Meet Melissa Ford, or “Kip,” as she’s known to her audience, a video game “shoutcaster” (think sportscasting, but for live or recorded competitive video game matches) based in St. Louis, Missouri. Casting, as it’s better known to gamers, is typically done by enthusiasts to enthusiasts. Providing commentary on in-game action is a common hobby today, and getting more popular.
Ford casts for Team Fortress 2, one of the most popular online cooperative team play games of all time.
Recently, she’s started integrating interviews with gamers along with her casts of matches. She uses Skype to facilitate those video calls, putting a face to a gamer’s alias.
“I like the face-to-face time Skype provides,” she says. “Gamers are real people, and I try to bring recognition to players who might be known to the community as a name, but not necessarily as a person.”
Read more about Ford at Skype’s Play blog, or check out her casting work and player interviews on her YouTube channel.
Jennifer Chen
Microsoft News Center Staff