Alan “Speed” Soares is from São Paulo, a YouTuber and a Mortal Kombat (SNES) specialist. “Speed,” as he is known in the gaming community, recently reached 63 thousand subscribers on his channel, with a peak of more than 1,500 people watching him live. The guy shows off not only skill on Mortal Kombat’s insane keyboards, but also plenty of humility! He gave us an exclusive interview, and you can check out another SavePoint interview first-hand with us. Shall we?
How did the idea of being a YouTuber/streamer come about?
Actually, I always wanted to do something, some friends told me to open a channel because of my knowledge of Mortal Kombat Classic and so I started making some tutorial videos and little by little it grew. When I finally did my first live in March 2017, which reached 10 people watching, I was very happy. I could hardly imagine that one day I would get 1,600 watching a live!
What are your PC and Internet specs, and what can you say to those who want to start streaming?
I started streaming in 2017 with 400 kb upload and 4 mb download. Currently I have 60mb download and 4 mb upload. My PC is an i7 4790k 8 gb with a 60 mb ssd and a gtx 760.
For those who want to start, do what you like, because after a while it can get a bit repetitive so you really have to like it, do it for love and not for growth!
In your view, what are the main points a YouTuber/streamer should keep in mind at the beginning of their career?
Start not thinking about making money, fame or an audience, but because you want to pass on some information or knowledge (which was my case) and above all, have fun!
How were your first steps in Mortal Kombat?
The very first, when I was a kid my cousin introduced me, then in 2009 I started training infinite combos until I improved my skills on the keyboard.
There are thousands of fighting games, with varied styles and even genres. Why did you choose Mortal Kombat?
Because it was the game of my childhood, I think everyone has theirs, mine was MK.
About the Brazilian audience in general, not only within MK. What do you see as positive and negative about the crowd?
The positive is Brazil’s ability to stand out; the negative, unfortunately, is the rivalry. I dream that one day everyone will unite to evolve and not hold grudges or fight to prove “who’s the best.”
Mortal Kombat is a game that spans several platforms. What can you say about those still caught up in “console wars”?
I think there’s not much to discuss in that area, it’s about playing and enjoying playing no matter where or when.
We have seen quite a few haters in your lives, and even in your Facebook group. How have you been dealing with it, and what message do you leave for that kind of person?
Although I’m growing well on the platform, I’m new to YouTube, I’m still learning to deal with it, but I’ve already improved a lot with tips from other YouTubers and from the fans of the channel. The best thing to do is really to ignore it. The message I leave is perhaps for the person to stop wasting time: if you don’t like it, go enjoy life in a way that is positive for yourself, because you’re really only losing something that never comes back, time. After all, at some point they get tired of hating and come back down to earth.
Imagine you are in a stadium, in the middle of a stage, surrounded by more than 60 thousand people watching your performance on a screen. That is your subscriber count. Did you ever imagine reaching this level?
Honestly, no, I never imagined it.
You have a very special affection, not only for your audience, but also for channels that are just growing now. In your opinion, how important is the “gank” (a shout-out or raid) from big channels toward small ones?
The gank doesn’t really change the channel’s life, but it can change the streamer’s life because it really gives an extra boost, a lift, it’s a cool novelty that can make a difference in someone’s day.
You will take part in an important world championship in the Mortal Kombat scene. Tell us when it will be, what this event is like, and what you expect from it.
Actually there is no world championship; the tournament I intend to go to in the USA is well recognized but there won’t be many countries in it. I think the level will be quite interesting but I’m very confident, after all we have to be. I really want to represent Brazil somewhere outside our home, and if there is a place for national recognition, it’s in the USA.
And to finish, how do you picture yourself 10 years from now?
10 years from now? I hope to have contributed a lot to the fighting game scene and especially to MK and, of course, to have represented Brazil well around the world. That’s my goal and who knows, to have 1 million subscribers, it costs nothing to dream, right? lol
SavePoint Team
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