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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n1). How did you initially get into Yu-Gi-Oh, What was your first deck, and what has kept you interested in the game over the years?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Like most people, I got into Yu-Gi-Oh by watching the anime after school on TV. I didn\u2019t know what anime was at the time, but I could tell there was something about it that stuck out from other cartoons. That and being able to actually buy the same cards in real life that the<\/p>\n\n\n\n characters used in the show was a big pull. The first deck I had was Starter Deck: Kaiba, though<\/p>\n\n\n\n I modified it over time with booster packs. My first somewhat cohesive deck was an early<\/p>\n\n\n\n Batteryman strategy back in 2008, with Batteryman AA and Inferno Reckless Summon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think my continued interest in the game is through a combination of friendships, YouTube, and competitions. I met nearly all of the friends you see on the channel through Yu-Gi-Oh, so it\u2019d be tough to quit with them around. YouTube has also gone from being a passion project to almost my way of life at this point, so I always have a reason to keep a finger on the pulse of the game. In recent years, Yu-Gi-Oh also gives me a great excuse to travel, which I didn\u2019t get to do very much as a kid. The game itself is always changing and there are low points at times, but those three things tend to stay constant and keep me hooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2). Where did the name Team APS come from? Was it just you at the start? How has the experience been bonding with friends over the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Team APS stands for \u201cAndroid Psycho Shocker\u201d, which was the original name for the card Jinzo in Japan. When I was 14 and impressionable, it was my favorite monster, so I thought that would be a cool acronym to use. Looking back, I wish I\u2019d picked literally anything else, but here I am. At the start, it was only me creating videos. To tell the truth, I just used the \u201cTeam\u201d handle because I saw other channels doing it at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I never intended for it to be a group thing, but over time it just turned into that as I met a lot of friends who played the game. I personally like videos more when multiple people share different points of view and I notice people tend to cover each other\u2019s weaknesses on camera, so I\u2019d ask people if they wanted to appear from time to time. Then it just gradually stuck, and here we are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having others to talk about new cards and travel to events with is honestly something I couldn\u2019t do without. Even when I\u2019ve thought about dropping the game, having friends as always kept me in. At this point, I don\u2019t think I\u2019d enjoy making videos alone for very long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3). Why did you decide to make content surrounding Yu-Gi-Oh and why YouTube as your most prominent platform?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Honestly, it was a happy medium between my two biggest interests at the time. I loved playing Yu-Gi-oh and I loved cameras. Those who are old enough might remember the Flip cameras from over a decade ago when they were a big new deal. I borrowed one from a friend and decided to just record a new deck I\u2019d built, and that\u2019s where it started. My favorite YouTube<\/p>\n\n\n\n videos to watch at the time were Yu-Gi-Oh product openings, since they were suspenseful and<\/p>\n\n\n\n rare cards were especially hard to pull at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As for why I chose YouTube, I just find videos to be a more impactful and creative medium than just photos or blogs. I\u2019ve since expanded to using social platforms like Facebook and Twitter, but I feel those are best suited to quickly sharing news rather than creations. Seeing a place where I can amass a large backlog of content and watch it grow gives me personal purpose and satisfaction, so YouTube fits that bill perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4). What do you think about the current state of the game, as in after the introduction of Link Monsters, new formats (speed duels), and even the new platform to play on (Duel Links)?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yu-Gi-Oh is in an interesting place right now in a lot of ways. Every few years, when a new anime releases and new game mechanics are introduced, there\u2019s usually a bit of friction<\/p>\n\n\n\n between players who readily adopt the new cards and players who miss the way things were<\/p>\n\n\n\n before. This happened with Synchro, Xyz, and Pendulum monsters. As a YouTuber, I get the<\/p>\n\n\n\n privilege (or sometimes, curse) of reading a lot of comments across the internet with player<\/p>\n\n\n\n opinions, and I can honestly say that, no change has been as divisive as Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINs<\/p>\n\n\n\n and Link Monsters. It\u2019s easy to see why they aren\u2019t very popular. The mechanic itself limits what<\/p>\n\n\n\n many existing decks could do, and some of the monsters like Firewall Dragon and Summon<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sorceress are very open to abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That said, I think Konami has managed to reign in the mechanic through a combination of new Forbidden & Limited lists and the release of more balanced, archetype-specific Link Monsters that help individual decks but aren\u2019t exploitable in other strategies. My personal least favorite part about Link Monsters, though, is just how difficult they make teaching the game for a newcomer. Anyone who\u2019s played Yu-Gi-Oh for a few years can understand new mechanics with a bit of practice, but for a complete outsider or somebody getting back in from many years ago, all of the rules and nuances can make it feel like an entirely different game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I try to address this problem in my videos, but it\u2019ll always be a difficult one and probably part of spurred the release of things like Speed Duels and Duel Links, which I think are both brilliant. They offer players an easier way to get into the game, and Duel Links in particular has gotten a lot of support from Konami in the competitive sphere. Speed Duels is very fun, too, and it\u2019s actually my new preferred way to play the game when I\u2019m just at home with friends. It\u2019s easy to just put together a deck and play some reps, but I feel like Konami needs to market it a bit more and provide more incentive for players to invest and play the format competitively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, though, Yu-Gi-Oh is doing very well in my eyes. Over the past year or two, we\u2019ve actually been breaking attendance records at the national YCS tournaments, so people are<\/p>\n\n\n\n clearly enjoying competing in the game. I\u2019ve also noticed a bit more new Yu-Gi-Oh merch over<\/p>\n\n\n\n the past several months like shirts, figures, and cereal, which I take to mean that the brand is<\/p>\n\n\n\n pushing further into the mainstream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5). What do you think of the products themselves? More specifically, what do you think about the artwork design and the development of game mechanics over the years<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I think Yu-Gi-Oh products, at least in terms of value, have improved a lot in recent years. Cards that were previously expensive are now reprinted fairly often, and we\u2019ve gotten new themes and imports that have kept the game fresh. Players get a lot more bang for their buck when they purchase a product these days compared to several years ago. As a bit of a nitpick, I\u2019m not the biggest fan of Yu-Gi-Oh product aesthetics, though. Other card games like Pokemon do a much better job of making packs and decks look colorful and alluring on a store shelf. That said, Yu-Gi-Oh has gotten more interesting artwork, especially with TCG exclusive archetypes like Kozmos, Noble Knights, and Burning Abyss where I assume the designs are created by outside sources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As far as game mechanics go, I think the game is still very intuitive and fun, but I don\u2019t necessarily like how complicated it can be to a newcomer, especially with many older<\/p>\n\n\n\n mechanics like Flip, Gemini or Union monsters that might be familiar to someone from a decade<\/p>\n\n\n\n ago simply being irrelevant now due to natural power creep. I hope Konami can find a way to go<\/p>\n\n\n\n back and explore or reinvent these parts of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (TCG Harpie Perfumer)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 6). What are your favorite archetypes in Yu-Gi-Oh and do you think that most archetypes are supported well or are some dead decks due for some revitalization?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n My personal favorites are Spellbooks, Yang Zings, and Rokkets. Some other interesting ones for me were Sylvans and Gladiator Beasts. I think Konami has actually done a very good job of supporting older archetypes, since at least a couple of them will get support every few months. Almost every one of the decks I\u2019d like to see get new support cards has ultimately received some, but there will always be some stragglers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Balancing them with the newer themes can\u2019t be an easy job, though, and it definitely shows. Even with dozens of new cards, some of the older decks just can\u2019t keep up. I think it\u2019s partly why Yu-Gi-Oh itself could use some alternative formats where more decks are on an even playing ground. Other card games like Magic The Gathering seem to do this very well and the players are happier because of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Team APS Meets Dan Green)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 7). How was your world championship experience in Berlin? What was it like meeting other great Yu-Gi-Oh Players and did you get the opportunity to meet either Dan Green, Eric Stuart, or even the World Champion?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n So going to the World Championship in Berlin was actually not something I\u2019d expected. Konami reached out and offered the trip out of nowhere, and I was really surprised. It was apparently the first time they\u2019ve ever decided to work so directly with content creators like this, and it\u2019s something I hope they\u2019ll continue to do moving forward. There were at least a couple dozen creators there, many of them being foreign. So getting to meet with Yugitubers from other<\/p>\n\n\n\n continents for the very first time was a pleasant shock. As for the event itself, it\u2019s definitely a bit<\/p>\n\n\n\n different than your average tournament. Since it\u2019s an invite-only tournament for the players, it<\/p>\n\n\n\n did feel a bit disconnected and private in a way. Still, the production values that went into the<\/p>\n\n\n\n finals presentation blew my mind. I can\u2019t imagine how much work and planning goes into<\/p>\n\n\n\n orchestrating something like it every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was lucky enough to meet both Dan Green and Eric Stuart, and they\u2019re each as lively and quirky as the different characters they play. It\u2019s actually a little jarring to hear how effortlessly Dan is able to switch voices from Yugi to Atem on a dime. You go from this serious,<\/p>\n\n\n\n commanding personality to a soft, friendly voice and it\u2019s almost unsettling. Eric Stuart seems to<\/p>\n\n\n\n have a lot of fun bringing more and more wit and sarcasm to Kaiba\u2019s character every time he<\/p>\n\n\n\n voices him. At some point, you can\u2019t tell them apart at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8). How does Team APS work with other Yu-Gi-Oh Content creators or how do you plan to? Are there any other content Yu-Gi-Oh creators that you enjoy watching?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Working with other creators is something I\u2019ve wanted to do for a long time. I\u2019ve done some video swaps and guest uploads in the past, but I think my personal goals for collaborations are much different now than before. Since most Yu-Gi-Oh creators are scattered around the country and the globe, it\u2019s hard to meet up and do things in person, but those are also the kind of work I\u2019m most interested in. YCS events can make it a bit difficult to record since there\u2019s a big<\/p>\n\n\n\n tournament going on, but those still seem like the best opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I stay in contact with a lot of other Yu-Gi-Oh creators, but I\u2019d be lying if I said I watch as much Yu-Gi-Oh content as most people do. The thing is, since many of us cover a lot of the same<\/p>\n\n\n\n news and cards, it\u2019s easy to just feel like you\u2019re watching the same thing over and over. It\u2019s<\/p>\n\n\n\n actually part of why I enjoy doing skits so much. They\u2019re different and not something you see<\/p>\n\n\n\n everywhere in the community. With that said, I find that the channels I enjoy most are the ones<\/p>\n\n\n\n that either go above and beyond in their production values like MST.TV or those who are going<\/p>\n\n\n\n in a different direction like Nyhmnim. There are some others, too, but they come to mind first<\/p>\n\n\n\n and foremost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Paul Mcgee with the Yu-Gi-Oh World Champion Kouki Kosaka)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 9). What is the next step for team APS and is there any exciting projects you are working on (I do love the skits)?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m really glad you like them! Right now, my goal is to keep producing Yu-Gi-Oh skits, but with increasing production values and more ambitious ideas. For instance, right now most of our skits just take place at our local card shop. But over time, I\u2019d like to get out of our comfort zone and go to different locations, as well. We set out to make about one skit per month, but we\u2019ve actually been doing a bit more than that. Finding a balance is tough, since they involve<\/p>\n\n\n\n brainstorm sessions, scripting, some light storyboarding, recording, and editing. Over time, I\u2019d<\/p>\n\n\n\n like for them to start feeling more like a true production than just an online skit. I\u2019m currently dabbling in more long-form content, too. I want to create videos that can also tell a story that the viewers follow. We\u2019ve tossed around ideas like mini-documentaries and vlogs, but it\u2019s hard to say for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d also like to appear at more Yu-Gi-Oh events over the rest of the year. It\u2019s very humbling to get a chance to meet fans in new places, and traveling has always been something I felt we don\u2019t do enough compared to other creators. Getting to feel like a mini-celebrity for a weekend is a bit surreal! Going to the World Championship in Berlin has me wanting to explore other international trips like YCS London or YCS Milan, but that depends on what everyone else<\/p>\n\n\n\n thinks. There\u2019s also some interest in going to things like Comic Con, which I\u2019ve personally never<\/p>\n\n\n\n attended before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 10). What is the next competition Team APS plans to attend and are you excited for this up coming Yu-Gi-Oh Season?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Barring some possible regional qualifiers in our area, the next major competitive event we\u2019ll be attending is YCS Fort Worth, TX in October. I\u2019m also very excited about this event because I\u2019ve been on a bit of a hiatus from actually competing in Yu-Gi-Oh. This new format feels like a perfect one to return. The top of the metagame has a very diverse list of viable decks and nothing feels overly dominant. New contenders are entering the ring in the form of Fire Fists, Rokkets, and Marincess. And we\u2019ve got three potentially game-changing new cards releasing in the Gold Sarcophagus tins. I think now is probably one of the best times for a prospective competitor to go out and play. I\u2019d also like to see Speed Duels get some competitive love, even if it\u2019s only in the form of side events. A huge thanks again to Paul McGee and Team APS, it was an exciting opportunity. Team APS can be found on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter at the links below. Please look forward to more content from Tiger Media Network! <\/p>\n\n\n\n YouTube: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/TeamAPS<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Facebook: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/teamaps\/<\/a>Twitter: https:\/\/twitter.com\/TeamAPS<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" STORY BY JOHN CARTER JR Known in the Yu-Gi-Oh Community for being very entertaining for their various skits and commentary on the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142,"featured_media":46618,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[69,106,12231,12731,103,1495,290,12730],"class_list":["post-46617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-fhsu","tag-fort-hays-state-university","tag-john-carter-jr","tag-paul-mcgee","tag-tiger-media-network","tag-tigermedianet","tag-tmn","tag-yu-gi-ho"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Screen-Shot-2019-08-26-at-1.24.15-PM.png?fit=948%2C530&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=46617"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46617\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46619,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46617\/revisions\/46619"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/46618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=46617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=46617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=46617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/YmtDX_6tsxvwHgYw7IyARVHfSMzKBdEgtldqPkjzbYy35IemZhUQFqi9wjfjMq5B30cnY2HfEfUtAkFdJQ0XiKISmKbJzI4FpXCBXK9c1CA-yDdif8Zi6PPRWrz_VleTUK84FzVd\")
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n