Danny Peña interview: Making a profession speaking about video video games

Danny Peña has a kind of fairy-tale tales that the online game trade is so good at creating. He grew up in a tricky neighborhood within the Bronx, the son of divorced dad and mom, in addition to the Dominican Republic.

Sooner or later, his grandmother purchased him a online game system, and it modified his life. He performed too many video games rising up. His dad and mom anxious about his research and what he was going to do together with his life. However like so many creators and influencers, Peña determined to create his personal job. He began with DJ work after which migrated to this new factor referred to as podcasting.

In 2005, he began Gamertag Radio together with his brother and was joined later by Peter Toledo and Parris Lilly. The viewers grew and now his podcasts have been downloaded greater than 14 million occasions. He confirmed up on the Xbox launch in 2001 and performed a recreation with Invoice Gates.

He has had an opportunity to interview trade luminaries similar to Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer and Reggie Fils-Aime (former CEO of Nintendo of America). He co-emceed our GamesBeat Summit 2022 occasion final April and he interviewed Fils-Aime about his personal post-Nintendo ebook.

Now Peña’s inspirational story is the topic of a self-published kids’s ebook, Danny Loves Video Games, created by 2 High quality Children, a kids’s ebook firm run by Peña’s cousin and his spouse, Mr. Luna, and Mrs. Ani. It’s out as we speak. I’ve seen Peña’s success develop over time and watched him grow to be an inspiration to numerous folks breaking into gaming. He’s nonetheless doing Gamertag Radio and dealing at G4. We talked concerning the ebook and his life.

Right here’s an edited transcript of our interview.

GamesBeat: You have to be very proud to get this ebook out.

Danny Peña: Yeah, I’m excited. It’s been a ardour mission for me and my cousin. It’s popping out subsequent week.

GamesBeat: Your cousin has a kids’s ebook label?

Peña: Proper. It’s referred to as 2qualitykids. It’s him and his spouse. They’ve been doing it for 2 years or so. He’s the one who got here to me with the thought. He wished to do a ebook based mostly on my life, and I believed that will be nice. Let’s speak about it. He requested me a pair questions, I answered, and so they got here again with some samples of the ebook a pair months after. I cherished the idea.

GamesBeat: It’s fascinating which you can summarize your life in perhaps 20 sentences or so.

Peña: The rationale why I wished to do that–it’s two issues. One is for fogeys, to inform them to not shut down their children’ desires. My dad, again after I was rising up, he simply didn’t get it. To at the present time he doesn’t actually perceive what I do. He’s proud, however on the time, it was a kind of circumstances the place he simply wanted to see outcomes to know and name it profitable. My mother was extra understanding. Simply do it.

After I was a child, I used to be residing within the Dominican Republic. Mother knew I used to be enjoying rather a lot, however I at all times wished to create a enterprise out of video video games. I informed her, “Hey, mother, I’ve a bunch of Tremendous Nintendos and a few Sega Genesis consoles. Would it not be attainable to hire an area so I may cost my mates across the block, or anybody who needs to play?” I might cost for quarter-hour, half-hour, an hour. Some folks, if I knew them, I’d hire them video games. I used to be in my early teenagers.

GamesBeat: Did that truly work out for you?

Peña: Oh, yeah. I made fairly good cash. I purchased a motorbike. However the second purpose why I wished to do the ebook was to indicate children that desires do come true. It doesn’t should be video video games. However you must go for it. That is the one ebook that I do know of based mostly on the true story of a content material creator from the gaming facet. My aim is to indicate to children that something is feasible.

GamesBeat: Not many individuals may say, earlier than a few decade in the past, that they made cash enjoying video games or their profession was about enjoying video games. That’s one factor that’s a theme for us in our tales and occasions. This concept which you can receives a commission for being keen about one thing that you just take pleasure in, that’s pure leisure, and that may flip right into a profession. It’s nonetheless overseas to lots of people that one thing enjoyable is usually a job.

Peña: After I was a child, I learn plenty of recreation magazines – EGM, GamePro. I’d see photos of E3 and all of the occasions. They received entry to early copies of video games. I at all times wished to be a part of that. Not essentially as a journalist, however I used to be at all times into radio and TV. I used to be studying by myself. My dad was a DJ, so I might fiddle together with his gear. On the time I might use a radio with a built-in mic and document no matter was within the background. If the TV was on I may document it, and at evening I’d take heed to it and film my very own scene based mostly on the recording.

After I was residing in Miami I’d get invited to plenty of hip-hop radio reveals. DJs wished me to co-host. I discovered from that. However in 1998 – I used to be in my early 20s on the time – was after I discovered about this firm referred to as Sudo. I don’t know should you do not forget that. I went to a pal’s home and I used to be utilizing his pc. He had a 56K modem. I noticed this community, Sudo, the place they’d many alternative reveals with video or audio. I used to be watching a hip-hop present the place they interviewed one among my favourite artists. I believed that was fairly cool. I didn’t notice folks may simply do that on-line.

That’s after I wished to begin my very own radio present. However on the time I had no PC. It was nonetheless so costly simply to stream by RealPlayer, again within the early days. Then I found MP3.com, although. It was designed for music artists, however I discovered a method to add my content material there. For each one that listened to you, you possibly can receives a commission on MP3.com. I put up my content material with that free internet hosting and lots of people began listening to my present. My first verify was about 500 bucks. That was actually cool.

GamesBeat: Would you take into account that the start, then?

Peña: Yeah, that was the start for me as a content material creator in web radio. However podcasting began later, round September 2004. I launched Gamertag Radio in February 2005. There have been no purposes like iTunes, although. We needed to rely upon a 3rd occasion software that the neighborhood was creating. You’d get the brand new episode, however you needed to get it by your PC.

I keep in mind I received invited to Xbox Unleashed, a few weeks earlier than the launch. I received hands-on. The loopy half about that occasion, I confirmed up with a tape recorder and a video digicam, as a result of I wished to create content material. However I additionally wished to compete, as a result of they have been giving freely free journeys to Cancun, giving freely a automobile and all the pieces. So I turned as much as compete for 48 hours, and on the identical time I received a media move, as a result of I went to them and stated, “Hey, I’ve a radio present, I’d like to interview the crew.”

On the finish of the occasion I didn’t win, however I received plenty of content material out of it. They have been giving freely consoles, although, to individuals who have been there for 48 hours. They noticed my badge and thought I used to be only a journalist. I stated, “No, no, I’m competing! I’ve proof!” I confirmed them my video recording and they also stated, “Okay, put him on the checklist.” They despatched me an Xbox early.

After I received the console, Xbox referred to as me and informed me they wished me to go to the launch occasion in New York, on the Occasions Sq. Toys R Us. I keep in mind it, to at the present time. Throughout the road there was the WWF restaurant. However after I went to the Toys R Us occasion they’d tons of safety. I questioned why they’d so many individuals there. After which after I received in they stated, “Oh, Danny, we wish you to play in opposition to Invoice Gates and provides some suggestions to the media concerning the console.” After all, I’m younger, I’m excited. We performed Fusion Frenzy. There’s photos of it on-line.

Proper after that, I simply received impressed to create Gamertag Radio. I launched it in February of 2005. However that yr is when iTunes first added podcasts. It was round July of 2005.

GamesBeat: It’s too dangerous you didn’t get to provide plenty of this sort of element in your ebook. Perhaps that’s for the highschool model?

Peña: Yeah, yeah. This was extra about preserving it easy for younger children. You possibly can have your desires. Something is feasible. Present them that I’m an enormous fan of video games, ranging from the arcades. Getting my Atari 2600 for the primary time. Creating Gamertag Radio. However I wish to do a sequence sooner or later.

I’m releasing this on September 15, in Hispanic heritage month. I’m additionally making an attempt to get extra Latinos into the sport trade. After I began, I’d go to occasions and be the one individual of coloration there. Now issues have been getting rather a lot higher. However again within the day I used to be the one one. That’s one other factor I’ve been making an attempt to do, simply to alter the mindset of different Latinos, particularly the older era. From the trade facet, it’s all about leisure, media, musicians, sports activities. I wish to present that there’s a path to gaming as properly.

GamesBeat: Was there a sure level the place you felt such as you have been going to make it, versus pondering this was a chance which may not repay?

Peña: It was a loopy expertise, however I’ll offer you an ideal instance from after I launched GTR. That yr I went to E3 for the primary time. I’d by no means been there. I didn’t have connections with recreation corporations. I had no appointments. I created a press equipment with my brother. I put down all the cash I needed to print that up with a CD, photos, bio, all the pieces on this folder. After I went to E3 I gave that to each single recreation firm, and I stated, “We’ve got a podcast.” Lots of people checked out me bizarre, like, “What’s a podcast?” They ignored me, by no means gave me an opportunity. I believe Xbox was the one one which gave me a possibility to satisfy the crew, to interview folks. That was the yr 360 was popping out, so they’d plenty of occasions occurring.

However apart from them, no one else gave me an opportunity. I went residence to Miami feeling tremendous discouraged. Proper afterward, although, that’s when Steve Jobs introduced they have been including podcasts to iTunes. Out of the blue I used to be getting all these calls from recreation corporations. Now they knew what was occurring. Now they knew about podcasts. A yr after that I used to be getting interviews left and proper at E3. Even at residence I used to be getting alternatives to attend occasions or interview folks remotely.

There have been moments the place I felt like this was wanting actually good. However even within the years after there have been occasions when it appeared prefer it won’t work out. I used to be in a extremely darkish place round 2018. I felt like issues simply weren’t going to work. Alternatives have been going away. Then the pandemic occurred. That was a little bit difficult. I used to be residing in New York, and abruptly I began getting plenty of calls from recreation corporations. All people was at residence, so it was rather a lot simpler for me to only create content material with them. And the previous few years, 2020 till now, issues have been unimaginable for me. I by no means would have thought I’d be concerned in doing a ebook. The podcast continues to be doing nice. I did some gigs for Telemundo. I received to interview Reggie, which was plenty of enjoyable. It took me 10 years to get that interview. I received Phil Spencer on the thousandth episode. That was wonderful. Keanu Reeves. There’s been rather a lot occurring. Now I’m feeling higher than ever. I only in the near past purchased a home. My spouse and I received married. It’s been nice.

I’d been making an attempt to get Reggie on the podcast for a decade. You know the way Nintendo is. “Nope.” Yearly. I used to be actually cool with the PR folks there and I’d pitch completely different concepts, however Nintendo declined all the pieces. “Nope.” The way in which I lastly received Reggie, it was proper after the thousandth episode the place I had Phil Spencer. Once more, you manifest this stuff. I tweeted, “Sooner or later I’d prefer to interview Reggie.” After which Reggie replied, “We must always make that occur.” It took one other yr after that, so make it 11 years.

I inform this to creators. You by no means know who’s listening and also you by no means know who’s studying. Be good about what you publish on-line. You don’t wish to be damaging. It’ll go round. The trade is so small.

However as soon as I recorded the podcast with Reggie–I used to be asking him extra private questions. What was it like being up in New York? Are you going to work on a ebook? He gave me the heads up prematurely that he was engaged on the ebook. He gave a sort of sneak peek on the podcast. As soon as that was performed and I shared it–he actually loved the dialog. And the remaining is historical past.

GamesBeat: Speaking about Gamertag Radio itself, was there an arc to it so far as the way it turned fashionable? Have been Peter and Parris at all times on it with you?

Peña: I began it with my brother. However Peter and Parris have been with me for greater than a decade. I met Parris first in 2006. He noticed a video the place I used to be featured at an occasion with EA and Xbox. He noticed that video and he was impressed to do a podcast too. He hit me up and he helped him out, gave him some ideas. He began his personal present, after which years later joined GTR. With Pete, I met him due to his spouse. She and I used to work collectively on the Discovery Channel in Miami. She stated, “My boyfriend is absolutely into video games!” He got here to my home and we turned actually shut after that.

GamesBeat: Are there specific issues within the ebook that you just felt such as you needed to have in that small variety of pages?

Peña: A couple of issues. One was exhibiting when my grandmother purchased me my Atari 2600. That was an important time in my life after I was a child. She didn’t know something about video games. She handed away a very long time in the past. However on the time – 1984, 1985 – she purchased three 2600s, one for me and the others for my different cousins. I received Defender and Pac-Man, a few video games. Having that console at my home, it was superior. It was life-changing for me. I wished to indicate that. A present can fully change a child’s life, and that’s what occurred to me. I felt it was vital to indicate that about my grandmother.

I additionally wished to indicate my dad saying, “Hey, video games don’t pay the payments.” That sort of factor. Him being concerned that I used to be enjoying rather a lot, whereas I knew what I wished to do, knew that was my ardour. I felt like that was additionally vital. I wished to indicate that to different dad and mom, and present the success I’ve now, the place I’m at. I do know I couldn’t actually match all the pieces in there. I’ve a protracted historical past with video games and podcasting. However I hope sooner or later I can do extra completely different tales, extra about me stepping into podcasting and doing interviews. I’ve so many issues I wish to share.

GamesBeat: It does really feel such as you grew up on the proper time for when podcasting got here into being, when content material creation turned a possibility. A brand new profession emerged and also you jumped on it. You had all this expertise by the point it turned far more viable.

Peña: Undoubtedly. After I began, I didn’t have a mentor or something like that. I needed to be taught all the pieces by myself. The know-how was completely different again then. I didn’t have any gear. I simply had a tape recorder related to a pc. Something I had on the cassette, I pressed play and recorded that on the pc. It was all in actual time. That was the one approach. If I wished to edit something I needed to do it on the cassette.

Quick ahead to 2005 after I launched GTR, I used to be utilizing the Halo 2 foyer because the hub for me to do interviews. All people had Halo, so we might meet up within the foyer and other people may be part of. I’d document the audio from there. The standard was horrible. However I managed to create plenty of content material like that. The know-how is so a lot better now. It’s a lot simpler to add and create content material. However thank God I went by that have, as a result of that helped me to grow to be a greater creator.

GamesBeat: A part of the lesson is that you just needed to keep on the sting of know-how.

Peña: Yeah, large time. Again then, in podcasting, for me and for lots of others, we needed to replace our RSS feeds manually. It wasn’t the best way it’s now, the place an internet site or a bunch would simply take your content material and create that RSS feed and replace all of it for you. Again then we needed to write all the pieces on our personal. It will take endlessly.

GamesBeat: And that a part of the lesson is that there’s plenty of laborious work right here. It’s not simply being fortunate or being on the proper time.

Peña: Every thing takes time, too. There are plenty of creators, and plenty of them, I really feel like they wish to see success so rapidly. It takes time. It’s good to pay your dues. Networking and attending to know folks personally at occasions, assembly them head to head, that’s one thing that helped me again then. Within the early days I couldn’t attend plenty of occasions, but when I may go to an occasion in Miami–I’d simply present up and move out flyers to let folks know. “I’ve a radio present, test it out.” I by no means used the phrase “podcast.” Then they’d say, “Oh, I want an iPod?” I at all times simply referred to as it web radio. However assembly folks head to head helped me a lot. It helped me get higher as a creator. I discovered to conduct conversations. I used to be very shy as a child. However after some time that went away, as a result of I used to be being actually lively in doing these items.

GamesBeat: How troublesome was it rising up the place you probably did? Did you ever really feel like your loved ones was poorer than plenty of others?

Peña: My dad, he lived within the tasks in New York Metropolis. My mother was a single guardian. My dad and mom divorced after I was 5 or so. I used to be at all times visiting forwards and backwards. My dad lived within the Bronx and my mother lived in Manhattan. It was laborious. Mother couldn’t afford the newest video games, clearly. By the point I used to be in my teenagers, I wished to get a pc, and I couldn’t afford it. That was powerful. After I went to school, that was after I lastly received one, with my scholar loans.

It wasn’t simple for me. However I’m glad that I skilled that, as a result of it helped me to understand life. The struggles that my mother and my dad went by to come back to this nation. I’m first era in my household. I additionally lived within the Dominican Republic for some time, so I received to see how it’s over there too. I’m grateful for all the pieces that my household has performed. However I’m glad I went by all that. It’s an eye-opener. Right here, lots of people–we’re spoiled. We at all times have electrical energy. We at all times have web. It’s good to expertise what occurs should you don’t have that sort of cash, should you don’t have the connections or no matter it’s. It helped me grow to be a greater individual.

GamesBeat: I really feel like that’s a giant a part of the highschool model of your ebook.

Peña: Oh, undoubtedly. I wish to do far more with the books, for certain. There’s a lot I wish to speak about. However I felt good about this story for teenagers. You see me rising up, working laborious, getting that award. Getting inducted into the Corridor of Fame there, the primary Latino–it was the primary group that was inducted, so that you had me, Adam Curry and so forth.

GamesBeat: And your spouse is in the identical enterprise?

Peña: She used to work at Xbox as a part of the advertising crew. She labored on Halo 5. Her final recreation was–not Life is Unusual, however the Life is Unusual developer. Inform Me Why! She labored on that recreation. That was her final recreation earlier than she moved to California. We met in the course of the pandemic. After that, I began residing right here. She used to work at G4, after which I moved to working at G4 in October of final yr, for the relaunch. I’m nonetheless there.

I’d by no means lived in Los Angeles, and he or she’d by no means lived right here. She used to stay in Seattle. It was life-changing for me to come back right here. I’ve been very profitable ever since I moved right here. It gives a lot simpler entry for me to work with lots of people.

GamesBeat: I discover that you just’ve gone to at the very least one classroom to speak to children instantly. Have you ever performed plenty of that?

Peña: No, I’m truly doing that subsequent week. My cousin’s spouse is a trainer. Like I discussed, the publishing firm is named 2qualitykids. The writer is Mr. Luna, and that’s my cousin’s spouse, the trainer. She learn the ebook to her college students again in July and so they cherished it. For me, subsequent week goes to be my first time seeing folks, getting the ebook, signing it and studying it. We’ll be doing a launch occasion. We’ll meet plenty of the dad and mom of the children there on the public library in Miami.

GamesBeat: It’s a must to do plenty of legwork to get one thing like this off the bottom.

Peña: That is all self-publishing. We do all the pieces by Amazon. The ebook is in English and Spanish. If Barnes and Noble will get sufficient requests to order by their web site, although, in the event that they see that it’s getting plenty of gross sales by the positioning, then the ebook will probably be out there of their shops based mostly on that. However for now you’ll be able to simply purchase it by Amazon too. It’s out there in hardcover, paperback, and e-book, Spanish and English, beginning September 15.

GamesBeat: It feels like a giant mission, even if it’s a brief children’ ebook. A number of work goes into this.

Peña: I’ve watched my cousin getting the drawings performed, getting the story performed. Doing the interview with me so we may seize the best story for the ebook. Then I’ve simply been selling it myself. We don’t have any PR and advertising. It’s all been simply us. To date it’s been doing nice. Lots of people have been pre-ordering. Hopefully it will get the phrase out much more as soon as the ebook releases.

GamesBeat: You’ve at all times been the underdog, although.

Peña: All the time. I find it irresistible. I was a hip-hop avenue promoter, working occasions. I labored with plenty of music artists and labels again within the ‘90s after I was in highschool. That helped me get higher at selling, in-person or some other approach. It wasn’t simple. However I’m glad that folks have been reaching out and telling me they have been within the ebook. Some folks have purchased a bunch of copies to donate to their native libraries. I’ve a pal who’s about to see her first granddaughter be born, and he or she requested me if I may signal her copy, as a result of she’s going to learn it to her granddaughter. I’ve gotten plenty of messages like that. Folks from the U.Ok. are shopping for it, folks within the Caribbean. It’s thrilling.

GamesBeat: Do you inform those who there’s extra to the story?

Peña: Oh, sure. I’ve been doing that in my interviews and on social media. I would like folks to know that I wish to do extra than simply this ebook. After all I wish to do one for an older crowd, however my focus is the children proper now. I wish to encourage them to be the subsequent content material creator, the subsequent podcaster, the subsequent gamer. There isn’t something like that proper. I didn’t have momentum or something like that again then. I wish to give that to children to allow them to see, hey, desires do come true.

I informed you the story about going to that Xbox occasion for the primary time, assembly Invoice Gates. Sooner or later, some time again, in our previous condominium I used to be simply pondering. I got here up with the concept I wished to shock my dad and mom with one thing. I informed my spouse, “Hey, what do you consider this? Sometime I wish to shock my mother and day. I wish to have a billboard in Occasions Sq.. I would like them to see that. I do know they’re proud, however I wish to present them one thing the place they are saying, ‘Wow, that’s so cool.’”

My spouse stated, “Danny, you must manifest that. It’s best to publish that on Twitter.” I didn’t wish to. It was simply me saying that. However she stated, “No, no, you must do this.” So I posted it, after which I received a message a few day later from Twitch. They stated, “Danny, we’re planning to have a marketing campaign. We’re increasing our protection and we’d love so that you can be a part of it.” I stated, “Positive, I’d like to be a part of it.” That was {the summertime}. Proper earlier than September, the top of August, they stated, “Danny, we’d prefer to get some photos of you. We wish to add you to the billboards we’ll have for the marketing campaign in Occasions Sq..”

I simply stated, “What?” They stated, “Yeah, 4 billboards, all throughout.” It was precisely the identical spot that I used to be at 21 years in the past. It was like all the pieces coming full circle. I put that image within the ebook, as a result of that’s a part of the story. It’s not fully the story – hopefully there’s extra to come back sooner or later – however that’s the identical location the place I went to the Xbox launch in 2001. I shocked my mother. She went to Occasions Sq. and received to see it and take an image. My dad couldn’t journey to New York on the time, however I despatched him some photos and movies of it. They have been each tremendous proud.

GamesBeat: Are there some other milestones you look again on about how fashionable the present has grow to be? Something that helps present the sort of success you’ve had?

Peña: I at all times point out this to folks, the obtain numbers, getting sponsorships from completely different corporations on the podcast, and different enterprise alternatives. Getting gigs to host not solely occasions, however even TV reveals. I had a present on the Discovery Channel within the mid-2000s. I did that for a yr. I’ve been a bunch for esports and for conferences, not solely in gaming but additionally in podcasting. Entering into the podcast corridor of fame, a number of awards–the checklist is so lengthy.

We’ve been by a number of podcasting hosts over time, however in complete from after I began till now, it’s near 14 million downloads. We have been a part of the CBS Radio podcasting community for a couple of years. Now we’re doing stuff with Audioboom. It’s been nice for us. It’s been a wild trip. I really feel like this isn’t the top for me. I’m nonetheless going at it. I nonetheless really feel like the identical child after I simply began. I’m excited to document each time. I can’t look ahead to the longer term.