TWM Games Jade-Louise sat down with Tom Colohue to discuss all things streaming, gaming and more!
Tom is a Freelance Writer and Journalist, he is a current @PWTorch contributor with his own Twitch Channel! Tom is a longtime friend of TWM and we would like to again thank him for the time and sitting down with us to discuss his streaming career so far.
Why should someone new watch your content?
What I try to do with my streaming is pack it out in a big way. We’re all nerdy and ridiculous but more than that we’re judgement-free, relaxed and insightful. Whether it’s talking about the latest wrestling news and storylines or failing at gaming, you can bring anything to my table and feel like you’re amongst friends.
What inspired you to get into/got you into Streaming?
This is a baffling one. I live in a constant state of self-hatred; my mental health is about as razor-thin as it’s possible to be – so I never felt confident in front of a camera. Or in front of people, to be honest. I don’t know how I got past it, I just felt like I needed to.
I’ve worked in journalism and media for 13 years. I know the trends and I know how to be successful in the field so I moved into video and live content randomly after Survivor Series 2019. After that, I was offered a role leading SportsKeeda’s live content and I’m very proud of what we were able to turn that into. I’ve never really stopped.
Has the Pandemic affected the way you game?
Honestly, not at all. I’m not really a competitive gamer. I love long stories and weaving narratives. That’s why I’ve been playing Bloodborne, Final Fantasy, Football Manager and the like. One change is that I’ve been playing FF14, which is MMO style, as a way to socialise but even then it’s still with the same people I used to chat and game with.
What’s your favourite game to stream?
I like the variety but certain games do play out better on streams. Games like Devil May Cry are really nicely compartmentalised. At some point, when I reached a follower milestone, I’ll be playing all of The Last Of Us on stream in one sitting. It’s daunting but I’m very excited about it.
Favourite Game Genre? And why?
I value games incredibly highly. No other form of media gives you the same ownership over your actions. I grew up on old school platformers like Sonic and Super Mario World but my heart has long been stolen by solid world-building in games like Horizon Zero Dawn. Take me away from myself and my little world here and I’m all yours.
Favourite music genre? And why?
Not too surprisingly it’s all progressive and classic British Rock. Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple) has been a huge inspiration and I learned a lot of Dream Theater before I broke the latest set of strings on my guitar.
Favourite band/singer?
A huge Deep Purple and Dream Theater choice, yes, but over the years an artist called Arjen Anthony Lucassen caught my eye with multiple bands. He puts together a ton of concept albums with a ton of different voice actors and it’s always a thrill getting through one.
Preferred platform?
I’m a console gamer by nature, and by income level. My PS4 will be serving me well for many years yet but my laptop can also handle Steam and stream at the same time so I slip a few Steam games in there to keep things from getting boring.
Which Streaming capture do you use?
My wrestling streams – both the preview shows and the watch parties – are just me and a webcam so that’s lucky. On the PS4 side I’m using the cheapest capture card I could find on Amazon. It cost me all of 10 pounds. There’s an initial delay between input and stream but once you’ve played around with it for all of 2 minutes it’s gone. The wisest choice I’ve ever made. All of this plugs into the old tried and true Streamlabs OBS but if I’m not too concerned about graphics I tend to use Streamyard. There are some very good options on the market now.
Do you have any sponsorships/are you open to them?
Not as of yet, though I do highlight what I’m doing for companies that I’m working for. I’m open but most sponsorships are commission-based and I really don’t have the following to justify them.
Favourite Twitch streamer?
There are so many talented people but the one I’ve unquestionably learned the most from is John Robertson. I first saw him on a TV show called Video Game Nation and he’s sort of accidentally determined my entire gaming media fandom since. From VGN I started watching Aoife Wilson, Johnny Chiodini and before I knew it I was watching Dungeons and Dragons. Robbotron (Robertson) himself has influenced a lot of my streaming style.
I just try to be entertaining and the best way to do that is to learn from your betters.
What’s your favourite thing about Streaming?
I was very pleasantly surprised by the sense of community you pick up from Twitch. I’m used to the dumpster fire of Twitter so it was nice to go somewhere and not automatically have people decide you’re the devil. I’m also enjoying being able to swear. People seem to like that too.
What are you goals for this year?
A liveable income from Twitch seems unachievable but I’ve started well so that’s a minor target. Otherwise, it’s just to keep having fun. Over the last few years, I’ve worked incredibly hard for precious little reward. It’s nice to be able to do something solo and take what you get, you know?
Where do you see your channel in five years?
Hopefully, by that point, I’ll be partner level and when that day comes I’ll start to set myself up as a proper business rather than just independent self-employed. I want to generate income for other people so mods, social media managers, people who get sponsors and edit highlight videos, I want to hire all of them. At the moment I’m so lucky to have the team that I do. They deserve a reward and that team needs to grow.
Do you have any other interests?
Gaming, music and of course writing keep me busy. Hopefully, once lockdown is over I can start travelling again. That’s something I’m sorely missing.
Where can people find you? Socials etc.
I’m all over the place.
On Twitter you can find me @Colohue
On Twitch it’s twitch.tv/tomcolohue
You can find me on YouTube here
In fact, you can also now find me on TikTok. It’s a surprise to me I’ll tell you!