A new film starring one of the world’s biggest gaming YouTubers captures one of the hottest points in gaming

A new movie on Apple TV+ is about gaming. One of the biggest gaming YouTubers in the world appears there: Rachell “Valkyrae” Hofstetter. Editor-in-Chief Leah was able to interview Valkyrae on this occasion, who discussed the positive impacts of gaming and streaming.

A new movie on Apple TV+ explores the concept of streaming. The family plan available on Apple TV+ is actually an action comedy. Mark Wahlberg plays a former hitman who now lives a quiet family life.

That’s why he’s paranoid about social media and isn’t thrilled about his son streaming Valorant on Twitch. During his time as a contract killer, he naturally made a lot of enemies who could track him down more easily online.

Now you might think that’s why the movie targets evil gaming and evil streaming. But this is not the case. Quite the opposite. YouTuber Valkyrae makes a guest appearance in the film, playing an e-athlete.

When I received an offer to interview with Valkyrae, I immediately accepted. Because I’m always curious about how gaming has influenced popular culture. I spoke to the streamer about how she sees certain gaming themes in the film and how that aligns with reality.

“Gaming has opened a lot of doors for me.”

MeinMMO: What was the first thing you thought of when you got the offer to participate in The Family Plan?

Valkyra: Every time I get opportunities like this I think: Is this real? How could I get something like this, especially thanks to games? I never imagined that gaming would open so many doors for me that had nothing to do with gaming. Movies are definitely one of them!

I was just blown away. I was a little nervous because it was out of my comfort zone. But I just had to say yes.

MeinMMO: Why be out of your comfort zone when you’re always in front of the camera?

Valkyra: I know! I hear that all the time too. When I’m streaming at home, I’m in my room, I can just chat to myself, talk through the screens. But the character is there [beim Dreh] A lot of people are watching, and there’s a lot of pressure to do your job well.

“I hid that I was playing“

MeinMMO: This fits well with what happens in the movie. The son talks about how he feels inadequate in “real life” and feels the opposite in his stream. He then feels like he is among his own people and has found many friends online. As a player, what do you think of this statement?

Valkyra: I can understand that well.

That’s exactly why I started streaming the games I was playing. I was feeling very lonely at the time and I was working at GameStop. We sold trading games that I posted on Instagram, which is where I first heard about live streaming. I started this to make friends. I actually made friends through it and met them all online and through gaming.

Thanks to live streaming, I’ve found a community that empathizes with me. I really loved him.

MeinMMO: I thought it was cool that they put it in the movie that way. I have the impression that games in general appear as a positive thing in the family plan. For a long time, this wasn’t the case in movies at all. How do you think the depiction of gaming in media like television has changed compared to 10 years ago?

Valkyra: I’m so happy and excited that gaming is becoming more mainstream. I think gaming is very universal. It’s just entertainment. I always compare it to watching TV, except you can interact more.

I used to get bullied for playing games. I always hid the fact that I was playing and was very embarrassed.

MeinMMO: Can you imagine a career in esports, like in the movie?

Valkyra: As a professional player? I’ve played my whole life and I know that I can never have a favorite game or even one favorite type of game. I like many genres for different reasons. Whether it’s a single player story or multiplayer like Battle Royale. How should you decide? There are lots of good reasons to play a variety of games. I love looting, I love progression, but I also love playing with friends, just like I love a good story.

I don’t think I could play professionally because then I would have to play a match over and over again, every day, 24 hours a day. I don’t think this would be for me.

Plus, I might not have time to do something like acting in movies now, which I really enjoyed.

MeinMMO: I’ve noticed that lately more and more streamers are being approached for small roles in films. Do you think we will see this trend more often?

Valkyra: Yes, this is definitely the trend. It also makes perfect sense. It’s good advertising.

I know I’ll be talking about the movie on stream and telling all my friends and family. I also know that my biggest fans will watch the film to support me. This is just a smart move by the movie producers.

But it’s also a win-win situation for people like me who have never done anything like this before and may be able to do it more often in the future.

“I used to be online so much that it was a pain“

MeinMMO: One of the themes of the film is technology and that it is very easy to find a son because he is always online. I have the impression that there is also little criticism. As a streamer, how do you look at being online all the time? Maybe we lose touch with reality a little?

Valkyra: I think some people get really addicted to being online all the time. Life can change. I mean some people have found their soul mate online.

Others become so good at the game that they make it their career. They may be very young and have parents who would rather see their children go to college. It can be a complex topic because there are so many different situations.

Personally, I think I have a good work-life balance. But I used to be online so much that it was causing me physical pain. I had pain in my legs and a nerve in my back was pinched. Fortunately, I quickly realized that I couldn’t continue like this. So I started living a healthier life and incorporating more exercise into my daily life.

I think we all just need to find a good balance with how often we are online.

MeinMMO: Finally, I’m the one asking! My colleague A.K (GameStar YouTube) You’re a huge fan and you want me to ask you why your dog is so cute?

Valkyra: my regards! Mika is a Shiba Inu and I didn’t know that his white color is so rare. When I got it, everyone was surprised that these dogs also come in white. Of course he is the cutest dog in the world! He has some fears, but we are getting better and better at controlling them. For me it is perfect.

MeinMMO: Thank you for answering the questions.

Games are becoming better understood

The conversation with Valkyrae confirmed for me what I thought after seeing The Family Plan: in general, games are portrayed more positively and are better understood by the creators of such works.

Games are not the main subject of the film. But it’s nice to see that other media outlets are taking a serious interest in games and the universe around them. There are also things in the movie that are unrealistic, especially when it comes to the eSports tournament. But the film does not aim to be realistic down to the smallest detail.

But what he does well is convey through his son what gaming can mean to you. Especially when it comes to success and friendships.

Otherwise, The Family Plan is a superficial action comedy primarily about how a family grows together through adventure. A movie you watch when you want to pause and smile – and you just want to see how the games are portrayed in a family movie like this. But it’s just a sideshow that helps advance the plot.

But you definitely shouldn’t expect the next Scott Pilgrim or John Wick to show up here. Think more along the lines of “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

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