Interview with Tim Troppoli from extralives.org!

For those of you who don't know, Tim is the mastermind behind extralives.org. This website hosts charitable video game marathons, and the work Tim and his team are doing is nothing short of ground-breaking. If you read my post on zeldathon, then you know that Tim is nothing short of heroic in my eyes, which is kind of odd since he's in higschool, and I'm a senior in college. Anyway, he was gracious enough to answer some questions.

In this interview, Tim shares his favorite games, what he wants to be when he grows up, his opinion on the mildly controversial "The only thing that I know video" (link below), and what marathons he has in mind for the future. Can you say 64 hours of Nintendo 64?

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Bold- Alphabet 1.                            Plain text- Tim Troppoli

What kind of potential do you see the use of video games to reach goals?

The sky’s the limit, really! I think video gaming marathons are very much like telethons, except the format caters to its medium. It’s safe to say that most people online have at least a slight interest in gaming, so it’s appropriate to have these marathons online.


Did you ever think you’d be a philanthropist?

Nope! I always tried to make a point to donate a little bit to charity or volunteer at soup kitchens every so often, but I never thought it’d develop into something like ExtraLives.org. It has been extremely rewarding and more entertaining (and likely more effective) than most of the community service projects I’ve taken part in.


Do you realize that you are a pretty successful one at that?

I’m still surprised that people take time out of their days to watch us play some video games! As long as a handful of people watch and donate, I consider a broadcast a success.

Aside from the popularity of the Zelda franchise, why do you think
Zeldathon was so successful?

Aside from the massive amount of support from Reddit (thanks again, guys!), I think some of it had to do with it being around the holidays and the charity we selected. Free the Children was very supportive of the Marathon and told me exactly what the money raised could support. I think it’s nice to know that the money is going to a specific project rather than just being thrown in a large pot to be used as the charity pleases.


What do you plan to do for the next one as far as ensuring success?

Well… I really don’t know! Almost all of our broadcasts have been more or less the same, format-wise (aside from the single-screened, two-screened alternations). We’re going to be raffling off another prize this time and stick with the dual-screened racing format. The next Marathon is entitled “64 Hours of the Nintendo 64” and we’ll be playing through our top 10 N64 games. The list of these, however, won’t be revealed before the Marathon, so hopefully that’ll keep people interested in watching.

Plus, I’m working on getting a very special guest to call in during the Marathon. One can’t think of the N64 without thinking of a certain kid from a certain home video…

What new goals are on the horizon?

I’ve just been raising the goals in $500 intervals (the first Marathon’s goal was $500, the second’s was $1,000, etc). Keeping with that tradition, the next goal will be $2,500 and we’ll raise it if the need arises.

What do you want to study?

I’m looking to major in biology in some way, shape or form.

What field do you see yourself working in?

I’m looking to do something in the field of biomedical research. Haven’t pinned down any specifics yet.

How has Zeldathon changed you? How has it changed the way you see
fellow gamers, or the gamer community in general?

I definitely appreciate the time and effort that goes into making a video game more after having spent many dozens of hours staring at them. There’s a lot to be said about something that can keep one’s interest for that long.

As for the gamer community, I was really blown away by everyone’s kind words and generosity. I never doubted gamers’ generosity in general, but I was pretty amazed that so many people watched a Zelda Marathon put on by a bunch of high school kids. That’s the power of the internet!

Are you a hometown hero? Do you feel as awesome as you are?

Hometown hero? Hah, not really. A lot of my classmates were surprised that hundreds of thousands of people on the internet tuned in to watch us play Zelda, though. I’m still trying to get over that myself—I never expected we’d be as successful as we were!

Do you have any other ideas for events involving video games and
charity?

Aside from the Marathons, nothing right now. I’m really pretty pleased with how our Marathons have worked out, so I haven’t been really trying to find an alternative to them quite yet. I’m always looking for ways to improve the broadcasts though, so there may one day be a change in the Marathon format.


What are your favorite games?

Up until our Legend of Zelda Marathon, I’d probably say the Legend of Zelda series… I’m a big fan of the Genesis-era Sonic games and the Metal Gear Solid series. Honestly, I’ll play nearly anything (even Superman 64, which I still regret).

Do you follow any other innovators who are taking gaming into new
directions/ fields? For example, the game overthinker.

Although I’ve never read any of the material from The Game Overthinker (or similar analytical editorials), I tend to read a lot of video gaming blogs and news sites so I can follow new games and general trends in video gaming. I’m always interested in seeing how people are pushing the envelope in terms of interactivity and gameplay!

The influence of games grows with every generation. Have you ever
considered what implications this might have for our society? What are
your thoughts on this subject?

I think entertainment as a whole may start moving toward something a bit more interactive. Take Heavy Rain, for example. It’s a game, but it’s also essentially an interactive movie. It tells a story, but lets the player decide how he wants to continue. While I don’t expect all of the elements of the game to be carried over into modern cinema (like the clunky exploring sections), I think the ability to make key decisions in the plot may be incorporated into other forms of entertainment. It gives the viewer more of a connection to the character and the plot as a whole.

Certain elements of MMORPGs will likely carry over into online social networking. The ability to create and customize a character based on one’s self will make online conversation more personal. It’s one thing to see a little picture depicting a person, but it’s completely another to see a model of them completely fleshed out in 3D.

Of course, video games can be applied to other uses outside of entertainment. Certain types of surgery, for example, rely on very precise machinery and robotics that are controlled via mechanisms similar to video game controllers. I also recall seeing an article a few years back saying that surgeons who played a certain video game before a surgery tended to perform better than those who did not play. Pretty neat!

Again, these are just a few things that I thought of on the top of my head. Technology is advancing so rapidly these days that it’s almost impossible to predict what will become the next big thing.

Have you seen the The Only Thing That I know video? What’s your take on
it?

Well, I guess I’d better pack up all of my consoles and stop broadcasting gaming Marathons!

In all seriousness, I think he’s really stretching the point a bit. I’ve played video games for many years and I don’t let them dominate my life. The author of that video seems to think that everyone who picks up a controller will immediately begin wasting away their lives (and increasing their waistlines) in front of a television screen. Perhaps that may have happened to him, perhaps he couldn’t control his video gaming addiction, but I’m certain most people have their priorities straight.

Video games are just another form of entertainment available to us. Some people watch television, some people amass large collections of DVDs, some people read books—I choose to play video games. Who’s he to say that one form of entertainment is superior to another?

I also laughed when he made a comment along the lines of “don’t let video games take away the best years of your life at the expense of all the greatness you can achieve.” Personally, I feel creating ExtraLives.org was one of the most fulfilling things I’ve done in my life so far and I only have video games to thank for it.

I have to say, he did make one good point: He was completely correct when, at the beginning, he stated that this video likely won’t change your ways. It certainly hasn’t.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Thanks for writing an article on us! I truly do appreciate it (and hope that sending the answers to all the questions off didn’t come too late).


Thanks for your time and keep doing your thing; you’re an inspiration =]

No problem— I appreciate it!