Dazed XP is a new series where we go deep on all things video games – consoles v PC, iconic video game characters, gaming bugbears and stereotypes, or retro faves.

Jasmine Asia has been a gamer since she was a child, something that, as a model, often gets overlooked. “They think that I play games with my boyfriend,” she says. “[But] I’ve been into this since I was five years old.” Anyone familiar with Asia’s aesthetic will know how fundamental gaming culture is to her – alongside working with brands such as YSL Beauty, Mugler, Agent Provocateur and Adidas, her Instagram is peppered with looks inspired by Tomb Raider, Bayonetta and games like Mortal Kombat. “As a kid, I wanted to replicate what I saw on the screen in real life,” she recalls. “I wanted to be like Lara Croft. I’d be like, okay, I'm going to climb this wall and jump off of this ledge.” 

Her gaming journey has evolved since childhood. Previously a dedicated console gamer, she has flung herself into the world of PC gaming with competitive shooters and esports titles. “I like shooting games because I'm very goblin coded in my head right now,” she admits. “But I also prefer to play against people and test their skills. Anything like Call of Duty, CS:Go, Halo, Overwatch and Valorant are the sorts of things I’m into. ​​A multiplayer game is going to make me think about the other people playing and how we can work together.”

Ultimately, as a gamer and model of Bangli heritage, Asia wants to disrupt preconceived notions about the gaming industry, while making space for more diverse players. “People still think that gaming is for boys, or pain gamers as losers. That makes me feel like a loser,” she says. “As a model who is asked all the time what else I do, people don’t understand. I just don’t like how gaming is passed off as something that’s not serious. It’s a whole art form. I just wish outsiders could appreciate that. I’m into gaming because there are real creatives involved and they deserve to be appreciated and seen by cool people.” Here, she shares her personal guide to gaming.

EARLIEST GAMING MEMORY 

Jasmine Asia: Probably playing PS1 with my uncles. My family didn’t buy consoles for each family member. It was just more or less that if you played a game you were going to play on your uncle’s console, and then when you got home you could just play with your normal toys. I think we used to play something old like TimeSplitters. 

FIRST VIDEO GAME LOVE 

Jasmine Asia: It was Tomb Raider Legends. I just liked any game that had women in it. Mortal Kombat was a huge one for me as well because there was an array of women to choose from. It had more options than most games out there. Any games that had sexy women or scary women... I liked seeing the female form in video games. But as a kid I didn’t know that I was so drawn to that. 

FAVE GAMING ERA 

Jasmine Asia: I’d say the 2010s. Anything that was a major release on consoles at that time. I loved games like Bioshock, Assassin's Creed and those PS3-era classics. I didn’t have a Xbox, so I didn’t play Halo. But anything that was on the PS3 or the PS4; I loved that era. That’s when I was on YouTube the most and watching trailers. I couldn’t afford all of the games but I would just watch other people play. When I was a teenager, then I would go to CEX and I got to buy all the games that came out. 

PC OR CONSOLE?

Jasmine Asia: I was not a PC person until recently. I grew up as someone who couldn’t afford to buy one. I didn’t need a computer to play games, I just needed a good console. But when you have a console in a household, you have to share it with people. A PC is your personal thing. You can’t just give it to someone else for them to play. Also, the market has changed. You’ve got to have an insane PC build to play modern games or be considered a real gamer, which I don’t like. If you like games and you play them, you’re a gamer. 

ALL TIME FAVOURITE GAME

Jasmine Asia: I can’t lie but probably Call of Duty. Even though it’s the same shit every time you just get to have fun with it. You can play how you want. You can play aggressively or play as a sniper. It’s up to you. I’ve been attached to CoD since I was eight. It’s been heavily ingrained in me to just keep playing it no matter what. It is my favourite game. I don’t think we’ll ever see positivity in that community, but it’s still fun to play. They get mad over the smallest thing; it’s a treasure trove of triggered people. Also, CoD with the girls is fun as well. Just shredding up with them is crazy. 

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