With over 75K followers across his social channels, UK-based content creator ‘Generzon’ regularly shares Minecraft gaming videos with his fans on Twitch and YouTube. Boasting an impressive 5.6 million views on YouTube, his series includes How to Minecraft, Skybounds Skyblock, and various other fan favourites. We caught up with John to discuss his beginnings, favourite gear, and tips for newcomers.

Can you share with us the journey of how you started streaming and what motivated you to begin this venture? 

Like a lot of creators out there today, I grew up watching online gaming content including livestreams, let’s plays of games I wanted to check out and more! I’ve always had a passion for content creation from a young age, whether that was making little clip compilations of a family trip or making edits of other videos I found entertaining. After I started properly following gaming creators online, I really enjoyed the engagement they had with like-minded people, and realised this was something that I could use my abilities to create, so naturally, I started where most do, with the most basic equipment, nothing more than a gaming headset, a games console and a capture card. There were points where the ideas I had in my mind wasn’t possible on the equipment I had, so I have very early memories of going to my friend’s houses to borrow theirs! 

Were you always certain that Minecraft was the game for you, or did you have doubts in the beginning? 

My go-to hasn’t always been Minecraft! In fact, when I started my channel in 2013, I began by posting gameplays and commentary videos on Call of Duty. I had a period where I would upload videos playing FIFA too. At that point in time, I’d never laid a hand on Minecraft, but I’m so glad that I gave it a chance not long after. Minecraft really has no limit on the kind of content you can create with it. It has endless possibilities, and your only limit really is your imagination. I haven’t looked back ever since I started creating Minecraft videos and live streams! 

What is your streaming preparation routine like? Do you follow any specific rituals before going live? 

Before firing up a live stream, my main preparation will always include an audio check. For me, as a viewer, having smooth audio is always something you don’t truly appreciate until something goes wrong, so I make sure that everything is set up just the way I’m used to when it comes time for me to hit that ‘go live’ button. Sometimes, if I want to double-check that everything is good to go, I will record a quick sample of my stream, the way I indent it to be viewed, so that I can check that all of my scenes, video sources and audio sources are working as they should. That, and of course always having a drink on standby. There’s a lot of talking that goes into a stream! 

It's great to see you using the AT2020USB+ microphone for your streams. What are the standout features you enjoy about this product, and how do you manage to uphold content quality while on the go? 

The AT2020USB+ has been an absolutely vital part of my streaming and recording setup since the very early days of my channel back in 2015. It’s always my go-to recommendation for creators because of how well it has served me. The ease of having a USB connection whilst providing professional, studio level audio quality is what really appeals to me about this device. Additionally, once you learn a little bit about how to EQ and fine tune your sounds, you can make it sound even better than it does right out of the box, and I’m happy to say I’ve found a sound I really love with this microphone, that I’ve not been able to replicate with anything else. Due to its USB connection, this device has been super easy to travel with and has been across the globe with me, attached to many different PCs and Laptops, allowing me to keep my high-quality audio wherever I go. I have recently been trialling the AT2040 XLR microphone paired with an audio interface, which offers a slightly different and more isolated sound, which I’ve found to be great for a more ‘podcasty’ style and has worked wonders while I’ve had a busy surrounding, thanks to its hypercardioid polar pattern.  

AT2020USB+

AT2040

Starting something new can be challenging – any suggestions/pieces of advice for those who are just starting their journey? 

Starting anything new in life is definitely challenging, but I find it’s a lot more challenging if you go into it blind. If you’re wanting to get into content creation, there are so many niche avenues to go down. My biggest suggestion is to learn from what you can already see for yourself - we’re blessed to have so many talented creators bringing millions of hours of new content onto a variety of platforms every single day, and there’s a lot that can be learnt by taking a look at some established creators in a similar niche to what you may be looking at getting into. Of course, you want to be unique & deliver your own personal style of content, but a lot of people have already done the hard trial-and-error work for you. When it comes to learning the technical side of setting up a stream from connecting your audio source, to getting gameplay on the screen, there are thousands of YouTube videos to help you there! Give it a search, I guarantee you’ll find more than one video of what you’re looking for.  

You mentioned that interacting with people during your streams provides an indescribable thrill. How important is the support of the community?  

The community interaction, especially during live streaming, is absolutely crucial to me as a creator. Having those conversations with like-minded people who enjoy my content and the game I’m playing is just like catching up with an old friend. Without a community behind you, commenting, interacting, and involving themselves with activities you have going on, you may as well be talking to a wall! Having just one person in a stream chat going back and forth is the absolute best feeling and a highlight of streaming for me. A community will also offer you very valuable feedback on whether they are still enjoying the stuff you’re producing, and it’s great to get that feedback, positive or negative, to help adapt and shape your content constantly through your journey, as I continue to make changes regularly, even 11 years on.  

What exciting plans do you have in store for the future? Is there anything you can reveal to us now? 

I’d mentioned the need to adapt and change, and that’s certainly an ongoing plan for the future of the content I create. I have some exciting scheduling plans coming up that will ideally allow me to start livestreaming much more, which is something I really look forward to, as it’s definitely where I have the most fun. In 2025, I really want to travel more too. I've been keen to get to PAX East, Twitchcon and a whole bunch of other gaming and creator festivals. It's really cool meeting new people and other creators from every corner of the world! 

Follow
 

Twitch – https://www.twitch.tv/Generzon 

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/Generzon 

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/Generzon/ 

X – https://twitter.com/RealGenerzon