Q&A: Jordan Erica Webber
Games journalist and presenter, Jordan Erica Webber (The Guardian and The Gadget Show), is our Conference Chair at Interactive Futures, so we took a little time out to get to know her a little bit better.
As a games journalist and presenter, what’s the best thing about your job?
The best thing about my job is meeting people who make games and learning how and why they do it.
When do you first recall having a love of video games?
I’ve played video games for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories involve video games, and I’ve always played them with my siblings, from taking turns on Spyro the Dragon for the original PlayStation to – much more recently – exploring the universe with my littlest brother in No Man’s Sky.
What is it about Leamington Spa’s games cluster that makes it so special?
Leamington Spa’s games cluster is so special because of its long history and because – despite the staggering number of game developers living and working here – everyone knows everyone. And everyone loves the town.
Who in the world of games do you really admire?
I admire any game creator who’s trying to make something a bit different, whether that’s trying a creative new design or use of technology, or daring to tell stories about underrepresented populations.
Which upcoming releases are you most looking forward to?
I’m still playing Assassin’s Creed Origins but, after 85 hours, I’m finally about done with all its side quests. So I’m looking forward to playing Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, especially because I get to play as a woman!
What’s your favourite individual design element of any game?
That is an impossible question! I do have a soft spot for games that attempt to simulate different aspects of relationships. In Florence, for example, when the couple in the game go on their first date, you have to put together jigsaws to create the speech bubbles of their conversation, and as the date progresses and they become more comfortable with one another the jigsaws become easier.
If you were a video game character, which would you be?
I love the Fallout games, and in Fallout 4 there’s a companion character called Piper who’s a journalist – so probably someone like her!
Fallout’s Piper Wright
What advice would you give to youngsters who want to get into the field of games journalism?
Interview as many people as you can. Practise asking good questions and listening. People are so interesting – you just need to give them a chance to tell you why!
Finally, what is your favourite ever video game?
Another impossible question! Fallout 3 has a big place in my heart because I had never played anything like it before, with its open world and side quests and characters and the different choices you could make. But my comfort game is The Sims.
Follow Jordan on Twitter.
