Games as art

An interview with The Framey Gamey Man

April 14, 2023

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The question ‘are games art?’ is one that’s been debated for years. But the debate rarely focuses on the actual physical packaging of the game itself. The cover and disc art.

To many, displaying their games is just as important as actually playing them, and this week I spoke to someone who realised this and wanted to give people a way to do it properly.

I’m thrilled to say that this week I’m joined by Kirk - Frame-A-Game founder and long-time friend of The Week in Games - who discusses how his lifelong love of gaming lead to him becoming The Framey Gamey Man.

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Hi, could you please explain a little bit about yourself and what Frame-A-Game is.

I’ll try to make this sound less like a business blurb but to the point. My name is Kirk and I founded Frame-A-Game to give people a unique way to showcase their favourite video games.

Have you always been a big gamer? What are some of your favourite gaming memories?

I have indeed! My earliest memory of when I really got into gaming was playing Sonic The Hedgehog 2 back on the Mega Drive (Genesis for those in the US). Ever since then, I’ve been involved with gaming in some capacity. A notable favourite memory was when my stepdad and I played and completed Halo: Combat Evolved on launch day in one sitting. That truly was a special game and moment.

When did you first think of the Frame-A-Game project and how long did it take to get it up and running?

I wanted a way to display some of my favourite games and there was nothing in the market that I could find to fulfil this need. As a graphic designer, I created my own style that suited me, initially posting Halo CE, Halo 2 and Halo 3 frames that I made for myself to my personal Twitter account which many people loved - this was in December 2021. The initial conception of Frame-A-Game was born swiftly after and I tested the waters with an Etsy store. I saw some incredible growth in the first few months so built a website which gave me more control over what I offered.

You’ve become a bit of a hit on Twitter and adopted the ‘Framey Gamey Man’ moniker given to you by people on there. There’s a lot of talk about the downfall of the platform and how toxic some corners of it can be (both within the gaming community and generally). Are you worried about the future of the platform and how it might affect your business?

I have to give @MrLlamaFluff a huge shout out for the moniker, he coined it and it has stuck. Unfortunately, there will always be toxic corners, but thankfully I don’t see many of them and generally avoid them. However, it is extremely important to me that I get involved with general conversations and I love a bit of banter with my followers.

Twitter as a platform will be around for some time yet, however, if it did get to a point where people jump ship, I would build a community elsewhere and hope that followers follow (no pun intended, I swear!).

You seem to have really struck a chord with gamers. What do you think appeals the most about your product?

I think it is the fact people see gaming as art. You have collectors who have shelves full of games. This is amazing to see but there is always a special game that people adore and, to this end, having a game on the wall that reminds you of these memories holds a value that can’t be underestimated. I look at my Halo 3 frame I have on my wall as an example, and one day it’ll remind me of the amazing campaign and story behind it, another day it’ll remind me of the countless hours I played online with friends (some of which are real-life friends now, who I met through the game).

Has the project been more successful than you originally anticipated?

Very much so. I did not anticipate the amount of love I would receive and the wonderful feedback from so many people, this goes for followers and people in the gaming industry.

A couple of competitors have sprung up over the last few months. What are your thoughts about that?

It’s nice to see what I do has inspired others to do similar, however, I’ll say this, there is only one Frame-A-Game. Anyone can do what I do but there’s a reason people buy with me. My products, my customer service and how I get involved with the community speaks for itself.

Obviously, the main selling point of your product is to store and display physical media. Are you a big advocate of physical media and game preservation generally? How do you feel about the industry’s march towards an all-digital future?

I very rarely buy digital games myself, however I understand the convenience of it. Physical media still has its place for now. That being said, we will see the demise of said media sooner or later, so I guess I’ll be framing digital codes!

What are your plans for the future of Frame-A-Game?

Not to give too much away, but I have more giveaways of games signed by notable people in the gaming industry and I want to add more products to my store and look to grow further whilst maintaining being the market leader.

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You can check out the Frame-A-Game store here and on Twitter here. And you can use code TWIG15 for 15% off until June 30th!

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A huge thank you to Kirk for taking the time to answer my questions and for providing the discount code.

As always, thank you so much for reading. If you have any thoughts, questions, or just want to chat games, you can reply to this email directly or catch me over on Twitter!

I hope you enjoy the rest of the issue. Have a great weekend!

Jeff

THE WEEK IN GAMES

The best news, deals and gaming content of the week

NEWS

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  • Debug Magazine - Issue 1

The first issue of Debug magazine is now available to buy in digital or print format.

Issue 1 features "an in depth feature on and interview with the team behind Viewfinder, a deep dive into The Last Worker with Jörg Tittel and Jason Isaacs. Plus reviews of Tchia, Sea of Stars, Horace, and so many more!"

You can find out more at the Debug website.

  • Preserved Play

This charity event from the 'That One Gamer' community will see The Completionist stream a host of games across April 15th and 16th to raise money for the Video Game History Foundation, a non-profit organisation "dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and teaching the history of video games".

You can find out more here, and watch the stream here.

NEW RELEASES

All the major releases arriving this week and next

OUT NOW:

OUT NEXT WEEK:

THIS WEEK LAST YEAR

A quick look at what was happening 12 months ago

To mark the 10th anniversary of Fez, this time last year I wrote a Special Edition of The Week in Games celebrating the design, art and music of Polytron's indie masterpiece.

10 Years of Fez

To share and celebrate everything good in the world of video games

https://theweekingames.beehiiv.com/p/10-years-fez-week-games-special

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…and that’s it for this week!

If you have any comments or suggestions, or if you’re interested in advertising your game, product or service to The Week in Games' passionate readers, you can contact me at [email protected], reply to this email directly, or catch me over on Twitter!

Thanks again, and see you next week!

Jeff