I am without doubt a part of the PlayStation generation. My first console, at the age of 13, was the original PlayStation, and I spent more hours than I would dare think about gripping that malformed Dual Shock 2 analogue controller (unbelievably, 10 years later no-one at Sony has been bothered to design it properly … but I digress). Like most teenagers, I waited with eager anticipation for the PS2, but by the time it came out, my gaming console allegiance had switched.

My best friend at school was very much a Nintendo fan. We spend many Saturday afternoons in his basement playing on his N64, on such multiplayer classics as Golden Eye, Mario Kart and, um, Pokémon Stadium. And then he went and got a GameCube, and that just blew my mind! Now with my rebellious teenage years behind me (I think the most rebellious I ever got was wishing I was part of the Rebel Alliance, but oh well) my lust for violence had subsided. I started to desire something more fun and lighthearted, rather than senseless bloodbaths, and so I became a Nintendo fan and bought a GameCube instead of a PS2.

I probably chose the worst possible console generation to make the switch, but I certainly don’t regret it. A lot of people have levelled criticism at Nintendo for being just for kids, and I get the same criticism when people see my DVD collection, which is almost exclusively made up of Pixar and Studio Ghibli films, but I think there’s a distinction to be made. While it’s true that these genres are more universally appealing, I think what is really attractive about them to me is their sense of innocence. After all, films and games are there as a means of entertainment and relaxation, and while there are certainly times when I’d rather watch or play something a but grittier and realistic, more often than not I appreciate escaping and immersing myself in another world. Add to this the fact that Nintendo, Ghibli and Pixar are all at the very peak of what they do, and produce consistent excellence, then my choice of entertainment is so often a no-brainer.

I appreciate that there is a place for less innocent entertainment; in fact, the remainder of my DVD collection is made up of Tarantino and 18+ rated gangster films. But when I consider the future direction of Rizer, I’m very clear of the companies I want to emulate and the sort of products I want to create. Things that anyone can enjoy, and provide an innocent escape from the real world.