Straight from the Source: Matt Bloch [Part 2]

PushDustIn: What’s your favorite console?

Matt: Whenever I get asked that, I cheat and say the PC. I’m hard pressed to say what my favorite one actually is. The PC is just so versatile in terms of what it can achieve so it makes it the best. The old PC games of the 80’s or 90’s are classic. PC Gaming, or at least the exclusive PC games nowadays I’m not very interested in. I love indie games that appear only on PC, but I don’t play any real-time strategy games, MMORPGs or MOBAs. I’m not a modern PC gamer persay. My big three for consoles are the NES, SNES and the Genesis though. I grew up with the Atari 2600, my very first console…and it’s here in the bar too. I got it as a present when I turned six.

PushDustIn: Do you have a favorite game?

Matt: Ultima VI is my favorite, and it’s represented by that ankh in the small room. It was probably circumstantial that it became my favorite game though. I was running it on a Tandy 1000 RL in the early 90’s. The Tandy was a RadioShack IBM clone but it wasn’t a true IBM clone — it had its own proprietary stuff going on…which sucked. Like TGA, or Tandy Graphics Adapter, instead of EGA. TGA was the same as EGA but only some games supported it like Lucasfilm and Sierra Games. And Origin Systems. For Ultima VI, I had to upgrade my ram to 640k to run and…it chugged. So I don’t know how many hundreds of hours I spent playing in that open world. I was amazed by it. “How does it fit on this disc/ set of discs?” It was a 5 or 6 MB game all together, but to me it was like a universe. It chugged along that it took something like 2 seconds for my characters to step to the next tile, all the while I’m listening to the game’s great music and I’m 13 at the time — formative years. That’s why I say it’s circumstantial. I’m sure it’s a great game in its own right. But because of the circumstances — that computer, that age and the open world.

PushDustIn: Have you revisited it?

Matt: I haven’t recently. But I think even if I were to revisit it, it would have aged well. I still have the thick guide book — I didn’t even try to figure anything out on my own. I just wanted to collect everything in the game. It was a pleasure to go around and become a god in this game.

PushDustIn: Do you do any special events here?

Matt: Once in awhile I do them. Space Station is a small space so it’s hard to do big events. We do DJ events — maybe two or three times a year. We get local DJs and lately DJs from abroad as well. There’s quite a local video game music, chiptune scene, here in Osaka. We found a way to make it happen within this small space. Tournaments happen sometimes, mostly Smash Brothers. That also will happen 2-3 times a year. My favorite event is the video game quiz night. The designated quiz master designs a quiz, brings it to the bar, we set it up if there’s visual or audio. Proper video game pub quiz. I love it!

We don’t do anything like an event based around the debut of an anticipated game. Nor do we do game marathon events. These are both good ideas though and I may try to host such an event at some point.

PushDustIn: Yeah, you could stream it on Twitch.

Matt: For some people that’s a no brainer. People who are YouTubers especially. It’s been suggested that I do something like that but I haven’t done it.

PushDustIn: Just haven’t had the motivation or inspiration for it?

Matt: I guess not. I feel like there is so much of it already out there. It doesn’t stop other people from joining the fray. But I feel like I need to do something new or different to contribute.

PushDustIn: Well thank you letting me interview you!

Make sure to check out the official Facebook page for Space Station! Also, if you are in the Osaka area, check it out.

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