Wikipedia:WikiProject Video games/Newsletter/20210406/Interview

Featured editor: Namcokid47

Interviewed by Panini and -iaspostb□x

This issue we interview Namcokid47, who has been haunting the Namco/Bandai/Bandai Namco regions and improving coverage of numerous oldschool arcade classics in Wikipedia since 2017. With off-Wiki projects as well as numerous projects here including high-quality FA and GA articles, cooperative challenges, and general work on the editing fields, the time has become ripe. Let us delve into what makes the Namcokid47 tick.

1. Q1: What drew you to Wikipedia, and what prompted you to begin editing?

   I made an account in February 2015, though if my memory serves me right I edited as an IP a little while before then. At first, I didn't do much, and for a few years had just stopped editing entirely. It wasn't until 2017 that I become more active, and since then I've been a regular contributor. What drew me into the site was the relatively poor quality of Namco-related articles, since lots relied on weak sources or had pretty poor writing. I got sick of it to the point where I made an account just to help clean up these pages and improve their quality considerably.

2. Q2: It seems you run Video Game Tengoku. Is there a reason or background behind why?

   Well, I used to, anyway. Video Game Tengoku was supposed to be akin to Shmuplations in how it featured translated interviews on older video games from print sources. However, I largely rely on machine translation and trying to create accurate translations for interviews in languages you can't speak while using that is pretty silly of an idea. I greatly overestimated my abilities while making it. I'd like to have my own personal website, though, so I think once classes start wrapping up I'll think of something I can do with it.

3. Q3: How did you think of your username, Namcokid47?

   Namco is my favorite game company, I was young at the time I came up with the name, and 4 and 7 are my lucky numbers. So I think it's fitting.

4. Q4: What's the weirdest thing you did on Wikipedia?

   I'm not real sure what you really mean by that. Do you mean something I regret doing? There's quite a few examples I could provide, but these two are certainly the most embarassing.

5. Q5: How much of a gamer are you and what type of games do you gravitate toward?

   My favorite kinds of games are scrolling shooters and puzzle games, since I feel I'm pretty good at those. I actually spend more time researching games than playing them, as outside a select few, most sessions last around 10—20 minutes.

6. Q6: So, why Namco? Do you have any history with the subject? What Namco games do you enjoy the most?

   Pac-Man is the first video game I remember playing, so it was what led to me "discovering" them. I always felt Namco had a very unique style and were very good at creating really fun games wrapped around very simple mechanics, so they just stuck with me. Actually most video games I own are those from Namco. Am I crazy? Probably, but they had some real creativity when coming up with some of their games, and they're typically the kind of games I like playing. I'd say Pac-Man, Xevious, and Mr. Driller are my favorites for the reasons I specified above.

7. Q7: How did you become involved with the VG project?

   All of my work pertained to articles on video games, so naturally I decided to join the project. I'm an incredibly shy person, so it took me a while to actively participate in things like GA reviews and talk page discussions. Even now, I don't see myself as somebody that often participates in active discussions, since I'm mostly here to edit pages. I just leave a lot of that to the other editors, since they know more than me when it comes to stuff like that.

8. Q8: On your old user page, you said you hate anime. Later, however, you joined Wikiproject Anime and Manga. Why is that?

   I never legitimately "hated" anime, it was just a userbox I added to my userpage as a joke. However, I removed it later on since I didn't want people getting the wrong idea, and that "hate" is a pretty strong word when being used to describe something. Though I rarely watch anime myself (most of it just doesn't interest me whatsoever), I do enjoy Kill la Kill and Cowboy Bebop. As for why I joined the Anime WikiProject, that was because I had done a lot of work on anime company articles like Bandai Visual and Bandai Namco Pictures, so I thought I might as well just join by that point.

9. Q9: In which areas of Wikipedia have you involved yourself beyond WikiProject Video Games?

   Outside the video game and anime wikiprojects, none. I just stick to what I know best.

10. Q10: You've mentioned Wakapedia before. What is, or was, it that you do over there?

    Wakapedia is a Miraheze-hosted encyclopedia dedicated to the Pac-Man series, and I've maintained it since 2019. Unlike Video Game Tengoku, this site is still very much alive and it's been gaining traction over time. The owner of the Twitter account No Context Pac-Man has been very helpful in getting the word out there. I even got somebody from Japan message me on Twitter telling me how much he appreciates my work there, which really made my day.

11. Q11: What is the most difficult part of editing Wikipedia?

    List of cult video games. Enough said.

12. Q12: What is considered your best work on Wikipedia?

    Namco, without a doubt. I've poured so much time, work, and effort into this one page to make it the most comprehensive Namco article on the web as a whole, and I hope to see it become an FA someday. Galaga is also one of my proudest works for its comprehensiveness, writing, and the information it contains.

13. Q13: Are there any projects you want to work on right now?

    Honestly, there are so many projects I've been meaning to get around to, but for whatever reason I never do. Of course, the big project I have is to get Namco to GA and then FA status, as well as Bandai and Banpresto. I'd like to also get every page I've created to B-class or better, like Tranquilizer Gun. Other projects I currently have in mind are Kirby's Dream Course, Panzer Bandit, RayStorm, and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Let's hope I actually finish those! lol

14. Q14: What advice would you give a new editor interested in working on video game articles?

    Most of the advice I'd give to new editors has already been discussed in detail by other interviewees, so I don't see a need to re-establish their points here. Though if I were to provide some, I'd definitely recommend that editors start with articles that don't get a lot of attention, like stubs or ones for more obscure games. It gives you more time to review your edits and make any substantial changes to something, since you're likely to be obliterated by reverts if you try editing articles that have a constant flurry of activity.

15. Q15: Anything else you want to say?

    Red Phoenix and TarkusAB are two editors that have influenced the way I write and the articles I often contribute to. They've done an amazing job with the pages they've written and cleaned up, and they've been a real joy to work with. I greatly thank them for their work.

    I thank Thibbs, Pani, and IAS for asking me to participate in an interview. I appreciate their questions and feel very honored to be part of something like this, and I hope my words and advice are helpful or at the very least interesting for readers.

    I've actually thought about leaving Wikipedia for a long time now, but every time I did, I always come back. I guess that shows how much I use and value this site. Once Namco and Pac-Man become featured, I'd say that's definitely when I'd bid farewell, or at the very least limit the time I spend here. Nothing has been set in stone, though.

    I'm well aware my edit summaries or talk page posts can seem blunt or harsh. I don't wish for editors to take it personally, since that's just the way I talk on the web and it's only to help make corrections or establish a point. I'm very sorry if anything I said legitimately hurt your feelings, since that is not at all my intention. Please don't feel bad about it.

    To close this, I'm very thankful for all the new people I have met here, and the knowledge I have gained while editing and reading pages. Wikipedia is a truly wonderful site, and I am glad to have been a helping hand for other editors and the video game WikiProject as a whole.

+ Add a commentDiscuss this story

To follow comments, add the page to your watchlist. If your comment has not appeared here, you can try .

No comments yet. Yours could be the first!

+ Add a comment