Most of you will know her as Tech Girl , here is her story.
Many people may recognize Tech Girl or Sam Wright as an Esports Broadcaster at rAge events, but we wanted to learn more about her, so we were fortunate enough to catch up with her, and this is how the conversation went.
Who exactly is Tech girl?
“I’m Tech Girl. Lol. I grew up in a family that played games, so it was always something I was involved in. My brother and his mates played Dota competitively which is where my interest for Esports came from. I was never good enough to play with them but was fascinated with watching them and learning about the team dynamics.
I had a boring corporate job, so started a blog where I spoke about things I liked… realized no one was really covering South African esports, so started doing that (this is actually a fun trip down memory lane for anyone curious: Click here to see article. I was making really cringey YouTube videos and then got offered the chance to host the Telkom Masters stage alongside Paul “Redeye” Chaloner.
I was 100% not qualified for the job and well aware it was a diversity hire, but I took the gig (cause free entrance to rAge sounded pretty rad). Redeye told me if I was serious about a career as an esports broadcaster he’d be willing to help me if I put the work in. I thought he was joking, but a few months later I got fed up with my unethical boss at my day job, walked out in a huff, and reached out to Paul.
He spent weeks helping me, VOD reviewing for me, and telling me how much work I needed to do! Lol. I did the work, he got his agency to sign me and I booked an international gig, which was hosting one of the ESL stages at Gamescom. I was terrified but I did the job and suddenly esports broadcasting was my career. I’ve had a chance to fly around the world and work on some pretty epic projects.”
So what is Sam’s role in the gaming community?
“I want to say entry fragger, but it doesn’t count if you’re the first in and the first to be downed without getting a single pick right? Kidding. The thing I love about gaming is that you don’t have to conform to some box the world demands. So the idea of having a role doesn’t sit well with me.
I’m a gamer, you’re a gamer and we hang out online sharing that passion. The idea of roles would imply some people are more important than others or whatever. I don’t think that is the case. For me, I’m just part of a community and consider myself a story teller. I love to tell stories about the incredible players I get to watch in action.
I want people to know their stories and the journeys they take. But I’m no different to someone who never talks in-game, has no social media, and just jams single-player games. We’re all gamers. Same same in my opinion. I worry that the commercialization of the community has given folks a false sense of importance. I’ve fallen into that trap over the years and now work hard not to do that again.”
What is her favourite game or genre of game?
“I love FPS titles, that’s my go-to, but I have a diverse taste with everything from Battle Royale to FIFA. My favourite game though is Mortal Kombat 3. It’s the game that got me started and so it will ALWAYS be that game for me.”
Her preferred platform?
“Honestly, it depends on the game. I prefer single-player games on console cause I can veg on the couch for hours and play. Multiplayer FPS I’m on my PC. Hell, I even play mobile games (Wordscapes and Free Fire count right?).”
We asked Sam what her favourite thing about gaming is:
“The magic. The ability to determine your own story and be whatever you imagine in that moment. I love that.”
What exactly drives her gaming passion?
“The magic! And the escape element. Adulting is hard, so escaping to a game helps. Plus being able to tell stories and share that magic is pretty rad too. I like that I get to do that.”
We know you all want to know what her current projects are or any events in the foreseeable future so we asked this burning question to which she answered:
“LOL. I get asked this all the time. I always see other people explaining their goals and vision boards and what what’s. Honestly, I have none of that. I fly by the seat of my pants. I do have a few rad community things I’m working on which hopefully take flight. But other than that, no clue. Obviously, I’m commentating events where I’m offered the opportunity and creating content on my own channels but what that looks like in a month’s time or a week’s time… I don’t even know. Oops!”
Tech Girl also creates gaming content on various channels and streams FPS games. She contributes to esports news on Red Bull Gaming and has hosted a gaming segment on South Africa’s biggest youth radio station.
Well there you have it folks a sneak peek into the mind of Tech Girl and what makes her tick, we really enjoyed this interview with this down-to-earth and super professional member of the South-African Gaming community. If you would like to follow her on any of her socials they are listed below: