Hannah From the Yogscast Dishes on What It Takes to Be a Successful Gaming Streamer

Yogscast's Hannah Rutherford, also known by the nickname Lomadia, is an English gamer best known for the funny commentary on her Let's Play videos—and this year she's up for a Shorty Award in the gaming category.

With well over a million subscribers on her personal YouTube channel, she's among the top women gamers sharing her playthroughs with the world. We got the chance to speak with Hannah about being a girl gamer, what the Shorty nom means to her and the advice she has for aspiring streamers.

(courtesy of Hannah Rutherford)

 

Sweety High: Tell us a little bit about your history with gaming.

Hannah Rutherford: I've been playing games for as long as I can remember.

Mario is Missing!, Math Blaster, The 7th Guest and Wild Science Arcade helped to fuel a big love of puzzle games that continues to this day. I also really enjoy escapism and adventure, so games with magical worlds and stories captured my imagination. Tomb Raider, Prince of Persia and Diablo II  provided these environments as well as a good base for the genres of games I still enjoy today.

SH: How did you first get involved with Yogscast and how has your role there grown?

HR: The Yogscast was a group of people on an online forum that were looking for likeminded people to play World of Warcraft together. I initially started out as a guild member, helping them out with podcasts and minor jobs, but then moved to editing videos and then eventually to doing my own content as our audience showed interest in seeing more videos with me in them.

I think my first was an unboxing video of Fallout: New Vegas on the main Yogscast channel back in 2010. I did it in terrible lighting and kept trying to do it all in one take, not realizing I could have edited it afterwards. The reception was mixed, as fans weren't used to seeing my face on a channel run by two guys, but on the whole the video went down pretty well.

 

SH: What are some mistakes you made when you first started recording your Let's Plays, and what have you learned along the way?

HR: I recorded a lot of my first ones with a poor quality microphone instead of saving up for something decent, so they have suffered a bit. I also didn't really play games on consoles much before my Let's Plays and it really shows—especially when I'm doing driving or shooting—so a little bit of practice beforehand might have gone a long way.

I also wish I'd been a little less nervous about doing big cuts or edits to my videos to the extent that I do now. It took a good year or so before I felt comfortable enough to do massive edits or cut out five minutes or more of footage as I was worried people would be overly critical.

(courtesy of Hannah Rutherford)

 

SH: Are there any games you love but don't film because they don't make for interesting or watchable content?

HR: I play a lot of mobile games in front of the TV or while I'm traveling, but quite a lot of them don't necessarily lend themselves well to videos unless it's for a mobile gaming channel with a core demographic that's interested in them. I love the Adventure Escape series and am currently playing a lot of Pokémon Shuffle and Super Mario Run. I also tend to avoid playing competitive games on my channel as my audience isn't usually looking for that, but am always willing to help out a friend who wants me on their team for their videos!

 

SH: How does it feel to be nominated for a Shorty Award? 

HR: I'm against some huge names like Markiplier and Tom Syndicate in the category, so I'm reasonably casual about the likelihood of winning! However, it's a lovely surprise to be nominated and to see how many of my audience are voting for me.

 

SH: How did you get the nickname Lomadia?

HR: I used a very dodgy English to Elvish name translator at some point when I needed an Elf-like name for my Warcraft character, and "Lomadia" was suggested as a translation of Hannah. Apparently it's completely incorrect, but the name has stuck!

(courtesy of Hannah Rutherford)

 

SH: Are there other women gaming influencers that you watch regularly?

HR: I don't have much free time to regularly watch individuals currently, but I do try to pop in and see what these ladies are up to. Whether it's working together or socializing at events, they're all amazing women and great influencers. I really enjoy NettyPlays, RadderssGaming, HeyChrissa, Kim (aka Nanosounds), Ellen Rose from Outside Xtra and Laura Dale to name a few.

 

SH: What's your biggest piece of advice for aspiring Twitch streamers or gaming vloggers?

HR: I can never choose between these two bits of advice as they're equally important, so you're getting both.

First, be prepared for hard work! Lots of people pick up Twitch or YouTube and expect instant fame, then feel disheartened when they aren't an overnight sensation. In reality it can take years to make a stable and successful Twitch or YouTube channel (unless you're the next PewDiePie), and it will always be something you'll have to keep working on. It's not a job where you get weekends off or you can clock out at 5 p.m. It requires high energy for long periods of time, and that can really get you down if you aren't prepared to manage that.

Secondly, always have a backup plan. Don't skip your education for YouTube or Twitch!

 

If you haven't cast your Shorty Awards vote for Hannah yet, you can do so here, and if you want to learn more about women in gaming, click HERE to read our interview with the executive producer on The Sims.