View source for Jamie Bunker

{{PersonBob
| image=JamieBunker.png
| birthplace=[[wikipedia:United States|United States]]
| dob=1974-03{{ref|1=https://radaris.com/ng/search?ff=James&fl=Bunker&fage=&fs=California}}
| dod=
| company=[[Renovation Products]]
| role=Spokesperson, Tester
| education=[[wikipedia:Fremont High School (Sunnyvale, California)|Fremont High School]] (1992){{ref|https://contactout.com/JamesE-Bunker-14303112}}, [[wikipedia:San Jose State University|San Jose State University]] (Bachelor of Business Administration and Management Science; 1998){{ref|https://contactout.com/JamesE-Bunker-14303112}}
}}'''James "Jamie" Bunker''' is an American businessman{{ref|https://contactout.com/JamesE-Bunker-14303112}} and former tester and spokesperson for video game publisher [[Renovation Products]], notable for being the face of the company's United States advertising campaign for their 1990 [[Sega Mega Drive]] horizontal shoot-'em-up ''[[Gaiares]]''.

==History==
A [[wikipedia:San Francisco Bay Area|San Francisco Bay Area]] native{{ref|1=https://radaris.com/ng/search?ff=James&fl=Bunker&fage=&fs=California}}, Bunker joined [[Renovation Products]] in 1989, and was one of the company's earliest employees. Employed as a video game tester, he was still attending nearby [[wikipedia:Fremont High School (Sunnyvale, California)|Fremont High School]] while working for the company{{ref|https://contactout.com/JamesE-Bunker-14303112}}, and was only sixteen years old at the time. Although one advertisement claims Bunker was employed as a game tester when he was only twelve{{fileref|EGM US 020.pdf|page=35}}, the minimum legal working age in California is generally fourteen{{ref|https://www.employmentlawhandbook.com/wage-and-hour-laws/state-wage-and-hour-laws/california/child-labor-laws/}}, and Renovation Products was not opened until 1989. While he was possibly serving as an unpaid intern at another company when he was only twelve, the ad is likely instead referring to when Bunker developed a passion for video games in general.

While working for [[Renovation Products]], he was regularly sent by the company to attend various [[Consumer Electronics Show]] events{{ref|1=https://web.archive.org/web/20151106001845/http://www.1up.com/features/where-are-they-now?pager.offset=1}}, and while working as a game tester, he formed a relationship with another Renovation employee who still remains "the love of his life."{{ref|1=https://web.archive.org/web/20151106001845/http://www.1up.com/features/where-are-they-now?pager.offset=1}}

Bunker remains in the Bay Area{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20101030201205/http://cinnamonpirate.com/2007/07/unpublished-the-real-jamie-bunker/}}{{ref|https://www.linkedin.com/in/bunkerjamese/}} working in management and customer care positions, and is currently employed at [[wikipedia:Seagate Technology|Seagate Technology]] as Staff Program Manager.{{ref|https://www.linkedin.com/in/bunkerjamese/}}

==''[[Gaiares]]'' advertising campaign==
[[File:JamieBunker Gaiaresmainad.png|thumb|right|240px|The famous ''[[Gaiares]]'' advertisement that has become associated with the game's American release.]]
In 1990, Jamie Bunker was selected by [[Renovation Products]] to be the spokesperson for the upcoming [[Sega Mega Drive]] game ''[[Gaiares]]''' advertising campaign, with the photoshoots happening that same year.{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20101030201205/http://cinnamonpirate.com/2007/07/unpublished-the-real-jamie-bunker/}} Bunker posed with the game's United States release in a series of three advertisements, with each labeling the seventeen-year old spokesman a "professional gamer". Contrasting with the often juvenile and exaggerative statements of other game advertisements of the day, Renovation Products' advertisements simply featured Bunker presenting the game with a recommendation of its quality; one even extolled Bunker's credibility as a game tester.

===Legacy===
While generally considered quite humorous for its bold show of excitement, it has also been considered exceedingly genuine and charming by a number of modern critics. Having developed a modern reputation as one of the [[Mega Drive]] era's most fondly-remembered advertising campaigns, ''[[Gaiares]]'' has become strongly associated with Bunker in the Western world, and continues to be discussed and adapted to this day.

In May 2005, Bunker emailed Derrick Sobodash of [https://web.archive.org/web/20050406171959/http://www.the2d.com/ T2D – The Second Dimension] in response to a previous article written on the ''Gaiares'' campaign, revealing that he still owns the original prints of the three advertisements.{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20101030201205/http://cinnamonpirate.com/2007/07/unpublished-the-real-jamie-bunker/}}

==Production history==
===[[Mega Drive]]===
*''[[Gaiares]]'' (US; 1991) — Endorsed by

==Promotional material==
{{gallery
|{{GalleryPrintAd
|egm|20|35
|gamepro|20|77
|gameplayers|0304|33
|gameplayers|0305|25
|sv|4|33
}}
|{{GalleryPrintAd
|megaplay|4|5
|gameplayers|0307|21
}}
|{{GalleryPrintAd
|gpsg|0205|84
}}
{{gitem|JamieBunker Gaiaresmainad 2021.png|Internet advert at [https://web.archive.org/web/20211118084931/https://retro-bit.com/gaiares/ Retro-Bit] (US) "Bring down Gulfer and save the Earth in Gaiares!" (2021-11-16){{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20211118084931/https://retro-bit.com/gaiares/}}
}}
}}

==Photographs==
:''Main article: [[:Category:Photos of {{PAGENAME}}|Photos of {{PAGENAME}}]]

==External links==
*[https://www.linkedin.com/in/bunkerjamese/ Jamie Bunker] at [https://www.linkedin.com LinkedIn]
*''[https://web.archive.org/web/20210621190552/http://www.kidfenris.com/2010/11/forgotten-professional-gamer.html The Forgotten Professional Gamer]'' article by Todd Ciolek at [http://www.kidfenris.com Kid Fenris] (Wayback Machine)
*''[https://web.archive.org/web/20101030201205/http://cinnamonpirate.com/2007/07/unpublished-the-real-jamie-bunker/ Unpublished: the real Jamie Bunker]'' article by Derrick Sobodash at [https://web.archive.org/web/20101026154348/http://cinnamonpirate.com/ CinnamonPirate.com] (Wayback Machine)
*''[https://web.archive.org/web/20151106001845/http://www.1up.com/features/where-are-they-now?pager.offset=1 Where Are They Now?]'' article by Ray Barnholt at [http://www.1up.com 1UP.com] (Wayback Machine)
*''[https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/11/gaiares-is-getting-a-physical-re-release-with-the-help-of-the-kid-who-promoted-it-31-years-ago Gaiares Is Getting A Physical Re-Release With The Help Of The Kid Who Promoted It 31 Years Ago]'' article by Damien McFerran at ''[https://www.nintendolife.com Nintendo Life]''
*''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f-lSktb7Ws Gaiares Is Back! Pre-Order the Best 16-Bit Shooter Ever Made!]'' video essay by Defunct Games at [https://www.youtube.com YouTube]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Outside Spokespeople]]