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Is New Super Mario Bros. Wii breeding “noobs” with auto play?

By Ben Salter

Let me start off by saying New Super Mario Bros. Wii looks awesome, and is close to the top of my most wanted list. However, I’m still not sold on the super guide feature. I’m worried that Nintendo are trying to cater too much for casual players and, even worse, they are not trying to develop them into more skilled gamers. Essentially they are breeding an army of gaming noobs.

The super guide feature is a fancy name for auto play. If you fail a level 8 times a green box will appear when you respawn. You can chose to ignore it or smash the portly plumber’s head into it to active super guide for that level. If you do so the main character will switch to Luigi and play through the level for you in real time. At anytime you can chose to take over, but the game will still display being in help mode.

I have a whole list of problems with this. Sure I could just ignore it, but what are Nintendo doing to other, less frequent, gamers? Surely the Wii Sport type of player isn't going to improve their gaming skills if the computer takes over during all the hard bits. Isn’t that why we have easy, medium and hard settings? Developers realise gamers have different skill levels, but none of them have ever told the player to give up so it can do it for them; it’s almost insulting.

I’m sure we’ve all used a walkthrough for a game at some point or another, and to an extent it’s quite shameful for a proud gamer. It’s easy to jump onto the net and find a tip for that frustrating level you just can’t beat, but actually having that in the game is going too far. At least with a walkthrough you have to go through the shame of looking it up, and then following instructions to get past the level. At the end of the day you’re still playing the game yourself, with a little assistance. Super guide in New Super Mario Bros. Wii makes you redundant by doing everything itself. It’s like having the answers right next to a test. Actually no, it’s worse than that. It’s like having a teacher sitting next to you with a pen willing to do anything you give up on.

I’m worried about the future generations of gamers if they come to expect games to auto play when they get stuck. Sticking with Nintendo, how are they going to play through Metroid or Zelda if not only are they getting stuck in a Mario platformer, but the game is finishing off levels for them? What if they move over to one of the more adult friendly platforms? Fallout 3 isn’t going to hold their hand the entire way.

At first I didn’t think it would affect more seasoned gamers, but I’m beginning to think otherwise. With the rise of the casual gamer there are more and more titles for them and their skill level. If super guide is an overwhelming success will more games adopt the auto play feature to help out the “noobs” (as the Internet has labelled them)? Will it become standard for the game to cheat for us? You don’t even have to cheat yourself anymore!

On the other hand this could actually be good news for Nintendo fans. Maybe, just maybe, this will allow them to make harder games. We won’t know if that’s the case until we’ve finished NSMBW, but auto play could give Nintendo a license to make hard games that less skilled gamers will still buy and be able to complete.

I realise it’s a bit different doing this to a platformer, than say an FPS or action/adventure. But if it’s successful who’s to say it won’t make it into Super Mario Galaxy 2, or even Metroid: Other M? It would be an absolute disgrace if these games had anything close to a built-in walkthrough, let alone auto play. They’re meant to be challenging, you’re not meant to figure out every puzzle straight away; I just hope Nintendo know where to draw the line and don’t get too carried away.

What do you think? Are Nintendo training us to be “gaming noobs”, are they putting themselves in a position to make harder games that everyone will be able to play (computer included) or do you like the auto playing super guide feature?

21/10/2009

Why am I not allowed to play violent videogames?

Written by Ben Salter

Hot off the heals of Left 4 Dead 2 being refused classification, and effectively banned, in Australia yesterday I am left wondering why am I not allowed to play these games? This is not a new thought, nor is it one that’ll be resolved in the near future.

The R18+ rating for videogames debate is going only going to grow stronger as more and more games are not allowed to be sold in Australia, as they are deemed inappropriate for 15-year-olds. We’re meant to be living in a free nation, and yet as an adult I cannot chose what games to play. I can waste away on alcohol; I can gamble away my life savings, I can watch terribly graphic movies, and yet I cannot play in a virtual world, a world made up of rendered, not human as they are in movies, characters.

I can watch a crazed murderer take to an innocent victim with a chainsaw in a film but cannot do this in real life (every since Resident Evil 4 there's been something about chainsaws in games with me). In the middle of that, should I be allowed to control a virtual character doing it in a videogame? That seems to be what we, and the non-gaming government, cannot decide on. I can kill characters in games, even those controlled by other people, with guns and relatively known weapons, but the minute that turns to "high impact violence” it is instantly not allowed in this country. What’s the difference? I’ve still killed them, and I can watch this type of graphic violence in a film (which is a lot more graphic when it happens with real people).

15-year-olds can watch films like Saw. Should they
be allowed to play violent games like Left 4 Dead 2?

What annoys me more is that a lot of this so called ‘high impact violence’ is fine in films that 15-year-olds are allowed to see. Many of the Saw movies are MA15+, and I’m sure they have a lot more “frenetic and unrelenting violence” than Left 4 Dead 2. Real people portray this violence; surely one could argue that it’s much worse than a graphic character doing the same thing (or in many cases something that isn’t as bad)? Interactivity is what they’ll say, but I can yell at my TV demanding a screwdriver to that face. I would still have the same motive even if I didn’t have the same control. The Internet, and web 2.0, is full of interactivity. We can jump onto forums and discuss our favourite parts of graphic movies and send messages to the creators telling them what we’d love to see in sequels; this too is a form of interactivity.

This leaves me thinking, surely there’s more to it than the interactive argument, and there’s no way you’ll convince me violence in a game is too realistic, especially when compared to a film. Is it because gaming stereotypes still exist? While we know the days of being labelled the school nerd for playing Tetris are over (because everyone in school now plays Tetris is the crazy sales are anything to go by), does the government? Must we all suffer because one guy in America plays Doom then goes on a shooting rampage at his school?

Our culture, in general, has a violent mindset for entertainment purposes. The highest rating shows on TV involve criminal violence, shows such as CSI and 24 have a massive supporter base, and yet we haven’t seen an influx in the amount of people getting their knee caps shot to make them talk. However, if I did that in a game would I be more likely to in real life? Research and common sense points to no, but that hasn’t changed anything.

We have an increasingly violent entertainment culture
in other mediums. Why aren't gamers
offered the same luxury?

I want to play violent games like left 4 Dead 2, but I am not a violent person. They haven’t made me more violent and I’m by no means addicted. While I like them I also like the more family friendly titles. Recently I’ve been playing LittleBigPlanet and Scribblenauts, which are fun for the whole family. Similarly I like violent movies like Saw, but at the same time I also enjoy light-hearted films like Up. I’m not going to turn into a maladjusted teenager from playing these games. I’m not going to end up sitting in my room being anti-social playing them 24/7 (although the whole games, and the Internet, being antisocial thing really annoys me. We play with friends online, we chat online, it’s a new form of being social that we fit into our busy lives. Not that it should take over going out on weekends, but that’s an argument for another time). I doubt the people in their 20s and 30s who want to play these are going to suffer from these either.

The average gamer in 30. That stat is thrown around all the time, and so it should be. To be honest, we don’t care if the OFLC says a game is not suitable for a 15-year-old, especially those of us who have celebrated our 18th birthday (or can grow an epic beard, I never could in my underage days). Yes, I could argue all day that these younglings are allowed to view films that are far more violent than the videogames we want to play, but I know - the whole interactivity thing. So I’ll give up on that and go back to the R18+ rating for videogames. It always comes back to this. Every time a game is banned it gets brought up; we feel one step closer to getting the rating introduced, then someone comes along and crushes us back down to where we were (not mentioning any names *cough* Michael Atkinson *cough*). Fortunately Left 4 Dead has a massive Australian following, so we may be in with our best chance yet of pushing the case for an R18+ rating for games further than it’s ever gone before.

Movies are for all ages, including adults; games are for all ages, including adults. It looks clear-cut to us; hopefully the powers to be see it that way as well sooner rather than later. I don’t expect them to agree with me that some of these games (some, by no means all) may be acceptable for 15-year-olds if some MA15+ movies are, but I do hope they realise that we need laws that allow an adult medium to accommodate adults.

18/09/2009

The PS3 Slim is Finally Here!

Written By Ben Salter

The PS3 Slim is finally – officially – here! We’ve known about it for months, and with each rumour came more credibility that the console existed, and was going to be released this year. Even without all of the ‘hints’ that made their way into the media over the course of the year this wouldn’t come as a shock to anyone. By simply looking at Sony’s history with its previous home consoles it’s easy to put two and two together and conclude that a PS3 Slim would emerge eventually. Now it’s less than a month away, but the question remains: is it worth it?

I for one will strongly consider purchasing the slimmer console when it is released on September 3. Not for the smaller size, less noise, lower energy consumption, or new look, but for the $200 price cut. As I don’t already own a PS3, or a Blu-Ray player, the $500 price tag is starting to look a little more affordable, and worthwhile. Yes we are paying more than our fellow gamers in the US. USD $299 works out to be approximately AUD $361 with the current exchange rate, but there’s more to it than that. The price of gaming in Australia will continue to be a long running debate in the future, but Sony (of Australia) should not have the blame placed on them for the price discrepancy here. Being a Pal region our hardware is linked with Europe. As it currently stands the $499.95 PS3 Slim will actually be a little cheaper here than it will be in Europe. I, like many others, was hoping for something closer to the $400 mark, but it’s certainly better than the current $700 asking price (which will be lowered on Monday).

We also have to remember that this is the RRP. If I had to stage a guess I would have thought that the current 80GB PS3 was priced at $650, rather than have a RRP of $699. My point? Bargain shoppers will no doubt find something a little cheaper, or with a free game or two thrown in.

If you already own a PS3 I see absolutely no reason to purchase, or ‘upgrade’ to a PS3 Slim. In saying that, I was a little surprised to see the vast differences in opinion posted on MyPS3. Current PS3 owners seem to either hate it with a passion or love the thing and want to buy it for another room (I’ve never understood the point in owning 2 or more of the same console). I expected more of a ‘meh’ response, as it really isn’t aimed at people who have already entered the PS3 market. It’s a little bit of a generalisation, and to be honest I didn’t go through and read every single response to every article, but I was surprised by these two extremes.

If you haven’t had a chance to see what has actually be changed you may be disappointed to find that it is mainly cosmetic. The PS3 Slim is 1.5 kilos smaller, uses less energy and makes less noise that its counterparts. Besides that it is much the same. There’s still no PS2 backwards compatibility and only 2, rather than 4, USB slots, both things that have been omitted since the original 60GB console. The ability to install other operating systems has also been removed. I’m not entirely sure why, I’m sure it’s around the internet somewhere, but I’d guess it would be to place a greater emphasis on games and Blu-Rays. Finally it’s $200 cheaper than the current PS3, although this will change on Monday. In short that is the difference between the 80GB and slim models of the PS3. With little reason to upgrade, it is clear whom Sony is targeting.

Finally I wonder how Sony Australia will go about marketing the new device? It was revealed last week that Blu-Rays are selling extremely well, but won’t see a price reduction in the near future. New release movies often cost between $10-$30 more on Blu-Ray than the do on DVD. Regardless of how fast people may be taking up the new technology surely this is going to substantially slow things down. After all, are people really willing to pay almost double for a movie in high definition? That’s an issue for another time, as for now we’re discussing how Sony will get the PS3 Slim to fly off shelves. The reduced RRP will be a big help, and is the hook for me, but the free PS3s with Sony Bravia TVs must have had a great impact on getting Blu-Rays into peoples homes. Will they do something similar with the Slim, or have they already accomplished what they set out to do with this? It was marketed more as a BluRay player, than gaming console, in that particular promotion, so is it time to push the PS3 as a gaming platform now that it is closer to the Xbox 360 and Wii in price?

I believe that the year of the PS3 may very well be late 2009 or 2010. Expect the PS3 Slim to sell substantially over the course of the few months and Christmas period; not because it’s shed some unnecessary weight, but because of the price drop. I never bought a PS3 because I couldn’t justify owning one along side a 360 for $700, despite my interest in Blu-Ray. That all looks set to change with the price drop that has been a long time coming.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the PS3 Slim, and its position in the gaming industry. Will you be purchasing one or sticking with the old school model? Do you think it’s the right move for Sony? Or like me are you more interested in the price drop?

19/08/2009

Admin Interviews - MyBluRay + MyTelly

Continuing the MyMedia Admin interviews, we move away from the gaming arena. This is the final instalment in the admin interviews this year, and once again a few people have already completed them for one of the other sites in the network. Check them out here.

So without further ado, I present to you the hardest hitting interviews you'll see on the Internet all year.

Unhostile

Real name: Jordan

Location: NSW

Role at MyMedia: Admin at MyTelly

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Hmm, most of the time I'm either outside playing soccer & football or I would be hanging out with friends.

What are you currently playing?
I am currently playing Left 4 Dead on the PC. If not that, I would be playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the Playstation 3.

What is your most played game of all time?
My most played game.... Would have to be, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, it had to much entertainment and laughter for me to let it go.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Noby Noby Boy from the Playstation Store. Such a boring and dull title.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
There are quite a few but the ones I am mostly anticipating is M.A.G. (Massive Action Game) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
I enjoy what gaming has to offer at the moment. But there's a chance digital retail will come into hand and will be bigger and better. For example, Steam is a digital retailer and its sales are astounding so I can't imagine what it would be like in 2024.

How do you get off a nonstop flight?
I couldn't stand being on a plane for a long period of time so, I would have to resort in causing an emergency landing which by hope doesn't cause the plane to crash....

Mintyjam

Real name: Jimmy Tan (It's no big secret, it's in my username all along.)

Location: Swine Flu capital, Melbourne

Role at MyMedia: I write stuffs that nobody reads, at a forum that almost nobody goes to, unless you watch lots of telly. Basically trying hard not to be a dirty old man.

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Sell drugs (including Tamiflu), write music and count money. It gets lonely living alone.

What are you currently playing?
Wii: Animal Crossing; Final Fantasy Chrystal Chronicles (something something). PC: Some lousy chess games and Go (I like brainy stuffs). Go is a Japanese game that has something to do with black and white balls, in case you have no idea what I am talking about.

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
Hopefully someone from the future and hopefully this someone knows how to create wormholes, or knows how to manipulate the Higgs Boson. I don't want to think about how in the world I ended up on the deserted island in the first place. did I mention this someone has to be a genetically verified FEMALE?

What is your most played game of all time?
Final Fantasy VI, VII, VIII, IX. I lost count after IX; and the realistic human characters don't really appeal that much to me.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (I can't get past Valoo, and dem makes me angry)

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
The dictionary game. Also known as Scribblenauts, so that I can chain a piece of meat to a pole and holding it while riding on a raptor with a parachute. Other than that, most upcoming games are still the same old stuffs.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Gaming is already old. Given the history of gaming starts with Pong in 1972, and the era of SERIOUS gaming starts in 1984 (The old old old NES), Why are we still playing with those bulky remotes after 25 years? Well, at least there is this fancy thing called the REMOTE (wireless), but remotes have been around since 1956 for the telly. It has taken a LONG TIME for someone to figure out the use of wireless remotes for GAME CONSOLES. This is unacceptable.

Based on something called extrapolation, we will still be playing with the Wii remote clone after 15 years, with consoles half its present size but twice the weight. Miniaturisation is still much too slow, so people makes things heavier. Not unless some genius engineer somewhere discovered a way to make electronic circuits without using transistors, we will still be stuck with what we currently have, and it has nothing to do with the graphics. Nanotechnology is still unreliable.

I tend to think of gameplay in the future using a system called bioresonance input. Through kinesthesia, electrodes attached to the skin relay our movements and identify the position of the ingame characters, not dissimilar to motion capture presently in use by the film industries.

In 15 years, Google will still be very much alive. Microsoft goes back to their roots in Office software, this time FOR FREE, and sell their game console division to wannabes (maybe SEGA?). XBox becomes Y-dimension and playstation becomes something obscene due to 3D pwn. Nintendo is still good ol' Nintendo.

P.S. Apple died without Steve Jobs.

Who would you turn gay for?
Guyver, cos he is around my age. For the rest of you, that will definitely makes me a dirty old man. Unless, of course......then there is also K-M4N, K-WoM4N and his 101 variations of K-ness.

Milky-Shee

Real name: Ben Chamberlain

Location: WA

Role at MyMedia: Admin over at MyBluRay. Provider of comedy and insults on My360.

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Work in advertising for the WA government, bitch of a job but someone has to do it. Apart from that I just spend my evenings either watching movies, playing games, listening to music or spending time with my better half.

What are you currently playing?
I have recently got back into Oblivion. Also been playing inFamous and Prototype (inFamous being the far superior game!). Apart from those it has been fairly quiet on the gaming front of late.

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
John Candy, if he was still alive. He could provide me with comedy to begin with, but once I got bored with him I could kill him, eat his meat to survive and use his mountain of skin to keep me warm. Gross ey.

What is your most played game of all time?
Crash Team Racing. Loved that game when I was kid. Reckon I put about 3 hours a day into the game for 2 years. Finished it 100% about 40 times.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Tough. I would probably go with the second Getaway game on PS2, game which just so bad to play, no enjoyment in it at all.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
BioShock 2. The first is my all-time favourite game, so obviously 2 is going to be my most anticipated.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
I personally don’t it will change as much as the other guys are saying. I reckon we will still have consoles and discs. I mean in the last 15 years gaming hasn’t changed massively, you know we still have consoles and discs and the only thing to have changed is the growth in graphics and online gaming. I reckon DLC’s are the way of the future, if they keep going down this path then they can’t go wrong.

Can a guy named Nick have a 'nick 'name?
Sure can. Use to be friends with a Nick, we called him Albino cause he is was so white.

Krycek

Real name: Sam Francis

Location: ACT

Role at MyMedia: As an admin at myBluray I help to keep the black knight at bay. Thankfully he doesn't show his face too often.

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
I'm in my second year of Engineering and Science at ANU. With weekly reading, labs, lectures, tutes and homework asssignments my time is pretty much dominated by Uni. I'm fine with it though, I only have 3 and a 1/2 more years and then I will be able to build an Ironman suit. On the odd chance that I do find a spare moment (and I'm not playing games) I'll either go to the movies, read or search the internet for the 'Truth'.

What are you currently playing?
DS - Chrono Trigger, Rhythm Heaven
Wii - Sports Resort, Majora's Mask
Xbox 360 - Soul Calibur 4, Prince of Persia

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
Macgyver - If anyone could get me off that island it would be him. I'm certain that with the right amount of gum, a stone, a pile of sand and a palm frond, Macgyver would be able to make a Jetski or something. In the event that Macgyver is unavailable my back up would be Corey Feldman. His experience as a Goonie probably gave him a similar, though admittedly less expansive, skill set to Macgyver plus he could act out scenes from his movies when we got bored.

What is your most played game of all time?
I'm guessing it would be a tie between Sonic on the megadrive and Majora's Mask on the 64.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Although there are a lot of terrible games out there (Superman 64 anyone?) I would have to say Alex Kidd. Back in my megadrive days I played this game so much but could never finish it. One day I got up to the final boss and the game glitched. There I was, caught in a wall, multiple lives in reserve and with the boss mocking me all I could do was reset. Never went near that game again.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Shadow Complex on xbox live arcade. Haven't played a good platformer in a long time.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Thats assuming the world doesn't end in 2012.

Why do the signs that say "Slow Children" have a picture of a running child?
Let me answer that question with another question - How many slow kids do you see running?

IAMColonel

Real name: Mr IAC

Location: Melbourne

Role at MyMedia: Admin on MyPSP for 2 and a half years now. I need to find me a walking stick. And more recently MyBluray, where I post a few features and news articles, come say hi in our movie chats.

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Working, computering, being lazy, going out with mates. Usual teenager stuff.

What are you currently playing?
PS3 - UFC 2009
PSP - Harry Potter (I don't know why I have this, it's soooo bad)

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
The genie from Aladdin. He has a sick hairdo, and I could wish for cool stuff.

What is your most played game of all time?
The FIFA series combined, by far. One of them would be the most played individual game.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
There's been a couple of PSP games which have just reaked of turd; Lego Batman, Harry Potter. As far as me being dissapointed, it'd be GTA, just because of how much it had been talked up to me, then it was just a massive letdown.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Modern Warfare 2. Probably the only game I'll certainly buy this year.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Graphic improvements have really halted in the past 3 or 4 years, we're seeing nothing better. I suppose in 15 years they will have found new methods and created much better programs, perhaps it'll be easier for them to create games and we'll get more of the COD-style "game machines" being repeated in various releases. I don't think I'll be gaming in 15 years though...

Have you ever seen a toad on a toadstool?
No. I do think ICC has licked one too many toads in his time though! :p

mordillo92

Real name: Dean Tsambos

Location: Umina, New South Wales, Australia

Role at MyMedia: MyBluRay News guy...

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
I go to the movies on a weekly basis, sometimes even twice or three times a week. Crazy. I also love to write, whether it be movie reviews or simple stories (I'm looking to become an author in the future)... Hanging out with friends, but unfortunately school has gotten the better of me recently...

What are you currently playing?
Unreal Tournment 2004 on my PC (haha, I'm so awesome)

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
Joaquin Phoenix. Would be so odd and awkward Not to mention super amusing...

What is your most played game of all time?
Burnout Paradise. Can't get enough of it. Kudos to Criterion...

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
GoldenEye on N64......... Just kidding. I can't really think of one at the moment, but one game that does come to mind that irritated me sooo much is Resistance 2. It is such a disappointment.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
I'm gonna go ahead and list a couple... Modern Warfare 2 and Uncharted 2...

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
First of all, I don't think it will be futuristic where we literally put ourselves in the game. I do think we'll still have consoles, only they have been greatly enhanced in one way or another over the years. Graphics will obviously be improved. I also think SEGA will once again join the home console race.

Why do they call it "chili" if it's hot?
It's kind of like "awesome" and "awful." Awesome is positive, yet there is only some "awe"? While "awful" is negative but it is full of "awe"? LOL. Understand? Probably not... Anyways. I have no idea why it's called chili if it's hot. It's contradictory!

Thanks to everyone who participated! That's it for the admin interviews for 2009, until next year! On a side note we have some very exciting news about MyBluRay, stay tuned for the Around the Network feature tomorrow for the latest on that!

Click here for more admin interviews!

16/08/2009

Admin Interviews - MyPS3 + MyPSP

Continuing the MyMedia Admin interviews, we head across to Sony central. Being the forth instalment in the Admin Interviews a few of the admin at these sites have already participated in past interviews. Check them out here.

So without further ado, I present to you the hardest hitting interviews you'll see on the Internet all year.

jason_rhcp

Real name: Jason Di Benedetto

Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Role at MyMedia: Admin on MyPS3, MyTelly and MyBuzz. Also do a lot of banners and graphics.

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Usually i spend my time playing soccer, going to school, going out with friends, just the usual stuff i guess.

What are you currently playing?
Well right now im basically just still playing Call of duty 4: Modern warfare on the PS3, and that is pretty much it for the time being.

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
At this point in time i would liked to be trapped with Jessica Nigri! Why, because she is the hottest cosplay ever!

What is your most played game of all time?
No doubt, Super Mario 64. I played and finished that game so many times, would be afraid to find out how many hours of my life i have put into it However, the Call of the duty 4 prestige aspect has kept me playing for a long time also.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Well this was a tough question but i think personally my least favourite game was Mischief Makers on the Nintendo 64. It may have been a good title but when i was younger i could never work out how to jump in the game, so i could not progress. I was pretty much stuck in the game and was going no where, so I got frustrated and brought it back to the shop.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
The game im most anticipating would probably have to be Bioshock2, massive fan of the first and just can wait to see what they are going to do with this one. Im eager to see if 2K can pull off another spectacular story like the original. Also looking forward to Uncharted2 and Modern Warfare2.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Revert back to cartridges! Nah but I really think digital distribution will take off rapidly to the point where it is the main form of games. However, i would still expect most games would be still distributed on a disk as a alternative. Also i think another company like Apple will invest in a console if the gaming industry is still going strong.

Why is it called a building when it is already built?
ummm...because...umm... *head explodes*

wutang01

Real name: William Wu

Location: Queensland

Role at MyMedia: MyPS3 Administrator, MyPS3 Member

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
A lot of university work, a part-time job or just simply gaming on the Playstation 3

What are you currently playing?
Playstation 3, Battlefield 1943. Soon to play Killzone 2 and SOCOM Confrontation

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
Miranda Kerr. Hot chick, come on haha. But yea, I probably have a chance, since the population of that island is ... two! Probability = 100%.

What is your most played game of all time?
Battlefield 1943

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, it’s such a shoddy game with awful controls ... and I only played it for a platinum trophy. What the?

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
God of War III (surprise?)

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
After Microsoft and Sony realise that motion gaming was just a novel idea, and was a dead-end road ... they’ll refocus back on the hardcore gaming market, and start developing proper 3D gaming! With 3D goggles? And 802.11N wireless connectivity? And enforced 1080p resolution with high frame rates for all PS4 games?

Why is Charlie short for Charles if they are both the same number of letters?
It’s a diminutive in the English language like how the word “undies” is from “underwear”, Maggie from Margaret, Charlie from Charles.

Luke4123

Real name: Luke Olsen

Location: Brisbane, QLD

Role at MyMedia: Admin at MyPS3, MyDS and MyBuzz

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
I spend most of my time at school but in my spare time I like watching TV, doing some graphics design, playing tennis, web design, surfing the web and hanging out with friends.

What are you currently playing?
Counterstrike: Source on the PC, there aren't really any PS3 or DS games that interest me at the moment. On my iPhone I'm addicted to this game called Minigore.

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
Probably a genie so they could wish me off the island?

What is your most played game of all time?
Sims 2, I must of spent at least 100+ hours on that game.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Hmmm that's a tough one. I would have to say Terminator Salvation for PS3. It didn't tell you what you had to do, the game was impossible unless you were on co-op and the control were crap.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Uncharted 2, Assassins Creed 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Hopefully it won't dramatically change because I like the way it is at the moment. I would like to see Apple get into gaming more and maybe even make their own console. It would be awesome, just like everything else Apple makes!

Why is it called lipstick if you can still move your lips?
Because it is a stick for your lips!

Lewace11

Real name: Lewis 'Lewy' Edwards

Location: Scotland, UK (Yes on the OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD )

Role at MyMedia: MyPSP administrator dude

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Mainly Army Cadets, making websites. Outside of Summer time I'm a Computer Networking student. 8-| Any time left after that is looking for a job.

What are you currently playing?
Call of Duty: World at War (Online) PS3
Guitar Hero: World Tour PS3
Little Big Planet (Again/online) PS3
Locoroco (Again) PSP

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
I think Brad from MyPS3 would be a good one to be with, we'd sit and play PS3, and probably never actually notice we've detached from civilisation.

What is your most played game of all time?
Eesh, lots. Of all time? It'd have to be GTA: San Andreas - so many hours spent on that game, it formed a huge part of my upbringing :/

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
That suduko game for the DS has to be quite bad, and was there not a Hannah Montana game released? BURN THEM ALL!

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Eaaasy. Little Big Planet on PSP, and Call of Duty: MW2 on PS3 are on my 'things I shouldn't buy to save money' list.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
I think it'll probably change drastically. Look at what we had in 1994 compared to the beast of machines in our homes today. Unfortunately I think this whole 'get up off the sofa' type of gameplay is gonna kick in a bit more, which is a pain for lazy sods like me. I don't expect much change in the next few years due to this recession we're in. It's gonna get worse before it gets better

Why is it that night falls but day breaks?
I dunno :/ Maybe it's 'cause someone drops night-time and it falls all the way 'til morning when it breaks as daylight. (Of course it breaks as daylight due to the scientifical change from night into day. It's a long process involving smurfs and Mac systems so I wont delve into the details). Although, Maybe it just does?

insectoid

Real name: aha! Yeah...no.

Location: Victoria

Role at MyMedia: MyPSP ghost admin *eerie noises*

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Year 12 darnit! I'd likely die without my music; my dear iPod has seen much of the world from my pocket, and I'm constantly in an epic battle with our squeaky piano pedal (in those glorious moments when I get time to practice).

What are you currently playing?
DS: Advance Wars and Rhythm Heaven
360: KotOR 2 and the odd bout of Guitar Hero
PSP: Patapon 2
PC: A little game I like to call "Avoid doing english essays"

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
Oh man, I have no idea. Maybe I'd do the world a favour and take someone you all just want to get rid of...

What is your most played game of all time?
I believe this would be a tie between Oblivion, and some form of Guitar Hero. I need to learn how to play them both, at the same time!

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
I'm torn between going for something that is truly terrible, or something that's so good it made me forget to eat.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Scribblenauts! If you're not at least mildly excited for that game, you have no soul. Also, Assassins Creed 2 - yeah, the first one was quite terrible, but I like the concept, and I think you'd be hard pressed to ignore all the gamer hate that game out of it, let alone not fix it.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
I can only hope that this obsession with motion controls with die - I play games to crash on the couch and unwind, not perform more physical activity, or generally look foolish. Digital distribution will likely become the standard, though again I'd rather it didn't (I like having a collection to display dammit!). Hopefully the trend will turn from super-realistic graphics, back to publishers and devs realising you actually need fun and interesting gameplay...

Does killing time damage eternity?
Well now, that's entirely dependant on what 'time' is. Is time not just a form of measurement created by Man? Is time not just a mere concept? If so, can you kill a concept? Eternity is nothingness, or time without end, thus, how can you kill it, even knowing what time is? Is it even possible to have real eternity, when we are all doomed to die? Don't worry, if we work together, we can sort out this conundrum! Who has paper?

Kespen

Real name: Kieran Poblete

Location: New South Wales

Role at MyMedia: Newest MyPSP Admin

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
During my spare time I like to listen to music and watch anime. I'm usually a spontaneous person and don't really organise to do things until I choose to do them but apart from that I would say I don't really do too much thats different from the next person. I guess, in short. My life has no real motive. I just do whatever.

What are you currently playing?
Nothing really. More or less waiting for MW2 to come around and give me a reason to play my PS3 for a change.

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
Probably a glass of chocolate milk named Steve...

What is your most played game of all time?
...That would have to be Halo 3.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Can't say I have one.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Halo: Reach, I guess.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Wow... 15 years? Can't say I'm sure. The way things are going now with all that motiony mumbo jumbo, I wouldn't be surprised if gaming as we know it goes down the drain by then. Obviously that's not to say I'm hoping for that outcome. I like mashing buttons on a little plastic controller.

If cats and dogs didn't have fur would we still pet them?
Well, I can't see why not. Do people not like Sphynx kitties?

Thanks to everyone who participated! We'll have the final interviews from MyTelly and MyBluRay/MyMovie coming up this Sunday!

Click here for more admin interviews!

12/08/2009

MyMedia Admin Interviews - My360 + MyFrag

Continuing the MyMedia Admin interviews, today we sit down the the admin teams from My360 and MyFrag. These guys are volunteers and we understand that an admin position across MyMedia is more than being a normal forum moderator that you get at other sites. For that we sincerely thank them for all the time and hard work that they put in, and now it's time to sit down and have a chat!

So without further ado, I present to you the hardest hitting interviews you'll see on the Internet all year.

Doles284

Real name: Alex Dolan

Location: Western Australia

Role at MyMedia: MyFrag Admin. Have sort of fallen into the position of medal guy. I'm also the resident grammar nerd! How annoying!

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Working mostly, driving trucks. I also enjoy downhill skateboarding.

What are you currently playing?
Wii: MarioKart Wii, Wii Fit.
DS: Spiderman Web of Shadows, Phantom Hourglass (still havent finished it since release).
PC: CounterStrike Source

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
Ben (ICC_06), because I'm sure he will constantly be able to come up with hypothetical questions about deserted islands and such. Hey, is there dessert on this island? If there is dessert on the island I would be happy by myself!

What is your most played game of all time?
One I keep coming back to is Day Of The Tentacle. I have played that game so much. I even play the game, find the in-game computer and play through Maniac Mansion! It's crazy!

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Superman 64. I hired this one out and took it back after about an hour. Why? When making the game, they must have forgot to put the "funness chip" in the cartridge and accidentally put another couple of "NOT funness chips" in there.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Well, definitely the next Zelda title for Wii, but also kind of excited about Spirit Tracks on DS, but other than that, not much!

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
I think we will be over motion control and photo-realistic graphics. Developers and gamers will have realised that photo-realism is not what they want even though they think they want it now, in 2009. You could discuss this for ages, but 15 years is such a long time! You realise we could be awaiting the Playstation 8 in 15 years? PS8! How can we fathom it?

If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy all her friends?
If you didn't buy her friends, then she wouldn't be popular. This creates a paradox in which Barbie exists, but does not. She is Barbie, but not Barbie™. Are you writing this down?

Elraro

Real name: Horacio McGroinpunch

Location: Sydney, New South Fails

Role at MyMedia: Admin for My360, pretentious music enthusiast, all around radical dude. The last two moreso than the first.

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Being awesome. Being delicious. Being awesomely delicious. Oh and making out with Rerun. Aside from that I'm often seen playing bass, attending MANY local gigs and collecting comic books. Told you I'm radical....man.

What are you currently playing?
Fallout 3 - X360. So addictive!

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
It would have to be with someone I really hate and can't stand...so I can lay into them in a constant fit of rage.

What is your most played game of all time?
Tough to call...probably World of Warcraft for obvious reasons. That's in the past, though.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Another tough call...probably Halo 3. Massive disappointment for me and I found the single player VERY tedious (like a chore) and the multi-player unbearable.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Modern Warfare 2, Mass Effect 2 and Bioshock 2. Yup...all sequels.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
It took about 20 years to get from 16-bit technology to the beasts we see today. In 15 years, I'm guessing we'll be seeing real people in games we play if the current "complete interactivity" trends right now keep going.

In saying that, Australia will still be trying to get an R18+ classification passed for games and will probably end up being cut-off from the industry because of it. Nobody wants to spend another truckload of money catering to a lone island in the middle of nowhere because a game character said "boobies".

If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them?
You mean...we weren't supposed to shoot them?.......brb, court.

RerunWii

Real name: Max

Location: Brisbane, Qld

Role at MyMedia: Site Admin (My360)

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Huge muso, I play drums, guitar, bass and piano and am currently messing around with recording in garage-band. At the moment, I’m going to “teh uniz”, slumming it with the rest of the starved artists and splicing in the girlfriend and gym whenever I have a spare moment. Oh, and working, working way too much, I’ll be jetting to Africa at the end of the year to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and need the sweet sweet money-cash.

What are you currently playing?
At the moment I’m mostly not playing anything (no time, I’m sorry to say) although I’ll be getting into Dawn of War II for the PC over the next few weeks and I’ll finish InFAMOUS when I get a chance.

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
It’s boring but probably my girlfriend, no one I’d rather spend my time with.

What is your most played game of all time?
This is a stupidly hard question. I think the contenders would have to be Street Fighter II, Goldeneye, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Zelda: Ocarina of Time and maybe Timesplitters 2? I dunno’. Tetris is a big one, love me the Tetris, I will wreck you at Tetris, seriously, PM me a screenshot of your candy-**** score and I will make you cry (whilst basking in my radiant, blocky glow). I recently obtained the full Goldeneye soundtrack; the Bond entrance music is my text tone right now. I sent it to my roommate and we’ve vowed that if they ever go off at the same time we’ll start some Bond ****…

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
There’re so many terrible games that I hate. Right now, all I can think of are the only two games I’ve ever returned – Battlefield: Bad Company and Fallout 3. BBC really isn’t a bad game though; I just decided I didn’t want it. Fallout 3 is the stuff of nightmares, when I tramp around in nuclear wastelands I can pick up as much **** as I want without having to return home to sell it, this “encumbrance” mechanic is retarded, get a ****ing cart and put all the **** I need in there, problem solved! Also, as a super-fan of the Resident Evil series, I hate, hate, HATE Resident Evil 5, I’d much rather wipe my **** with the corner edge of a brick than play through that again, atrocious.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Ah, there’re a few. Assassin’s Creed Two is a huge one for me, I need that game. As one of the few people who loved the original I’m psyched to keep sifting through the plot. Also, StarCraft Two, for some reason I’ve been aching for a good RTS lately and this will work on my Mac without booting into Windows so I think I’ll be playing that in the background of everything for quite a while. I’m really fairly apathetic towards Modern Warfare Two right now, I know y’all are looking forward to it and I am too in some way but I don’t see it being as good as the first (fourth?). It just looks like they’ve done away with the ultra-realism and kicked MOARACTION into it wherever possible. That’s just my opinion, flame as directed…

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
I think gaming will be almost the same as it is now. The success of the Wii has really defined the games industry as we see it today. Before Nintendo released it’s little moneymaker, the industry was constantly evolving and upgrading; as soon as the underpowered beast hit and the ‘Casual Market’ became apparent everything has slowed down. I think (I’m not going to check, I’m tired) Sony is pushing the PS3’s lifecycle to 2018 and MS is planning to do the same while just tweaking the main system slightly (Natal etc…), much like Nintendo’s handling of the DS and it’s various iterations. I think the most innovative and interesting part of the industry as it stands is the handheld market, I’m constantly buying new iPhone apps and I’m pretty sure I’ll grab a DS for the flight overseas later this year (so far I’ll be picking up Chrono Trigger, Tetris DS, The World Ends With You and [if it’s out] Dragon Quest IX) any game suggestions? The way developers are incorporating touch in games is fantastic. Anyway, I really like the even spread we have going between the home consoles at the moment, the huge releases and gimmicks have gotten old and I find that the more interesting games and developers are starting to poke their heads out and come to light. To tell you the truth, I’ve been playing a whole lot of casual games that I can pick up and put down quickly in between doing (arguably) more important things. I think the casual market has really changed the standards for the industry, I remember when playing games was really not a cool thing to do, when gaming was considered anti-social and weird. Times have changed though and nowadays almost everyone is a gamer. When you think about it like that, that’s innovation right there. I also have to say that reviving classics like the Monkey Island series and bringing back the side-scroller are steps in the right direction for gaming as a whole; simple, fun games with punchy dialogue (cut scenes are no substitute for quality writing [see portal]) are really where it’s at for me. Even though the industry isn’t being pushed to spit out new tech at the moment, it’s still innovating, just in a different, more gamer-centric way. After all, it’s all about the gameplay and I think getting back to the roots is a really good way to bring this to light and push for new and better ideas. I’d rather settle for having great games at greater frequency in 15 years than some boring virtual-reality sim. Having said what I have though, I still can’t stand the Wii.

If anyone has an iPhone or iTouch, make sure you grab Tetris, Monkey Island and Space Invaders: Infinity Gene. Insane fun for such a low cost. Hope my elongated banter was somewhat interesting, if you want more check out my Twitter - twitter.com/ and/or add me to Steam - SgtRerun.

vblade

Real name: Paul Rathborne

Location: Townsville, Queensland

Role at MyMedia: Granting medals and some other general My360 admin stuff... apparently.

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Wait... I can have a life outside of gaming? Now you tell me. I might have to look into that. I like watching sports, listening to music and riding my mountain bike.

What are you currently playing?
I only play on Xbox 360 and at the moment it's all about NBA Live 09 with a little bit of Rock Band and some arcade games thrown in.

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
I've been on a deserted island once before, though i was by myself. The obvious choice would be a chick but that's really for only one ting... My choice, on the other hand, would have to be Johnny Depp. He's just an amazing actor and i don't think you would ever get bored with him around. Plus it's more enjoyable getting drunk with blokes.

What is your most played game of all time?
I'm going to cheat and say two games, the first being the reason i bought an xbox 360. Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Tough question. I really only play games I'll enjoy, in some way. I guess any Mario game because i was Sega boy.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Assassin's Creed 2 should be a great sequel, Dragon Age: Origins has Bioware attached to it and Brutal Legen will just simply ROCK!

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Well with those eg's it's not going to be 15 years away, more like 2-4 years and digital distribution is already here. I'm not a prophet nor can i see the future, however, i think in 15 years things will still be pretty much the same. Though everything will work properly and look even more real. The controls won't really change. There will just be options for different ones. I'm more interested to see where games go in 15 years.

If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
Hmmmm... Which part to tackle first? Lingerie is popular because it's like opening a present that you know you're getting. It's made from nice and soft materials which feel really nice. Love isn't blind. It's only phrased like that because it's something that you can't see just like bats aren't actually blind.

Rashy

Real name: Rashy

Location: Sydney

Role at MyMedia: My360 Admin and cat herder

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
I spend most of my free time with my partner and our friends. We all like to check out new restaurants (we seldom dine at the same place twice) and generally just get out and about.

What are you currently playing?
I've just started playing COD4 campaign again in anticipation of MW2.

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
Someone who is really good a making boats. I hear they are great conversationalists. Failing that one of the super rich (Bill Gates, Richard Branson) someones bound to come looking for them.

What is your most played game of all time?
Probably Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders. I remember finishing it for the first time when I was young and immediately starting it again.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
FantaVision. It was rubbish.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Modern Warfare 2

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Gaming is still relatively young. I expect the Hardcore gaming genre to become more immersive as developers get better at telling their stories. I expect the casual gaming genre to broaden as more devices come to market to capture it. I wouldn't be surprised to see another console join Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft in the next generation of consoles now that so many more people are buying them.

Why do your feet smell, and your nose run?
My feet don't smell *secretly sniffs feet*

Loupek

Real name: Joe, not Lord Louis Peckingham the Third as some members believe

Location: ACT

Role at MyMedia: My360 Admin, raro and rerun's gimp, rashy sidekick/lover

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
I work for the ACT government during the day, fight crimes by night and spend the rest of my time with my little family

What are you currently playing?
Fallout 3 (360), some pokemon game on the missus's DS and tetris on my mobile

What is your most played game of all time?
Either Oblivion or Fallout 3

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Knight Rider on the PS2, it was just sooooo bad

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
MW2, Alan Wake, Borderlands, ODST and Halo: Reach

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
I think Natal/Milo has certainly opened a lot of peoples eyes to the potential for future interactive application. I'd hate to see digital distribution become standard, I'm always over my cap as it is

How come wrong numbers are never busy?
Something to do with reverse vampires, saucer people and the Rand Corporation I believe

Skarteh

Real name: Scotteh (no not really its just Scott )

Location: Melbourne

Role at MyMedia: I have a role? I thought I was just here for looks and innuendo... (MyFrag Admin)

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Theres an outside? I don't like the sound of it... Naw seriously I like going out to the bush on the weekends normally but I haven't done so since it got completely annihilated by the fires, I love art and design and should do a lot more of it! I like riding, movies, cars and hanging out with m'lady. But mostly I am just a big game nerd!

What are you currently playing?
Still playing the hell out of L4D. Nothing new as of late, pretty much waiting for all the new games to come out so very soon I'll be going to town on CODMW2, Diablo 3, Guild Wars 2, Left 4 Dead 2 and...theres another one I can't remember. But much gaming will soon be had! All on PC of course

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
I was going to say Jessica Alba because she couldn't say no forever, but I think I might go with either Michael Atckinson or Stephen Controy. When I get rescued I'll claim they died of natural causes.

What is your most played game of all time?
Counter-Strike, still play it today even though I started a decade ago. Used to play it religiously, our clan started there and has been going almost a decade too mind you we're more a group of gamers who like dicking around than a clan...

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Oh...Ooooh.. Uh.. Soldier of Fortune 3: Payback. I need not say why its my least favourite game if you've played it, but lets just say its amazing level of badness was a crime against nature after such a stellar second game. Never buy a game because the last one was awesome kids, I got buuuuurned! The Sims probably ranks high on my list here too but that never had high expectations

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Without a doubt, Modern Warfare 2. And if we don't get some MyFrag games nights happening for that game, I shall rage! BUY IT!

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Hard to say, I certainly hope PC gaming will have come back in force. Digital Distribution SHOULD be the standard already so I sure as hell hope it will be in 15 years.

If you can't drink and drive, why do bars have parking lots?
So you have somewhere to park your kebab trailer of course

Pongo

Real name: Anthony Taylor

Location: NSW

Role at MyMedia: News Admin For myfrag

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
hmmm... there is an outside of myfrag? i dunno, hang out with my gf and paint stuff... i have no life

What are you currently playing?
Call of Duty 4 on PC

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
Guyver, i need something decent to look at...

What is your most played game of all time?
The Elders Scrolls IV: Oblivion

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
I'm not entirely sure... i might say illusion of time on the SNES, only because I never managed to finish it, it confused me too much.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Modern Warfare 2 is tied with Assassins Creed 2

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Can gaming move around? i understand that it can be distributed via DVD and the such, but physically move? I really don't know, in fifteen years I hope that the online distribution thing takes of, so I guess it will "be" in the internet. Then again, Australia needs to get better internet first...

How can there be self-help "groups"?
Quite simply really, wait, you don't want a literal answer right? Ohhhh! then I got nadda

DoYL

Real name: Jason Doyle

Location: Western Australia

Role at MyMedia: MyFrag Administrator

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Currently enrolled at Tafe in a Mechanical Engineering course and am employed as a Trainee Piping Designer (Oil and Gas).

What are you currently playing?
I am currently playing Left 4 Dead on PC and very soon to be playing Aion on PC and also trying out Fallen Earth on PC.

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
Jack Sparrow. He could create rope from the hair on his back, lasso a couple of sea turtles and build a raft out of them for us to get us off the island. Failing that he could at the very least find us a stockpile of rum to whittle away the days.

What is your most played game of all time?
This would have to be the Command & Conquer series of games. While not being a single game, they are all part of the same series so I am counting that. If I was to pick just one game, it would have to be the original C&C.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
There are too many to list here or even remember the names of. Seriously, none of the names spring to mind!

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Call of Duty – Modern Warfare 2.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
This is a very difficult question. I am just hoping for a much more immersive gaming experience. Wrap around monitors that are so big, you can create an arc out of them so you look left and right to see the left and right, also, for games to take advantage of these and all much more perspective to allow the left and right to be your peripheral vision. I am also looking forward to computers that use the motion of my hands, like if I held them out I would take control – minority report style (but much less poncy). Also, strategy games that can take advantage of the “surface” style of monitors (dual touch control ftw!)

Why is it that when you're driving and looking for an address, you turn down the volume on the radio?
People do that? But why? It’s not like you can’t concentrate on finding a road on a map due to excessive noise. But to answer the question, I believe it is because of a part of them that remembers their parents always telling them to turn their music down while trying to concentrate that they do it automatically without realising.

Thanks to everyone who participated! Next we'll have the interviews for MyPS3 and MyPSP, they'll be up on Wednesday.

Click here for more admin interviews!

09/08/2009

MyMedia Admin Interviews - MyWii + MyDS

Continuing the MyMedia Admin interviews, we finally have some Actual admin. Today we sit down the the admin team from MyWii and MyDS. These guys are volunteers and we understand that an admin position across MyMedia is more than being a normal forum moderator that you get at other sites. For that we sincerely thank them for all the time and hard work that they put in, and now it's time to sit down and have a chat!

So without further ado, I present to you the hardest hitting interviews you'll see on the Internet all year.

K-M4N (K-Man aka Evil_Guy)

Real name: Kenni (and he LIVES!!!)

Location: California, USA - the sunshine state!

Role at MyMedia: Basic regular admin role at MyWii + MyPS3, handling most American members, being Guyver's punching bag, and adding games (MyPS3 only)

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Not much, just spend time on the computer. Not a socialable kind of a guy as I like to keep myself private. Oh listen to my iPod Touch!

What are you currently playing?
Well count the Wii out as I haven't bought a game in over two years! Though MadWorld and Punch-Out!! has been calling me but no monies, RAAAAGGGEEE!!!
PS3 - Warhawk
DS - Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
That's a toughie. I mean there's so many people here that I would looooooveee to spend time on a deserted island so my pick goes to... Malaka! Surprised? I am to. =O

What is your most played game of all time?
That would have to be Warhawk on the PS3 of course. My most played online game of all time. In fact I have clocked in more hours than Resistance 2 and Call of Duty 4! Oh and I just earned Captain rank, WOOT!

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
I can't think of one so I'll just say any half-assed third party game on Wii

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
There is a LOT especially for PS3. I won't say the most obvious ones but I am excited for Dead Rising 2 and BioShock 2. More M rated games for my ever so growing PS3 collection.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
I hope gaming doesn't change at all and that it will stick to the regular sitting on your ass and enjoying the good life style. It's nice to know that Microsoft and Sony are entering the motion sensing business but that crap will get old fast. I just hope they won't start putting in more energy into the casual market. Even though Nintendo made dumb money off of that, doesn't mean Microsoft or Sony have to do the same.

How can you hear yourself think?
I can and I sound like Keanu Reeves.

Speedyg

Real name: James B

Location: NSW

Role at MyMedia: Administrater at MyWii

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Well, I go fishing occasionally, when its not raining(it is pretty much always raining here), Quad riding(when it is raining ), i enjoy sport(getting into a soccer team next year!), i enjoy cooking occasionally and hanging with mates.

What are you currently playing?
Well, bit of this, bit of that really
Nintendo Wii
- Donkey Kong Jungle Beat NPC
- Mario Kart(Now and again)
- Wii Sports Resort

PS3
- Guitar Hero: Legends of Rock
- Resistance 2

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
The Stay Puft Marshmellow Man because you can never really get sick of marshmellows. And you would probably have a fire, so whats a camp fire without marshmellows? *Starts singing*

What is your most played game of all time?
I would have to say Banjo Kazooie/Tooie. I spent hours on those games

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
UHHHHHHHHH, probably Wii Play. I(and probably everyone else) just got it for the Wii Remote that was bundled with it.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Ohh, thats a pretty hard one to answer. There are alot of great titles heading our way this year and next. But i would probably have to say....Super Mario Galaxy 2.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Well, i think that everything will have at least motion sensor capabilities, 15 years is a long time...I couldn't really have a straight answer for you there. With Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft making crazy decisions left, right and centre its hard to tell what will happen. But one things for sure, it will be good!

If you had x-ray vision, but closed your eyes, could you still see?
I would say so, because X-Ray vision just really shows the bones doesn't it? *Closes eyes, tries to see through eyelids*

Matteh

Real name: Matthew Shmabaloo.

Location: Queensland

Role at MyMedia: MyWii Admin, patrolling the forums, writing news, holding medals. Bit of everything.

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Work at Woolworths, spend time with my friends or just bludge at home with my good friend..Nintendo Wii.

What are you currently playing?
Nintendo Wii and Wii Sports Resort. Archery and Sword Fighting mostly.

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
One of my closest friends, we'd be used to each other by now so we'd be able to handle each other on the island...and wouldn't go insane and try to kill each other either.

What is your most played game of all time?
I'd have to say it would be Super Smash Bros Melee. Played it so much when I got it.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Hmm..Frolf on Wii Sports Resort. Ha, it never goes where I want it too.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
New Super Mario Bros! 2D, multiplaying action!

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Motion control will definitely be apart of it, also perhaps..mind control? Virtual gaming, so you are in the actual world, instead of being behind the screen. You're in it.

Are zebras black with white stripes, or white with black stripes?
They are white with black stripes. They have a white belly and you see where the stripes start and end on the body! =D

sjt333

Real name: Potato McGavin

Location: Omicron Persei 8

Role at MyMedia: Kudos collector, also a MyWii admin or something.

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Sleep and prepare for the coming ice age.

What are you currently playing?
Wii - Right now Grand Slam Tennis is in my wii but I've been rotating between Boom Blox: Bash Party, Pikmin1&2 and The Conduit.
DS - I just finished Mario&Luigi: Partners In Time, I should probably get round to finishing TWEWY.

What is your most played game of all time?
I'm not sure so im just going to say Windwaker.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
I...hmmmm. I don't think I actually have one.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
I haven't been hyped for a game in a while, it works out better that way.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
I don't know and i don't care. As long as I can still play games I'll be happy. Unless it's virtual reality, that can go to hell.

Why do people never say "it's only a game" when they're winning?
Because that would lead to someone getting punched in the nads.

dossaer

Real name: the Doss

Location: Sydney, NSW

Role at MyMedia:: MyWii's resident grumpy old man (formally in charge of kicking n00bs down wells)

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
I'm a motorcyclist and doting father

What are you currently playing?
Wii Sports Resort (Wii), GTA Chinatown Wars (DS) RE5 (360) RedAlarm (Virtual Boy) God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP)

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
Scarlett Johansson, she still owes me five bucks! *grumble grumble*

What is your most played game of all time?
I've clocked more hours on Tetris than any other game.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Rise of the Robots (SNES/3DO) =[ World record for squandered potential.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Metroid Other M

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Fully interactive cloud gaming experiences with a hint of direct neural interface. I think Microsoft's Natal is forging the right path for user interface, that's for sure. The definitions of gaming, information technology and media will be blurred.

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
Because he never reached sexual maturity. Without appropriate social and chemical (pheromone) stimuli, his body never entered puberty. By the time Jane turned up, sadly it was too late.!

iamtom

Real name: Thomas J. Robinson

Location: Melbourne.

Role at MyMedia: Newest MyDS admin, forum control?

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
I spend my little free-time split between schoolwork, which involves copious amounts of study and effort, and my girlfriend, which seemingly requires copious amounts of attention...No-one tells me these things. Ever. Aside from that, I travel on trains. A lot. I actually spend more time on a train then I do playing video games, which is kind of depressing.

What are you currently playing?
Heroes of Newerth - PC
Monster Hunter: Freedom Unite - PSP
There's nothing released for me to play on Nintendo DS.

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
That's a tough choice...It's probably a tie between my girlfriend, Emma Watson and both of them at once >_> Yes, I'm a teenager...don't give me that look.

What is your most played game of all time?
Easily Ragnarok Online. I have sunk several thousand hours into that over the last few years since it was released in English. It's either that, or Diablo 2. I used to play both of those games religiously.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Oh god. I don't really know. Pick a game based on Naruto and run with it, I suppose, or Counter-Strike/CS:S...it's not that I dislike Counter-Strike, it's just that I detest the community, and I'm a big believer in communities. Might also be because I suck at Counter-Strike >_>'

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Probably Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 because it looks utterly sexy - and I don't really like FPS. Been watching Final Fantasy XIII and XIV lately, too, and they're shaping up to be some games for me to get. Also, Batman: Arkham Asylum - do I really need to explain? I love Batman. Yeah, that's 4 games...but it's soooo hard to choose just one....

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Ever seen or played a .Hack// anime or game? I'm hoping we'll all be playing MMORPG's and video games in complete virtual-reality, and that we'll be able to move how we want, as we want, adding new aspects to multiplayer gaming. Just no nasty coma's, thanks. I'm all for blowing people up in First-Person shooters, too.

Why do scientists call it "re"search when looking for something new?
(different for everyone) It's a government conspiracy created to fool us into thinking we're researching newer and newer things...everything has actually been discovered and we're in a world akin to the Matrix. The Government just leaks us new information and technology as we want and require it. You know I'm right .

insidious

Real name: Julian

Location: NSW

Role at MyMedia: MyDS Admin

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Study at tafe, hunt for work and go out with mates to the movies.

What are you currently playing?
Oh gee. Where to begin. PC: Cod 1,4,5. Wii: Grand Slam Tennis, Tiger Woods 10. 360: Battlefield 1943, PS3: nothing as of yet, hoping to get Fat Princess soon. DS:Nothing really.

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
My best friend I guess. She means the world to me.

What is your most played game of all time?
Call of Duty 1, 5 years and counting <3

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Call of Duty 2. Single player was decent but multiplayer was terrible. Graphics were bad, game play was poor.. /rcon +Recoil anyone?

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Definitely Zelda on the wii. Just the thought of a wii exclusive Zelda makes me drool.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
I don't think it will be too different from today. Graphics will definitely be close to photo-realism by then surely. Other than that, controls and styles of games I doubt will differ too much.

If 4 out of 5 people suffer from diarrhea does that mean the fifth one enjoys it?:
Maths isn't my forte. However 4+5=9. Nine being the number after 8 and before Ten. That said, 10 does come after 9 but in fact comes before 11... OH HANG ON! You're asking me about non-verbal diarrhea.. Ok back on to the original question.. 4-5=1.. Can I have some money now?

Azza123

Real name: Aaron

Location: Queensland

Role at MyMedia: MyDS Admin.

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Not all too much, actually. Boring life, I suppose...

What are you currently playing?
Xbox 360: Midnight Club: Los Angelas
PC: Battlefield Heroes
DS: Nothing, sadly...
PSP: Ace Combat: Skies of Deception

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
Anyone? Tom. I'll wait until he dies, eat some of his flesh to survive and use the rest of his caucus to sail away.

What is your most played game of all time?
Pokemon Emerald, I think. From what I remember, I clocked between 200-300 hours in it.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
World of Warcraft. I hate it. WITH A PASSION!

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Ah! Too many! I'll list a few!
Forza 3
Assassins Creed 2
LittleBigPlanet PSP
Assassins Creed PSP
Gran Turismo PSP
Halo 3: ODST
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
I think I may be missing a few, but that's all that comes to mind.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Motion control seems to only be a phase, I mean in the next 15 years we'll be far beyond that! Possible controlled by mind? I can imagine life-like graphics in the next decade and possibly seeing digital distribution as a standard.

If it’s true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?
To laugh at. Isn't it obvious!?

Thanks to everyone who participated! Next we'll have the interviews for My360 and MyFrag, they'll be up on Sunday.

Click here for more admin interviews!

05/08/2009

MyMedia Admin Interviews - Content Staff

It's time for the annual MyMedia admin interviews! Well...it's actually only the second year we've ran them, but that's still annual right? Anyway, this year they will be posted every few days according to site. The MyMedia content staff are first up, and will be followed by MyWii later this week. Every other site will follow shortly after. If you're an admin on another site and have no idea what I'm talking about never fear, it just means your site won't be published in the next 5 days.

So without further ado, I present to you the hardest hitting interviews you'll see on the Internet all year.

MrWii / MrPS3 / Mr360 / Mr{Insert site name here and subtract "My"}

Real name: Darthuck Norris Vader IV

Location: Melbourne, Victoria. But a different reality plane - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse.

Role at MyMedia: The boss at Stage 10, you have to be at least lvl 999999 to fight me

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Wanna be writer / painter / musician / cook / travel full time, but never had the time to do any of them since I'm hoping to be Boss Stage 11 soon, it's hard work you know. I need to bench at least 70MBs to even get to chat with the Boss interviewers. (Guyver can bench 100KG :P) So yeah, we are planning for MyMedia sites 8.0 at the moment, it will be really cool.

What are you currently playing?
I have this crazy personality, if I play a game, and it is a decent game, I have to finish it on the hardest level. I am playing Red Faction, the last stage is almost impossible, it's taking me forever. I'm really looking forward to Call of Duty 4 - Modern Warfare 2. My PS3 console is broken at the moment, keeps on flashing this yellow light and doesn't switch on. In our family, we play Boom Blox quite a bit, it's awesome fun.

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
Blake Lively.... Coz I think Darth Vader and Blake Lively have a lot in common, girls and laser you know, you can't get it wrong.

What is your most played game of all time?
Gran Turismo 2 on PSX. Been waiting for Gran Turismo on PS3 for like decades.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
The gaming publishers forbids me to answer this question, sorry folks.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Blake Lively... sorry what was the question?

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Cool question, I thought about this long time ago... I hope one day we can go to the cinemas, instead of watching a movie, everyone will be participating in a FPS but multiplayer. The big screen will be showing something like COD4 the Normandy stage or something, where each one of the audience is a participant against some evil japanese robots. Imagine the fighting scenes in Lord of Rings / Star Wars / Smurf vs Gargamel, and there will be more thoughts placed on Roles and Classes, where a Medic is almost as important as a heavy gunner, like in real life.

If an ambulance is on its way to save someone, and it runs someone over, does it stop to help them? If you are on a train carriage full of cute puppies and school children, and blake lively, and had to kick someone off to save the old lady crossing the train tracks, what will you do? The answer: Chuck Norris...

Gaetano

Real name:Gaetano Prestia

Location: Victoria

Role at MyMedia: Coffee Maker/envelope licker

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Writing and travelling. Both are a passion. If I'm not doing either, I'm probably causing trouble in Melbourne somewhere.

What are you currently playing?
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
Jennifer Aniston. I think we all know why.

What is your most played game of all time?
Definitely NBA Live. I don't know why, but every year I just seriously play the crap out of NBA Live. I am an NBA fanatic, and a big Live fanboy, so I play full seasons and heaps of online.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Resident Evil: Code Veronica X. My first ever game on Playstation 2. What a terrible choice.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Alan Wake

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Digital distribution definitely in 15 years time. I think we might see another big player in the console market...if consoles are still around. I can definitely see Apple joining the fold eventually. I hope genuine controllers stay around. I'm not really a classical, traditional sort of gamer, but motion control for me is something that takes away a sort of essence from gaming. It tries to add a sense of realism because of the movement that I think blinds us from the fact that games are just that...GAMES. It can be fun (Wii Sports for example), but I don't want games like GoW or Halo etc. to go down that path. They are what they are. So will motion control be the standard in 15 years? I think it will be heavily used, but not the standard.

If it's zero degrees outside today and it's supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be?

The answer to that is definitely -10.

Guyver

Real name: Matthew Armitage.

Location: Melbourne.

Role at MyMedia: The bringer of sweet mojo vibes! .....Community development.

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
My days are pretty chocks block these days so things usually turn into a basic routine of "work, gym, work, sleep. Wash, rinse and repeat" any spare time I get I spend with family, messing around with cars or computers.

What are you currently playing?
Ok the current list is, Conduit on the Wii which has finally brought my attention back to the Wii after a long stint of inactivity, Street Fighter 4 on PS3 and the occasional game of COD4 with mates, Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead and Prototype on PC, the occasional game of Pokemon Platinum on DS and I have no idea where my PSP went..

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
Mystique from X-Men, she's a shape shifter 'nuff said :p

What is your most played game of all time?
Oh dam that's hard one when you really think about it, I've been gaming since the days when you could count the amount of pixels that were on screen at once. That's right PIXELS! not polygons. A few favorites I can think of is Donkey Kong Country on the SNES, for some reason I could not keep my eyes of this game it just looked so good on the old SNES. Golden Eye on the N64 received hours and hours of game time especially in multiplayer mode. Street Fighter series in the arcade, I swear I could have a Porsche right now with all the money I pumped into that game. Call of Duty 4, the worst thing is to get fixated on prestige levels with this game because it will absorb all your spare time.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on the 2600, thank you Atari you pretty much destroyed the gaming industry with that lump of ass. I had the unfortunate experience of actually owning this game.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Modern Warfare 2 on PC, Left 4 Dead 2 on PC, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves on PS3, Red Steal 2 on Wii, there's probably more but those are the ones I'm itching for.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
Hopefully the motion control fad will die off and we can play games normally, at some point all the casual gamers will get bored and developers will have to start to cater to the people that have supported them for decades. Now I don't mind some of the games that feature motion sensing and I have enjoyed some of them but it's gotten to the point where I can not be stuffed waving my arms around just move my onscreen character. If developers wish to drag this motion sensing fad out longer at least offer multiple control options with ALL games....that turned into a rant didn't it?

I do think digital distribution will eventually take over but ISPs need to get involved and offer un-metered high speed downloads for all services such as PSN, live etc. The only thing I don't like about this is lack of game boxes to add to my collection, a shelf full of game boxes has a better impact that a long Steam list.

Why do ballet dancers always dance on their toes? Wouldn't it be easier to just hire taller dancers?
I would like to see ballet dancers be a little more freestyle with their routines, start off with some typical tippy toe moves then bust out into some capoeira moves followed by the chicken dance.

ICC (ICC_06)

Real name: Ben Salter

Location: Adelaide, South Australia.

Role at MyMedia: Self proclaimed bachelor of the year, contributor, reviewer, news writer/editor, random idea generator.

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
I'm currently at Uni completing a double degree for a bachelor of Media/arts. With that comes the various social activities, including joining any and every club just to go on their pub crawl. This seems to take up a lot of my time.

What are you currently playing?
Battlefield 1943 on 360 is awesome, it reminds me of the joy of online gaming that I discovered with the original title. Wii Sports Resort is also still in my Wii, the family seem to really enjoy that one.

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
Why do I ask such ~~stupid~~ hard hitting questions? I would normally just say Chuck Norris, but I'm going to have to go with hermione. Hot and think of all the things we could do with those spells. It's probably also be good for survival and what not, I guess.

What is your most played game of all time?
Goldeneye on the 64. I played that game until my controllers gave in, and it's basically the reason I bought a Nintendo 64 and really got into gaming. There would probably be a tie for second. Both Animal Crossing and Sonic Adventure 2: Battle both got ridiculous amounts of play time on the Cube. Looking back, I'm not too sure why the latter was so popular in my house, I guess because there was so much to do which was amazing at that point in time.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Superman 64. My friend gave it to me for free and I still consider that a terrible deal on my part. I spent ages trying to get past the tutorial, but never did as it was ridiculously hard and made little to no sense. Worst game I have ever played.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
COD: Modern Warfare 2 is going to get some considerable playtime from me. This year I'm also looking at New Super Mario Bros on Wii, and Scribblenauts on the DS. Both of those look really cool, but besides that there isn't too much on the radar this year.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
I think Digital distribution will be starting to find its feat as a serious medium and some publishers will start discontinuing disc based releases. However, I don't believe it'll be the only way to obtain games. I think the same for movies, digital distribution will be massive, but DVDs (or BluRay) will still be available for those who want it.

I think Microsoft will have entered the handheld market, but it will still be dominated by Nintendo and also Apple by this stage. I think Motion control will be standard for novelty games on more than one console, but the serious titles will make use of a traditional controller.

Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice"?
There's a reason you have to ace your school studies to get into medicine; the ability to label failures as a 'practice' is ingenious. At least they aren't lying to us, it's kind of like The Advertiser, we have an advertiser in SA - rather than a newspaper - but at least they admit that in their title.

Heller

Real name: Steve Heller

Location: Victoria

Role at MyMedia: Contributor, Podcaster, Forum Goer

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Music plays a huge part in my life. Currently my band The Broadway Heist is recording our debut release. We have been playing shows across Gippsland and Melbourne and are currently looking to head interstate to build up a fanbase. I also enjoy writing and making movies.

What are you currently playing?
Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition (PC)
Legend of Zelda The Phantom Hourglass (DS)
Red Faction Guerilla (Xbox 360)
No More Heroes (Wii)
Team Fortress 2 (PC)

What is your most played game of all time?
Super Mario World on the SNES. I've come back to the game so many times and it's so much fun! That or the original Mario Kart :P

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
Diakatana on PC. Man that game had so god damn much hype, big budget, was going to be the next Wolfenstein and boy did it suck tenfold! Bad design, bad story, worst gameplay ever, god I hate that game so MUCH!

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Scribblenauts is high on my list for this year, but of course Modern Warefare 2 is right up there. I was looking forward to Bioshock 2 before it got pushed back **shakes fist**

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
When we think back to home consoles in the eighties and the huge jump they have had since the NES to the N64 days it is simply mindblowing. Then we went from the PSX and the N64 to what we have now and that is simply amazing. Over the next few years we will see a rise to Motion Control in an effort to immerse gamers realistically into the gaming worlds. Where will gaming be in the next 15 years is simply a mystery that I am am excited to see unfold.

How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?
Well personally I thought Michael Jackson was quite an icon and deserved "assasination" status but only murder charges are being investigated. Going on past experience I'd say presedential status warrants assasination.

JPrincess

Real name: Jeann

Location: QLD

Role at MyMedia: Wiiware reviewer

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Working my way up the corporate ladder, spending time with my bf, eating yummy food and buying pretty things.

What are you currently playing?
DS: GTA Chinatown Wars
Wii: Have been trying to finish No More Heroes for ages
PC: Left 4 Dead

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
It would have to be my bf, because at least I know we won't kill each other as the only survivors on the island :p

What is your most played game of all time?
Left 4 Dead, I play it almost everyday with the MyFrag crew.

What is your least favourite game of all time and why?
CS, the two times I ever played it were complete fails.

What upcoming game are you most anticipating?
Left 4 Dead 2, it will be such a refreshing change from the first one! I can't wait to see what it's like with the melee weapons and new maps. The first one is a little repetitive and you get used to the camping spots.

Where do you think gaming will be in 15 years?
In 15 years I think your entire home entertainment system will be merged together (eg. PC, DVD player, and TV all in one). Gaming will find a way to integrate everything like speech commands, touch, motion, smell.

If a person owns a piece of land do they own it all the way down to the core of the earth?
No, the earth belongs to nature. A person can only decide what they want to put on top but if this pollutes the land then it's no excuse!

Jerryhu

Real name: Jerry Hu

Role at MyMedia: Web Programmer & iPhone Developer (Remember to check out MyMedia's iphone app MyPaint 2!) I Work on all the MyMedia sites by adding new features, fixing bugs and making everything work.

Outside of MyMedia what do you spend your time doing?
Surfing the internet provides some entertainment. I like hiking and playing badminton, as well of swimming, all of which my friends also enjoy. I also try to do some Pilates every week to save my neck and back.

If you were trapped on a deserted island with anyone, who would it be and why?
An elephant so I can kill and eat it if I run out of food...

Wait how will I kill it?

If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?
Both I think.
You didn’t achieve the desired objective, so you failed.
On the other hand you have completed what you intended to do by failing which is a success!
Otherwise, you run into a dead loop, succeed, fail, succeed ,fail… it'll never end.

Thanks to everyone who participated! We'll have MyWii's interviews up next, on Thursday.

05/08/2009

Why Isn't Wii Sports Resort + MotionPlus Cheaper?

By Ben Salter

Watch as Wii Sports Resort becomes the game to knock off Wii Fit and take the top spot as the best selling game in Australia for an extended period. There’s no doubting the primary purpose of Wii Sports Resort is to show off Nintendo’s MotionPlus attachment; it is another tech demo. We must then ask, why is it the price of a full retail game? Surely Nintendo could have lowered the RRP to help their quest to get as many MotionPlus units into Wii homes as possible.

Fortunately Nintendo know it’ll appeal to the large market of Wii Sports fans out there. If the Wii is to be a serious Motion console in the coming years MotionPlus must become standard and be implemented in as many games as possible. If everyone buys a copy of Wii Sports Resort now with a ‘free’ MotionPlus unit the transition, or forced controller upgrade, will be a lot smoother for Nintendo, or at least they hope. In that regard it’s in their best interest that anyone and everyone that owns a Wii goes out and buys a copy of Wii Sports Resort. On top of that most people aren’t going to play Wii Sports Resort alone, so they are going to be forced to fork out for additional MotionPlus’.

Wii Play + a Wii Remote has been one of the best selling games for almost 3 years by being offered for $10 more than a Wii Remote on its own. If Nintendo charged a little more than MotionPlus by itself - maybe an RRP of $50 rather than $30 - Wii Sports Resort would all of a sudden be much more appealing to everyone. It would easily fly off shelves if this were the case, although I predict it will none the less.

Wii Sports Resort does its job very well. It is great as a tech demo and tutorial for Wii MotionPlus, as the original Wii Sports was for the Wii Remote in general. As a sequel, and game on its own right, Wii Sports Resort is certainly lacking. The end result is a complication of mini-games that most people are either going to buy for MotionPlus, or for the social aspect of the original title. Don’t get me wrong, the game is far more in depth than Wii Play, but it’s not at the standard we would expect from a full retail release.

Some people were surprised that the game was not released on its own, without MotionPlus, but that would defeat the purpose. Wii Sports at its core is a multiplayer title. If you didn’t already own a MotionPlus unit you’re going to have to purchase one, if not three, more for the complete multiplayer and Wii Sports experience. Lets face it, who would buy Wii Sports for the single player component? Taking that into consideration Nintendo would easily have made a bucket load of cash off of extra MotionPlus unit sales if the game had a reduced RRP. Sure, they’ll still get that but surely they are going to upset some fans. What about poor old dad who bought a Wii for his kids, and now has to folk out $200 for Wii Sports Resort that can be enjoyed by 4 people?

The Wii is meant to be a social experience, and Wii Sports is what started that trend. It came free, and is one of the leading factors to the Wii’s sudden rise to fame and tremendous success. If Nintendo really wanted MotionPlus to have the same success with a majority of existing Wii owners, then they should have started Wii Sports Resort at a reduced RRP. If they seriously want to compete with Sony and Microsoft when it comes to motion gaming over the course of the coming years MotionPlus is going to be a requirement. Wii Sports Resort could have sneakily introduced multiple MotionPlus units into each Wii household if it were cheaper. I fear, for now at least, many Wii Sports Resort adopters will make do with just one or two MotionPlus’ and in the process reduce the social experience of Wii gaming.

We’ll have our review of Wii Sports Resort up in the next few days.

26/07/2009

Impact of Motion Control on Console Gaming?

Written By Ben Salter

Where is console gaming headed? In 10 years will it essentially be the same as what we play today with advanced technology, or will it be completely different? One answer lies within the advancement, and success, of motion control. It’s been a massive revelation for Nintendo with the Wii, and Microsoft and Sony are preparing to cash in on the phenomenon with their respective motion devices. Is this the beginning of the end of good ol’ fashion console gaming with the standard controller?

Motion control in gaming was the hot topic at E3 this year as Microsoft announced Project Natal and Sony revealed their new Motion control device. To be fair, neither of these are looking to take the place of the traditional controller on their respective consoles, but it would be an understatement to say they are looking to take advantage of the new audience Nintendo has found with the Wii.

Microsoft’s Natal impresses me more than Sony’s Wand as it seriously appears to be taking motion control to another level. In fact, it has forgone the controller all together by using just a camera to scan the player’s movements. It looked impressive on stage, and those who played it behind doors said it played just as well, but I think it’s best only to believe it when we experience it for ourselves. Sony’s Wand on the other hand makes use of both a camera and a remote-like controller. To me it appears to be a blatant rip off of the Wii Remote; however, it does appear to be better than Nintendo’s MotionPlus. Maybe that’s a little harsh; almost every innovation in gaming is quickly copied (and in some cases improved on) by competitors, in saying that it’s normally a little less obvious.

There’s two groups, or perhaps moods, of gamers that are going to strongly oppose motion control. First are the serious gamers who want to have complete control over everything at a touch of a button. A controller is like a key it the city, it gives you access to everything and places a power over everything in the palm of your hand. They want the accurate and complex control that motion control is yet to provide. The second is when we can’t be bothered with all those extravagant movements. That’s not to say we’re lazy, sometimes you play games to relax and moving around hysterically is the last thing you want to do. Other times you want to put in a few solid hours and would much prefer to sit back with a controller. If all three consoles start placing a greater emphasis on motion control gamers feeling these ways are going to become excluded from modern console gaming. In an effort to attract new audiences developers may be driving away their loyal fans.

What about our game genres? First person shooters are the king on the Xbox 360, and very popular on the PlayStation 3. Meanwhile they’re nowhere to be seen on the Wii. Next month’s The Conduit is the first FPS on the Wii since it launched almost 3 years ago that isn’t a port from the PS2 (that I can think of). When I compare the Wii Remote to Natal and Sony’s Wand it appears to be the best of the lot for FPS games with its IR pointer, and yet the genre has been snubbed thus far in the console’s life. Each console has its fair share of shovelware, but it’s more prominent on the Wii due to ‘casual’ games that don’t appeal to ‘core’ gamers, bad core games and bad casual games. I’m not a fan of the whole ‘casual’ or ‘core’ gamer labelling, because I would consider myself to sit somewhere in between; however, there’s a clear distinction between the two types of games and one that is needed to the categorise them. Does this mean we will get more games aimed at a casual audience on future Microsoft or Sony consoles? Will the success of motion control lead to classic franchises, such as God of War and Halo, be made easier and more family friendly so they appeal to a wider audience and to get core gamers to upgrade to motion control?

I don’t think that the standard controller is going anywhere this generation. If anything Microsoft and Sony are throwing their lines into the water to see what they can catch with the lure of motion gaming. If they are anywhere near as successful as Nintendo has been surely they’ll have no choice but to place a greater emphasis on it in the future from a business perspective. It’s that point in time that I’m worried about. Sure maybe developers will offer the option for motion or classic control, but the chance of studios putting effort into two completely different control schemes for one game seems minimal. I don’t mean to sound completely against motion gaming, because I’m not, I’m just weary of promising devices disappointing ala the Wii Remote. I was impressed with Wii MotionPlus in Grand Slam Tennis, and with that being the first game to make use of the device it’s only going to get better. But it took Nintendo two-and-a-half years to rectify their controller, and get it to the level initially promised. The Wii, and motion control, is great for social situations, it’s great for people unfamiliar with videogames, but at the end of the day I think I’ll always prefer to go back to the traditional control pad.

What do you think about the future of motion control? What impact will it have on console gaming? Before anyone says it I realise you could buy a gaming PC to avoid all of this, but there are still those of us out here who deep down are console gamers.

30/06/2009

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