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What is your name? Real and gaming
Stephanie Bendixsen, and Hex

Where and when were you born?
I was born in Sydney, on March 31st, 1985. Missed being an April Fool’s joke by a few hours.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Auckland, New Zealand. We moved back home to Aus when I was nine – where schoolyard shame caused me to force the loss of my kiwi accent almost immediately.

What is your earliest memory of games/playing games?
Our first ever family computer ran entirely on DOS – and it came with a game called "SKY" – in which you were required to pilot a low-flying jet in the desert and shoot trees out of your path. The game... didn't really progress beyond that point.

Have you always had a passion for gaming?
I fought long and hard for my right to game! My parents weren't fans of the idea of video games so I had spent most of my early childhood gaming at friend's houses. One particular friend and I would spend hours on end playing Sim City together. Lord knows why, it isn't exactly designed for 'enthralling two-player action'. Street Fighter III was another fave; and eventually the classics of 64 – Zelda, Goldeneye and Mario Kart 64. When I hit my teens I actually regressed in technology – and discovered a text-based MUD (multi-user dungeon) called 'Lensmoor'. I still stand by this as one of the most significant gaming experiences of my life, despite there being no actual graphics involved. I was required to live and breathe that character down to the last personality detail. It was incredible.

What is your favourite game?
I geek out over swords and magic. Fable II made a huge impression on me! I felt like that world was fully realised in every way, including all the NPCs that inhabited it. Also, I'm a very visual person, and while graphics are obviously important – the art involved in this games design was so beautiful. I'm also a big fan of Assassin's Creed. :D

If you could design any kind of game, what would you design?
Something with swords and magic? Lolz. It would definitely be a medieval fantasy-based RPG, but something a little darker than the ones I've played. With lots of necromancy and blood. Yeahhh.

What do you love to do outside of gaming?
I'm big into music – I go to a lot of live gigs and spend a lot of time trying to stay alive in mosh pits. I also read a lot of geeky fantasy, and have been known to draw – I like comic art.

Who do you think will love Good Game and why?
Anyone who is interested in or connected to the gaming community – and from my experience that's a broader audience than anyone could have imagined. Games are literally being designed in so many genres, now – that it's impossible to entertain the fact that there wouldn't be something for everyone.

I think the reason why the show works so well, is that while we like to keep it light and fun, it's also clear that we're serious about games. We're dedicated to bringing as much information about gaming to anyone who wants to access it – and we do so with the odd rubber chicken or fruit hat thrown in for good measure.

What is the best job you have ever had?
As if it could be anything other than this! I mean, someone has basically asked me to combine my love of television and gaming in one job. Did I hear you say AWESOME?!!

What is the worst job you have ever had?
I've worked in many call centres while at uni doing tech support. Describing plugs and AV ports to people over the phone who have no idea what you're talking about is beyond tedious. I'm always VERY nice to tech support people now, if ever I'm forced to call them.

At home what do you cook?
I am banned from all kitchens. I burn things. :(

What is your favourite film?
Tank Girl – that film is 90s grunge heaven. But I'm a fan of anything adapted from a graphic novel. On the topic of 90s cult-classics, Hackers is also brilliant – THE FUTURE IS LYCRA AND ROLLERBLADES.

What is your favourite book?
I will hyperventilate and die if you ask me to pick just one! I'm a huge fantasy nut, so a great Australian fantasy author is Jennifer Fallon. Anything she writes turns to gold. My current favourite series though, is The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks – he tells a brutally gritty tale of magically-gifted assassins – and the whole thing is so cool – with the stealth and the knives and the magic... superawesomegeeklove!

The new presenter, Hex, for ABC's Good Game