Share This Article
We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
The first time I communicated with Matthew from MiniWarGaming was in 2017. I had emailed him from out of the blue to tell him that I was going through a rough patch with a chronic health problem and that it was MiniWarGaming–and the thousands of videos in the MiniWarGaming vault–that kept me going through those dark times.
So I am so pleased that Matthew was willing to answer my questions for this interview.
What was the very first thing that got you into wargaming?
Matthew: When I was a young teenager I was in a small gaming store when I saw the 2nd edition box set of Battletech on the shelf. The cover had a massive cool looking battlemech and I instantly fell in love. My parents weren’t exactly well off, so it was very kind of my mother to purchase it for me on the spot.
My business partner Dave was basically at my house every day that summer, and we played a ton of Battletech. We also got into roleplaying games such as Advanced Fighting Fantasy and Mechwarrior at around the same time.
What games do you primarily play, and why do you love them?
Matthew: Well, due to my career as a wargaming Youtuber I definitely play Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40k a lot. These are definitely great games, but I also really enjoy playing smaller skirmish style games, anything from Battlefleet Gothic, to This is Not a Test, to Necromunda or Warcry. I find I get bored if I play the same game for very long, so I like to switch it up whenever I can.
I love games mainly for the setting and thematic elements. It’s not as important to me if a game is well designed. In fact, I find that the more well designed a game is the less I end up enjoying it, as it tends to make players want to play more competitively rather than just have as much fun as possible. Of course if a game has horrible rules then that doesn’t work well either.
What made you decide to take the plunge into YouTube?
Matthew: The interesting thing about that question is that it asks about YouTube. When Dave and I started MiniWarGaming YouTube was not the dominant video platform that it is now. We published our videos to several sites such as Blip.tv, Dailymotion, and many others that I don’t even remember.
So if I changed the question to “What made you decide to take the plunge and make wargaming videos?” the answer would be different. I already had an online marketing business when Dave approached me wanting to start a business together. I had recently been studying ecommerce and video marketing, and Dave and I had already recently delved back into miniature wargaming, so we decided to try making an online store that sold wargaming products, and market it by making videos about the products. That’s where it all began.
Looking back, what do you wish you had known before you got started in YouTubing?
Matthew: That’s a tough one. I strongly believe in learning from mistakes, so going back to tell myself about what those mistakes were would defeat the purpose in the first place.
Also, the online market has changed so much in the past 15 years that it would be hard to take something I know now and apply it 15 years ago. For example, when we first started the MiniWarGaming Vault, a lot of people got really upset at us for charging for content, mainly stating the typical “Why would I pay for something that I can get elsewhere for free?” Of course that logic is flawed, as they can’t get our content elsewhere. That’s equivalent to saying “Why would I watch that movie when I can watch another movie?” as if all movies are the same.
Now people are completely used to the idea of paying for content, and even pay for content that is free!
While we have made plenty of mistakes, I’m happy to have gone through it the way we did, and feel optimistic about all the mistakes we’ll make in the future.
What makes you most optimistic about the future of the hobby?
Matthew: New technologies (such as 3d printers, better software for designing miniatures, etc.) are presenting plenty of ways for smaller companies to create high quality miniatures. The more indie companies can thrive in the market, the more the market can thrive.
What makes you most pessimistic about the future of the hobby?
Matthew: I don’t really have any pessimism for the hobby. While the Internet will always amplify those that complain about issues in this hobby, I believe that the future is great for wargaming.
If you could make one change to one game or one IP, what would it be?
Matthew: That’s easy. I would have Games Workshop totally scrap the entire Tyranid line and start from scratch. I feel like the fact that they keep holding onto the way they were first created decades ago keeps them stuck in that style. Nostalgia is one thing, but I’d rather have super cool looking Tyranids with a crazy terrifying look than the rather goofy looking ones we have right now.
What advice would you give to someone who is just getting into the hobby?
Matthew: Start small. Make sure you choose a game that others around you play, unless you are an influencer-type friend who gets others into whatever you are doing.
And have fun. This is a hobby after all.
Thanks so much to Matthew for joining me today! If you want to look at more MiniWarGaming content, visit their website here where you can watch half their videos for free and the other half are in their vault (for a very reasonable subscription). You can also visit their Instagram here.