Creator Spotlight - RitchieSH

We're back with another Spotlight, heading out to explore islands while learning more about RitchieSH!

In our latest Creator Spotlight, we have someone who loves digging into lore and exploring the nooks and crannies of the islands around the Sea of Thieves: it’s RitchieSH! We asked him some questions about his Voyages across the Sea of Thieves so far, and what experiences those travels have brought him.

Interested in signing up to the Sea of Thieves Creator Crew? Find out more here.


[Q]: What was your introduction to the world of games?

[A]: The first game I ever played was Super Mario 64 on my mother’s Nintendo 64. At that point though I was probably six years old, and didn’t really get into gaming much until I received the original Xbox for my birthday years later with Halo and The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind.

[Q]: How did you become part of the Sea of Thieves community?

[A]: I have followed Sea of Thieves since the first teaser trailer shown at E3, but got really invested when the original Insider Programme first launched. I was very active on the Forums and was brought into Alpha testing with the second wave of invites. I was instantly hooked and wanted to do more, which is when I started the ‘first’ RitchieSH channel, making videos on every little detail I could find on the game.

[Q]: How did creating content become your ‘thing’?

[A]: I’ve always had an interest in videography and took a few classes on it in high school. I also used to make WoW montage videos when I was younger, so it was always an interest of mine. When Sea of Thieves came along it just felt natural.

[Q]: How do you decide what kind of content to create?

[A]: Making guides was always my main goal. I grew up following guides on the internet for games I played, but my issue with a lot of them was that people didn’t always get straight to the point, so you would skip through videos or read through things that were unnecessary. So when the opportunity came, I knew I wanted my guides to be short and to the point so that people would stay interested. But I also need ‘filler’ in between updates, so this is when I will jump into news breakdowns and speculation videos!

[Q]: What are some of the challenges you’ve faced while creating content?

[A]: Time is the big one. I currently have three kids and work a full-time job. So it’s not always easy finding the time to create content. I’ve taken to writing scripts on my lunch break some days, or just sacrificing a bit of sleep to put the finishing touches on some videos. But seeing the small community I’ve formed within the comments and social media makes it worth it!

[Q]: What different channels do you have?

[A]: Currently I have my YouTube channel which is actually my second go at Sea of Thieves YouTubing, the first one being under the same name. Earlier this year I ‘rebooted’ my channel, taking a new approach to how I manage it and interact with the community. I can also be found on Twitter, Mixer and Twitch, and I have my own Discord channel as well.

[Q]: What’s been your most memorable Sea of Thieves moment so far?

[A]: Thinking way back to when The Hungering Deep came out, that had to be my favourite moment. It was the first content drop we had gotten since launch and seeing all these ships rushing to Shark Bait Cove with common goals, before there was an Alliance system in place, was amazing. I’ve always been a solo Slooper and before that update the seas always seemed rough when it came to interacting with other players, so when I first got my speaking trumpet and hesitantly made contact with a Galleon to team up and take on The Hungering One, that was probably the best experience I have ever had in a game.

[Q]: What do you enjoy most about the game now, and what are you looking forward to in future?

[A]: Tall Tales are probably my favourite thing to do in the game. I’ve always enjoyed lore and learning the backstories of characters in the world, and this is the best way to do it in-game. And without spoiling The Seabound Soul, it does a very good job at giving me more to speculate on for the future of Sea of Thieves, as it does end on what I feel is a pretty great cliffhanger.

As for what I am looking forward to, well, hopefully someday we’ll get this Captaincy update that was teased so long ago, but I’m also very excited for the Emissary system that Mike Chapman likes to tease.

[Q]: What’s something you’re particularly proud of accomplishing in gaming?

[A]: Not necessarily in a game itself, but establishing myself in such a large community is an amazing feeling. I originally went into creating content as a hobby and never really expected it to take off. So sitting there going through the comments on my Tall Tale guides and speculation videos, seeing how many people I’ve helped with the game, is a great feeling and something I will always be proud of.

[Q]: How did you come up with your channel name?

[A]: A long time ago I had a Dwarf Paladin on World of Warcraft by the name of Ritchie on the realm ‘The Shattered Hand’. Ritchie is actually a family name for me, so it was very easy to choose that! But one day my guild transferred servers and on this new server the name Ritchie was already taken, so I stuck the SH on the end of it to represent the server I had once come from... and that is how RitchieSH was made. It’s rather amusing looking at it now because the SH has barely any meaning any more and nothing to do with the channel itself, so seeing people’s reactions when they ask is quite entertaining sometimes.

[Q]: What advice would you give to a new content creator?

[A]: Be consistent. Especially if you are making content on YouTube. Throwing random videos up about everything will make it very hard to grow a channel, as people like to know what they are getting when they subscribe to something. Start out focusing on one game or hobby, make yourself a schedule and try to stick with it.

[Q]: What’s one thing you would advise a content creator not to do?

[A]: Don’t focus on numbers. Don’t even look at them if you can help it. Because as soon as you start worrying about subscribers or trying to catch up to the person ahead of you, it all of a sudden feels like work instead of a hobby, which can take the majority of the fun out of creating content. Remember why you started in the first place and stick with that all the way!

[Q]: Could you give us one more random fact about yourself?

[A]: Outside of content creating, I am a huge collector when it comes to Star Wars and videogame figures. Currently my shelves are very overfilled with various collectables from Sea of Thieves, Halo, Star Wars and Warcraft. It’s probably a good thing the Sea of Thieves shop has been MIA for a bit as I have no room left!


That’s all for today’s Creator Spotlight. Thank you to RitchieSH for letting us look into his life as both a creator and a Sea of Thieves fan! We’re off to make sure nobody knows for sure who the Masked Stranger is yet...

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