:10:15:11
Speaker 3
Yeah. There's ten massive space shuttles.

01:10:15:11 - 01:10:34:18
Speaker 2
Yeah. Okay. So what I would do because I would feel like, hey, I'm not supposed to be on here, but I don't want to tell them who I am. I'd be like, hey, guys, can you can you see that out there? And then be like, what? What? That's like, no, let me go grab it now. I'll run out.

01:10:34:21 - 01:10:46:07
Speaker 2
Go grab it, and I'll go into one of the other shuttles. And I would because I wouldn't feel, I don't know, I just wouldn't vibe with Oprah Winfrey on.

01:10:46:09 - 01:10:48:15
Speaker 3
Oh, you don't want to be with Oprah and Bill gates?

01:10:48:17 - 01:11:08:06
Speaker 2
no, not not specifically. I don't think we would, I don't think our conversations would last in this, however long this journey may be. I think the conversation we've pretty short, so I would want to try and find myself on a different shuttle. So what I'll do is I've gone to a different shuttle. I'll just pick one at random.

01:11:08:09 - 01:11:26:03
Speaker 2
I'll be like, hey, guys, I've just come off the, the VIP shuttle with Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey. I've been allocated to just kind of chill out with you guys. so who's ready for a good time? And we're going to escape from this meteor. We're going to save everyone who's in. Let's let's get this party started.

01:11:26:03 - 01:11:40:17
Speaker 2
And I would probably give myself a bit more of a role where I would feel like I would enjoy this journey and and this boy, in this situation, I could either be like, I'll vibe with the people, or I'll just sit along at the front.

01:11:40:19 - 01:11:46:07
Speaker 3
That is the most unexpected answer ever, where you're like, I don't want to hang out with.

01:11:46:09 - 01:11:48:00
Speaker 1
One of you, with the people.

01:11:48:02 - 01:12:03:21
Speaker 2
I want to be with the people. Yeah, I would want to. I think ultimately I would want to be with the people I think is because the, the these, established folk and we wouldn't vibe, we might vibe on a few things, but I think, I think I would want to be with the people. So I would find myself on a different shuttle.

01:12:03:25 - 01:12:12:10
Speaker 3
I you have a specific question that you would like need to know the answer to, in order to know if you can vibe with someone.

01:12:12:12 - 01:12:15:13
Speaker 2
Oh, it's not McCarthyism.

01:12:15:16 - 01:12:16:05
Speaker 3
Yeah.

01:12:16:07 - 01:12:20:21
Speaker 1
I just it's a remarkable showing of class solidarity. Really? Yeah.

01:12:20:23 - 01:12:34:18
Speaker 2
I, I don't know, I think I wouldn't need to, I think because I think what I'm doing in that situation is I'm definitely judging book by its cover in that situation. so.

01:12:34:23 - 01:12:38:11
Speaker 3
What's their opinion of Oprah like? Is that.

01:12:38:13 - 01:12:46:17
Speaker 1
Yeah, it's a good call. Open. Hi, I'm Evan. Tell me your thoughts on Oprah.

01:12:46:19 - 01:12:47:06
Speaker 2
Yeah. She's,

01:12:47:13 - 01:12:47:26
Speaker 1
I'll let.

01:12:47:29 - 01:12:48:07
Speaker 3
You know.

01:12:48:08 - 01:12:51:22
Speaker 1
Right on.

01:12:51:25 - 01:13:02:23
Speaker 2
I don't think there's a I don't think there's a specific question I would ask. I think I'd be more. I'd listen a little bit and then establish a question based on what I've learned in that small about time.

01:13:02:25 - 01:13:05:01
Speaker 3
Well, you're halfway to Earth two at that point.

01:13:05:03 - 01:13:09:07
Speaker 2
Yeah. Yeah, I think it all works out.

01:13:09:09 - 01:13:24:17
Speaker 3
It does? what about you, Cindy? I think, listen, I'm going to go along and, I don't know who they think that I am, but I'm going to live it to a tee, and, I'm going to be like, yes, absolutely. I am Matt Damon. I.

01:13:24:19 - 01:13:25:03
Speaker 1
Was.

01:13:25:05 - 01:13:35:05
Speaker 3
It was great and good Will hunting and whatever other movie you liked me. And so. Yeah. and I'd probably let them know once we landed on Earth.

01:13:35:05 - 01:13:37:11
Speaker 1
Two that you're not in that.

01:13:37:14 - 01:13:40:02
Speaker 3
and Elon Musk greeted us at the gate.

01:13:40:03 - 01:13:42:13
Speaker 1
Or remember.

01:13:42:16 - 01:13:50:11
Speaker 2
So how would you tell? What would you tell them? Yeah. How would you tell them? Would be like, hey, this this. I'm not Matt Damon. Or would it be, like, more of a subtle.

01:13:50:11 - 01:13:56:26
Speaker 1
Yeah. Because in this scenario, you're entirely pretending to be Matt Damon and just say, okay, so let's get clear on it.

01:13:56:29 - 01:14:16:17
Speaker 3
Here's the thing. Like, if I land and I have somehow let them believe that I am Matt Damon, I will be Matt Damon for the rest. Okay, I like I just will be it. I will of adopted good. Will hunting is my favorite movie of all time. I will just live in it and I'll just say things like, you know what, I take that back.

01:14:16:23 - 01:14:17:28
Speaker 1
I would probably.

01:14:18:00 - 01:14:25:29
Speaker 3
Let them know. And I'd be like, hey, do you like apples now? Do you like them apples? I'm not Matt Damon and not leave them forever and start.

01:14:26:02 - 01:14:45:11
Speaker 1
I just love the idea of you confidently walking around looking exactly how you look. And someone's like, why are you here? And you go, I'm Matt Damon. No, you're. No, we know what Matt Damon looks like. You know, like, look it up on your phone away. Oh, yeah. It's like you're from Damon. Like the Gaslight.

01:14:45:13 - 01:14:49:04
Speaker 3
Now, let me tell you these old stories about Ben Affleck. Like my best friend Ben Affleck.

01:14:49:05 - 01:14:55:17
Speaker 1
So true. And do you think you would just hug people and then just say, it's not your fault? Yeah.

01:14:55:19 - 01:14:56:28
Speaker 3
That's Robin Williams.

01:14:57:02 - 01:15:17:04
Speaker 1
Yeah, like it's from the movie, I would imagine, but I don't think that. Good go hunting. Learn to say it's not your fault in a hug. You don't think he went and got the girl? Wait. He went it got the girl. You don't think that's a skill that he acquired from the girl? I get the lingering hug and that it's not your fault.

01:15:17:04 - 01:15:20:26
Speaker 1
You'd never left him.

01:15:20:29 - 01:15:27:08
Speaker 3
They would probably ask me, could I do a math question? And I'd be like, no, I'm not.

01:15:27:10 - 01:15:30:07
Speaker 1
That was for the movie. The math movie.

01:15:30:09 - 01:15:32:01
Speaker 3
I am not math, Damon.

01:15:32:03 - 01:15:37:00
Speaker 1
That's.

01:15:37:03 - 01:15:41:07
Speaker 2
I think they would forgive you with that line. I think they'd be like, oh, yeah, they would. We, like.

01:15:41:10 - 01:15:50:11
Speaker 3
Oprah would be like, you get a quarter.

01:15:50:13 - 01:15:52:23
Speaker 1
Get you stretching, everybody. Let's do an Oprah stretch.

01:15:53:00 - 01:15:56:20
Speaker 3
Oh.

01:15:56:22 - 01:16:01:26
Speaker 1
Let's get back to the episode.

01:16:01:26 - 01:16:30:19
Speaker 1
okay, we are back from our mini game Stretch Break and we are ready to start talking about specifically some Final Fantasy seven experiences theories thoughts here with Martin. But before we jump into rebirth, I think we need to hear a little bit more about your history with the game past the Scorpions tail. So I wonder if we could pick back up from, you decided to pick back up the game and you said, you know what?

01:16:30:19 - 01:16:37:27
Speaker 1
I'm going to give this another chance. Tell us what that experience was like and kind of what this game meant to you when you played through it.

01:16:38:00 - 01:16:41:07
Speaker 2
Well, I beat the the God Scorpion. Yeah, I beat since.

01:16:41:07 - 01:16:42:28
Speaker 3
I got past that.

01:16:43:00 - 01:16:44:10
Speaker 4
And when the credits.

01:16:44:10 - 01:16:47:28
Speaker 3
Roll then it was, yeah, that was it then that game.

01:16:48:00 - 01:17:12:20
Speaker 2
So it there's there's like phases when it comes to Final Fantasy seven. So I first played this in probably 98. So I would have been if I could do the math around nine years old. So I treated my first playthrough as a video game with some additional reading. So I enjoyed like the, the more of the gameplay mechanics at that stage.

01:17:12:22 - 01:17:29:25
Speaker 2
and then as I, I wrote credits and it was a real good time and I moved through other final Fantasies. But going back to Final Fantasy seven, I think when I went to, secondary school, which I think you guys would call high school, so there's no nowhere.

01:17:29:26 - 01:17:33:09
Speaker 1
What's the one before uni?

01:17:33:11 - 01:17:54:03
Speaker 2
but for us, it's what I call it, secondary school. Okay. So we have, we have like, infinite school. Yeah, we have like, infant school, junior school. Then primary school. Okay. Secondary school. That makes sense. It's a lot of schools. Yeah. And, because I think you, when you separate your years, do you like, like seventh grade?

01:17:54:06 - 01:17:54:11
Speaker 2
Yeah.

01:17:54:11 - 01:18:04:14
Speaker 4
We're elementary, middle school, sometimes a junior high, and then high school. And here's a fun. So sometimes middle and junior high are the same.

01:18:04:14 - 01:18:13:06
Speaker 1
Yeah. We have, like, first grade, second grade, third grade. Except first grade isn't the first grade that you go into. That one's called. Yes, that one's called kindergarten. Yeah.

01:18:13:08 - 01:18:23:04
Speaker 2
Yeah. So we, we call our kindergarten reception and then it goes year one, year two, year three, year four, all the way to. Yeah. 11.

01:18:23:11 - 01:18:51:24
Speaker 1
So this is your fault. We took before the pilgrims took kindergarten over on the Mayflower across the Atlantic, the new world. We could have forged a new way, a new path free from the tyranny of the Brits. And instead, we chose to do our school system the exact same way. The first grade could have been the first grade.

01:18:51:27 - 01:18:53:11
Speaker 4
You know, we should have called it reception.

01:18:53:11 - 01:18:56:02
Speaker 3
We could have gone through the process instead.

01:18:56:02 - 01:18:57:19
Speaker 4
Those happened after weddings.

01:18:57:21 - 01:19:02:03
Speaker 1
Yeah. That's true. Yeah. What do you call the party after a wedding?

01:19:02:05 - 01:19:04:23
Speaker 2
yeah, I think it's a we call it wedding reception as well. Yeah.

01:19:04:24 - 01:19:06:07
Speaker 3
So that's why I.

01:19:06:07 - 01:19:08:29
Speaker 1
Think that you're going back to kindergarten after the wedding.

01:19:08:29 - 01:19:29:05
Speaker 2
So sometimes, I think sometimes we call the actual wedding, the wedding reception. Depending on where it's taking place. So if it's taking place in a registry office as opposed to a church, we have we have a registry office, which is essentially like a room with chairs. And you sign the, the thing and that's we call that the wedding reception.

01:19:29:07 - 01:19:30:20
Speaker 2
And then it's the after party.

01:19:30:27 - 01:19:31:20
Speaker 3
Oh, okay.

01:19:31:23 - 01:19:36:09
Speaker 4
Hang on. You have a room for registering for your, like, marriage.

01:19:36:10 - 01:19:38:00
Speaker 3
Is it only. Yeah. Yes. It's a.

01:19:38:00 - 01:19:40:19
Speaker 1
Registry office. They only do what do they do? I believe.

01:19:40:19 - 01:19:41:01
Speaker 2
That you can.

01:19:41:01 - 01:19:41:23
Speaker 1
Give it.

01:19:41:25 - 01:19:51:08
Speaker 2
I believe you can register your birth there as well. So if I needed to renew my certificate, I would go there to say, hey, I need a new birth certificate. It's like where you get your legal paperwork.

01:19:51:08 - 01:19:52:03
Speaker 4
And when.

01:19:52:05 - 01:19:55:23
Speaker 1
You go to one central office for most all of your legal paperwork.

01:19:55:29 - 01:19:57:15
Speaker 2
Yeah, I think so, yeah.

01:19:57:15 - 01:20:01:29
Speaker 1
Why don't you do like we do and have nine different offices all.

01:20:01:29 - 01:20:03:09
Speaker 4
Over place to do nine.

01:20:03:10 - 01:20:07:25
Speaker 1
And you need to have a car to get to all of them. And they all have different hours.

01:20:07:27 - 01:20:11:06
Speaker 4
And you have to register the car in a different place, too. Yeah.

01:20:11:09 - 01:20:16:02
Speaker 2
I'm, I'm looking I don't, I don't drive. So I've not done those obstacles yet.

01:20:16:03 - 01:20:30:22
Speaker 1
You see this idea that you don't like, that you love this moment because you can't. It's like years a few cities in the United States, like. Yeah, a few that you could get away with not having a vehicle or if you live in the right area of one city.

01:20:30:25 - 01:20:34:17
Speaker 4
But we don't know how to use our land as well as they do.

01:20:34:19 - 01:20:37:26
Speaker 1
Well, I you think that's it? You think it's a land use issue?

01:20:37:28 - 01:20:42:05
Speaker 4
Well, I think that when we we we came to the new World, there.

01:20:42:05 - 01:20:44:05
Speaker 1
Was no kindergarten. There was like.

01:20:44:07 - 01:20:46:05
Speaker 4
You have to have interstates.

01:20:46:07 - 01:20:52:06
Speaker 1
Just interstates are a new thing. They call it the the motorway.

01:20:52:08 - 01:21:06:11
Speaker 2
It's the motorway. Yeah. We have the we have like that named after like the M, M1, m2. And then we also have a-roads. I don't actually know what the A stands for. I think it's more of like the roads that have two sets of cars in each lane.

01:21:06:13 - 01:21:07:10
Speaker 1
Oh yes. That would be.

01:21:07:10 - 01:21:10:18
Speaker 2
Like a house lane. We were we, we drive on the other side of the road as well.

01:21:10:21 - 01:21:11:26
Speaker 4
Yeah. We didn't know that.

01:21:11:29 - 01:21:26:00
Speaker 1
Yeah, yeah, yeah we're aware of we are a little you're aware of that as in Mr.. We are well aware every, every American sitcom, movie or TV show that does anything abroad always has some scene where they're like.

01:21:26:04 - 01:21:30:00
Speaker 3
Yeah, what's happening? Driving on the wrong side of the road.

01:21:30:01 - 01:21:31:14
Speaker 4
It's every.

01:21:31:16 - 01:21:32:05
Speaker 2
It's the go to.

01:21:32:05 - 01:21:32:29
Speaker 1
Sorry.

01:21:32:29 - 01:21:36:11
Speaker 4
Oh things American love.

01:21:36:13 - 01:21:43:07
Speaker 1
So Final Fantasy seven was a game that you played. Yeah. And and so yeah. So you beat it.

01:21:43:09 - 01:21:59:23
Speaker 2
Yes. so when I went to secondary school, I was, entering my early teens. So I was interacting with I went to a different school. I met, more people, made different friends. And obviously we had friends, we had things in common, one of them being Final Fantasy. So that stage of Final Fantasy was like discovering.

01:21:59:23 - 01:22:00:14
Speaker 3
More.

01:22:00:17 - 01:22:18:26
Speaker 2
Of the secrets, like, oh, well, the weapons, beating the weapons, getting this materia, getting the final limit breaks. So I was more in like a completionist phase. That cool. And then as I entered my, late teens and when I moved out on my own, I played it again. And this is where I've obviously learned a lot of life lessons.

01:22:18:26 - 01:22:46:12
Speaker 2
I've, been a teenager and I've experienced my own struggles. So this next playthrough, Final Fantasy seven, was very different is more of like, understanding the characters and getting to know the story. And then I've recently played it before the remake was a thing, so I would have been like mid 20s and again, that was more intimate with the story, with the characters and understanding the world, the lore.

01:22:46:14 - 01:23:11:19
Speaker 2
Why does this person feel this way? Why are they talking this way? And, really putting gameplay on the back seat this time and enjoying the story for what it is? And that's like for me, was the full package like I've experienced it in various phases of my life with different aspects and things that I've learned. And Final Fantasy seven has been the thing that I've gone back to where it feels different.

01:23:11:19 - 01:23:36:26
Speaker 2
It feels different every time. And I think that will go into what we're going to talk to about the remake series, because again, it's a different this is a real different perspective of my favorite game, and I'm at a different age. I've learned more and like we've theories and everything else in between with it, it is that that's what I love about the game, because I always come back to it and I'm always taking something different away.

01:23:36:26 - 01:23:44:21
Speaker 2
So that'll be like the short version of why I love Final Fantasy seven so much for me. Joy in so many different ways.

01:23:44:22 - 01:23:47:00
Speaker 3
Oh yeah.

01:23:47:02 - 01:24:10:25
Speaker 4
Everybody that we've talked to has had some different formative story about how this game has impacted them personally. Their relationships, their own mental health and all that kind of stuff. how has this game developed you as a person? You said that it's your favorite game of all time, and you started making content on it for this YouTube channel?

01:24:10:27 - 01:24:21:14
Speaker 4
just a couple of years ago. And so what has been its lasting impact for you, to the point that you were like, I've got to return to it to make even more content about it?

01:24:21:14 - 01:24:47:03
Speaker 2
I think it's I think it's the more opinions and the more people you meet that have played the game like I have. Like I say, I look, I look in people's streams to experience people's first time playthrough. I think I because I've had this such longevity with the game and different aspects, like focusing on the gameplay and loving RPGs and digging into the the numbers and stats and everything like that, and then learning about the story.

01:24:47:03 - 01:25:08:01
Speaker 2
And around the time where I was getting into the stories where the compilation came out. So it's like I got all this other information at the same time of me exploring the information and it's just it's just a it's just one of those. I think there's just so much to it. And I think each you might have it obviously experiences with the people that you spoke to.

01:25:08:01 - 01:25:27:11
Speaker 2
There's just so many you would learn something different was from someone else from their perspective or the way they've played the game. And I just because it's my favorite thing, I just want to I want to take it all in, like, give it me all like fill me up with knowledge I didn't know. Tell me that this character came from here.

01:25:27:11 - 01:25:38:15
Speaker 2
Tell me that this. You can do this. If you get this materia, please let me know because I like learning about this game. I'm I'm I'm I'm happy. There's still things I don't know.

01:25:38:22 - 01:26:05:25
Speaker 4
Yeah. This story has, been very beloved, right. to the point that they have decided to repackage it for a whole new modern audience and sensibility. what is it about the story of Final Fantasy seven that, is worth telling and retelling and repackaging and having this entire remake endeavor? What is it about the story that's worth telling?

01:26:05:28 - 01:26:23:18
Speaker 2
I think it comes down to, I think that the The Shining Stars of Final Fantasy seven, especially when it comes to this remake telling as well, is the characters like I think the characters, are so.

01:26:23:20 - 01:26:24:15
Speaker 3
This.

01:26:24:17 - 01:26:56:20
Speaker 2
They're so different to one another, but there's still that connection between each character. And that isn't the the actual overarching story. There is a a common factor with all these characters, whether it's something they're struggling with, whether it's, something they learn or just something that they accept. I think the way that it's told, in the way that it's been able to be told in more depth and in certain, aspects as well, a little bit differently.

01:26:56:22 - 01:27:01:04
Speaker 2
I think it's a pleasure to just take that in,

01:27:01:06 - 01:27:22:03
Speaker 1
With a game like Final Fantasy that you are describing, you're like stages of development and life alongside your playthroughs of the original. I played it as more of a video game when I was a kid, and then I started to get more into the story and the stats when I was, you know, in secondary school, I was older.

01:27:22:03 - 01:27:45:14
Speaker 1
And then when I understood, like life and journey and the challenges and who I was, I played it again as an adult. Right. Like you are separating the phases of your life in some ways by these ways that you've played and engaged with this game. Final fantasy seven take us back to when they then announced that they were going to do the remakes.

01:27:45:17 - 01:28:00:19
Speaker 1
What is going through your mind? What are you feeling and walk? Start walking us through that journey. That kind of brings us up to your experience with remake, and then like on the precipice of when we're about to get rebirth.

01:28:00:21 - 01:28:25:15
Speaker 2
I think initially, like when they did. The trailer is E3 2015, if I remember correctly, I was like, fanboy. All in all, I was just thinking of like, well, we I get to experience this again. and I would have been a lot like a lot of people thinking that it was going to be very close in the style of what we got on The Swan.

01:28:25:15 - 01:29:03:07
Speaker 2
So I was like, oh man, is going to be HD. And oh, they're going to talk and all of this thing like how, how the are they going to do it? And then as, as time went on and we learned it was going to be multi-part, I was all for it. Like I was all in, I, as much as I would love, like, a 1 to 1 remake, I think that that would, as I've told, this kind of journey of different experiences, it probably might repeat one of these experiences that I've had, like, oh, the story again, I really like this story, but I don't think I'll come away from something

01:29:03:07 - 01:29:24:07
Speaker 2
different. I think with me personally in the remake series is, I, I like to think that I know everything about it. And I said that there's always things that I learned, but this truly is, a journey where I have no idea where it's going, and I'm all for it. I, I, I.

01:29:24:08 - 01:29:25:19
Speaker 3
Love and I want it now.

01:29:25:22 - 01:29:37:20
Speaker 2
And I'm kind of I'm really somber about it. Like, this is the there is going to be an end to it, to this, this, this journey as well. So but you know, I'm I'm all for it.

01:29:37:26 - 01:30:01:11
Speaker 4
In the 2015 trailer, teaser, it talked about how, it may bring joy, it may bring fear, this remake, sort of thing. But regardless, they're coming back. And I think that that has been a constant theme that I return to when I'm playing through this, because there are moments when like, it's like, this is subverting my memory of the original game a little bit, like, what do I do with this?

01:30:01:14 - 01:30:22:26
Speaker 4
How have you reckoned with your love for the original that you played back in the day, and all the things that it's meant to you in some of the choices that they've made, especially in rebirth, remake as well, but especially in rebirth. how do you reckon with those things? You say you're all for it? how did you get there?

01:30:22:28 - 01:30:25:03
Speaker 3
So,

01:30:25:05 - 01:30:51:21
Speaker 2
I'm in, like, I know that's going to be. I already know, like, in the back of my mind, it's going to be more expansive. They they have on a ten technologic standpoint, more of umph behind them to show the vision that they originally wanted to show. So I'm like, okay, I'm coming up to certain moments through this game and I'm like, I know.

01:30:51:24 - 01:31:11:08
Speaker 2
It's like, I know what's going to happen. But I also know what it felt like when I first played, how I envisioned it in my mind back then as well. Yeah. So, you try and think of a classic game you played. It's going to be very different to if you went back and played it. So remake and rebirth specifically as well.

01:31:11:11 - 01:31:22:08
Speaker 2
Hit those points of like, hey, this is how I imagined it. But for the for these scenes that have slightly changed and introduced other things, again, it's like.

01:31:22:11 - 01:31:23:21
Speaker 3
In.

01:31:23:23 - 01:31:41:06
Speaker 2
Give It to me, I, I'm pretty accepting of the fact that I have the original to go back to if I am really pure and stubborn and want to experience that, I know that's always going to be the, I just like that.

01:31:41:09 - 01:31:42:09
Speaker 3
It's.

01:31:42:11 - 01:32:00:26
Speaker 2
The story that I've been so used to, but the branches, there's more branches on this tree this time it's I'm trying to visualize it like there's there's more. There's more branches. and I guess what if I split that into my anxiety like, it's a positive way.

01:32:00:26 - 01:32:01:24
Speaker 3
Of.

01:32:01:26 - 01:32:06:14
Speaker 2
Thinking of different things, like, it's more of an imaginative.

01:32:06:14 - 01:32:07:29
Speaker 1
Possibilities instead.

01:32:08:00 - 01:32:32:24
Speaker 2
A possibility thing like. And that's where, like, all the theories come in and everything else follows it. I just really I want to not know. So I like the little changes and the expansions and taking something from like crisis Core and implementing it because I when that all came out, I took that all in. I watched Adventure Children.

01:32:32:24 - 01:32:33:23
Speaker 2
I'll watch it again.

01:32:33:26 - 01:32:34:10
Speaker 3
Yeah.

01:32:34:13 - 01:32:37:18
Speaker 2
They can throw something into rebirth where I'm going to be like, hey.

01:32:37:21 - 01:32:39:11
Speaker 3
I feel.

01:32:39:14 - 01:32:40:08
Speaker 2
Like I'm.

01:32:40:10 - 01:32:41:12
Speaker 3
I just.

01:32:41:14 - 01:32:57:02
Speaker 1
Based on what you've experienced so far, we like to ask this question, why do you think that they decided to tell the story this way in three parts instead of one? Go.

01:32:57:05 - 01:33:23:12
Speaker 2
I think they're trying to tackle it from so many different angles. I think they're trying to cater to a lot of people at the same time. Sure. So they are considering players like myself that have played it so many times and knows the story of the back of my hand, but they also want to they they know that they've got something here, and if they were to try and tell it to a new audience, how can we do that?

01:33:23:12 - 01:33:54:14
Speaker 2
But still kind of keep the the old audience not being like not gatekeeping, but knowing what happens. Is there a way we can slightly change the the goal is the same like the at the end of the game we think it's the same. And how can we change certain roads to that where everyone can travel together and meet certain sections and talk about it and have differences of opinion?

01:33:54:21 - 01:33:56:02
Speaker 3
There's like little cooler.

01:33:56:02 - 01:33:59:28
Speaker 1
Stops, like American like, and yeah, that's at the watering hole. And it's like.

01:33:59:29 - 01:34:03:16
Speaker 2
Yeah, they like have a quick look at this quick so you can just recharge.

01:34:03:16 - 01:34:05:15
Speaker 1
Oh wow. I did like like a dog.

01:34:05:16 - 01:34:08:26
Speaker 4
The it works.

01:34:08:28 - 01:34:46:21
Speaker 2
But I think they are trying to tackle it from I think they want to I think also like I mentioned like they they've got technology's changed so much and probably original concepts that they've got on paper. They can probably tell that they want they, they've got they can tell it properly now or they can tell it to the full potential that they can do it because I think the having it in three parts, this both pros and cons, like the pros, you have this arc that you're telling like you were really enhancing and really just putting as much as you need to to make it work.

01:34:46:21 - 01:34:51:27
Speaker 2
But at the same time, we're having these breaks right between each game, which is horrible.

01:34:51:27 - 01:34:52:29
Speaker 3
Like it's like.

01:34:53:02 - 01:34:56:16
Speaker 1
Leave some space for us to have conversations.

01:34:56:19 - 01:34:59:02
Speaker 3
Oh yeah, let's. Oh yeah.

01:34:59:07 - 01:35:01:14
Speaker 2
Well, it's just good having the gaps.

01:35:01:14 - 01:35:03:26
Speaker 1
It is agonizing too though, isn't it?

01:35:03:28 - 01:35:32:17
Speaker 2
Yeah. But I don't know. I'm just I think they did it to try and tell the story that they wanted to tell. but at the same time, keep the people that know the game asking questions, because that was a key part of the original. and then with the newer players, kind of take them on this journey of while I this story is probably one of the greatest video game stories of all time.

01:35:32:17 - 01:35:46:09
Speaker 2
Like, join us on this journey and try Nick's appearance. And it's this, this new way. It's hard because it's because you've always got the original there. It's always going to be compared to it. So yeah, I think, I think I.

01:35:46:09 - 01:35:47:19
Speaker 3
Answered one more asking for.

01:35:47:25 - 01:36:06:07
Speaker 1
Oh it's yeah, I mean I think it is a full opinion question. Why do you think that they decided to tell the story this way. So yeah, there is no yeah. There's no right or wrong. There's just your experience and then kind of what you've appreciated. And I appreciated the way that you roped in kind of the two sides of the fan base.

01:36:06:07 - 01:36:15:12
Speaker 1
How do we make something accessible to a newcomer? But also this is one of the most dived into video game stories of all time.

01:36:15:12 - 01:36:21:22
Speaker 2
And I think as we've seen online is difficult as well. It's a very different it's a difficult thing. It's a difficult thing to accomplish.

01:36:21:23 - 01:36:24:23
Speaker 1
Yeah. It's it's a little tricky. It's a little tricky.

01:36:24:26 - 01:36:57:04
Speaker 4
Because rebirth tells a number of different stories. a number of different messages highlights a lot of different relationships. But there are a couple of things that I think are pretty central and especially, based on the first part of our conversation, I'd like to visit this, for the next, moment or two. cloud has a degree of, of, mental trauma, kind of moving through his own psyche.

01:36:57:04 - 01:37:21:28
Speaker 4
And this is as much a journey of his mental state as it is a journey to save the world. in fact, Aerith at one point says it's not just it's about saving the world. And you, and so that that's a huge piece of this game. the developers even did a, mental health collaboration talking about friends supporting one another and all this stuff.

01:37:21:28 - 01:38:06:16
Speaker 4
And there would be scenes of Cloud and Aerith, high fiving and things like that. in addition to that, in one of the early trailers for rebirth, it, the game begs the question, asks the question, what is fact and what is fiction? And I think all of this comes together in, as you were talking earlier, it really reminds me, of all of this when it comes to your process of, thinking through the things that are fact in opinion, when it comes to your own journey, of mental health, how do you see this game telling that story?

01:38:06:16 - 01:38:17:13
Speaker 4
Well, and does it falter? It points out how how was your, impression and interpretation of this game's story, as you were playing through it?

01:38:17:15 - 01:39:08:09
Speaker 2
I think my interpretation it I'm pretty positive positive about it. I think it's been, a very good talent, and I think it's been a good talent because it has posed those questions at various parks, like the classic like, well, this wasn't in the original or, oh, this wasn't the original or although this was part of this and I liked that constant like re think, you know, I think it falls back into the just the experience I've had with Final Fantasy seven, like discovering more because they're, they've been able to tell things that happened in the original the exact same, but because of just maybe the addition of voice acting or the way that the

01:39:08:09 - 01:39:36:02
Speaker 2
characters can emote a little bit more, or the scenic scenery in the background, like they're able to just for me, hit the nail on the head a little bit more, and I don't find myself asking too much. I think it's more of the parts that where there is multiple things I'm going to use the with things because it could be worlds, it could be.

01:39:36:05 - 01:39:36:13
Speaker 3
bringing.

01:39:36:13 - 01:39:38:29
Speaker 4
Up the realities of the world. Yeah.

01:39:39:01 - 01:39:39:18
Speaker 2
I.

01:39:39:20 - 01:39:39:25
Speaker 4
So.

01:39:40:00 - 01:39:42:02
Speaker 2
Yeah, I think that that is.

01:39:42:05 - 01:39:44:14
Speaker 1
the scientific term is things.

01:39:44:17 - 01:39:48:21
Speaker 2
And things that the various antics that are going off.

01:39:48:24 - 01:39:52:11
Speaker 3
Into shenanigans.

01:39:52:14 - 01:40:12:28
Speaker 2
I think that's where I've asked the most questions. Okay, personally, because it's like, okay, I think I'm trying to understand, like, okay, what is the what is the underlying what is this new? It's new to to also have played the original. What is this what and how are they how are they trying to weave it into the story?

01:40:12:28 - 01:40:34:28
Speaker 2
Are they. And it poses questions like are they trying to wing it? Does it have meaning? We we really don't. We won't know until we have rolled credits on the third game of what they intended. But I like, I like, I like being on that journey. I mean, I'm enjoying it and I'm not got like any kind of negative opinion on it.

01:40:34:28 - 01:40:43:18
Speaker 2
I enjoyed all of the facts and fiction that it post. I liked it, I really liked it.

01:40:43:21 - 01:40:51:13
Speaker 4
So with the antics and the things the thing, how do you make sense of that? How would you explain it to somebody that asked you?

01:40:51:18 - 01:40:54:29
Speaker 1
It makes it worse when you put it in air. Quotes.

01:40:55:02 - 01:40:56:12
Speaker 2
The antics.

01:40:56:14 - 01:40:58:04
Speaker 4
Antics.

01:40:58:06 - 01:40:59:16
Speaker 2
So if someone was asking.

01:40:59:23 - 01:41:01:10
Speaker 3
It, antics.

01:41:01:13 - 01:41:39:09
Speaker 2
Antics, if someone was asking me about the antics and how I would explain it to them, How would I explain it to them? I would say that this is the same journey that I went on many years ago, but there is there is an antic that's going on that is, diving into more of the I mean, ultimately, I think to make this easier on myself is I believe this is all live stream related.

01:41:39:16 - 01:41:42:05
Speaker 2
Personally as the the core I'm in.

01:41:42:08 - 01:41:52:21
Speaker 4
Explain the live stream a little bit then, you know, we do have viewers that are fairly new to the Final Fantasy seven world and stuff. How do you make sense of the life stream?

01:41:52:23 - 01:42:00:23
Speaker 2
So the live stream for me is a collection of memories of the planet, which involves.

01:42:00:26 - 01:42:02:23
Speaker 3
People.

01:42:02:25 - 01:42:10:19
Speaker 2
That have, I think it involves memories from both people that have passed and people that have yet to pass.

01:42:11:18 - 01:42:36:20
Speaker 2
It's all that future, past, present. It is the essentially the lifeblood of the planet. But the live stream is a culmination of things that will happen in ten years, things that happened 20 years ago. And that's what that's what the live stream is. My understanding of the live stream now, that's where I think I'm at with it.

01:42:36:23 - 01:42:47:20
Speaker 4
Okay. so why is the why is the life stream depicting all of these separate.

01:42:47:24 - 01:42:50:06
Speaker 3
Worlds.

01:42:50:09 - 01:42:50:23
Speaker 2
Why.

01:42:50:24 - 01:42:53:00
Speaker 4
It's going on there?

01:42:53:02 - 01:43:16:22
Speaker 2
I refer to it to myself when I first experienced it as what they were. What ifs. Okay, what if what would happen if so? It's almost like, almost like a fanservice thing at the same time, but at the same time, they are able to tell it in a enriching way. they're not just be like, hey, here's what we know.

01:43:16:22 - 01:43:40:22
Speaker 2
You love Zach. Here he is. There is a there is a meaning towards it. There is a there is a journey. It doesn't matter where that journey ends, but it it can go on after you think the end point is. And I think that's what we all experience. And I like to compare it to the lost. It's probably my easiest.

01:43:40:29 - 01:44:00:01
Speaker 2
Okay. The way that they depict the final scene like this, there's there's this place where people have passed before you. There's people that have passed after you. All that knowledge is there and it's time for you to, accept. Make sense? I think, yeah, I think.

01:44:00:08 - 01:44:01:22
Speaker 3
Yeah.

01:44:01:24 - 01:44:03:08
Speaker 1
I think.

01:44:03:11 - 01:44:04:13
Speaker 3
I'm, I'm. I turned.

01:44:04:13 - 01:44:04:26
Speaker 2
Off the clock.

01:44:05:00 - 01:44:17:25
Speaker 4
Racing. Right. Yeah. And I'm like, the lost analogy is a good one. It's a really, really good one. And also ends up in a church. yes. Very similar to both rebirth and adventure.

01:44:17:26 - 01:44:19:26
Speaker 1
And they have flowers and.

01:44:19:28 - 01:44:27:21
Speaker 2
I don't I don't have I don't know if I keep missing the point. I don't know if I keep missing the question you're asking. I don't know if I'm slightly avoiding or if I'm.

01:44:27:24 - 01:44:27:28
Speaker 3
Yeah.

01:44:27:28 - 01:44:52:27
Speaker 4
This is this is really difficult stuff when it comes to trying to conceive of what's going on in the live stream. And so you say that lost has helped you have a lens for understanding what's going on here. Can you describe that? Especially for some, some people just briefly, that may not have seen lost. I mean, Evan, I obviously saw it, but it's been, you know, a couple decades at this point.

01:44:53:00 - 01:44:57:05
Speaker 1
Yeah, it felt like a few decades in the middle of it, too.

01:44:57:08 - 01:45:05:18
Speaker 2
Yeah, luckily I watched. I was a late bloomer to it. I managed to buy the the full the box set, and I managed to insta.

01:45:05:20 - 01:45:17:27
Speaker 1
I hate the yeah, my brother was really into it, I really can't, I don't have a leg to stand on here. so yes. Tell us about this lost analogy and not about myself and my experience essentially.

01:45:17:27 - 01:45:19:00
Speaker 4
How does it help make sense?

01:45:19:00 - 01:45:42:11
Speaker 2
Yeah, essentially at the core, I believe lost is a journey of just moving on is the bottom line of it is, recollecting all of the people you've met, all of the things that you've done, and being able to look back and be like, hey, that, that, that, that these other people that I experienced, these moments of life with.

01:45:43:11 - 01:45:50:06
Speaker 2
I am ready to move on to the next phase. It's like moving on and letting go is okay.

01:45:50:06 - 01:45:52:08
Speaker 3
It's okay.

01:45:52:10 - 01:46:01:26
Speaker 4
So is this game ultimately about this game story, ultimately about acceptance, or is it about defying fate?

01:46:01:28 - 01:46:30:06
Speaker 2
I think they are diving into both. I think they are trying to tell tell a tale of tell a tale. Two tales. so for example, we'll we'll use that as an example. so I don't think it's just other people's perception of Zach. I think it's Zach himself. And I think during rebirth, there was a point where he realizes like, oh, wait a minute.

01:46:30:08 - 01:46:54:19
Speaker 2
I this this is what happened, I died. I think, and there is a point where I think he accepts that there is a point in rebirth where he accepts it, but at the same time, he's trying to, not be. There's a point where I think when they, he dives off into, like, smell you never or something.

01:46:54:22 - 01:47:23:29
Speaker 2
I can't remember the exact line. and I think that's, I think that's both of the way of the frustration of, like, okay, I can see what's happening now, but at the same time, okay, I accept what's happening here. but then there's the more antics of other things. But yeah, I think it is the, the telling of like, both defying fate and letting go of those people that have.

01:47:24:01 - 01:47:26:25
Speaker 2
Accepted they.

01:47:26:28 - 01:47:46:05
Speaker 4
When you talk about acceptance, defying fate and letting go and moving forward, it strikes me that there could be a larger conversation here about how that's all of our kind of struggles in life. Yes, many of us, especially as we hit, you know, our.

01:47:46:05 - 01:47:47:05
Speaker 1
30s don't say.

01:47:47:08 - 01:47:49:18
Speaker 4
30s and beyond.

01:47:49:21 - 01:47:50:24
Speaker 3
And beyond.

01:47:50:27 - 01:48:15:07
Speaker 4
And beyond. we begin to ask the questions of what is you know, what if this had happened, if I had taken this fork in the road versus this other and, you know, in many cases, I maybe I'm speaking for myself here. I'm definitely speaking for myself here. you want to in some ways go back and defy that fate and say, yeah, I'd like to go back and change that decision.

01:48:15:09 - 01:48:38:26
Speaker 4
And yet that's an impossibility. yet it can inform my future possibilities in that very same moment. And it's the way that you've kind of described this and created these lenses and frameworks for acceptance, defying fate, moving on, all of this kind of stuff.

01:48:38:29 - 01:48:52:01
Speaker 4
These multiple worlds, they're interesting to think about, but ultimately they are going to be a dead end. Do you do you think that that's the case, or are they going to be coexisting by the end of this game?

01:48:52:04 - 01:49:09:24
Speaker 2
I think that the sorry. Yeah, I think they will be, to a certain extent, a dead end. They will they will have an ending to them. I think that that's the funny thing, because I realized as I was trying to explain that, like, there's a part of me that when I'm trying to explain, like, do I have the facts to back this up?

01:49:09:24 - 01:49:32:26
Speaker 2
Like, I, I still have that feeling that I don't really know, but I think I know. So when it comes to like that end or be like, continuing on, I think there will be I go to the scene. I truly think the scene in the Church of Advent Children where Zach and Earth. Yeah, look at cloud.

01:49:32:26 - 01:49:48:20
Speaker 2
I think that is I feel like that's a key to, to some of these things like that. So, like a part of that same thing that we're experiencing in these white spaces like that is a clear key. That's the connection I've made.

01:49:48:22 - 01:50:08:23
Speaker 1
Yeah. So it's I would just say more about that when. So Advent Children, if you're tuning into this show for the first time, you might not know that having children, it's a TV show or it's a movie. so it's a movie. So it's outside of the games. I just gave the worst explanation for children.

01:50:08:25 - 01:50:11:23
Speaker 4
Like, no, I solid see, that was maybe.

01:50:11:23 - 01:50:24:08
Speaker 1
That we have done on the show. Point being, the look that they exchange in the church, what's the meaning behind that look and what's the context that makes that significant to you?

01:50:24:10 - 01:50:51:17
Speaker 2
I think it falls into to two things that I've previously mentioned. I think it's cloud letting go of the two people that have a very similar connection to him when it comes to to death, to death, especially the way the telling in rebirth, because when when Zach died at the end of Crisis Core, he had that struggle of accepting it to the point where he adopted that persona and completely convinced himself.

01:50:51:19 - 01:51:16:29
Speaker 2
Similarly, they didn't do it. They didn't tell it this way exactly. In the OG, but they doing this in rebirth is from the from. What I'm getting from the end of rebirth is that he is similarly going through the same thing, like Aerith has died, but he has not come to terms with it. He is struggling again like this completely.

01:51:16:29 - 01:51:53:17
Speaker 2
Same scenario and linking to that Advent Children scene. It's almost like a casual, not like, hey you guys, get off. I, I'm cloud. and they're also like their job is done. And I think that, I guess coming off the just explaining it like, like again, these like, light bulb moments is, I think the journey that Zach and now Aerith are taking in that white space is like, hey, we've got to help cloud, somehow from beyond.

01:51:53:20 - 01:52:18:29
Speaker 2
And I think the, the, the antics, are a way of like giving more life to telling that story through their lenses. so it gives it more of a stake for that moment in Advent Children, just that casual, because I'm pretty sure. Is that kind of like signs off. And then there's a little thing to like.

01:52:19:01 - 01:52:31:20
Speaker 2
It's like, hey, buddy, you did it like, and we, we were there every step of the way. You might not known it, but you realize just now and I think I know with things as I'm talking about it.

01:52:31:23 - 01:53:01:21
Speaker 4
I had not really thought about, that particular scene in Advent Children. in, in the context of rebirth, I guess, because in rebirth there is this, like, Zach exists in this other world. And then there's this merger of worlds in some ways where Cloud and Zach are both in this very white sort of back backdrop. And then Zach touches cloud and they're able to team up against Sephiroth across worlds.

01:53:01:23 - 01:53:25:00
Speaker 4
and then Aerith also appears in this sequence as well with cloud later. But the original game didn't have any of this. Like, this was this was brand new stuff. And I've heard it said that the remake trilogy appears to be a sequel to Crisis Core, and then Advent Children is kind of a sequel to this. Perhaps.

01:53:25:03 - 01:53:58:11
Speaker 4
or at least they're all going to link up in in some great way. yeah. That remains to be seen due to vague vocabulary link up when people are like, oh, how does it link about? But I like the idea that you're, you're bringing up of of how this saga of Zach and Cloud in this world beyond in the present, and the fact the fiction of it all wraps up in this final moment where Aerith I believe that her phrase is she looks back at cloud and says, see, everything's all right.

01:53:58:14 - 01:54:20:22
Speaker 4
Yeah. And then Zach kind of gives his little salute sendoff thing, and then they walk off into the beyond the cloud just smiles around all the people that he's made a current life with him. When I think about the game in that respect, it really is about acceptance and moving on and processing all the things that have happened, but not changing them.

01:54:20:24 - 01:54:45:11
Speaker 4
I think that there is a beauty to that. to, to me, that may be kind of the, the, the proof of concept in this message that's worth telling in retelling. You know, it's it's interesting. is that how did it how did your initial experience of it land and how did you get to this point?

01:54:45:14 - 01:54:59:20
Speaker 4
Because our viewers can continue to like their minds are just racing like, well, it could be this and this. I hate this, I love this, all of these forms of was this an immediate like, obviously this is what they're doing or have you developed this over time?

01:54:59:22 - 01:55:25:20
Speaker 2
So after completing rebirth, I, I think because of all the theory talk that went off from remake to rebirth, I was purposely looking, especially during the ending of like, like, go tos of where this is going and not really focusing on the scene. So at the end, in a rebirth, I'm assuming that we can just roll with the spoilers.

01:55:25:20 - 01:55:30:01
Speaker 2
And just when I, when Iris dies, where's the head, by the way?

01:55:30:03 - 01:55:34:16
Speaker 3
What the. Oh my goodness. it's the I that.

01:55:34:16 - 01:55:57:12
Speaker 1
Is the Santa isn't real surprise of, like, the Final Fantasy games, because there's always that. See that time of getting somebody who goes. I remember when I found out that Santa Claus was sorry if there's kids in the car and you're listening with your parents, warning, there's Christmas spoilers ahead. There's that. There's that scene where, you know, they do that like somebody says that.

01:55:57:15 - 01:56:02:26
Speaker 1
Like, I remember when I found that Santa wasn't real and every friend group has a like one.

01:56:02:28 - 01:56:11:07
Speaker 3
What? Dad is not real. What Earth does what I don't know anyways.

01:56:11:08 - 01:56:12:08
Speaker 1
Not true. Sorry.

01:56:12:08 - 01:56:14:20
Speaker 4
Into Roskilde Earth.

01:56:14:22 - 01:56:15:07
Speaker 3
Where he did it.

01:56:15:07 - 01:56:19:29
Speaker 1
You're hitting the tangent. No, sorry.

01:56:20:01 - 01:56:39:29
Speaker 2
But when that initially happened. Because I was so fixated on a personal kind of problem solving perspective, I didn't. The ending, didn't, like, hit at all for me. And I was like, I think when the credits rolled, I was like, hold on a minute. Now, I think a lot of people felt this way as well at first, I think.

01:56:40:05 - 01:57:05:24
Speaker 2
And it it wasn't until I replayed the entire, like, ending, city of the ancients thing where I was like, oh, okay, this is what they're doing. the way they're telling it that they're purposely doing, like, because it was everyone's very confused of why we didn't see the body, get put down in the water and why it was all fuzzy during the actual death.

01:57:05:27 - 01:57:20:11
Speaker 2
And I was one of those people as well. I was like, that's really weird way to tell it. But it took me to watch it again, to take it in. And the way that I started linking it, the way I've explained, I mean, a lot of it as well, some of it is clicked on as we're talking. I think that's the beauty of it.

01:57:20:11 - 01:57:46:09
Speaker 2
You kind of like, hold on a minute. I didn't think of that. So, but initially I was like, okay, let what what have we we got here? We kind of got like again, everything. Zach, when it comes to cloud of when you look at them with the relationship with cloud, they they have exactly the same path. Like from like being a vital part of Cloud's life to dying in his arms, like, exactly the same.

01:57:46:14 - 01:58:05:02
Speaker 2
Yeah. so I always thought that, like, that has got to be, like a crux of something like. Like that. There was a reason why these two moments and the way that they've impacted cloud are all the same. Like where where are the other parts of the story where I can, like, take to, to make this make sense?

01:58:05:02 - 01:58:32:11
Speaker 2
Because what I could be saying could be wrong, and I'm very accepting of that. If it's wrong, that's fine. I'm here for the journey. Yeah, but I started trying to find things and I was like going back through all of the different scenes and rebirth and looking back at remake. And then I went to, like I said, I went to Advent Children, and that specific scene where there's three characters is the first time there's all three characters, and it was the first time all those three characters are interacting with each other at the same time.

01:58:32:11 - 01:58:38:27
Speaker 2
I think I might be wrong, but I think it is the first time that all three of them are in a vicinity.

01:58:41:24 - 01:58:44:27
Speaker 2
I'm sure there'll be maybe someone up there like correct me.

01:58:44:29 - 01:58:46:00
Speaker 3
Yeah. They will let us know.

01:58:46:02 - 01:58:49:13
Speaker 2
Their mind, like please correct me. Like I'm pretty sure.

01:58:49:15 - 01:58:51:15
Speaker 4
Back on the bridge trolls.

01:58:51:17 - 01:58:53:07
Speaker 3
Yeah. Come back.

01:58:53:14 - 01:58:59:13
Speaker 2
Stay there I am right. What I'm saying right now I am I am correct in what I'm saying.

01:58:59:15 - 01:59:06:29
Speaker 1
Yeah, it's definitely right. Don't worry, Charles, you can come out of the bridge. Come out, come on, come on. You're both.

01:59:07:01 - 01:59:09:03
Speaker 2
Come on. I think that's why.

01:59:09:06 - 01:59:16:10
Speaker 3
Stay under that chicken. Come on, get back under the bridge. Trolls. You trolls.

01:59:16:13 - 01:59:17:25
Speaker 4
Are you quoting something?

01:59:17:25 - 01:59:23:04
Speaker 3
I actually know I'm doing a bit.

01:59:23:06 - 01:59:25:08
Speaker 2
I just fully roll with it.

01:59:25:10 - 01:59:39:06
Speaker 1
I do do it a bit and do it a bit. We've learned a valuable lesson today. it's. Wait. And I shouldn't do five straight hours of interviews. It's.

01:59:39:08 - 01:59:40:14
Speaker 2
And kudos to you, coach.

01:59:40:17 - 01:59:41:23
Speaker 4
You've gone delirious.

01:59:41:23 - 01:59:43:12
Speaker 1
Great. You lost me. All right.

01:59:43:13 - 01:59:45:20
Speaker 4
Just, Please continue. Sorry.

01:59:45:23 - 01:59:46:16
Speaker 2
so I'm going to.

01:59:46:23 - 01:59:49:09
Speaker 1
I'm just going to put myself,

01:59:49:12 - 01:59:50:19
Speaker 3
Because you.

01:59:50:21 - 02:00:13:04
Speaker 2
I think that that moment in the Advent Children, because of the to me, is the first time all three of them are all. Yeah. Aware of something. That's why I think there are pieces missing in rebirth two. They need to have pieces missing to fill in the third game. So that's obviously a reason from that kind of standpoint.

02:00:13:04 - 02:00:34:07
Speaker 2
But I, I think I've got the pieces that I want to roll with in the way that I'm taking the story. I've not quite got there all the way. And I think that's the beauty of it. I think there's a lot of theories out there that they've got the the points where you're like, hey, okay, I know what you're talking about, but we don't quite have the right the connecting line just yet.

02:00:34:12 - 02:00:52:28
Speaker 2
And it might end up being a connecting line. They might not. And that that's okay. But I think what I'm rolling with and the way it made me understand, was that point in Advent Children of like what I know about Zach, what I know about cloud, what I know about Earth. And I thought that was the click, the click in for me.

02:00:52:29 - 02:01:04:23
Speaker 1
Oh yeah. Well, we always ask the question. I told us I was going to mute myself and then wait, wait. Go ahead. I've I've had something in my eye when I did my troll. Yeah. I was like, are you okay? Cannot. Okay.

02:01:04:25 - 02:01:09:24
Speaker 2
You were in character. You went all in to the point where you lost and I, I.

02:01:09:24 - 02:01:12:20
Speaker 1
Know, I know, and I'm so sad about Aerith that I just.

02:01:12:20 - 02:01:14:11
Speaker 4
Found that I know you just want here.

02:01:14:11 - 02:01:15:09
Speaker 3
I just, like.

02:01:15:12 - 02:01:16:12
Speaker 2
You got me started.

02:01:16:14 - 02:01:16:26
Speaker 3
There.

02:01:16:26 - 02:01:22:20
Speaker 1
And now the question that we ask, can I ask it about sticking the landing way, please? Pretty please.

02:01:22:23 - 02:01:25:01
Speaker 4
Sure. Yeah. That's exactly where I was going next.

02:01:25:01 - 02:01:27:14
Speaker 1
I knew it, I could read your mind if I could ever get my.

02:01:27:14 - 02:01:30:05
Speaker 4
I just wipe the tears from your eyes.

02:01:30:08 - 02:01:49:02
Speaker 1
I can't, she's she's gone. Or is she so for you. You say they've left some gaps and you understand why they had to do that. That being said, what do you think in your opinion, they need to do to stick the landing here in part three?

02:01:50:16 - 02:01:59:11
Speaker 2
What do they. Oh, that's such a loaded question. Isn't that how it really, really is? Because we have a whole nother possible 80 hours of, like, real.

02:01:59:12 - 02:02:00:29
Speaker 3
Yeah.

02:02:01:02 - 02:02:03:09
Speaker 2
storytelling and antics.

02:02:03:11 - 02:02:08:22
Speaker 1
do you want me to yell at the trolls while you think about it? Like. Yeah, okay. He's like, I.

02:02:08:22 - 02:02:12:14
Speaker 2
Think they might. Have they seen what happened to the island near the was.

02:02:12:17 - 02:02:13:18
Speaker 3
She says.

02:02:13:21 - 02:02:14:07
Speaker 2
They've gone.

02:02:14:12 - 02:02:18:07
Speaker 1
He says, please don't yell about the trolls again.

02:02:18:09 - 02:02:47:06
Speaker 2
what they need to do to stick the land, I think they need to commit like, I, I, I see, I, I, I see the comments that they've made that they're listening to fan feedback and that, it influences them to a certain degree. I hope that stays as a certain degree. So I think that fans can bring something out of a creator, that they might have not explored this.

02:02:47:06 - 02:03:08:00
Speaker 2
Hence the remake. And rebirth is a prime example of that, that they can expand or change things. but I think they to stick the landing, they need to commit to what they've set up, like this mystery that we've got, because we're asking the question, is Aerith alive? Is that that people are going to have answers to that question already?

02:03:08:00 - 02:03:34:16
Speaker 2
And that's that's fine. they need to be able to they need to answer these. They can't leave anything off the table. I think this needs to be I would like I think the book to be closed. I would like to see the end at the end of the credits of the third part, and that be the end.

02:03:34:18 - 02:04:03:13
Speaker 2
And no more, no more questions to the point where they can create something else, but maybe questions that we can ask ourselves on, like, hey, wow, this thing in remake really makes sense now, but why does it make sense? Oh, because it did. Like, I rather those questions where we finally connecting the dots as opposed to why, why why why who what's happened to this guy?

02:04:03:16 - 02:04:13:09
Speaker 2
Like what's happened to this person? I want it to be I want the chapter to be closed. I mean, I think they need to do that. I think they need to commit.

02:04:13:12 - 02:04:20:01
Speaker 4
So from a sheer, fanboy perspective, what do you want to see in part three?

02:04:20:03 - 02:04:50:28
Speaker 2
What do I want to see in part three? I want, I want to really dive into Cloud Psyche. I think the most exciting part to me is the retelling of the live stream sequence, because they when I went back and played the original and that live stream sequence is so powerful, it's just it's just you are doing the reading and you are using your imagination.

02:04:51:00 - 02:05:12:18
Speaker 2
I am really excited to see to the point where I don't need to use my imagination as much. I can just take it in and see all of these, real emotions that I can relate to now as well. Like these mental struggles. I'm excited to do it, and it seems like they've set up an extra part of that.

02:05:12:18 - 02:05:42:29
Speaker 2
With the death of Aerith, I think that's going to be a thing that they add in, but it's going to make sense because it's going to complete that journey because I think in the original, it was like accepting that he thought he was Zack, accepting that he is a real person. He was a childhood friend of Tifa, and I think the other thing might have been, I think those three pillars in the I can't think of the third one, but I think it's related to just him knowing who he is.

02:05:42:29 - 02:06:14:20
Speaker 2
But I think the the fourth thing is accepting Aerith death. And I think going to be very, very they have the potential to make that very powerful. so everything that people wanted from this game, they can actually execute really well. as for other things, in part three, as a fanboy, just pure fan boy. is I want Zack and Aerith to interact with.

02:06:14:22 - 02:06:15:05
Speaker 3
Because.

02:06:15:05 - 02:06:17:19
Speaker 2
I have not seen that since Crysis Core.

02:06:17:26 - 02:06:19:00
Speaker 3
Yeah.

02:06:19:03 - 02:06:24:25
Speaker 2
and they never had the chance to walk to as far as where where to say goodbye.

02:06:24:27 - 02:06:25:15
Speaker 4
Yeah.

02:06:25:17 - 02:06:49:10
Speaker 2
You. They have a gap to fill in from. When they last met in the church before Zack went off to the Naval High mission, to the point where they are standing in the doorway together in Advent Children. How did they end up in that doorway? And I think they are both in the same space. Now to, to, to to explore that, to make that a journey.

02:06:49:12 - 02:06:50:01
Speaker 3
I.

02:06:50:08 - 02:06:51:13
Speaker 4
Would love that.

02:06:51:13 - 02:06:52:20
Speaker 1
That's really cool.

02:06:52:23 - 02:06:59:24
Speaker 4
I would love that. I hope they don't build another wagon. No, like they did the crisis core. But beyond that, I love yeah.

02:06:59:27 - 02:07:07:01
Speaker 2
Yeah, I can make an ash app or something that travels the live stream. They can. They could be like, planet protectors.

02:07:07:04 - 02:07:11:18
Speaker 1
I was hoping for cloud snowboarding on the live stream.

02:07:11:20 - 02:07:12:20
Speaker 3
Oh.

02:07:12:22 - 02:07:15:26
Speaker 4
You watched my stream last night?

02:07:15:28 - 02:07:17:15
Speaker 1
Is that what you did?

02:07:17:17 - 02:07:50:11
Speaker 4
Oh. Did you? Oh, you did it. so one funny story. This is this is for everybody. If you go into the Gold Saucer, there's a big banner of Cait Sith and some chocobos snowboarding. and it's like there's a NPC that says coming soon. But if you look carefully on it, the the, like movement, animations or, like, drawing sketches or green wisps, which kind of looks like they are like on the live stream or they're, snowboarding through the live stream and so on.

02:07:50:11 - 02:07:51:08
Speaker 4
Chat last night.

02:07:51:14 - 02:07:52:19
Speaker 1
You did not.

02:07:52:22 - 02:07:54:11
Speaker 4
We did. We literally said this.

02:07:54:14 - 02:07:56:19
Speaker 1
We did not have an original thought.

02:07:56:21 - 02:08:16:15
Speaker 4
You're not. Unfortunately, there are no original thoughts. Sorry, Evan, but wouldn't it be funny if, if cloud and Ghost era went snowboarding and everybody's really sad and they're like, cloud, why are you snowboarding? It's like what? We're fine. Aerith and I having a great time snowboarding down this mountain. Look at her riding down this mountain.

02:08:16:15 - 02:08:29:18
Speaker 2
You can just imagine that happening. And there's going to be Zach at the bottom with his own snowboard just standing there like, hey, well guess man. So the cloud is having this having this conversation like, oh, dude. And then the rest of the group come down and.

02:08:29:18 - 02:08:35:01
Speaker 3
Like, cloud, what the hell is going on? Who you. What's wrong with you? What's wrong with you? And it's like there.

02:08:35:03 - 02:08:38:25
Speaker 1
Was one little, one little ski so he can ski on the ground.

02:08:38:27 - 02:08:41:23
Speaker 2
Hey, look, it's actually a two. I remember him and he's right there.

02:08:41:25 - 02:08:42:07
Speaker 3
And look.

02:08:42:10 - 02:08:45:11
Speaker 4
My friends are here who are y'all? Okay. How are you? So sad.

02:08:45:13 - 02:08:54:28
Speaker 1
Do you guys think Rhett, 13, would have four snow like skis? One for each par? Or do you think he would snowboard upright?

02:08:55:00 - 02:08:59:25
Speaker 2
I think he'll be on either a sled or he'll equip himself with a jet ski.

02:09:00:00 - 02:09:02:08
Speaker 3
A sled, sled or a jet.

02:09:02:11 - 02:09:05:11
Speaker 2
Just a snow snowmobile. Sorry, just.

02:09:05:11 - 02:09:06:08
Speaker 3
It's just an I.

02:09:06:11 - 02:09:07:04
Speaker 2
Went back to Costa del.

02:09:07:04 - 02:09:08:01
Speaker 1
Sol. Yes.

02:09:08:03 - 02:09:08:22
Speaker 3
I just said.

02:09:08:23 - 02:09:10:17
Speaker 4
Jet skis off the mountain.

02:09:10:20 - 02:09:20:18
Speaker 2
So yeah, I can imagine like Rhett 13 on, like a little bit of a rope and a sled or maybe he there's a bit where he directs the party. Oh, maybe there might be a bit.

02:09:20:21 - 02:09:23:04
Speaker 3
Oh if a red 13.

02:09:23:04 - 02:09:24:01
Speaker 4
And maybe Kate set.

02:09:24:08 - 02:09:25:08
Speaker 3
Up.

02:09:25:10 - 02:09:28:06
Speaker 4
Like their dog sledding.

02:09:28:08 - 02:09:38:04
Speaker 2
Maybe when they get, maybe when they get lost at the bottom. Maybe that's a method of trying to get out. Like, I mean, I mean, we've got to collect some wood, build a little thing, we'll pull you out.

02:09:38:06 - 02:09:44:05
Speaker 4
That's it. And Red's got the, the limit break sled thing, so maybe it's dog sled.

02:09:44:07 - 02:09:45:23
Speaker 2
Give him the extra. An extra boost.

02:09:45:25 - 02:09:50:15
Speaker 1
We're going to have to datamine the game and figure it out. Or if it's just all the cats.

02:09:50:15 - 02:09:51:12
Speaker 4
From Santa, this.

02:09:51:18 - 02:10:00:01
Speaker 1
Remake, do it. Just imagine all the cats from the cat alcove, and then they just pull the sled. All the cat, a total meow.

02:10:00:04 - 02:10:05:03
Speaker 3
Oh, that is that wasn't me. I'm tell the manifest. All right. Return.

02:10:05:05 - 02:10:18:18
Speaker 1
Well, as we kind of wrap up our, discussion that I have helped facilitate it. Well, our discussion with lots of antics.

02:10:18:20 - 02:10:19:23
Speaker 1
Well, okay, so.

02:10:19:23 - 02:10:21:29
Speaker 4
Jim, thank you so much. Yes. Thank you.

02:10:22:02 - 02:10:23:18
Speaker 2
I really appreciate.

02:10:23:21 - 02:10:32:03
Speaker 4
You. You've helped us think in so many really cool ways. tell, tell everybody where they can find you. What are some things you've got coming up that we can look forward to?

02:10:32:05 - 02:10:54:04
Speaker 2
Yeah, sure. So you can find me here on YouTube on the Genesis seven, what you can expect from me at the moment is like, I'm just still I'm still, like, tackling Final Fantasy from different perspectives, doing a lot of tail lists and just kind of trying to create new conversations around old things. but also I'm also venturing out because, as I mentioned, I grew up as a Sega kid.

02:10:54:09 - 02:11:14:23
Speaker 2
I never played the Nintendo, so there was a lot of RPGs that I missed, and there's a lot of RPGs I missed before I discovered Final Fantasy seven. So I'm also going on that journey. So if you want to hear a fresh, opinion on a game that might be one of your favorites, or if you want to see me play it live, then my twitch will be also a place to come hang out.

02:11:14:23 - 02:11:26:25
Speaker 2
And I think that. So you can also follow me on Twitter and other social networks across the board. So yeah, just I'm just having a good time. So if you want to see what the good times about, come over, have a peek.

02:11:26:28 - 02:11:52:23
Speaker 4
A good time. Thank you. Survives. everybody go and follow Genesis seven on YouTube and Twitch. We'll put those links in the description as well. So make sure you check that out. Also, be sure to continue watching our Final Fantasy seven rebirth lecture series as we continue interviewing other content creators, putting out video essays and, of course, our live streams every Tuesday and Thursday night.

02:11:52:25 - 02:12:12:25
Speaker 4
that's what we've got today. And really just wait around a couple of days because I bet another video is going to drop pretty soon. I don't know when this one's dropping, but I know that we've got tons of more content coming out soon. so, thanks for so much for watching. Like and subscribe and we'll see you next time in class.

02:12:12:25 - 02:12:14:11
Speaker 4
Until then, walked all my friends.

02:12:14:18 - 02:12:21:26
Speaker 3
Bye. Get back into the bridge. Stroll.

02:12:46:04 - 02:13:02:18
Speaker 1
Thank you so much to Martin for joining us for this interview. We had a great time. Lots of laughs, lots of fun. We appreciate it. Thanks to her Skipper the Geek for our theme music. It's great. Thank you to Nick Smith for our graphics. He did a great job. We really appreciate it. Good luck in college. I know that you get that soccer scholarship, so stay focused.

02:13:02:24 - 02:13:18:14
Speaker 1
And most of all, we want to thank you listener viewer because this program is brought to you by viewers like you. This doesn't happen without you, so we're really grateful for you. I hope everything's going okay in your world, in your life. You're going to make it. You got this and we will see you next episode. Bye bye.