Take This | Polygamer

Polygamer #108: Dr. Rachel Kowert of Psychgeist

Posted on December 16, 2020 by Ken Gagne

Dr. Rachel Kowert is the host of Psychgeist, a YouTube series that examines the psychology of video games. In her videos, Dr. Kowert examines such concepts as escapism, flow, esports, and Animal Crossing. She is also the research director for Take This, a non-profit that seeks to destigmatize mental health issues in the gaming industry; and she is the author of Pragmatic Princess, a children’s book about empowerment and self-reliance.

In this interview, Dr. Kowert and I talk about the role of MMORPGs during a pandemic, and what the long-term effects will be on our social skills; why the moral panic over video games has seemingly lasted longer than previous ones; how escapism can be a way not just to get lost, but also to be found; whether escaping into books are subjected to the same judgment as escaping into a video game; how Take This has adapted its AFK Rooms to online events; and what the best Final Fantasy is (and why it’s VI).

Stream the audio edition of this interview below or from iTunes, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, RadioPublic, or the Internet Archive. Click past the jump for a transcript and links to resources mentioned in this episode.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:05:12 — 38.2MB) | Embed

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Polygamer #89: Twitch variety streamer SlyTQ

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Ken Gagne

TQ is a Twitch variety streamer and Take This Ambassador. Her channel frequently hosts charity streams in support mental health, children’s hospitals, and other non-profits close to her heart. This advocacy recently extended to PAX East, where TQ appeared on the panel “Avoiding Burnout in Creative Professions“, speaking from her experience working 60+ hours a week to maintain her channel and audience. In all her work, she focuses on how our differences as people make us better as a whole, rather than something we should have separate us.

In this podcast, we talk about how to launch a streaming career; separating one’s success and failures from one’s self-worth; using Patreon and Discord to build a community; the offline work that goes into maintaining a Twitch subscriber base; maintaining a healthy work/life harmony; avoiding creative burnout; how emotional support animals are different from service dogs; and the games she keeps to herself and won’t stream.

Stream the audio edition of this interview below or from iTunes, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, RadioPublic, or the Internet Archive. Click past the jump for links to resources mentioned in this episode.

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Polygamer #71: Susan Arendt of Genii Online

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Ken Gagne

Susan Arendt is the editor-in-chief of Genii Online, a website that covers magic and deception for magicians and anyone interested in the art and craft of magic. While Genii has existed as a print magazine since 1936, Genii Online’s September 2017 launch marked the publication’s online debut. It also marked a shift for Susan: after many successful years helming gaming publications such as GamesRadar+, Joystiq, and The Escapist, Susan is bringing her digital media experience and expertise to the realm of magic.

In this podcast, Susan and I chat about how she landed this magical gig; what constitutes legitimate magic, and whether magicians get their powers from dealing with the devil; how Susan assembled the team behind Genii Online and what new skills she’s had to learn in this industry; and whether print is a sustainable business model for a niche publication. We also talk about Continue, her new co-hosted gaming podcast (and which I back on Patreon), as well as Take This, the mental health non-profit she co-founded. What’s the best way to help someone who’s experiencing an anxiety or PTSD attack? Susan offers her advice.

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:11:26 — 33.6MB) | Embed

Polygamer #67: Freelance writer Sarah LeBoeuf

Posted on June 28, 2017 by Ken Gagne

Sarah LeBoeuf is a freelance writer, editor, and all-around nerd. Her video game reviews, features, and event coverage have appeared on such storied publications as Nerdist, Mashable, Ars Technica, Escapist, Digital Trends, GamesRadar+, and more. Sarah also serves on the board of Take This, a non-profit that addresses mental health issues in the video game industry and community.

In this podcast, Sarah has just returned home from the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), which she covered for Nerdist, her first gig for that outlet. I asked how she used Twitter to land the job and what the experience was like writing for Nerdist. More important: What was E3 like? It was the Nintendo Switch’s first appearance at E3, and hot on the heels of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (which we both geek out over) is coming Super Mario Odyssey and Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, proving that the house the plumber built still has plenty of innovation to come. Finally, on more serious notes, I ask Sarah about the gender breakdown of protagonists in games seen at E3 2017, and how the AFK Rooms sponsored by Take This provided a safe haven from an otherwise overwhelming convention experience.

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Polygamer #35: Susan Arendt of Take This

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Ken Gagne

Take This is a non-profit charity that promotes awareness and education of mental health issues through outreach to gamers. Its “AFK Rooms” have become a staple of PAX East, West, South, and Australia, and its holiday stream gives gamers a community to help them through a challenging time of year. Soon, the organization will offer a scholarship to help those gamers who need financial assistance toward mental health counseling.

It’s been a year since Take This co-founders Susan Arendt and Russ Pitts were on Polygamer podcast episode #7, and much has happened in that time! In this follow-up, Susan and Ken discuss how the AFK Rooms have since expanded to every PAX; how mental health has been represented in some of 2015’s biggest titles, such as Rise of the Tomb Raider and Life Is Strange; the difference between anxiety as an emotion and as a clinical condition; Take This’s new 24-minute documentary; the intersection of horror video games and mental health; and how to balance helping your friends and protecting yourself.

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:02:42 — 29.6MB) | Embed

Polygamer #07: Susan Arendt & Russ Pitts of Take This

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Ken Gagne

Take This is a non-profit charity founded in 2012 in response to the tragic suicide of a gaming journalist. The organization promotes awareness and education of mental health issues through outreach to gamers both online, through a variety of Twitter campaigns and initiatives, and offline, by hosting "AFK Rooms" at events such as PAX.

In this interview, Ken Gagne speaks with Take This co-founders Susan Arendt and Russ Pitts about the organization’s founding, the social stigma of mental health and gaming, the resources available to gamers, and the challenges the group faces as they grow to better serve the gaming community.

Download the audio edition below or from iTunes, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, RadioPublic, or the Internet Archive. Click past the jump for links to resources mentioned in this episode.

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 59:38 — 31.4MB) | Embed