Press

I have been interviewed for The Guardian, WIRED, the ABC, BBC, CBC, Le Monde, Der Standard, and many other both specialist and generalist news outlets. My work has also been reported on in the Washington Post, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Daily Telegraph, the Australian, and many other newspapers.

I am always open for comment on stories about Twitch / live streaming, about esports, and about gaming more generally - please give me a shout via my university details, my Contact Page or my Twitter to get in touch!

 

TV / Radio / Newspaper Appearances:

  • “Social Media Ban”, Swedish Public Radio, July 16th, 2026.
  • “Push for Gambling Influencer Ban”, ABC Radio, July 6th, 2026.
  • "Australian Privacy Law and Live Streaming", The Guardian, publication delayed.
  • “Social Media Ban on Games, AI Chatbots, and Social Media”, The World Today / ABC Radio, March 9th , 2026.
  • “Australian Social Media Ban, Twitch, Reddit, and Kick”, ABC News Radio, November 5th, 2025.
  • “The Future of Gaming”, ABC Radio, October 22nd, 2025.
  • “Gambling Influencers”, ABC Radio, August 26th, 2025.
  • “Fears new breed of influencers could worsen a $25 billion Australian problem”, SBS News, July 17th, 2025.
  • “Australian doctors call for clampdown on social media influencers allegedly glamorising poker machines”, The Guardian, July 7th, 2025.
  • “Gambling influencers’ impact on young people”, Daily Telegraph, June 5th, 2025.
  • “Gambling live streamers”, 4BC, April 7th, 2025.
  • “Gambling live streamers”, S2M, April 2nd, 2025.
  • “Gambling live streamers”, ABC Radio, April 2nd, 2025.
  • “Live commerce surges as shoppers fork out cash online in real time”, The Washington Post, November 13th, 2024.
  • “How games and apps keep you and your kids addicted – and what we can do about it”, The Guardian, September 25th, 2024.
  • “What is so special about Black Myth: Wukong?”, 2SER Radio, September 13th, 2024.
  • “Video Game Actors Strike”, ABC News Live, August 5th, 2024.
  • “Saudi Arabia and the Esports World Cup”, ABC News Live, July 4th, 2024.
  • “‘A playground for degenerates’: The dark corners of an Australian streaming giant”, Sydney Morning Herald, May 2nd, 2024.
  • “Doping and Esports”, ABC News Live, May 25th, 2023.
  • “Microsoft and Activision-Blizzard Merger”, ABC News Live, May 16th, 2023.
  • “Microsoft and Activision-Blizzard Merger”, ABC Behind the News, May 10th, 2023.
  • “Fortnite and Microtransactions”, CBC Radio, January 31st, 2023.
  • “Fortnite and FTC Fine”, ABC News Live, December 20th, 2022.
  • “Global success of Cult of the Lamb showcases Australia’s video games development talent”, The Guardian, August 21st, 2022.
  • “The Games Industry in China”, BBC World Service, August 11th, 2022.
  • “Dans les recoins de Twitch, le monde étrange des streams automatiques sans joueur et sans streamer”, Le Monde, April 8th, 2022.
  • “Twitch”, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, October 15th, 2021.
  • “Squid Game owes its popularity to anxieties of modern life”, The Guardian, October 9th, 2021.
  • “Gaming offers escape and empowerment”, The Australian, July 24th, 2021
  • “Video Games and Gambling”, 2SER Radio, April 29th, 2021
  • 10 News First Sydney, July 6th, 2020.
  • "Commodore 64, Nintendo and Nokia join turntables in retro revival", The Australian, November 21st, 2019.
  • “Match-fixing, doping becoming prevalent in esports”, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, August 30th, 2019.
  • "How gamers with disabilities find community, and sometimes cash, livestreaming on Twitch", The Star, April 10th, 2019.
  • "PFFNHS, SNHS students learn effects of video gaming during workshop", Sioux Bulletin, November 21st, 2018.
  • "This millennial is making $560K a month playing a video game on Twitch — here’s how", Global News, August 21st, 2018.
  • "Gaming Addiction", BBC Radio Scotland, June 18th, 2018.
  • "Five Dangers of Loot Boxes", BBC Own it, June 15th, 2018.
  • "The Life of an Esports Caster", Daily Mail, February 3rd, 2018.
  • CBC Edmonton, December 13th, 2017.
  • "Daily Fantasy Sports, Gambling and Video Games", News Talk 770 Radio, October 26th, 2017.
  • "Daily fantasy sports: Is it gambling?", Edmonton Metro, October 22nd, 2017.
  • "Computer bluffen nicht", Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, September 19th 2016.
  • BBC World News, May 2016.
  • "Overwatch seeks esports domination", BBC News Online, May 24th 2016.
  • "Ultima Ratio Regum: Wie das Spiel eines 25-Jährigen komplette Welten simuliert", Der Standard, May 10th 2015.

 

Interviews / Coverage:

  • “Gambling Influencers”, ABC, June 30th, 2026.
  • “Maturing Australian Gaming Industry Shows Signs of Growth”, TechDay, June 4th, 2026 (Background).
  • “Expert Reaction: Age verification extended to R-rated games and websites”, Scimex, March 6th, 2026.
  • “How to Win Slots and Influence People”, Bloomberg, February 28th, 2026 (Background).
  • “Twitchʼs gamification of prediction markets puts youth at risk”, Compliance Corylated, February 24th, 2026.
  • “'I feel free': Australia's social media ban, one month on”, BBC News, January 10th, 2026.
  • “Expert Reaction: Social media ban for under-16s is about to come into effect”, Scimex, December 5th, 2025.
  • “What is Australia’s under-16 social media ban? The world-first law explained”, The National Tribune, December 5th, 2025.
  • “Meta Banning Young People”, 10 News+, December 4th, 2025.“Social Media Ban for under 16s”, TT News Agency, December 3rd, 2025.“Will teens without accounts be safe on YouTube under social media ban?”, ABC News, November 23rd, 2025.
  • “Expert breaks down potential risks and benefits of the Australian teen social media ban”, News.com.au, November 22nd, 2025.“Social Media Ban, YouTube, and Content Moderation”, ABC News / Behind the News, November 16th, 2025.
  • “Social Media Ban and Gambling”, SBS, November 5th, 2025.
  • “University of Sydney Releases Report on Gambling Influencers”, The Western Weekender, October 21st, 2025.
  • “An online casino banned in Australia is streamed live from Melbourne”, ABC News, June 30th, 2025.“Influencer gambling”, ABC News, June 25th, 2025.
  • “Influencers and online gambling”, Ten News, June 8th, 2025.
  • “Live From the College Dorm”, Daily Bruin, May 7th, 2025.
  • “Predatory monetization methods in games”, ABC, April 21st, 2025.
  • “Kids' video games use gambling-like tactics to trap young players, new consumer report finds”, ABC News, April 17th, 2025.
  • “Manipulative design tactics in digital games”, ABC, March 7th, 2025.
  • “Black Myth: Wukong”, SBS, August 27th, 2024.
  • “Riverland video gamer turns passion into a career after life takes a 'nosedive'”, ABC News, August 22nd, 2024.
  • “Female and LGBTQ gamers face constant abuse. For many, it’s enough to give up playing”, Sydney Morning Herald, March 28th, 2024.
  • “Gubbins, a video game by Melbourne's Studio Folly, looks to capture the genius of Wordle”, ABC News, November 23rd, 2023.
  • “Meet Emmett Shear, OpenAI’s ‘Highly Intelligent, Socially Awkward’ Interim CEO”, WIRED, November 20th, 2023.
  • “One of the most popular game franchises of all time is going back to its roots”, Sydney Morning Herald, October 4th, 2023.
  • “The Twitch-Fueled Catastrophe of Kai Cenat's New York City Giveaway”, WIRED, August 10th, 2023.
  • “Minecraft Legends is a reminder that lightning rarely strikes twice in gaming”, The Conversation, May 11th, 2023.
  • “Why video game adaptations are finally levelling up”, Sydney Morning Herald, April 7th, 2023.
  • “Sex, hate and Trainwreck: Aussie gambling billionaire’s links to Twitch’s controversial competitor”, Crikey, March 3rd, 2023.
  • “Are in-game ‘loot boxes’ a gambling gateway for children?”, Deseret News, December 7th, 2022.
  • “Success on Twitch No Longer Comes on Twitch”, WIRED, October 3rd, 2022.
  • “Expert warns Twitch gambling ban won’t mark end of Slots hype in streaming”, Dexerto, September 21st, 2022.
  • “What does the future of in-game advertising look like?”, Dexerto, August 17th, 2022.
  • “The risks behind addictive Slots streams taking Twitch by storm”, Canvas8, July 15th, 2022.
  • “Video gamers the next generation of gamblers”, Asia Gaming Brief, March 30th, 2022.
  • “Netflix's Squid Game guards spotted fighting on Google Maps by eagle-eyed TikToker”, Daily Star, October 21st, 2021.
  • “Twitch Leak: Il Sistema Della Donazioni Crollera?”, Dr Commodore, October 8th, 2021.
  • “Think, fight, feel: how video game artificial intelligence is evolving”, The Guardian, July 19th, 2021.
  • “Gamblers in the stream: making celebrities — and money — out of people who film themselves betting”, Crikey, July 15th, 2021.
  • “Twitch hasn't kept its promises to disabled streamers”, Input Magazine, March 12th, 2021.
  • “The Future’s Biggest Stars Are Born on Twitch”, W Magazine, March 11th, 2021.
  • “Major Streaming Site Offers Social Slots Betting”, VIXIO, January 22nd, 2021.
  • “On Twitch, Online Casino Streamers Promote Gambling to Their Audience While Taking on Little Risk”, Paste Magazine, December 21st, 2020.
  • “Why loot box games like FIFA should be regulated by the UK Gambling Commission”, Compare.bet, October 27th, 2020.
  • "Loot boxes: A gamer’s friend or foe?”, Calgary Journal, April 5th, 2020.
  • “Gaming and Gambling”, Eastside Radio, January 24th, 2020.
  • "Victoria investigates Overwatch esports league", Casino Aus, October 3rd, 2019.
  • "Police launch enquiries into Overwatch and CS:GO teams over ‘complaints’", Esports Junkie, September 26th, 2019.
  • "Australian police investigating CS:GO and Overwatch teams overcorruption complaints", PC Gamer, September 24th, 2019.
  • "Australian esports criminal investigation reveals video game industry is ripe for corruption", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, September 22nd, 2019.
  • "Esports Fans Not Interested Enough in Games’ Integrity", Gambling News, June 3rd, 2019.
  • “Esports poses additional challenge to states entering legalized sports betting”, Las Vegas Review Journal, June 1st, 2019.
  • "More than fun and games: Why an increasing number of people with disabilities are finding a safe space and income potential on Twitch", Folio, April 5th, 2019
  • "The WSOP fights back", Gambling Insider, January 9th, 2019.
  • "Catching up with esports", Gambling Insider, November 30th, 2018.
  • "Loot boxes – is it time to regulate?", Gambling Insider, November 1st, 2018.
  • "How to Make a Roguelike", Gamasutra, October 29th, 2018.
  • "A blurred line betweenwork and play could cause trouble for the Overwatch League", Dot Esports, May 24th, 2018.
  • "Desire, competition, or addiction - why do we buy loot boxes?", PCGamesN, April 3rd, 2018.
  • "‘Aspiring Streamers are willing to push themselves hard’ – new study looks at what makes a successful streamer", eSports News, December 10th, 2017.
  • "Studie: So hart arbeiten Streamer für ihren Erfolg", Giga.de, November 11th, 2017.
  • "7 roguelikes that every developer should study", Gamasutra, June 12th, 2017.
  • "Understanding Classic Roguelikes - An Interview with Dr. Mark R Johnson", IndieHaven, April 22nd, 2017.
  • "Pricing a Roguelike", Gamasutra, January 31st, 2017.
  • "LSE win Varsity Games Dota 2 University Tournament", eSports News, November 29th, 2016.
  • "The Crusader Kings II Mod capable of generating huge, alternate histories", Kill Screen, September 19th, 2016.
  • "'No Mans's Sky': El videojugeo de nunca acabar", El Pais, August 10th, 2016.
  • "Interview: Mark R Johnson, creator of Ultima Ratio Regum", Heidelberg Journal of Religions and the Internet, 2016.
  • "Magic Pony’s neural network dreams up new imagery to expand an existing picture", TechCrunch, April 14th, 2016.
  • "Prozedurale Welten", Golem.de, August 3rd, 2015.
  • "Generation Game: Mark R Johnson on Ultima Ratio Regum", Ready-Up.net, June 19th 2015.
  • "Ultima Ratio Regum, A Generated 4X Roguelike", Rock Paper Shotgun, October 18th, 2013.

 

Articles:

  • “What is Kick, the platform that livestreamed a man’s death this week?”, The Conversation, August 21st, 2025.
  • “Gambling live streams on Twitch: What are they and why do they matter?”, The Conversation, September 16th, 2021.
  • “5 ways Twitch’s massive data leak might change live streaming as we know it”, The Conversation, October 7th, 2021.
  • "An Insider Look into the World of Competitive Bullet Hells", Waypoint, February 3rd 2017.
  • "Understanding Twitch Chat: New Forms of Digital Community and Play", Discover Society, January 3rd, 2017.
  • "High-Stakes Gamblers, Game Design, and the Meaning of Cheating", First Person Scholar, November 30th, 2016.
  • "Procedural Generation’s Future", Rock Paper Shotgun, September 16th ,2016.
  • "How to Create Cultures", Rock Paper Shotgun, September 2nd, 2016.
  • "The Sociology of ‘Streaming'", Sociological Imagination Blog, August 22nd, 2016.
  • "How Games Benefit from Procedurally Generated Lore", Rock Paper Shotgun, August 5th, 2016.
  • "You can spin your own Sci-Fi Tale in RimWorld", Vice Gaming, July 27th, 2016.
  • "How to Generate A Religion", Rock Paper Shotgun, July 22nd, 2016.
  • "Researching the Growth of eSports in the UK", eSports News, May 31st, 2016.
  • "Civilian Targets", Five out of Ten Magazine, July 28th, 2015.
  • "Seeing Green", Five out of Ten Magazine, July 28th, 2015.
  • "Before Spelunky and FTL, there was only ASCII", Paste Magazine, July 22nd, 2015.
  • "The Demonic Properties of an Ampersand", Kill Screen, July 2nd, 2015.
  • "Alternate History Aesthetics in Red Alert", Memory Insufficient, June 16th, 2015.
  • "Warning Forever: A Danmaku Dialogue", First Person Scholar, June 15th 2015.
  • "How integral are letters and text to ASCII gaming?", Imaginary Realities, May 25th 2015.

 

Podcast Appearances:

  • “Gambling Influencers”, The Quicky, August 8th, 2025.
  • “Gambling Influencers and young people”, The Briefing, August 8th, 2025.
  • "The Ethics of Making Money on Twitch or YouTube", Ethics and Video Games Podcast, January 23rd, 2023.
  • "The Growing Gamblification of Video Games", Ethics and Video Games Podcast, October 4th, 2022.
  • Roguelike Radio, Co-Host, 2015-Present.
  • "Interview with Mark R Johnson", Checkpoints Podcast, February 6th, 2018.
  • "Interview with Mark R Johnson", Gambling with an Edge Podcast, July 25th, 2017.
  • "Comparing the Professionalization of Pro Gamblers and Pro Video Game Players", UNLV Gaming Podcast, July 14th, 2017.
  • "A gathering of masters @IEM", Digital Jam Podcast, March 5th, 2017.