00:07Hello and welcome to It's About Youth with me, Fei Kuan.
00:11Malaysia is home to a vibrant gaming community with over 20 million active gamers.
00:16That makes up more than 60% of the population according to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission or MCMC.
00:24But what keeps players coming back?
00:26And when does a game become more than a game?
00:29So today on It's About Youth, we'll be looking at how games and virtual worlds have evolved into meaningful social
00:36spaces
00:36and what that says about connection in a digital generation.
00:40Joining me in the studio today is Steve Young.
00:44He's a content creator with nearly 70,000 subscribers on YouTube,
00:48mostly known for his MapleStory Southeast Asia content.
00:51Steve, thank you so much for joining me today.
00:53Thank you for having me as well.
00:54It's a pleasure to have you here.
00:57When we're talking about online games, I suppose my first question for you,
01:01I want to take us all the way back to the beginning.
01:03What was your first experience with online games?
01:06What was that like?
01:07I think my first experience was online games.
01:10Wow, that brings back memories.
01:13It ties all the way back when I was in primary school.
01:17And I just finished UPSR and my mom was like,
01:21okay, you have achieved your target.
01:24I said, here is the very own computer over here.
01:28Wow.
01:28Yeah.
01:28So during that time, computer was like, wow, I got a computer of my own.
01:32I was so excited.
01:35And it's like a journey.
01:38I fell in love with the computer.
01:40And I was so excited about it.
01:42And as well as I told my friend,
01:45hey, do you have any online games that you can intro to me
01:49so we can actually play together?
01:51So he actually said, yeah, sure.
01:53He dashed out a CD.
01:55We were using a CD that time, right?
01:57Yeah, CD.
01:58I look at the CD, okay.
02:00Then we've got to install it and everything.
02:01I look at the CD, it's name called MapleStory C.
02:05That's a mushroom icon over there.
02:06I was like, okay, interesting.
02:08So I discussed with my friend.
02:09And he was telling me how this game works and everything.
02:14And first thing, I got the CD, I got back home,
02:17is plug into the CD itself, install the game.
02:21And during that time, I was using ADSL.
02:23Okay, we're going way back.
02:25Yeah, we're going way back, right?
02:26Using ADSL.
02:27That was, you guys know the era.
02:30And at that time, when I first booted up the game,
02:34I was being welcomed with a welcoming screen.
02:37And I got to customize my character.
02:39And that was really magical.
02:42I got to customize my character.
02:43I got to see how to actually make sense of how I actually look like in real life and in
02:49the game.
02:50And that, later on, I went into a tutorial.
02:56So there's a tutorial stretch.
02:58I get to enjoy how to play the game itself.
03:01Then I got to meet my friend.
03:03So I still remember vividly that map that I met my friend.
03:06It was a very green map.
03:07It was Illinia, the map name.
03:09So I met him, and he was saying hi to me.
03:12That was my first experience talking to someone online at this specific location.
03:18So I feel like that is something really magical.
03:23And at that moment, he was guiding me through how to play the game itself,
03:28how to go through the process, etc.
03:31And we go on every day, every night, after school.
03:36We just come back and we just log in and play the game.
03:38And I also met a lot of friends when I was playing the game.
03:42We just kind of, hey, how are you doing?
03:44And we just get to know each other during the game itself.
03:46Yeah.
03:47So, yeah.
03:48I mean, I think that magic is really translating through your words
03:52because it's such a core memory for you.
03:53You remember the map.
03:54You remember what it looks like.
03:56How, you know, the chronological order of how you got into the game.
04:00And that's really one aspect, right, about online worlds
04:04where youth these days are meeting inside games.
04:08You know, traditionally, you might say it's the playground or going to the mall.
04:12But now it's in these virtual worlds.
04:14At what point then do you think,
04:16did you realise that games were really all about connection?
04:19Can you share any sort of examples of when online games truly became social?
04:24I would say in the very early days,
04:27so there are content such as guilds.
04:30So, in the guild, you will have your guild leaders.
04:34You will have, we just call it a hierarchy.
04:37We have seniors, we have boss, seniors, and we have juniors.
04:41So, the guild leaders, which is the boss, will manage the seniors.
04:45Yeah.
04:45The seniors, which will manage the members, which is the juniors.
04:48So, that actually goes in with a skill that you unintentionally you will learn at this point of time,
04:57whereby it relates back to your people management skills.
05:00Yeah.
05:01Yeah.
05:01So, that aspect of people management skills makes the player understands the so-called boss more
05:09than the boss understands the players more.
05:11So, that social aspect is, I would say, super important at that point of time.
05:17But when we were kids, we were like,
05:18okay, he is just like our guild leader.
05:21But when you think of it in the longer stretch right now,
05:23you think, oh, okay, during that time,
05:25it's actually training me to be a better person.
05:29And not only that, there's also another aspect whereby you can actually collaborate with other players
05:36in building your own home.
05:38I think a lot of players actually go into the game, building your own house,
05:42and that actually creates creativity.
05:44Yeah.
05:45That is something that you don't really need to really focus on,
05:50but it's in the sense that, oh, I have free time.
05:54I want to share with my friends the house that I actually built,
05:58the design that I actually did.
05:59It comes up with creativity.
06:01And it comes up with a conversation, right, so-called.
06:05So, because your friend is designing it in a green color,
06:09but I am designing it in a red color.
06:11But in a sense, how can you match them both?
06:13There's a discussion going on over there.
06:15So, the social aspects comes in with a broader and wider discussion with creativity.
06:21And not to forget, there's also events.
06:24So, every festive season, there's events that's been held in the game.
06:30So, during that time, you can see a lot of players coming in, logging in, even in New Year.
06:34So, you can see normally New Year, we go out and look at fireworks and stuff.
06:38But in the gaming community, you can see that a lot of players log into the game.
06:42They just reach each other.
06:44Happy New Year, you know, trading items and such.
06:48So, these are the various aspects of the game that you can actually see in the online gaming community itself.
06:55I think when you're mentioning all these things, it really draws a lot of parallels,
07:00either to the corporate world, a company, or an offline community,
07:04whether it's meeting for events, arranging guilds, essentially a HR department.
07:09And I actually wanted to, you brought up an interesting point about how, for you,
07:16it was a game changer to be able to incorporate or customize your avatar.
07:22That sort of personalization, how does that freedom of expression
07:27sort of shape how young people see themselves or want to represent themselves online?
07:32That's a good question.
07:34I think right now, a lot of people want to have a different perspective of themselves.
07:40So, in the game, they can fully express what are they representing.
07:45So, in terms of an avatar, you can see many games, have different avatar,
07:49you can customize literally from anything you want.
07:52The sky's the limit.
07:53Yeah, the sky's the limit, exactly.
07:55So, that actually brings out creativity as well as a safe space for the players themselves.
08:02They can basically talk to anyone that they want, even meet new friends.
08:06With that avatar, it's something like their so-called image in the online world itself.
08:14And I like how you say safe space because that's very crucial for a lot of people
08:18and a lot of gamers here.
08:20You've clearly built a very strong community around MapleStory Southeast Asia,
08:26what makes a virtual world to you feel like a real community
08:30rather than just a game and logging in for escapism
08:33or to take a break from daily realities of life?
08:37I think most importantly is the community itself.
08:41So, every game has its own community.
08:45And just a short story of mine, I think I was actually very surprised.
08:53I was in a train station, trying to see things, okay?
08:56And there was someone that comes up to me and he watches my video.
09:00Oh, okay.
09:01So, he comes up to me and says, hey, are you Steve?
09:03I was like, yes, yes, I am.
09:05And he introduced me.
09:07And apparently, he actually played the same game with me 20 years ago.
09:13Wow.
09:14Yeah.
09:15And he was explaining through, do you still remember me?
09:18We were actually playing this specific content.
09:20And during that time, we played every day just to get that specific item.
09:25And I remember his in-game name because it's a very vivid name.
09:28It's a very special name.
09:29So, I remember his in-game name.
09:31He's mentioned to me, I am who.
09:32And I was like, oh, wow, you were that person.
09:35It's like 20 years ago.
09:37You never thought that someone that you played online 20 years ago get to meet you in real
09:42person and you get to experience that, oh, okay, 20 years ago, wow, that was amazing.
09:48And he was still following my content and such.
09:51And later on, I was asking him, hey, do you have time?
09:54Let's catch up.
09:55And we have dinner.
09:56We catch up in life.
09:57How is it going for after 20 years?
10:00These are the social aspects that I think it's very rare.
10:04I only met once.
10:06It was super rare.
10:08And I was really amazed of how the players and community actually takes care of each other
10:15and just want to learn about life.
10:17Those are the social aspects.
10:19And one important thing is that since it's like 20 years, right, there are a lot of events
10:25that is currently running in the game.
10:29So, for example, in MapleStory, so every year they will have an offline event.
10:34So, during an offline event, you can see like a lot of players gather around just to attend
10:39the event, just to get to know each other, just to catch up on their life, their time.
10:44Some even don't play the game, but they still attend the event because they feel like the
10:48sense of connection, right, the sense of connection.
10:50And you can see players from all around the world.
10:53You can see players from Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Thailand coming over just to attend the event.
10:59And some of them are like guild friends, buddies, you know, some of them brings their snacks
11:04over as well to share with their guild members.
11:06So, that is some of the aspects I would say.
11:09It actually brings up the community itself.
11:13That's very interesting.
11:14And I'd really like to tap a little bit more into those lasting friendships and connection,
11:19the keyword that you mentioned there.
11:20But first, let's head for a quick break.
11:23Stay with us.
11:38Welcome back to It's About Youth, where today we're looking at virtual worlds as online
11:44spaces, online social spaces for the youth.
11:47Now, I'm here with Steve Young, a YouTuber.
11:50And earlier you were talking about a very special example about reconnecting with a friend from
11:56MapleStory C 20 years ago and how that has proven to be a lasting friendship.
12:02Someone you remember from nearly two decades ago.
12:06There are skeptics, however, or people that may assume that relationships formed in games
12:12are quote-unquote less real.
12:14What's your take on that?
12:15And why do you think that perspective exists?
12:18I think the main thing is the connections that we have with the player.
12:23As I mentioned, I have friends 20 years ago.
12:26I met before.
12:28And right now, even during my secondary school time, those friends that I met and they are
12:33still playing the game, we still keep a close connection between each other.
12:37And they are literally one of my closest friends right now.
12:40And we do keep up, go out for a drink, you know, coffee, just talk about life.
12:47And you could see, I'm not sure if anyone has seen, but there are scenarios whereby players
12:56that are in the game, they are a couple.
12:59But in real life, they got married as well.
13:02Oh, wow.
13:02Yeah.
13:02So in recently, there was a news.
13:05There's a MapleStory player.
13:07They get to know each other in the game.
13:09And then at the end, they got married in real life.
13:12Right.
13:13And they had a grand wedding.
13:16Everything is of a Maple theme over there.
13:18It's so amazing to see that the connections between players can actually grow into your
13:24soulmate.
13:25Yeah.
13:25Yeah.
13:26So that's something that is very, I would say, very magical.
13:30You're not just forming skills.
13:32You're not just finding friendships, but you can also find love.
13:35Yes, I can.
13:36And a lasting partner in life.
13:38That's very interesting.
13:39Thank you for sharing that story.
13:41You're also welcome.
13:42But going back to skeptics themselves, there's also people who sort of dismiss games as a waste
13:47of time, or they think that it has a bad influence due to violence.
13:53What do you have to say about that?
13:57To be really honest, if it wasn't for MapleStory, I would not be here at this stage.
14:04Right.
14:04Yes, because MapleStory actually pushes myself.
14:11Previously, during my uni time, I was really, really shy.
14:14I do not want to talk to anyone.
14:16I was an introvert, you know, and I attended a class.
14:20And the class, the lecture was like, everyone has to record a video of themselves to improve
14:26their presentation skills.
14:28So I felt that, oh, that is something really interesting.
14:31And I want to continue doing that.
14:33So I did not give up.
14:35I kept recording video.
14:36I still remember I recorded my first video and uploaded it to the public.
14:40It's still there.
14:42It's very embarrassing to look at it.
14:44But I feel like that is a skill that is always learning and not giving up coming up to this
14:52point.
14:53And with that skill, I get to meet up with various players from around the world as well.
15:00So that actually comes into dedication and content creation.
15:07And not only that, there are also a lot of players, we call them maplers, that self-learn a skill.
15:15For example, coding.
15:16So they do not know how to code.
15:19But with the passion that they have, they want to code and build something for the community.
15:25So we have seen players building tools to enhance the equipments and basically look at the stats
15:32and how to make sure that all the equipments are well prepped and everything.
15:36And we have players that actually self-learn coding to build an entire ranking website,
15:41which is something that you don't really think about.
15:45Oh, a game will push someone to that direction.
15:49And to kind of give back to the community.
15:51Yes, to kind of give back to the community.
15:53And they do it as a hobby.
15:55It's not their real job.
15:56It's just like a hobby and they self-learn it.
15:58And that was before the AI era.
16:01So everything is like self-learn.
16:02So yeah.
16:04And it's all human-driven.
16:05Yes.
16:06All human passion.
16:08And well, I'm glad that MapleStory has made such an impact on you.
16:12For you to be here in the studio with me today.
16:14I'm glad that you've continued to be comfortable in front of the camera.
16:17But I'm sure there's the other side of it, right?
16:20Where games can be powerful social spaces.
16:24But they can also be sort of overwhelming.
16:26For you personally, having been in the gaming scene for over two decades.
16:31And then you yourself now balancing that as a content creator.
16:35What does healthy gaming and balance look like for you?
16:39Healthy gaming?
16:41That's a very good question.
16:42I think healthy gaming strikes a balance between time management as well as responsibilities.
16:51So you have to be very responsible on your time to actually go into the gaming industry.
17:00You know, and playing the game itself is just a game.
17:04It's fun.
17:04It's fun to play.
17:05But when you are too engrossed with it, it tends to be a different scenario.
17:10It's easy to get carried away.
17:12Yes, it's easy to get carried away.
17:13But with time management, you'll be able to get more skills in terms of the game as well.
17:19And you'll be able to share more experiences in the near future.
17:23Maybe with your kids.
17:25And maybe with the community.
17:27Because the community is the key.
17:29Community is the key.
17:30Everyone is very supportive of all the players doing, as example, document guides, doing YouTube guides, and all this stuff.
17:39They are very supportive in this scenario.
17:42So this creates a very, I will use again, safe space for the gamers to actually express themselves.
17:49And as well as introducing more and more skills that they can actually learn.
18:00There's just so many overflowing impacts and benefits from one simple game, right?
18:06And that very special game to you is MapleStory Sea.
18:09So I guess I'd like to focus on that specifically.
18:11It's a game that's been around since, correct me if I'm wrong, 2005.
18:16So 21 years.
18:18And since then, there have been so many other games that have been developed.
18:21So many more modern games that are now available.
18:24No longer just through a CD.
18:27It's just as simple and quick with a press of a button to download.
18:32What encourages players such as yourself and the community that you speak so fondly of
18:40to keep coming back to MapleStory Sea specifically?
18:45It will be the content and the community, most importantly.
18:50So the community is the ones keep driving this surging scenario over here, keeps driving everyone.
18:58And with the contents being added to the game, frequent updates and such, especially on events.
19:05So players keep coming back with all those events.
19:08And when the players come back, they will ask other players, how do I play this?
19:13What is the latest update?
19:15And this creates a communication between the players and it creates a topic.
19:20You can see players asking questions on Reddit, asking questions on Discord.
19:25And all of them have their own Discord group.
19:27Their friends coming into play.
19:29That comes into a very important, I would say, synergy between the players themselves.
19:36And that is one of the things that you will see in most communities and most games as well.
19:42Right.
19:43Yes.
19:43So it's not unique to just MapleStory.
19:45Yeah, exactly.
19:46But when it comes to MapleStory, then do you think nostalgia plays a part in it?
19:50Is that sort of like an emotional anchor as players grow older and life becomes a bit more complicated outside?
19:57Yes.
19:57Yes.
19:58I would say that is one of the things.
20:00And when you talk about MapleStory right now, I say, oh, that is a very old game.
20:04We used to play it a long time.
20:06And some players are like, okay, let's get in again.
20:08You know, feel the excitement once again.
20:11And does that evoke something for you too?
20:14Yes.
20:14Even till today.
20:15Yes, even till today.
20:16And then how do you see online games then kind of evolving as social spaces for the next generation of
20:24players?
20:25For younger generation of players, I think they are now born with the internet.
20:31All right.
20:31It's very easily accessible not compared to 20 or 10 years ago.
20:36And this actually creates a lot of opportunities for the younger generation to actually play in their phone, right?
20:44Mobile game.
20:44And you can see like in the coffee shop, you can see players over there just playing with their group
20:50of friends and just discussing about strats, discussing about how to actually beat the balls.
20:57Those, what do you say, those collaboration and as well as communication, those are the skills that you can see
21:05younger generations will take in.
21:08And do you think that sort of social aspect is just only going to go stronger over time?
21:13Yes, definitely.
21:15And not, not, so I guess it's very different from what a lot of skeptics would say is games are
21:21making people anti-social.
21:22They're just glued to their phones.
21:24What do you say about that?
21:26It's actually the exact opposite, right, from what you're telling me.
21:29Yeah, I think I would like to share a very close story of mine.
21:33When I started streaming, I get to connect with streamers around the world and also bloggers around the world as
21:40well.
21:40So two years ago, I actually attended a MapleStory event in the States.
21:45Oh, wow.
21:46Yes, and that was actually my very first time meeting them, the streamers, in person because every time when we
21:55actually talk to each other, it's actually either on Discord, voice call and maybe just log into their stream and
22:01say, hey, hello, how are you doing?
22:02But this time it's like meeting them in person is a totally different experience.
22:08Yes, so imagine that you were there and they were there just welcoming you to their country and they just
22:14brought me around, toured me around, you know, and we get to share the cultural differences, get to share the
22:21food.
22:21And of course, I brought some of the snacks from Malaysia over as well.
22:24It's all about the food.
22:26Thank you for representing the country that way.
22:28Yeah, and coffee as well because I'm from Ipoh, I brought them coffee as well.
22:32And it was an experience that I would say I don't know how to explain it, but it was an
22:42experience that I could not forget.
22:45Well, thank you so much for sharing your insights and your experiences today, Steve.
22:50I think it really shows that online games are truly social spaces, right?
22:54Virtual worlds that just go beyond entertainment, beyond a hobby.
22:58And it really helps people stay connected, building communities, the really big word that always keeps being repeated today, building
23:04communities even across distances.
23:06Thank you so much for your time.
23:08This has been It's About You.
23:10I've been speaking to Steve Young, a content creator on YouTube.
23:14I'm Faye Kwan.
23:15Thank you for watching and see you next time.
23:32I'm Faye Kwan.
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