Wikipedia:WikiProject Video games/Newsletter/20201004/Interview

Interviewed by Thibbs

This issue we interview Roberth Martinez (User:KGRAMR). Roberth joined Wikipedia in February 2017 and has been very active in video game areas related to the Atari Jaguar. He participated in WP:VG1000, creating or improving more than 150 articles. When not editing at Wikipedia, he is active in the Atari Jaguar scene and follows the homebrew scenes, he runs Jaguar Sector III on Facebook, and he was recently interviewed by Arcade Attack. Welcome, Roberth, and thank you for agreeing to be interviewed by the WP:VG Newsletter!

1. You joined Wikipedia 3-4 years ago. What drew you to Wikipedia, and what prompted you to begin editing?

   I've used Wikipedia for homework multiple times since i slowly learned how to use a computer since my primary school years. However, i would say that the motivator for joining the website was indeed the Atari Jaguar. After seeing Rayman on the Atari Jaguar in motion on jvgsjeff's YouTube channel many years ago, my parents bought me that system when i was in 5th grade. Slowly but surely i fell in love with the Jaguar and its quirky, shall i say, library of games. I first edited some articles without registering before finally taking the decision to join Wikipedia.

2. What is the significance of your username, KGRAMR? How did you select it?

   There's actually not much significance to my surname XD It's just a combination of both my first and last names, as well as the words "Kid" and "Gamer". Hence, KGRAMR (KidGameRoberthAnthonyMartinezRivero).

3. How did you find out about and become involved with WikiProject Video Games?

   Easy! Just by checking out the talk page of an article i found out the WPVG initiative but as to which article was where i found out about it, i can't remember it. I really forgot how i became involved with WPVG though, sorry i can't answer that part properly...

4. How much of a gamer are you and what type of games do you gravitate toward? Are you exclusively an Atari fan, more of a general fifth generation (32-64 bit) fancier, or do you dabble in everything but the Jaguar holds a special interest for you?

   Due to college studies becoming increasingly harder as i'm almost close in finish my career, not to mention some personal issues that appear time and time as well as Wikipedia occupying my freetime XD, i don't play often these days but i really do love video games!

5. The Jaguar's library is relatively small compared to some other systems against which it competed (N64, PS1, Saturn, 3DO, etc.). The list of cancelled titles, however, is about 5× the number. Do you edit on canceled titles as well as released titles? Where do you find good sources for these topics?

   My process as to how i edit game list is pretty dry and straightfoward to be honest XD I first edit the main game list of a system i'm currently tackling (FM Towns as an example), i find references to build a brief overview of the platform on the article's head section and done! For canned titles, however, that's more difficult: I first make a list of canned titles alphabetically on paper outside of Wikipedia and after that, i'll try to find a source where a game was last mentioned before being left unreleased. Either on magazines, websites, etc. I build it slowly as i find sources along the way and that's pretty much it. However, there are certain times where i missed a title when penning my list on draft paper (Tobisade! PC-Genjin for Virtual Boy as another example) so, it's always annoying when i find them XD

6. Your interest in the homebrew scene can also be a difficult area in which to edit at Wikipedia. Sometimes truly incredible efforts are made on products which are simply not promoted to the point where any mainstream sources has taken notice. Do you edit in these areas on Wikipedia? What has been your experience?

   So far, it has been a pretty fun experience building and (in the case of Zaku) find sources for homebrew titles. The main issue when it comes to making these articles for homebrew games is finding reliable souces, which is difficutly given to their circunstances, as they are not mentioned very often in mainstream outlets.

7. What would you say exemplifies your best work in general on Wikipedia?

   I don't know what to say actually XD I don't have an article that i regard as my best work but i would say either Taito's Gun Frontier or Toaplan's Dogyuun are the ones i had the most fun being involved with. I'm not an expert on shoot 'em up titles but i love playing them from time to time.

8. Do you participate In any of Wikipedia's other areas beyond WikiProject Video Games?

   Outside of WPVG, no. My main area is (and probably will be) video games. I do appear as participant on projects such as WP Film but that's because i tackle video game articles that have relation to another media.

9. What advice would you give a new editor interested in working on video game articles?

   I would say them try to get familiarized as to how the website operates. Read the rules, don't try to fight with editors who might have a different way of editing pages, among other things for those who have passion for video games and want to do articles for them.

10. When you first started editing, you focused quite a bit on adding files (missing covers, screenshots, etc.). Wikipedia is very copyright conscious and the rules arguably go much further than simple fair use measures. How did that go for you as a new editor? What was your initial experience with this rule-heavy (policy, guideline, etc) editing world?

    My experience at first was somewhat rough because i didn't know how to upload files on the website. However, with the aid of other editors, i eventually managed to get around it, crediting websites for hosting those images and such. I use emulators to take screenshots (or .png screencaps for those who don't have screenshot support) but i also use files from external websites sometimes, which i try to make sure to credit them before uploading them to the website.

11. What do you currently find to be the most difficult part of editing Wikipedia?

    Actually, it's neither the head, gameplay, plot, release and legacy sections. That honor would have to go towards development and reception sections. For the development section, i try to find references where development of a game was heavily discussed. Its not hard with western magazines when it comes to both NA and EU games, however for JP games it's sometimes extremely difficult because japanese sources are more tedious to come by. If it wasn't for shumplations and for other websites that dabble in the effort on translating developers interviews, perhaps Gun Frontier wouldn't be where it is now or Dogyuun's article would not have been possible. On the other side of the coin, reception would have to be the most tedious process of all of them; If a game is multiplatform, i make sure to find reviews in order to build a definitive consensus as to what critics and reviewers thought of a title in question at the time of its launch.

12. What are your plans for the future? Are there any projects which you are thinking about starting?

    Try to finish college XD that's one of my plans for sure. For the time being, i'm happy being just part of the WPVG initiative.

13. Anything else you want to say?

    There is one thing i want to mention: the AA interview was before my sudden departure from Jaguar Sector III on Facebook earlier this year before COVID-19 occured, as i discovered that the main administrator who built the group was a complete idiot who liked screwing with people on the video game sphere for personal gain. I was kicked out after three years of building JSIII because he thought i was talking "s***" about him, when in reality it was about his online and real-life behavior with other people. I felt like trash afterwards, as i invested three years of my life on that group and all went down the drain thanks to that individual. I now act as moderator on another Jaguar-related group and my experience has been pleasant so far...