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Danny Peña has a kind of fairy-tale tales that the online game business is so good at creating. He grew up in a tricky neighborhood within the Bronx, the son of divorced mother and father, in addition to the Dominican Republic.
At some point, his grandmother purchased him a online game system, and it modified his life. He performed too many video games rising up. His mother and father apprehensive about his research and what he was going to do together with his life. However like so many creators and influencers, Peña determined to create his personal job. He began with DJ work after which migrated to this new factor referred to as podcasting.
In 2005, he began Gamertag Radio together with his brother and was joined later by Peter Toledo and Parris Lilly. The viewers grew and now his podcasts have been downloaded greater than 14 million occasions. He confirmed up on the Xbox launch in 2001 and performed a recreation with Invoice Gates.
He has had an opportunity to interview business luminaries corresponding to Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer and Reggie Fils-Aime (former CEO of Nintendo of America). He co-emceed our GamesBeat Summit 2022 occasion final April and he interviewed Fils-Aime about his personal post-Nintendo e-book.
Now Peña’s inspirational story is the topic of a self-published youngsters’s e-book, Danny Loves Video Video games, created by 2 High quality Youngsters, a youngsters’s e-book firm run by Peña’s cousin and his spouse, Mr. Luna, and Mrs. Ani. It’s out as we speak. I’ve seen Peña’s success develop through the years and watched him turn into an inspiration to numerous folks breaking into gaming. He’s nonetheless doing Gamertag Radio and dealing at G4. We talked concerning the e-book and his life.
Right here’s an edited transcript of our interview.
GamesBeat: You have to be very proud to get this e-book out.
Danny Peña: Yeah, I’m excited. It’s been a ardour mission for me and my cousin. It’s popping out subsequent week.
GamesBeat: Your cousin has a youngsters’s e-book label?
Peña: Proper. It’s referred to as 2qualitykids. It’s him and his spouse. They’ve been doing it for 2 years or so. He’s the one who got here to me with the thought. He wished to do a e-book primarily based on my life, and I assumed that may be nice. Let’s discuss it. He requested me a pair questions, I answered, and so they got here again with some samples of the e-book a pair months after. I beloved the idea.
GamesBeat: It’s attention-grabbing that you may summarize your life in possibly 20 sentences or so.
Peña: The rationale why I wished to do that–it’s two issues. One is for folks, to inform them to not shut down their children’ desires. My dad, again once I was rising up, he simply didn’t get it. To this present day he doesn’t actually perceive what I do. He’s proud, however on the time, it was a kind of instances the place he simply wanted to see outcomes to know and name it profitable. My mother was extra understanding. Simply do it.
Once I was a child, I used to be residing within the Dominican Republic. Mother knew I used to be enjoying quite a bit, however I at all times wished to create a enterprise out of video video games. I advised her, “Hey, mother, I’ve a bunch of Tremendous Nintendos and a few Sega Genesis consoles. Would it not be attainable to lease an area so I might cost my associates across the block, or anybody who needs to play?” I might cost for quarter-hour, half-hour, an hour. Some folks, if I knew them, I’d lease them video games. I used to be in my early teenagers.
GamesBeat: Did that truly work out for you?
Peña: Oh, yeah. I made fairly good cash. I purchased a bike. However the second purpose why I wished to do the e-book was to indicate children that desires do come true. It doesn’t must be video video games. However it’s best to go for it. That is the one e-book that I do know of primarily based on the true story of a content material creator from the gaming facet. My objective is to indicate to children that something is feasible.
GamesBeat: Not many individuals might say, earlier than a few decade in the past, that they made cash enjoying video games or their profession was about enjoying video games. That’s one factor that’s a theme for us in our tales and occasions. This concept that you may receives a commission for being keen about one thing that you simply take pleasure in, that’s pure leisure, and that may flip right into a profession. It’s nonetheless overseas to lots of people that one thing enjoyable generally is a job.
Peña: Once I was a child, I learn a variety of recreation magazines – EGM, GamePro. I’d see footage of E3 and all of the occasions. They received entry to early copies of video games. I at all times wished to be a part of that. Not essentially as a journalist, however I used to be at all times into radio and TV. I used to be studying alone. My dad was a DJ, so I might fiddle together with his tools. On the time I might use a radio with a built-in mic and report no matter was within the background. If the TV was on I might report it, and at night time I’d hearken to it and film my very own scene primarily based on the recording.
Once I was residing in Miami I’d get invited to a variety of hip-hop radio exhibits. DJs wished me to co-host. I realized from that. However in 1998 – I used to be in my early 20s on the time – was once I discovered about this firm referred to as Sudo. I don’t know if you happen to keep in mind that. I went to a good friend’s home and I used to be utilizing his pc. He had a 56K modem. I noticed this community, Sudo, the place they’d many various exhibits with video or audio. I used to be watching a hip-hop present the place they interviewed one among my favourite artists. I assumed that was fairly cool. I didn’t understand folks might simply do that on-line.
That’s once I wished to start out my very own radio present. However on the time I had no PC. It was nonetheless so costly simply to stream by RealPlayer, again within the early days. Then I found MP3.com, although. It was designed for music artists, however I discovered a technique to add my content material there. For each one that listened to you, you may receives a commission on MP3.com. I put up my content material with that free internet hosting and lots of people began listening to my present. My first verify was about 500 bucks. That was actually cool.
GamesBeat: Would you take into account that the start, then?
Peña: Yeah, that was the start for me as a content material creator in web radio. However podcasting began later, round September 2004. I launched Gamertag Radio in February 2005. There have been no purposes like iTunes, although. We needed to rely upon a 3rd get together utility that the neighborhood was creating. You’d get the brand new episode, however you needed to get it by your PC.
I bear in mind I received invited to Xbox Unleashed, a few weeks earlier than the launch. I received hands-on. The loopy half about that occasion, I confirmed up with a tape recorder and a video digicam, as a result of I wished to create content material. However I additionally wished to compete, as a result of they have been freely giving free journeys to Cancun, freely giving a automobile and all the pieces. So I turned as much as compete for 48 hours, and on the identical time I received a media move, as a result of I went to them and mentioned, “Hey, I’ve a radio present, I’d like to interview the staff.”
On the finish of the occasion I didn’t win, however I received a variety of content material out of it. They have been freely giving consoles, although, to individuals who have been there for 48 hours. They noticed my badge and thought I used to be only a journalist. I mentioned, “No, no, I’m competing! I’ve proof!” I confirmed them my video recording and they also mentioned, “Okay, put him on the listing.” They despatched me an Xbox early.
Once I received the console, Xbox referred to as me and advised me they wished me to go to the launch occasion in New York, on the Instances Sq. Toys R Us. I bear in mind it, to this present day. Throughout the road there was the WWF restaurant. However once I went to the Toys R Us occasion they’d tons of safety. I questioned why they’d so many individuals there. After which once I received in they mentioned, “Oh, Danny, we wish you to play towards Invoice Gates and provides some suggestions to the media concerning the console.” In fact, I’m younger, I’m excited. We performed Fusion Frenzy. There’s footage of it on-line.
Proper after that, I simply received impressed to create Gamertag Radio. I launched it in February of 2005. However that 12 months is when iTunes first added podcasts. It was round July of 2005.
GamesBeat: It’s too dangerous you didn’t get to present a variety of this sort of element in your e-book. Possibly that’s for the highschool model?
Peña: Yeah, yeah. This was extra about maintaining it easy for younger children. You may have your desires. Something is feasible. Present them that I’m an enormous fan of video games, ranging from the arcades. Getting my Atari 2600 for the primary time. Creating Gamertag Radio. However I wish to do a sequence sooner or later.
I’m releasing this on September 15, in Hispanic heritage month. I’m additionally attempting to get extra Latinos into the sport business. Once I began, I’d go to occasions and be the one particular person of shade there. Now issues have been getting quite a bit higher. However again within the day I used to be the one one. That’s one other factor I’ve been attempting to do, simply to vary the mindset of different Latinos, particularly the older era. From the business facet, it’s all about leisure, media, musicians, sports activities. I wish to present that there’s a path to gaming as properly.
GamesBeat: Was there a sure level the place you felt such as you have been going to make it, versus considering this was of venture that may not repay?
Peña: It was a loopy expertise, however I’ll offer you an ideal instance from once I launched GTR. That 12 months I went to E3 for the primary time. I’d by no means been there. I didn’t have connections with recreation corporations. I had no appointments. I created a press equipment with my brother. I put down all the cash I needed to print that up with a CD, footage, bio, all the pieces on this folder. Once I went to E3 I gave that to each single recreation firm, and I mentioned, “We now have a podcast.” Lots of people checked out me bizarre, like, “What’s a podcast?” They ignored me, by no means gave me an opportunity. I believe Xbox was the one one which gave me a chance to fulfill the staff, to interview folks. That was the 12 months 360 was popping out, so they’d a variety of occasions happening.
However moreover them, no person else gave me an opportunity. I went dwelling to Miami feeling tremendous discouraged. Proper afterward, although, that’s when Steve Jobs introduced they have been including podcasts to iTunes. All of a sudden I used to be getting all these calls from recreation corporations. Now they knew what was happening. Now they knew about podcasts. A 12 months after that I used to be getting interviews left and proper at E3. Even at dwelling I used to be getting alternatives to attend occasions or interview folks remotely.
There have been moments the place I felt like this was wanting actually good. However even within the years after there have been occasions when it appeared prefer it won’t work out. I used to be in a very darkish place round 2018. I felt like issues simply weren’t going to work. Alternatives have been going away. Then the pandemic occurred. That was a bit of difficult. I used to be residing in New York, and out of the blue I began getting a variety of calls from recreation corporations. All people was at dwelling, so it was quite a bit simpler for me to only create content material with them. And the previous few years, 2020 till now, issues have been unimaginable for me. I by no means would have thought I’d be concerned in doing a e-book. The podcast continues to be doing nice. I did some gigs for Telemundo. I received to interview Reggie, which was a variety of enjoyable. It took me 10 years to get that interview. I received Phil Spencer on the thousandth episode. That was wonderful. Keanu Reeves. There’s been quite a bit happening. Now I’m feeling higher than ever. I only in the near past purchased a home. My spouse and I received married. It’s been nice.
I’d been attempting to get Reggie on the podcast for a decade. You know the way Nintendo is. “Nope.” Yearly. I used to be actually cool with the PR folks there and I’d pitch completely different concepts, however Nintendo declined all the pieces. “Nope.” The way in which I lastly received Reggie, it was proper after the thousandth episode the place I had Phil Spencer. Once more, you manifest this stuff. I tweeted, “At some point I’d prefer to interview Reggie.” After which Reggie replied, “We should always make that occur.” It took one other 12 months after that, so make it 11 years.
I inform this to creators. You by no means know who’s listening and also you by no means know who’s studying. Be sensible about what you put up on-line. You don’t wish to be adverse. It’ll go round. The business is so small.
However as soon as I recorded the podcast with Reggie–I used to be asking him extra private questions. What was it like being up in New York? Are you going to work on a e-book? He gave me the heads up upfront that he was engaged on the e-book. He gave a form of sneak peek on the podcast. As soon as that was completed and I shared it–he actually loved the dialog. And the remainder is historical past.
GamesBeat: Speaking about Gamertag Radio itself, was there an arc to it so far as the way it turned well-liked? Had been Peter and Parris at all times on it with you?
Peña: I began it with my brother. However Peter and Parris have been with me for greater than a decade. I met Parris first in 2006. He noticed a video the place I used to be featured at an occasion with EA and Xbox. He noticed that video and he was impressed to do a podcast too. He hit me up and he helped him out, gave him some ideas. He began his personal present, after which years later joined GTR. With Pete, I met him due to his spouse. She and I used to work collectively on the Discovery Channel in Miami. She mentioned, “My boyfriend is de facto into video games!” He got here to my home and we turned actually shut after that.
GamesBeat: Are there explicit issues within the e-book that you simply felt such as you needed to have in that small variety of pages?
Peña: Just a few issues. One was displaying when my grandmother purchased me my Atari 2600. That was a vital time in my life once I was a child. She didn’t know something about video games. She handed away a very long time in the past. However on the time – 1984, 1985 – she purchased three 2600s, one for me and the others for my different cousins. I received Defender and Pac-Man, a few video games. Having that console at my home, it was superior. It was life-changing for me. I wished to indicate that. A present can utterly change a child’s life, and that’s what occurred to me. I felt it was vital to indicate that about my grandmother.
I additionally wished to indicate my dad saying, “Hey, video games don’t pay the payments.” That kind of factor. Him worrying that I used to be enjoying quite a bit, whereas I knew what I wished to do, knew that was my ardour. I felt like that was additionally vital. I wished to indicate that to different mother and father, and present the success I’ve now, the place I’m at. I do know I couldn’t actually match all the pieces in there. I’ve an extended historical past with video games and podcasting. However I hope sooner or later I can do extra completely different tales, extra about me stepping into podcasting and doing interviews. I’ve so many issues I wish to share.
GamesBeat: It does really feel such as you grew up on the proper time for when podcasting got here into being, when content material creation turned a chance. A brand new profession emerged and also you jumped on it. You had all this expertise by the point it turned rather more viable.
Peña: Positively. Once I began, I didn’t have a mentor or something like that. I needed to study all the pieces alone. The know-how was completely different again then. I didn’t have any tools. I simply had a tape recorder related to a pc. Something I had on the cassette, I pressed play and recorded that on the pc. It was all in actual time. That was the one means. If I wished to edit something I needed to do it on the cassette.
Quick ahead to 2005 once I launched GTR, I used to be utilizing the Halo 2 foyer because the hub for me to do interviews. All people had Halo, so we’d meet up within the foyer and folks might be a part of. I’d report the audio from there. The standard was horrible. However I managed to create a variety of content material like that. The know-how is so a lot better now. It’s a lot simpler to add and create content material. However thank God I went by that have, as a result of that helped me to turn into a greater creator.
GamesBeat: A part of the lesson is that you simply needed to keep on the sting of know-how.
Peña: Yeah, large time. Again then, in podcasting, for me and for lots of others, we needed to replace our RSS feeds manually. It wasn’t the way in which it’s now, the place a web site or a bunch would simply take your content material and create that RSS feed and replace all of it for you. Again then we needed to write all the pieces on our personal. It will take endlessly.
GamesBeat: And that a part of the lesson is that there’s a variety of arduous work right here. It’s not simply being fortunate or being on the proper time.
Peña: All the things takes time, too. There are a variety of creators, and a variety of them, I really feel like they wish to see success so rapidly. It takes time. It’s good to pay your dues. Networking and attending to know folks personally at occasions, assembly them head to head, that’s one thing that helped me again then. Within the early days I couldn’t attend a variety of occasions, but when I might go to an occasion in Miami–I’d simply present up and move out flyers to let folks know. “I’ve a radio present, test it out.” I by no means used the phrase “podcast.” Then they’d say, “Oh, I want an iPod?” I at all times simply referred to as it web radio. However assembly folks head to head helped me a lot. It helped me get higher as a creator. I realized to conduct conversations. I used to be very shy as a child. However after some time that went away, as a result of I used to be being actually energetic in doing these items.
GamesBeat: How tough was it rising up the place you probably did? Did you ever really feel like your loved ones was poorer than a variety of others?
Peña: My dad, he lived within the initiatives in New York Metropolis. My mother was a single dad or mum. My mother and father divorced once I was 5 or so. I used to be at all times visiting forwards and backwards. My dad lived within the Bronx and my mother lived in Manhattan. It was arduous. Mother couldn’t afford the newest video games, clearly. By the point I used to be in my teenagers, I wished to get a pc, and I couldn’t afford it. That was robust. Once I went to school, that was once I lastly received one, with my scholar loans.
It wasn’t straightforward for me. However I’m glad that I skilled that, as a result of it helped me to understand life. The struggles that my mother and my dad went by to return to this nation. I’m first era in my household. I additionally lived within the Dominican Republic for some time, so I received to see how it’s over there too. I’m grateful for all the pieces that my household has completed. However I’m glad I went by all that. It’s an eye-opener. Right here, lots of people–we’re spoiled. We at all times have electrical energy. We at all times have web. It’s good to expertise what occurs if you happen to don’t have that form of cash, if you happen to don’t have the connections or no matter it’s. It helped me turn into a greater particular person.
GamesBeat: I really feel like that’s an enormous a part of the highschool model of your e-book.
Peña: Oh, positively. I wish to do far more with the books, for certain. There’s a lot I wish to discuss. However I felt good about this story for youths. You see me rising up, working arduous, getting that award. Getting inducted into the Corridor of Fame there, the primary Latino–it was the primary group that was inducted, so that you had me, Adam Curry and so forth.
GamesBeat: And your spouse is in the identical enterprise?
Peña: She used to work at Xbox as a part of the advertising staff. She labored on Halo 5. Her final recreation was–not Life is Unusual, however the Life is Unusual developer. Inform Me Why! She labored on that recreation. That was her final recreation earlier than she moved to California. We met through the pandemic. After that, I began residing right here. She used to work at G4, after which I moved to working at G4 in October of final 12 months, for the relaunch. I’m nonetheless there.
I’d by no means lived in Los Angeles, and she or he’d by no means lived right here. She used to stay in Seattle. It was life-changing for me to return right here. I’ve been very profitable ever since I moved right here. It offers a lot simpler entry for me to work with lots of people.
GamesBeat: I discover that you simply’ve gone to not less than one classroom to speak to children straight. Have you ever completed a variety of that?
Peña: No, I’m truly doing that subsequent week. My cousin’s spouse is a instructor. Like I discussed, the publishing firm known as 2qualitykids. The writer is Mr. Luna, and that’s my cousin’s spouse, the instructor. She learn the e-book to her college students again in July and so they beloved it. For me, subsequent week goes to be my first time seeing folks, getting the e-book, signing it and studying it. We’ll be doing a launch occasion. We’ll meet a variety of the mother and father of the children there on the public library in Miami.
GamesBeat: It’s important to do a variety of legwork to get one thing like this off the bottom.
Peña: That is all self-publishing. We do all the pieces by Amazon. The e-book is in English and Spanish. If Barnes and Noble will get sufficient requests to order by their web site, although, in the event that they see that it’s getting a variety of gross sales by the location, then the e-book will probably be out there of their shops primarily based on that. However for now you possibly can simply purchase it by Amazon too. It’s out there in hardcover, paperback, and e-book, Spanish and English, beginning September 15.
GamesBeat: It feels like an enormous mission, even if it’s a brief children’ e-book. Loads of work goes into this.
Peña: I’ve watched my cousin getting the drawings completed, getting the story completed. Doing the interview with me so we might seize the appropriate story for the e-book. Then I’ve simply been selling it myself. We don’t have any PR and advertising. It’s all been simply us. To this point it’s been doing nice. Lots of people have been pre-ordering. Hopefully this may get the phrase out much more as soon as the e-book releases.
GamesBeat: You’ve at all times been the underdog, although.
Peña: All the time. I find it irresistible. I was a hip-hop road promoter, operating occasions. I labored with a variety of music artists and labels again within the ‘90s once I was in highschool. That helped me get higher at selling, in-person or every other means. It wasn’t straightforward. However I’m glad that individuals have been reaching out and telling me they have been within the e-book. Some folks have purchased a bunch of copies to donate to their native libraries. I’ve a good friend who’s about to see her first granddaughter be born, and she or he requested me if I might signal her copy, as a result of she’s going to learn it to her granddaughter. I’ve gotten a variety of messages like that. Individuals from the U.Ok. are shopping for it, folks within the Caribbean. It’s thrilling.
GamesBeat: Do you inform those who there’s extra to the story?
Peña: Oh, sure. I’ve been doing that in my interviews and on social media. I need folks to know that I wish to do extra than simply this e-book. In fact I wish to do one for an older crowd, however my focus is the children proper now. I wish to encourage them to be the following content material creator, the following podcaster, the following gamer. There isn’t something like that proper. I didn’t have momentum or something like that again then. I wish to give that to children to allow them to see, hey, desires do come true.
I advised you the story about going to that Xbox occasion for the primary time, assembly Invoice Gates. At some point, some time again, in our outdated condominium I used to be simply considering. I got here up with the concept that I wished to shock my mother and father with one thing. I advised my spouse, “Hey, what do you consider this? Sometime I wish to shock my mother and day. I wish to have a billboard in Instances Sq.. I need them to see that. I do know they’re proud, however I wish to present them one thing the place they are saying, ‘Wow, that’s so cool.’”
My spouse mentioned, “Danny, it’s best to manifest that. It’s best to put up that on Twitter.” I didn’t wish to. It was simply me saying that. However she mentioned, “No, no, it’s best to do this.” So I posted it, after which I received a message a few day later from Twitch. They mentioned, “Danny, we’re planning to have a marketing campaign. We’re increasing our protection and we’d love so that you can be a part of it.” I mentioned, “Certain, I’d like to be a part of it.” That was {the summertime}. Proper earlier than September, the tip of August, they mentioned, “Danny, we’d prefer to get some footage of you. We wish to add you to the billboards we’ll have for the marketing campaign in Instances Sq..”
I simply mentioned, “What?” They mentioned, “Yeah, 4 billboards, all throughout.” It was precisely the identical spot that I used to be at 21 years in the past. It was like all the pieces coming full circle. I put that image within the e-book, as a result of that’s a part of the story. It’s not utterly the story – hopefully there’s extra to return sooner or later – however that’s the identical location the place I went to the Xbox launch in 2001. I shocked my mother. She went to Instances Sq. and received to see it and take an image. My dad couldn’t journey to New York on the time, however I despatched him some footage and movies of it. They have been each tremendous proud.
GamesBeat: Are there every other milestones you look again on about how well-liked the present has turn into? Something that helps present the form of success you’ve had?
Peña: I at all times point out this to folks, the obtain numbers, getting sponsorships from completely different corporations on the podcast, and different enterprise alternatives. Getting gigs to host not solely occasions, however even TV exhibits. I had a present on the Discovery Channel within the mid-2000s. I did that for a 12 months. I’ve been a bunch for esports and for conferences, not solely in gaming but additionally in podcasting. Stepping into the podcast corridor of fame, a number of awards–the listing is so lengthy.
We’ve been by a number of podcasting hosts through the years, however in complete from once I began till now, it’s near 14 million downloads. We have been a part of the CBS Radio podcasting community for a number of years. Now we’re doing stuff with Audioboom. It’s been nice for us. It’s been a wild experience. I really feel like this isn’t the tip for me. I’m nonetheless going at it. I nonetheless really feel like the identical child once I simply began. I’m excited to report each time. I can’t look forward to the longer term.
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