Noonies Interview with Stefano Pavone, the Retrogaming Reporter

Hey Hackers! I’m Stefano Pavone, and I’m the new retrogaming reporter on HackerNoon.

First of all, a huge thank you to the HackerNoon community and staff for nominating me for a 2021 Noonies award! I’ve been nominated in the following category, please do check out these award pages and vote:

1. HackerNoon Contributor of the Year - VIDEO-GAMES: https://noonies.tech/award/2021-hackernoon-contributor-of-the-year-video-games

As someone with a foot (or rather, a couple of toes) in the retrogaming industry, I believe that the most exciting technology of the present is emulation because it helps to preserve games that would otherwise be lost forever, and it also introduces these classic (or not-so-classic) titles to a new generation of gamers and technophiles. Learn more about my thoughts and opinions on the games of the past and my journey in the tech industry via the interview below.

1. What do you do and why do you do it? (tell us your story)

I like to write articles about games of the past, which laid the foundations for modern gaming. When I was growing up, the gaming industry wasn’t as polished or media-driven as it is today. Gamers had to spend their money carefully, as reviews in magazines were not known for their sincerity.

I also felt that there was a sense of disrespect for the reader and gamer, meaning that people were expected to go through unnecessarily grueling games even if they didn’t know what to do (sometimes instructions would be missing or just not included at all) which, at the time, were known for their borderline sadistic difficulty and rage-inducing design. I wanted to bring some of those games into the 21st Century and spare potential players from frustration that permeated so many of these earlier titles.

2. Tell us more about the things you create / write / manage / build!

Gaming-wise, my most successful project is a handful of arcade-quality-controllers-on-a-budget which use up to two buttons. You see, back in the day, most games on computers were played with joysticks as opposed to gamepads, and they usually only used one single fire button despite some sticks having multiple physical buttons on their person (a trend popularised by the Atari 2600 console, whose joystick controllers became an unofficial standard for game controllers for these computers).

Later computers (from circa 1985 onwards) supported two separate logical buttons, but very few games utilized these features so as not to alienate the established single-button standard from Atari, which meant there were fewer two-button joysticks around (a controller made for the Sega Master System console could be used on these computers as it shared the exact same pinout configuration save for an additional wire connected to support the second button, making it ideal for games and computers supporting more than one button). Outside of gaming, I like to write stories primarily in the sci-fi genre (nothing published yet, sadly) and am a bit of a cinema snob.

3. How did you end up on your current career path? Do you like it?

I wouldn’t call it a career. More like a hobby that just happened to give me some much-needed experience and exposure. I like it so far, it’s allowed me to open the doors to this very secluded world of games and technology that most people don’t seem to be aware of, and it gives a real sense of mystery to my work.

4. What tech are you most excited or passionate about right now and why?

The very real possibility of augmented reality becoming artificial reality (and eventually, maybe actual reality). It’s been a dream for so many since the genesis of computers and a frequent staple in science fiction stories, so for fantasy to finally meet reality, for art to inspire science, is awe-inspiring in a very strange way. I probably would not use it myself, to be honest, as I have some reservations about the technology, but I’m sure it can be a force for good if treated with care and used responsibly.

5. What tech are you most worried about right now and why?

Same thing as last question - the increasingly-blurred dividing line between artificial and actual reality. It reminds me of an episode of the cult sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf, where our heroes stumble upon a videogame entitled “Better Than Life”, which is able to fulfil their fantasies.

I think that story was a cautionary tale in disguise, as one of the main characters has such a low opinion of themselves that their fantasies turn out to be his worst nightmares come to life. I fear that technology will arrive at the point where it can potentially become telepathic, reading and interpreting our subconscious intentions, never mind our private thoughts, so I consider AR to be a very double-edged sword.

6. If we gave you 10 million dollars to invest in something today, what would you invest in and why?

I would invest 3/4 of that money in founding my own human rights group to combat humanitarian crises around the world and to hold authority figures and people in power responsible for their mistakes and transgressions - there are some traditions, some conventions of society which cannot be allowed to continue existing because there is a greater awareness of their implications and the fact that more and more people are waking up to the idea of individualism, rejecting the collect call of society and many of the double standards it imposes. The remaining 1/4 of that money would go to my family and be split evenly between my parents, brother, and nephew.

7. What are you currently learning?

At the moment, I am trying to learn to speak Spanish. I already have Italian as my first language, and I can speak Japanese (albeit not fluently), in addition to some basic French and German. It is my belief (one of my very few beliefs, as I am known to be more focused on logic and reason) that each of us should learn at least two languages in our lives because not everyone will speak yours, and you might not speak theirs. The more languages you pick up, the easier it is to learn other languages from the same family.

8. What’s the best advice you’ve ever given someone?

Quite a few, actually:

• If you need help, then ask for it
• If you made a mistake, then own up to it - be responsible for your actions
• Be careful when wielding power and authority, as a simple penalty can all too often turn into disproportionate retribution - know when to let go of certain issues or situations (I’ve never, ever been a fan of authoritarian, punitive disciplines due to their counterproductive and sadistic nature)
• Treat others (especially defenseless people like children and disabled people) the way you want to be treated, and try not to make excuses for your bad behavior - complaining when getting caught red-handed isn’t the most honorable action one can perform.
• It’s OK to lose your temper once in a while; it’s human and normal (but not too often)
• If you live together, then everyone - including your children - has a say in house rules and events, etc.
• No half measures, no double standards (personal motto).

9. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Know when to stop trusting people who have a reputation for getting in your way and/or abusing your trust.

About HackerNoon’s 2021 Noonie Awards

The annual Noonie Awards celebrate the best and brightest of the tech industry, bringing together all who are making the Internet and the world of tech what it is today. Please be sure to check out our award categories, nominate, and vote for the people and companies who you think are making the biggest impact on the tech industry today.

The 2021 Noonies are sponsored by: bybit, Dottech Domains, and Avast. Thank you so much to these sponsors who are helping us celebrate the accomplishments of all our nominees.