Bewildered.
That’s the phrase Kason Patterson makes use of to explain her dad and mom, who a number of years in the past couldn’t fairly imagine that she was quitting a steady job to pursue a self-employed profession as CupAhNoodle, an internet content material creator specializing in gaming and popular culture.
However Patterson, an LA native, had grown up taking part in video video games with each her dad and older brother.
“All I used to listen to is, ‘there you go, taking part in them little video video games.’ Quick ahead to chop off ‘them little video video games’ after I performed an excessive amount of. And now, what do I do for a residing? Play them little video video games,” laughs Patterson, who makes use of the CupAhNoodle gamertag bestowed on her as a joke by her brother.
She needed to clarify to her dad and mom, who had been born within the Fifties, how she would make a residing as a full-time content material creator and streamer: Folks would watch her play video games on-line, and they’d work together.
“However I’ve realized that it’s actually far more than taking part in a recreation,” Patterson says. “Your chat is constructing your communities. You genuinely get to know individuals. If we’d met in highschool, we’d have been finest mates. I’ve seen group members graduate from highschool and faculty, begin households and get married.”
Her dad and mom had been furious she was leaving her job as a provide planner – which had a very good wage and advantages – however they ultimately got here round.
What Patterson loves most about being her personal boss is drawback fixing. Some days, it’ easy: streaming whereas taking part in a online game, interacting together with her group. However different days, she’ll want to provide a present that requires establishing a number of cameras round her home, which takes a whole lot of trial and error for somebody self-taught and nonetheless studying from her group.
For Patterson, streaming is extra community-based and internet hosting is what she does at conventions or different targeted occasions. Internet hosting is for the overall inhabitants of the gaming group versus the streaming viewers, which is about constructing a group particular to her content material. The chat goes in every single place, however principally focuses on what’s occurring of their lives. That is additionally a group she feels indebted to, as they’ve helped her over time, like serving to her get a graphics card so she may higher stream PC video games.“That caught with me, so I’d love to assist individuals,” she says. “Generally you simply want somebody to imagine in you. And if I may also help you out even just a little bit, I’d completely like to.”
She’s probably not technical, however she will be able to “MacGyver” issues.
“I’ve to seek out the reply for myself,” she says.
These days, the technical elements of her job are simpler with the addition of OMEN PCs, powered by Home windows 11. She’s a part of the OMEN Squad, a bunch of Twitch streamers chosen by OMEN to make use of OMEN PCs. As she grows her personal enterprise, HP’s OMEN is considered one of many firms and types she works with, however on the identical time, sponsorships are new to her. In alignment with the model she’s constructing for herself, customer support is paramount, so saving time is essential to her.
Earlier than OMEN approached her to be on their squad, she had a rig she joked was “actually put along with paper clips and rubber bands. I may barely stream PC video games.”Now, she will be able to achieve this far more with OMEN PCs and equipment. Her present OMEN 40L gaming desktop is her third PC from OMEN.
“I’ve by no means had any points with my PC. It’s a type of issues the place regardless of the place I am going, it doesn’t matter what I do, and though I do know that the longer term’s by no means set in stone, I simply hope to be with HP,” Patterson says. “It must be completely sturdy as a result of I’m form of tough and I’ve accepted that. However the monitor readability is excellent, and the speeds haven’t any lag. An enormous factor with PC streaming is, are my video games going to be laggy? It was the rationale why I used to be afraid of PC gaming as a result of I’ve to go within the again finish. I’ve to the touch every thing. However with OMEN, every thing is so clean, processes are quick. The RAM capabilities are insane.”
She additionally thinks it’s the right PC for individuals who wish to broaden and customise, even redo every thing (equivalent to overclocking).
“However all I wish to do is stream. I don’t wish to fear. It’s nonetheless an ideal PC,” Patterson says. “And I really like that you just get choices and choices are the most effective factor we are able to ever get.”
She additionally has an OMEN 27u gaming monitor, which she says is likely one of the finest she’s ever had.
“The readability, the colours, are so vibrant. I play a whole lot of horror video games, so which means they had been often darkish and I couldn’t see something, however that isn’t the case with these screens. I don’t must mess with the brightness,” she says. “The readability on these items is bar none and once more, this comes from somebody who predominantly performs video games the place somebody can be watching me, and I didn’t even see them as a result of it was blurry. Now, I see every thing.”
She hasn’t had Home windows 11 lengthy, however she’s already picked out some options she’s utilizing ceaselessly.
“My favourite is voice typing. I like that now the dictation comes with punctuation as a result of it helps me immensely with internet hosting, for scripts,” Patterson says. “Versus simply typing it, I may simply speak, and now the punctuation is there, I don’t have to return in and clear up run-on sentences. That’s actually cool.”
