ehd meets...


Luke Pickering, AKA Nitrolukedx – YouTuber, Gamer and director of Overworld who occasionally even moonlights as Melania Trump!


What was it that first got you into gaming?


Resident Evil! I played when I was four years old and completed the game looking from behind a pillow for fear of being eaten by a zombie.


And then how did you get into YouTube? YouTube was different than gaming, I was a little older. There was a buzz around the online community that money could be made uploading your gaming content. I looked into it further and started to create content as well as learning how to edit and deliver a watchable video. When you get those first views and positive feedback it makes you feel pretty awesome.


What are the pros and cons of being a YouTuber? YouTube has enabled me to generate an income, and invest in Overworld. I get to work with Disney, have sponsorship from Activision, Lego and Game to name drop a few, get invitations to premieres and have met Johnny Depp, Sacha Baron Cohen and the cast of Rogue One – as well as going out on the town with Busted. So it’s opened a few doors.


However, it can become quite a lonely place working from your bedroom with no real life interaction. This is one of the reasons I started Overworld.


Do you consider YouTubers modern day celebrities? Without sounding in any way arrogant, I have double the views


8 | ehd February 2017


of EastEnders or Coronation Street and the most popular YouTubers like DanTDM generate 25 million views a month, so it’s hard to ignore those statistics.


Tell us about Overworld… It was the brainchild of my dad and I. We spoke about creating an environment where the most bizarre ideas could be listened to, fundamentally implemented and actioned, and a place where kids could have fun and learn whilst having fun. How many times have you heard people saying, ‘If I had a job I enjoyed, it wouldn’t feel like a job’.


We found a studio with space large enough for a big screen, stations for Xboxes, a recording and editing room and a green screen for videos and live streaming and Overworld was born!


Why is it important to encourage gaming in youngsters? Gaming channels the imagination. Take Minecraft for instance - the builds children create are a wonder, there is a competitive edge, the reward and visual success is clear to see and consistency equals improvement. There’s also problem-solving and collaboration. There are opportunities galore in gaming – plus we all need a little escapism from time to time.


What are your plans for 2017? To get Overworld firmly on the map. I plan on doing another Overworld show as well as launching an Overworld YouTube channel where the minis (kids) will


be the stars. It’s going to be an exciting journey.


What do you love about living in Fleet? I feel part of the community. Through starting Overworld I have had nothing but positive comments and praise so right now I feel like I am in the right place with the right people.


What would you do to improve or change Fleet?


Lower the rent on the retail and commercial outlets/shops, therefore creating an opportunity for start-up businesses and more independent boutiques. Maybe even closing off the traffic at the weekends and having market stalls, buskers etc to bring a bit of energy and flair to the high street.


Your favourite place to eat/ drink/go?


In the evenings it’s Moo Moos all the way. I eat out lots – my favourite places to go are Al Fresco and The Gulshan.


What’s the most trouble you’ve ever been in?


I’m a good boy – honestly – but my dad (old doubled chinned fella) tells me off incessantly.


Do you want to share something funny that’s happened to you? I got dressed up as a woman on Halloween – Donald Trump’s wife to be exact. I got chatted up by loads of guys who were a little disappointed when they found out I was a man!


Interview by Emily Gregory of Baby Love Photography, www.baby-love-photography.com


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