Community Focus: Parris

Jan 21, 2022 - Hippy

We’re back, Guardians, with another spicy Community Focus. We’ll be doing these weekly to showcase various members of the Destiny 2 community. No Light is too big or too small for a little extra love, but this week we wanted to dive into one of the voices of Gamertag Radio, a voice that has continued to fight to make the gaming community a healthier and happier place for all. Ready for a nifty meet and greet? Let’s dive right in with the one. The only: Parris! 

First off, thanks for sitting down with us! Many know you from your amazing show called Gamertag Radio alongside Danny Peña (and your hilarious segues with those aviators during the official Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase). With more and more Guardians seeing your love for the Destiny-verse, share with us a little more about yourself and what ultimately led you to the Guardian community? 

About me? I’ve always had a love and passion for gaming that goes all the way back to the Atari 2600 and the Arcades in the 1980s. Being a content creator started in 2006 and after being inspired by Gamertag Radio, I decided to try my hand at doing a gaming podcast called Uncle Gamer Radio. I joined Gamertag Radio as a co-host back in 2013, which eventually led me to join Kinda Funny in 2021. There, I am currently a co-host on XCAST (a show dedicated to all things Xbox).  

I first learned about Destiny during the initial reveal back in 2013 and I’ve been hooked on the game and the community ever since.  

You love to see good people thrive! Watching your growth in the games industry, both as a lover of games and as a professional, has been nothing short of inspiring. What was the catalyst for realizing that working in video games was something you were meant to do? 

The catalyst is definitely my passion for wanting to make gaming an inclusive and welcoming place for everyone. Even if you aren’t a fan of a game like Destiny, the beauty of this hobby is the fact that there is something for everyone to enjoy and I truly believe spreading that message is important. I hope that message of inclusivity resonates with the community.  

That message is glorious and so true, gaming is for everyone and that message has been lost quite a few times through the years, but together, we can stand stronger and be a force for good in the world!. Speaking of being a force, if you could add anything into Destiny 2, what would it be and why? No shame, no limits – anything is up for grabs! 

It’s funny because a lot of things I’ve wanted to see come to Destiny are already starting to become a reality, like transmog, weapon crafting, and crossplay. But if there is one thing, I’d love to see public event activities that are as challenging as a raid or a dungeon. Imagine landing on the EDZ and there is a 12-man activity that forces fireteams to coordinate to solve various objectives and bosses over an extended period of time. It sounds daunting, sure, but I think as Destiny continues to evolve and become more of an RPG, it’s something I’d love to see.

Ah, yes, one more instance where I blow myself up with 1K. That would be interesting to see and be a fun thing for hardcore players. When taking to activities like that, it begs the question: WHAT ARE YOU? [laughs] I mean, what’s your main class and why is it rightfully Titan?

When I first started in Destiny 1, I was a Warlock main but starting Destiny 2 I decided to try being a Titan main and instantly fell in love with the class and haven’t looked back because why would I be a Hunter? Who would ever do such a silly thing? (Take that, DMG 😘) 

Destiny has expanded so much over the years, especially in terms of its narrative strengths. As the story gets more and more personal, what has been your favorite moment in this universe? What about that moment stuck out to you the most? 

SPOILER WARNING for major Forsaken plot recognition. 

Easily the death of Cayde-6 at the hands of Uldren in the Forsaken expansion. That was the moment I realized how much I cared about the characters in the world and the revenge storyline did feel really personal. This was the moment I knew Destiny, from a story standpoint, was about to take off. And now with Uldren as Crow, it keeps just getting better and better.  

If you could only share one experience from your time in the gaming community, either personally or professionally, what would that be? What is the accomplishment that you treasure the most?  

The moment I treasure in gaming is completing the King’s Fall raid with my son, who at the time was ten years old. He started off watching me play Destiny and eventually, we got him his own PS4. That obviously led to us playing nightly together and he has become so good that we did that raid together and so many more. To this day, that will always be incredibly special to me.  

You are such a light in the gaming family (or Light? We’ll pretend I did that on purpose). From your down-to-earth personality to your hilarious humor and (sometimes literal) beef with the chefs in the space (for those that know, they know), there is a reason why so many look up to you and value you in their lives. Now’s your chance, if you could say one thing to the Destiny community at large, anything you’d like, what would you say to them?  

Honestly, I just want to say “thank you” to the Destiny community. Since 2014, you have given me some of the best gaming moments of my life and I will forever be thankful for all of the life-long friendships that this gaming experience has given me. 

Any shoutouts or final thoughts you want to share before I let you get back to all of your kickass 2022 plans?  
 
I want to give a shoutout to my brothers Danny Peña and Peter Toledo of Gamertag Radio. I’m not doing any of this without them and I love them both dearly. Also, Kahlief Adams of Spawn on Me. He can’t cook, but the world already knows that.

If you haven't noticed already, Parris is also known for his epic homecooked meals. He and Kahlief often (very publicly) beef with one another about their cooking skills, and even brands like Xbox have weighed in. It's' pretty hilarious, honestly, and if you follow either one of them you'll see it firsthand. 

It’s always a great time chatting with other Guardians. Thank you so much for hanging with us this fine Friday and get ready to hold onto your butt, because The Witch Queen is coming! 
 
If you want to support Parris and see what other fantastic adventures he has planned, you can follow him on Twitter and YouTube here and here, and Gamertag Radio here
 
Are you digging that our Community Focus segment is back in action? Don’t worry, we’ve got plenty more planned. If you have someone special that you’d love to see get a shoutout, feel free to hit up CozmoDMGSam, and myself with those names you want to see next! And in case you missed it, check out our first Community Focus of 2022 with GamerGirlGrey right here 
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