Whether on mobile, PC or console, everyone has interacted with video games in one way or another. KiLAB Gaming gives me some insight into the world of video game content creation and game modification (or ‘modding’). AlucardLight also shares his journey to finding his passion for video games and taking up streaming his gameplay!
Seeing how much the South African gaming community has grown in the last few years is awesome. With local gamers using platforms like YouTube and Twitch and new conventions in our country promoting gaming, its popularity has grown exponentially! I spoke to resident gamer and YouTuber Skye Wigley (a.k.a. KiLAB Gaming) about how he developed a love for gaming and pursued a career in video game content creation.
“The first game I remember playing was Clash of Clans on my father’s phone,” he shares. Next, he discovered other mobile games like Angry Birds, Jet Pack Joy Ride and the classic Plants vs Zombies. From there, he progressed to more strategic games like Age of Empires, which opened his world up to mods. “One of my uncles who had also played the game showed me some secret codes that let you spawn in items and progress faster. At the time, I found this mind-blowing,” he explains.
For those unfamiliar with modding, I asked Skye to explain it as simply as he could: “It is the process of adding new features to a game through external code developed by the game’s community.” They can change how a game looks, such as through different themes, and give you additional items in a game that are normally unavailable.
The next step in his journey was being introduced to Minecraft and PC gaming by his friend in 2015. He also chose his ‘gamertag’ (online username), KiLAB Gaming, at that time. “It stands for Killing It Like A Boss. Later on, I spelt it with a lowercase ‘i’ to stop American players from mispronouncing it.”
He then purchased his own Minecraft account and explored the many servers on the game. A server is a connected network where players can interact and play the game in real time.
He became curious about what he saw on these servers, spurring him to create a video about it on YouTube. “After posting the video on an old, now inactive YouTube channel, I noticed more views than normal,” he said. “A few months later, a friend of mine messaged me saying that the video had over 12 000 views.” This motivated him to create his current channel.
“After posting a lot of different content, I started making videos about Minecraft mods. These videos did well, so I made more of them,” he shares. His videos now focus on reviewing different mods for Minecraft and streaming server gameplay. He first tests the mods, looking out for both advantages and missing features. “I also suggest possible changes or fixes for the mod developers.”
Fast approaching 15 000 subscribers, his audience learns about which mods are worth investing in as some of them cost real-world money. “My goal is to provide entertaining videos with my honest opinions to expand and improve the Minecraft modding community,” Skye expresses.
With his passion for computers and technology, he wanted to go into software development and computer security. “I spent some time learning basic coding skills and took a few courses on computer security,” he elaborates. “I would have likely studied this further if my YouTube career did not pick up.” He found video editing to be really interesting and even did some part-time editing work which helped his channel in the long run. “As someone who really enjoys video editing and gaming, I can’t tell you how privileged I feel being able to do this full time.”
He plans to experiment with new types of content and expand his audience. “I am also currently recruiting mod developers to create my very own mod for my community. This is something my viewers have been asking me to do for a long time,” he informs. He also plans to start a second channel to post playthrough content where he plays video games he finds interesting for viewers.
“When it comes to advising anyone else wanting to create a YouTube channel, I’d first ask what their motive is,” he contemplates. “I spend more time researching, writing scripts and editing videos than actually playing games.” Even with all the work that goes into creating videos, he still wouldn’t trade it for the world. He advises, “Post a video once a week, learn from every video, and make the next one better than the previous. Start experimenting with different ideas and styles of videos. Keep posting until you find a topic or style that gains traction.”
Make sure to check out his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@KiLABGaming
Samalan Kisten (A.K.A AlucardLight) first got into gaming when his brothers introduced him to PC and PlayStation 2 videogames around five years old. I did a Q&A with him to find out all about his passion for gaming.
How did you get into gaming?
Some of my oldest memories are of me playing various couch co-op games and collections of older console games with my siblings, such as Snow Bros and X-Men, and the SEGA Genesis collection on the PS2. It was a tradition in our house to sit down on a Friday night after school and play games together. Whenever I would get stuck on a hard boss fight or puzzle in a game like Final Fantasy X or Kingdom Hearts.
Tell me about what gaming is to you
To me, gaming is both something I’m very passionate about and an effective way to de-stress. For the last year and a half, I’ve been streaming various video games on Twitch on my channel twitch.tv/alucardlight. I believe streaming is both an incredibly fun hobby and a viable career path as it grows.
Tell me about what you think of the e-sports community – especially in South Africa/ Durban
I think the e-sports community, and especially the Fighting Game Community in South Africa, is wonderful. Durban has seen an increase in e-sports events and tournaments mainly due to improved internet connectivity and increased access to gaming platforms and technology. Competitions and tournaments on international stages are instrumental in elevating the profile of e-sports, allowing local talent to shine, and driving the growth of the community. As South African players and teams achieve success on the international stage, it boosts the recognition and legitimacy of e-sports as a viable career choice, hopefully inspiring the younger generation to follow their passions.
Lastly, can you tell me about what you plan to do in the future with regard to your gaming career? And do you have any advice for people who are really passionate about gaming and who want to pursue it as a career?
Personally, I plan to continue growing my streaming career and creating more gaming content on various platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. The best advice I can give is just to start now. Get as much quality content out there as soon as you can and see where it takes you. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others for help and assistance as more often than not, most people are willing to help.
It’s exciting to see how our local gamers and content creators are gaining traction. It’s even more intriguing to see how the community is growing and more people are becoming aware of it. Make sure you check out both of these incredible content creators!
Words: Cristina Govender