LET’S PLAY. Olaf Lind (left) and Wyatt Biegel record an episode of Community Gaming at Chippewa Valley Community Television. The show covers console and computer games, apps, tabletop games, and more.

As a child, Wyatt Biegel dreamed of playing video games for a living. His younger self would definitely be proud of him today. Biegel is on staff at Chippewa Valley Community Television. Starting the month, they will be airing a new gaming show called Community Gaming. The public is invited to not only tune in but to bring in their favorite games. It can be cards, tabletop games, racing cars – you name it, they want it on their show.

“Gaming in general has grown a lot. It used to be an idea of just a simple household unit ... now it’s about playing with other people.” – Wyatt Biegel, co-host of Community Gaming

“Gaming in general has grown a lot,” Biegel said. “It used to be an idea of just a simple household unit … now it’s about playing with other people.”

Biegel and his co-host, Olaf Lind, hope this show will give insight into gaming culture locally and beyond. People may find they have similar interests with others on the show, which can potentially lead to friendships and bring people together, he said. Eau Claire also has a robust and growing gaming community, so being able to highlight that is a plus.

“Tabletop culture and video game culture are no longer looked down upon,” Biegel said. “Now it’s like a very large family.”

The first teaser they put together received a lot of interest in under 24 hours, Biegel said. Facebook is their biggest form of social media outreach, but they want to make sure people see them out and about at local stores, bringing awareness to their new show. To get started, Biegel said they might enlist the help of friends and big gamers they know to bring in games to feature, hoping it will be the start to much more. They’ve already observed an age group of 16 to about 40 who are interested, and they hope that will include even more ages soon.

The show will be recorded at the CVCTV studio, located inside Banbury Place in Eau Claire, with cameras and a projector screen. They’re choosing to go unscripted to give the show a natural feel.

Above all, gaming is a huge part of some people’s lives. Playing video games can bring a sense of release from the everyday, Beigel said. He hopes non-gamers who see the show will not only gain an understanding of gaming, but also see the similarities between themselves and gamers. 

“(Non-gamers) can maybe see that emotion in something else, like reading a book,” he said. “We can connect on a different level through a different media.”

For more about how to watch CTV and its programs, visit www.cvctv.org.