Introducing: Kevin van Wonderen (28), our new CRAFT ambassador! Kevin is an experienced game streamer on Twitch and has managed to attract a loyal crowd over the past six years. We ask Kevin about his streaming activities and his ideas about CRAFT as a knowledge platform for IT professionals.
Which games do you stream?
“Almost everything, except for sports and racing games. In that respect, I’m a stereotypical nerd, so to speak. Games that I think are cool are, for example, Dark Souls and the Elder Scroll series. Challenging games that take a lot of time. I also like to play Metroidvania, indie games and shooters, for example.”
What appeals to you about streaming?
“What appeals to me most is that it’s interactive. You have direct contact with people and can also respond directly. That form of conversation makes it fun for me to do. In addition, I am of course a big fan of games. I enjoy sharing my knowledge and listening to the opinions of others.”
How did you become a streamer?
“For me, it was a conscious choice. I noticed early on that I was overly interested in games and IT. I always wanted to know more. What makes certain games good? How are they put together? Besides that, I like to talk about games.”
What makes you successful as a streamer?
“I’m not one of the all-time great streamers but distinguish myself mainly by my almost reviewing style of streaming. People who join me, come for the fun and for game info. Which new games are coming? Who are the creators? What is good about the game? Furthermore, I think it’s important to play games all the way through, so I can give a good opinion and really take people into the game.”
What do you do besides streaming?
“Besides streaming, I am a full-time IT consultant and presenter at Gamekings. This used to be a TV show and is now completely online.”
Does your job as an IT professional make streaming easier?
“Yes, it definitely helps. It’s always an advantage if you understand certain programming required when streaming. Take editing videos. I never had this as a subject during my education, but my IT background has allowed me to quickly master the mechanics and meaning of certain functions.”
Would you like to stream full-time?
“I get that question often, but not really. First, as a streamer, you’re quite lonely, oddly enough. Compare it to working from home. You talk to and see people but being physically on the work floor feels different. Furthermore, what I do on the stream doesn’t last very long. Of course, there are always new games coming out, but not enough to stream forty hours every week. Besides, I recently became a father, and it is nice to have a steady income – however conventional that may sound. If I only streamed, I would miss out on a bit of security.”
How do you keep up with your gaming knowledge?
“I like to set things up as efficiently as possible, so I use all kinds of RSS feeds. I check those feeds several times a day. And of course, I watch the videos of my colleagues at Gamekings. In addition, I get e-mails and newsletters about games every day and I’m sometimes asked to stream a game.”
And with your expertise around IT?
“Like almost all IT people, I check Tweakers regularly, for the nice balance between consumers and professional IT info. Other than that, it’s very organic. I faithfully follow the line that I set out with my employer. If we get a lot of Azure jobs, then I certify myself for that. So, I mainly immerse myself in what I need at that moment. In addition, I learn as I go along with the various jobs.”
What do you think of CRAFT as a knowledge platform?
“I think CRAFT is a platform that you, as an IT professional, can look at every day or week. There are a lot of interesting articles on it about the profession itself and the industries that use IT. What strikes me is that CRAFT is well managed. It’s not an information dump, but there is a lot of thought put into what is published, keeping it organized.”
Why are you an ambassador for CRAFT?
“I believe that if you put energy into something, it will eventually pay off – as corny as this may sound. I don’t really like platitudes like If you really want something, you can become it, but do believe that if you act and try new things, it will eventually have a positive impact. That’s why I like to associate myself with CRAFT. Through CRAFT, knowledge is shared for and by an entire industry, a beautiful and useful initiative.”
