Tuesday 9 July 2013

Jason Cooper - CEO of BLAZE - Exclusive GamesYouLoved Interview
















- Who are you and what do you do?
Jason Cooper
CEO of BLAZE

- What video games and arcade games did you grow up with?
First console was Atari 2600. First Computer ZX Spectrum.
I was also fortunate enough to own a SNK NEOGEO
Loved GORF in the Arcades and Donkey Kong junior. Also spent hours on N.A.R.C

- Whats are your favourite video games of all time?
Galaxians
Super Smash Tennis (SNES)
NEO GEO Super Sidekicks
NEO GEO Art of Fighting

- what is gaming all about for you?
A relaxing way to spend time. I like the simpler games and I like the way that gaming is turning into a more casual event on smartphones and that the audience is now so much broader. So Call of Duty is a none starter for me as it is too complex. Though I do like the latest Hitman game, that is pretty cool.

- have you ever been overseas (US and Japan) and if so whats the gaming scene over there like?
The best place by far is the Akhibara district of Tokyo that is dedicated to electronics. I have bought so many video gaming gadgets there, like a Super Famicom TV by Sharp and a combined Gamecube and DVD player by Panasonic. I also loved my white GameGear!

- What item would you like to have for most in your collection but don't have
My friend made a Street Fighter 2 , two player arcade stick for SNES from the original arcade cabinet. It was super cool. I waited nearly 20 years for it and he finally sold it to me last month! So I am not entirely answering the question, but I have waited an age for it!



- Who has motivated you in the past to become what you are today
No single person. I have been fortunate enough to work with some incredibly able people and they have all motivated me in different ways.

- What do you see for your company in the future - 5, 10 and say 20 years?
We will still focus on retro but continue to develop our mobile games. We launched our first title, Fluid Football last August and it became one of the leading sports games last year – it has been downloaded nearly 3 million times now. It has been the number one sports game in over 30 countries including Brazil, Germany, Italy, France, UK and China!

Our ultimate future in video games is developing and publishing games for mobile handsets.

- How have the consoles and games changed for you over the years?
They have become far more complex and in doing so, a lot of the fun has been taken out of the experience. Mobile is stealing this space.

- Where do you see the future of retrogaming in the UK and the world
On mobiles....

- How can retro gaming be part of the the New Gen scene
By Nintendo, Sony, Sega, Activision, Capcom and other leading developers of the original games, licensing to BLAZE their software back catalogue....

We would light a fire under the whole video gaming sector if such a deal could be done...
Thanks for the call!

Jason

Pics: Top Picture - Jason holding the NEO GEO X at Finningley Airport near their UK offices
Below pic: Street Fighter 2 , two player arcade stick for SNES from the original arcade cabinet.

www.funstock.co.uk
www.blazeeurope.com

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