Visiting the Game Two house of wonders

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who shed a tear during episode 307 of Game One. At the very end, when Bob Dylan sings The Times They Are a-Changin’, your heart gets really heavy. Unfortunately, the original song is missing in the YouTube version – another sign that Viacom hasn’t understood this platform. Viacom is the parent company of MTV, which broadcast Game One for eight years. A multi-year legal dispute between the two companies had a knock-on effect on the game programme. And Episode 307 marked its sad conclusion.

Fortunately, this was only temporary. In 2015, ex-Game One stars Daniel Budiman, Etienne Gardé, Nils Bomhoff and Simon Krätschmer launched Rocket Beans TV together with Arno Heinsch. For naming inspiration, they took the first letter of the founders’ names to form Beans. The internet broadcaster’s first major format is called Game Two, and is produced for funk, ARD and ZDF’s content network. Episode 1 was to be released on YouTube on 19 November 2016. Since then, they’ve produced 337 episodes. ZDFneo has been footing the bill for their weekly shoots since April 2023. Domagoj Belancic and I attended one of these at the end of May.

Lots of laughs and hanging about

The Game Two office is located in the middle of a Hamburg residential area. When we arrive around midday, filming is underway. For the segment on the free-to-play shooter xDefiant, they’re dressed as fashionable Ubisoft developers who’re presenting the game. They amp up the anglicisms and youthful slang to hit home how «fresh» and «slay» the game is. They also emphasise that it’s suitable for the masses thanks to emojis and «funny dialogue during the game».

The set for the sketch is a converted meeting room. So the furniture was quickly moved to the sofa corner next door. But it’s not the only place that’s jammed to the gunwales. The labyrinthine editorial offices are used to the last centimetre. Its walls are papered with fake weapons, props are stacked up to the ceiling and every free surface is covered with games or merchandise.

Editor Esther Kerkhoff has been part of the team for three years. As well as editing this week’s The Rogue Prince of Persia segment, she’s also in front of the camera as a presenter and actress. She started in the middle of the pandemic, which didn’t exactly make it easy. The success of Game Two comes down to close cooperation: «Teamwork is extremely important to us. We’re a good fit and communicate a lot and openly with each other,» says 30-year-old Esther. Given masks and working from home, it wasn’t always easy. Nevertheless, she was an intern at the time and produced her first segment shortly after being hired. Dressed up as 9-year-old Esther, she presented the role-playing game Grandia 2 in the Unearthed section.

In today’s clip, Esther is just an extra. Carsten Grauel, better known as Trant, has come up with a sketch for Hellblade 2. In the game, you regularly have to squeeze through narrow gaps – a completely overused game cliché. Creative Dirtector Jasper Ihlenfeldt illustrates this by trying to get past a bus parked against the wall. «Do I need a bit of powder? Can you do anything with my face?» he asks the make-up artist jokingly. No matter how much there is to do or how stressful it gets, there’s always time for a bit of fun on set.

While the scene with Jasper will only be 30 to 60 seconds, it takes over an hour and a half to shoot. Settings need checked again and again, procedures are discussed anew and funny sayings are improvised. «That’s on the agenda for today,» Esther explains to me with a grin. She means both the words and filming. Although a script is written for each segment, every editor does it a little differently. Improvisation is a big part of the show’s charm. The fact that the shoot is interrupted several times by parents with prams is also part and parcel of it. There’s a nursery on the first floor of the editorial building and the Game Two bus is blocking the entrance. Both parties are familiar with this and take it in their stride.

The end of the scene sees Japser finally manage to squeeze past the vehicle. In the meantime, however, onlookers have gathered enthusiastically to watch this unique performance. They want to capture this impressive squeeze with plenty of photos and videos. Domi and I are also allowed to join the sensationalist extras. But as soon as I pull out my phone to take photos for the clip, camerawoman Ellen Bolz calls out: «Stop. We can’t have the Google logo on that mobile.» As Game Two is part of publicly owned TV, product logos and the like aren’t allowed. Esther lends me hers, as you can’t see the brand under its neutral cover.

About six takes later, that’s the scene in the can, and a little dream has come true for me. I haven’t missed an episode since Game One started in 2008. And now I’m even part of a show – if only for a few seconds.

Like one big family

There’s no time to reminisce. The shooting schedule is jam-packed and the day’s slowly drawing to a close. Segments are usually filmed on Wednesdays. The first time they’re discussed is on the previous Monday. Friday is the deadline, and if everything goes well, it’ll also be the shooting day for any upcoming segments. However, unforeseen events are on the agenda, as are unfunny jokes. Just like the first version of a sketch for the disastrous Gollum game.

Esther’s boss Tim Heinke came up with the idea. Unfortunately, he was on holiday on a critical week. «I just thought, damn, now I don’t have anyone to talk to and it just didn’t work out. We couldn’t possibly send it off like that, and it was already Thursday. Two of my fellow editors helped me and, with a few improvements, we were finally able to save the segment,» recalls Esther.

Hunkering down in the office until 11 p.m. was simply part and parcel of it. «Our job is often romanticised. People regularly say to me that I make money from playing video games. And how amazing that must be. But the fact is there’s much more to it than that. With larger games, you can spend 60 hours or more on them. Then you have to write copy, come up with ideas for clips, write the script, shoot, edit and go through 40 to 50 hours of material.» This comes with a lot of stress, but sometimes it’s also nice stress, as Esther adds with a laugh.

The late-night rescue operation also shows how strong the team spirit is at Game Two. «We’re like one big family. When I’m the last one to turn the lights off in the evening, I sometimes marvel at the fact that this is my job,» says Esther. She beams, leaving no doubt as to how much she appreciates her work and the rest of the team.

Hard worker award or gold stars?

We’ve now strolled over to the studio with the Game Two crew – it’s just a five-minute walk away. It’s also home to the rest of the Rocket Beans family, with the company now employing around 120 people. The first thing I notice is the studio is much smaller than it looks in the show: «That’s what everyone says,» explains Jasper with a grin as he prepares the set for presenting. The same thing goes through my head when Game One veteran Simon walks through the door. I refrain from saying anything this time.

Simon is hosting today alongside Esther. But like the other founders Etienne, Budi and Nils, he’s rarely in the Game Two trenches recording unforgettable sketches such as Call of Mutti. Instead, the guys do other formats like Almost Daily, Bohndesliga – a play on Bundesliga and Let’s Play.

«Shooting has become very difficult as it’s hard to schedule us in. One person might have something on with the kids. For me, it’s train cancellations. There’s always something. Our progress is more like a road with speed bumps than a high-speed lane,» says the now 45-year-old entertainer. But after 16 years – that’s how long Game One and Game Two have been on air – you don’t always have to be there. The four founders, who have known each other since the GIGA days, are now only actively involved in special editions, such as anniversary episodes. But Simon does miss dressing up and fooling around. «Of course I’d rather goof around in some cool knight’s armour and have a laugh.» The only thing I never enjoyed was all the hanging about while filming.»

That doesn’t happen when you’re presenting. Thanks to the teleprompter, the whole process doesn’t usually takes more than half an hour, depending how often the presenters stumble or how much the script gets tweaked. The hosts don’t write it themselves, which is how peculiar questions might come up. Whether in front of or behind the camera, there’s always a lot of laughter.

Esther readily admits she has difficulty pronouncing some words, but you wouldn’t notice. During the introduction to The Rogue Prince of Persia, a roguelike where you’re regularly thrown back to the beginning, the team improvises again. Simon suggests starting the script from the beginning, to mimic the game. It’s a funny idea, but it seems a bit too long to me. The editor was obviously of the same opinion, as the finished show doesn’t feature this repetition.

An Oscar for Jasper

Once the presenters have finished, the studio is immediately prepared for the next shoot. Jasper pulls aside a curtain and rolls up the thick grey carpet. A green screen appears behind it. Before that, Sebastian Tyzak will present an Oscar for the category Forcing through a Gap. It’s going to Jasper, who’s known here simply as That Guy, for his bus performance at lunchtime.

There’s just one problem. Sebastian is the sole prize giver, but needs both hands to open the envelope containing the winner. What’s he going to do with the Oscar? Jasper suggests he could conjure it up from an invisible pillar behind his back. The idea is discarded, just like my input: a hand comes from outside the picture, irritatedly snatches the envelope from Sebastian and gives it back to him opened. Instead, the simplest option is chosen: Sebastian tucks the Oscar under his arm, opens the envelope and then hands the trophy to Jasper. With the help of Sebastian’s exaggerated enthusiasm and Jasper’s feigned apathy, the clip probably would’ve worked whichever of those three options were chosen.

The team behind Game Two also deserved an Oscar for their great contributions. It almost happened once. That is, at the German equivalent for television programmes called the Grimme Prize. The 300th episode was nominated. It’s a musical that was released without any (noticeable) cuts. Unfortunately, the epic anniversary episode came away empty-handed. Game One, however, took home the Audience Award in 2011. Maybe they’ll win the main prize one day.

These gamer geeks in Hamburg aren’t running out of creative ideas any time soon. And the concept still seems unique, even globally. Who knows, maybe there’ll be a foreign-language version of Game Two one day. «We always toyed with the idea of making an English version. We’d call it Game Three and remaster our best gags for it,» Simon tells me. I’d definitely watch it. On the condition that it’s still edited in Hamburg and set to music in the most beautifully exaggerated German-English.

But don’t blink, otherwise you’ll miss my epic TV appearance alongside Domi.