Miss University, Miss Australia, Miss Cybershack, now Miss GamerSquad
Following on from the likes of the Frag Dolls, IGN's Jessica Chobot and GameTrailers' Amanda MacKay, GamerSquad continues its ongoing "Women in Gaming" feature by bringing you an exclusive interview with the gorgeously talented Erin McNaught.
For those unfamiliar with her work in terms of its relation to videogames, Erin is extremely well known 'down under' where she presently draws upon the envy of every Aussie gamer as a co-presenter on leading Australian tech and videogame show Cybershack.
Despite being an avid games player all her life and perfect for the role at Cybershack, Erin is perhaps more widely known throughout the region for representing her country in the 2006 Miss Universe beauty contest.
That's right, all you shallow-minded fools out there, Erin is yet another dazzling example that beauty and intellect are not always separated when hiring a women to front a videogame show that's aimed primarily at a male-dominated market.
Erin McNaught Interview Questioned by Chris Leigh
Hi Erin, and before we open the questioning in this, our latest edition of ‘Women in Gaming’, we'd just like to thank you for taking the time out from your busy Cybershack schedule to talk to GamerSquad. We’re thrilled to be gathering your thoughts to help us bust the preconceived notions of gender that still seem to be floating about in relationship to the gaming industry.
Gamer Squad (GS): First thing's first, Erin: could you tell our lovely readers a little about your personal background, in terms of your upbringing in Brisbane, where you studied, and how you ended up as Australia's representative in Miss Universe 2006?
EM: I grew up in a pretty adventurous family. During school holidays my parents, two older brothers and I would often go bushwalking all around the east coast of Australia. My best friend and I always got into trouble because we were never home on time, always swinging on vines and building cubby houses, or ‘exploring’ the Brisbane River. I used to make up fantasy worlds and loved being outdoors.
When I finished school, I started a degree in Wildlife Biology but actually ended up deferring after about a year because I won a modelling competition, ironically, one for university students only, called Miss University. This led to my agency asking me to take part in the Miss Universe Australia pageant in 2006, and then of course, to the Miss Universe pageant in Los Angeles in July of last year. When I returned to Australia I joined my current agency, Chic Management.
GS: You landed a job earlier this year as a host of Cybershack, Australia's leading videogames show. Can you describe your gaming history a little? For example, when did you first pick up the hobby, which consoles have you owned, and is there a specific game currently hogging your time outside of Cybershack?
EM: My first gaming experience was a second-hand Atari that my parents bought for $10 at a Garage sale, after much heckling from me and my brothers. It came with Pitfall, Frogger, Tutankhamen and Space Invaders and was the sole occupier of our time for months, until my brothers’ competitiveness broke the joysticks. From there we graduated to the Sega MegaDrive II, where I was obsessed with Sonic the Hedgehog II. I’ve had a PlayStation 2 for the last few years and didn’t really play it much until I found Guitar Hero 2. That game rocks! I can’t wait to check out Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock when it’s released…
GS: You began studying Wildlife Biology at University in Brisbane, before putting it on hold for the Miss Australia; do you intend to return to your studies, or have you found your true career path in the games media? From reading your blog, you seem to be having a whale of a time recently, would it be hard to leave it all behind?
EM: Who knows what the future will bring, really? Two years ago my world was a lot smaller. All I knew was going to uni, going out in the Valley, going mountain biking and dreaming of being a zookeeper. When something you’ve never even known was attainable is suddenly put in front of you within reach, it’s like opening a door to a whole new world, or unlocking a secret level in a game!
Really you have two options. The first is to take the safe and predictable road and continue on the path you’ve always known. The second is to explore the new path and hopefully find something meaningful and rewarding along the way. If things don’t work out, I probably will go back to my original plan, but for now, as you said, I’m having a whale of a time! Why would I give that up?
GS: Now, forgive our grovelling, but having seen Cybershack ourselves, you do seem extremely natural in front of the camera. Is it initially a daunting leap to make and did you undergo any ‘presenter’ training for the Cybershack role – or was it a case of simply walking onto the set from day one and being told to get on with it?
EM: Of course it’s daunting, but I’ve always felt that you should never let your fears and insecurities dictate what you do or how you do it. I didn’t have any official training, but Cybershack’s co-host, Mike Kerry, has been in the business for years and is a great teacher. He knows how to put things in words so I know exactly what to do. Saying that, it does become a lot easier, and I feel more comfortable in all aspects of my life as a direct result of having to let down my guard for Cybershack.
GS: Rumours circulated recently that you had been signed up to do some promotional work with Microsoft. However, the ‘Erin McNaught will make the IT world sexy’ speculation was quashed almost as quickly as it arose. What was that little episode all about, precisely?
EM: I have no idea! It was all quite funny, really. Microsoft’s new ambassador? I wish! No, I recently flew up to the Gold Coast to host Microsoft’s annual ‘Tech Ed’ presentation to high school students. I did a few interviews with the local papers and all of a sudden I was the new face of Microsoft! Not my doing, I promise but amusing nonetheless!
GS: After seeing you in action, we're convinced of your gaming credentials. Sadly however, there's likely to be a certain level of cynicism amongst some gamers, who may see you as simply a pretty talking head hired to front a TV show about something which is traditionally viewed as a male-oriented pastime. Do you ever feel as though people try to patronise you because of your gender, or because of your background as a model?
EM: That was definitely something that worried me in the beginning, and I’m sure there are people who resent me for those reasons, but my experiences with other gamers and Cybershack viewers has been only positive. I think that if someone takes their job seriously, applies themselves to their work, and has respect for their audience, their audience will see this and hopefully respect that person in return.
I know that many people undoubtedly believe I am nothing more than an out-of-date beauty queen. I have no problem at all with that assumption, because it is, in part, the truth. However, it’s not something I focus on. Instead, I’m choosing to focus on my current undertakings and trying to learn as much as I can so that I can hopefully be the best I can be, and in the process, gain a level of job satisfaction everyone aims to achieve.
GS: Now that you're on national television in Oz, do you get recognised a lot when walking down the street, and does that recognition freak you out in any way? Also, are you noticed more as Miss Australia, or as Erin from Cybershack?
EM: It’s funny, I seem to get recognised in really weird situations. I was going for a run recently and stopped to do some stretching when this little girl and her mum approached me and asked if I was Erin McNaught. I don’t know how she knew; I was wearing a cap and was all sweaty with no makeup. Definitely not at my best! Aside from that, I seem to get away with being fairly anonymous most of the time. There are certain situations where I just wish I could be myself and not worry about any repercussions, but for the most part I’ve got it pretty easy.
I do still get recognised more for being Miss Australia, but hopefully this will change soon and I can prove to people that I can do more than just strut around in a bikini!
GS: A girl who loves her videogames and just so happens to be a former Miss Universe contestant is, to put it mildly, probably a bit of an unattainable dream for most single male gamers. Any good stories to share with us about the attention you receive from the adolescent male gaming community, namely via adoring e-mails, obsessed fanatics, or slightly unhinged stalkers – not counting the stuff our editor sends you, of course?
(Thanks for that, Chris… I’m now looking forward to the ominous knock of the Australian authorities, and I’m not even dressed – Ed)
EM: No, no good stories. I’ve received a few very normal letters from people in other countries, which was very flattering. I did receive some hate mail once, which was a bit unnerving at first because it was hand-delivered to my home address, but when I read it I had to laugh. The person was telling me to go back to school and get a proper job but the letter was riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. As for the presents I get from your Ed, they’re private and in no way harmful, thank you very much…
(You are totally welcome, and I assure you I didn’t wear them first… much – Ed)
GS: Gaming is jam-packed with strong male lead characters that can be considered as positive role models. Do you think there's a lack of balance regarding the amount of female protagonists occupying the same roles?
EM: It’s tough to choose a side in that argument. Yes, I believe that there is a lack of balance, but this is the result of the majority of the gaming community being male, and the fact that a hand-held controller is such a huge obstacle for new women in gaming. A game developing company could take the risk and produce a game targeted at women or a game with a female lead character and the end result could, in the long run, be that there are more women gamers. However, it seems to me that the risk of potential losses is just too great and the tried and trusted ‘male lead’ formula will continue to take the cake. It’s a bit of a ‘chicken or the egg’ debate.
Saying that, though, from my personal gaming experience, a male lead can still be a positive thing for a female gamer, because it’s one area where women can be equal or better than men, and at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter which character you are, it comes down to how good you are as a player.
GS: As an industry professional, we can appreciate you need to be as impartial as possible while reporting, but what's your take on the current hardware race? Has Nintendo already clinched this round, will Microsoft beat off the PlayStation 3, or does Sony still have a chance to reclaim the market lead that it held with the PSOne and PlayStation 2?
EM: I believe that Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft are no longer moving concurrently; each is finding its feet in its own niche. I like the merging of the real world with the cyberworld with the Wii; you actually feel like you are part of the game, and it’s great for old-fashioned sport lovers. I love the movie-like qualities of the Xbox 360 games and believe that they will reap the benefits of first-mover advantage with Xbox Live, but am most comfortable playing a PS2 or PS3 because it’s what I had when I was young. So to answer your question, they’re all winners!
GS: Before we wrap this up, let's move onto some questions about actually playing games. Shipwrecked on a desert island, armed with only a portable wind-powered generator, an LCD widescreen TV and all the videogame platforms ever made (only?), which three games would you wish to have with you?
EM: I’ve always wanted to get shipwrecked on a deserted island! I think the above scenario is quite possibly a gamer’s dream come true. No one to tell you to stop playing, ever! I’d have to say Doom II, Guitar Hero II and Gears of War.
GS: Sorry about that. Fellow ‘Women in Gaming’ interviewee Jessica Chobot of IGN fame thought it particularly cruel. Here’s an easier one: which titles are you most looking forward to trying out during the rest of this year, and do you have a favourite all-time title that you simply cannot bear to be parted from?
EM: I’m really looking forward to Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, as well as Halo 3. I can’t actually play Halo 2 very well (understatement of the year) but saw some of the gameplay from Halo 3 and it looks so incredible I’ve decided to train up so I can join in the fun! My all-time favourite title is definitely Doom II.
GS: Are you a single-player adventurer, or more of a social multiplayer gamer? Also, do you believe that the growing multiplayer aspect of gaming could potentially damage the emotional connection carved by single-player narrative?
EM: Definitely a single-player adventurer! When I’ve played multi-player games I’ve panicked and become totally frozen and end up completely useless, looking up at the sky! I get really nervous. I like being able to play a game at my own pace, just exploring things and taking in the scenery. Saying that though, I love watching multi-player games, because it’s like a movie where you never know the ending!
GS: We note that you have something of a musical background, having played bass in a band as an 18-year old. What do you make of the numerous music games that have soared in popularity recently, such as the likes of Guitar Hero and SingStar? Looking forward to Rock Band by any chance?
EM: The musical games that are coming out at the moment are definitely something I can relate to. As I mentioned before, I can’t wait for Guitar Hero III, and SingStar is pretty fun as well. The best thing about gaming though, is the fact that there are so many different styles of games, and ways to play them. The variety is just endless so it’s impossible to get bored!
GS: And finally, Erin, care to share any of your plans for the rest of 2007 and beyond? Can our readers expect to see you anywhere else other than Cybershack in the coming months?
EM: After Cybershack wraps up filming for the year I’ve planned a short holiday then it’s straight back into work. I can’t say just yet, but hopefully I’ll be hanging around on TV for a while yet…
GS: And that's all! Again Erin, many, many thanks for answering our questions and participating in GamerSquad’s ‘Women in Gaming’ feature – no doubt you're a busy lady, so we're genuinely grateful that you could spare us the time.
EM: Thanks for thinking of me GamerSquad! It’s great that you’re putting Women in Gaming out there; there’s more of us than you think!
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