Interview: Steven Thomas - Revival

We had a chat with Steven Thomas, actor and creator of Revival and let’s hear what he has to say about his work and the video game industry.

 

NoobFeed: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

Steven Thomas: Moved to Los Angeles in 2011 pursuing the film industry. I got involved in livestreaming as a way to grow a social media following and increase the odds of booking gigs in film for the future. I did about a year and a half on YouTube and now am a variety streamer.

 

NoobFeed: What are your duties at Revival?

Steven Thomas: I am the writer and creator of Revival. Until publishing I also handle marketing.

 

NoobFeed: As a professional streamer, what trends have you noticed in the gaming industry recently? Do you support where it’s heading?

Steven Thomas: Fortnite is overtaking YouTube search algorithms and I don't agree with that. It is becoming a crutch for views due in part to other games such as Mortal Kombat not being advertiser friendly. I believe we need more support for indie games to be pushed and promoted.

 

NoobFeed: Esports focuses on its social aspect a lot these days. Do you think there’s a lot more potential in terms of the social aspect of Esports than there currently is?

Steven Thomas: Definitely. I think esports is on the road to overtaking traditional sports as per views. I think this is largely in part to the millennial generation. user experiences between viewers and players will probably evolve. I am curious if regular sports will find a way to adjust with technology as well.

 

NoobFeed: What is the most challenging part of your job?

Steven Thomas: Dealing with depression. It is very hard to try to be happy all the time. We aren't like actors oj a set for a couple minutes at a time. We are often on camera nonstop for 8 to 12 hours every single day.

 

NoobFeed: Have you ever gone above and beyond the "call of duty" for making videos?

Steven Thomas: I did a promo video I went to the beach to raise money for the make a wish foundation. That was a lot of fun!

 

NoobFeed: Have you ever received negative feedback on a piece of your video? What was your response?

Steven Thomas: I get trolls all the time. There will always be haters. The best thing to do is just ignore them and move on. I've had times where I've called them out for it. Trolls don't deserve the attention though.

 

NoobFeed: What have you found to be the best way to monitor the performance of your work and/or the work of your team?

Steven Thomas: The amount of active chat feels the best to me. If people are chatting they come across as more engaged.

 

NoobFeed: Can you tell us about a time when you developed your own way of doing things other than following others?

Steven Thomas: For my webcam view if I just want to chat with viewers I set up different greenscreen backgrounds that relate to a wide variety of themed hats I wear. For example a Mario level for my mario hat. 

 

NoobFeed: We all have experienced this at least once. Will you share an experience when your ethics and patience were tested? How did you keep your emotions in check?

Steven Thomas: Yes. I have a troll that pretends to be my dead dad and makes new accounts over and over. I just ban and ignore this person. There are some truly evil and vindictive people out there. Don't give them power.

 

NoobFeed: What in gaming excites you the most? Outside of work, how much time do you spend playing video games in an average week?

Steven Thomas: Outside of work? I try to avoid it completely. Haha I am on stream for between 8 to 12 hours typically. That's enough gaming for me. To be honest it feels too much. I do love in gaming a good story game that gives me an immersive experience. It is also nice to play with others in a virtual world.

 

NoobFeed: What experiences would you personally like video games to deliver in the future?

Steven Thomas: I'm still waiting for the vr projector into my room experience. Lol I want to be iin Dragon Ball Z!

 

NoobFeed: As a streamer, you get a lot of developers trying to get your attention and to play their games, but they may not know the best ways. Do you have any tips that you can impart to make their pitches towards you and other streamers more effective?

Steven Thomas: Yes. Look at what our channel names are, not the names associated with our emails or social media followings.

 

NoobFeed: With so many streamers trying to reach the same target audience segment, do you think the correct messages are being spread across?

Steven Thomas: Some messages are good and some are bad. I don't believe you can put a value on the entire streaming community. There are too many games, genres, and individuals involved.

 

NoobFeed: Why is it important for gamers to maintain a healthy lifestyle? What advice would you have for a gamer looking to take the first steps towards a healthier lifestyle?

Steven Thomas: If I don't get good sleep or eat something I am much more volatile to getting upset. Long hours every day can be extremely mentally draining.

 

NoobFeed: What are the future plans for Steven Thomas?

Steven Thomas: Film and getting my manga out there. If you have a commercial or film opportunity hit me up!

 

Many thanks to Steven for doing the interview with us. We wish him all the very best with all of his ventures. Keep up with Steven Thomas by following him on twitter.

 

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