Interviewing Gamers

[Cheesus333]

Good afternoon, evening, morning, or whatever greeting your time zone requires, Escapists.

As part of a feature for a very small magazine I write for, I need to gather some information on gamers and how gaming fits into their lives, how they feel about it, that sort of thing. With a very large and varied collection of gamers right here on my virtual doorstep, I thought it would be a good idea to pose the question to you all. If you could just take a moment to answer the questions below (in as much or little detail as you like) and then provide a little information about yourself, that would be a massive help.

Spoiler: Questions

1. In terms of your first consoles and games, how and when did you first get into gaming as a hobby?
2. Would you say you had any favourite games, or series?
3. Any genres you tend to prefer playing?
4. Regarding platforms, which do you own? Of those, what do you play most and why?
5. What do you think of the PC as a gaming machine?
6. Finally, with the imminent release of Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, there's a lot of debate amongst the online FPS crowd as to which is better. Where do you stand on this?

Just quote the questions above, answer them, and then provide your name, age, gender and online alias that you use most. You can also provide a photo, but that's completely optional.

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: Okay, 100+ comprehensive replies later, I think I've got a little more than what I need. This is a good thing, of course, especially since I was worried I wouldn't even get enough. Thank you very, very much to everyone who took the time for this!

EDIT II: Come to think of it...

In the name of fairness and decency, I should post my reply to my own questions.

Spoiler: Me

1. 'Inherited' my Dad's Game Boy (original) when I was about three or four and it really took off from there. My first console was the Game Boy Colour, then I think the Gamecube soon after. I was Nintendo-only (well, PC too) up until I was about 12 or 13. First games were Doom and Pokemon Yellow.
2. Diablo 2 is my favourite game. Definitely clouded by nostalgia, but frankly nothing has ever come close to the feeling I got playing that game when I was growing up. As for series, I'm definitely partial to Fable - in spite of itself - and Mass Effect, as well as basically anything and everything Valve makes.
3. Personally a big fan of Sandbox/Open-world games. Not a genre in itself, I know, but I love the sense of adventure and exploration that games like Fallout 3, Red Dead Redemption and even Saints Row 2 offer.
4. I've got a 360, a laptop heavily used for gaming, a Wii, GBA SP, Nintendo DS & DSi and a Gamecube that I break out for Metroid Prime 1 & 2 sometimes. I lean a lot towards the 360, though, I love the feel of the controller compared to the others and frankly it's got some fantastic exclusives.
5. I don't care what anyone says, PC gaming is not dead. That sums it up for me.
6. Having never played Battlefield and not being a massive CoD fan, I can safely say I don't care.

Name: James McCoull
Age: 16 years old
Gender: Male
Online alias: Cheesus333. Edamessiah if the former is taken, and other Cheesus-es had better hope it's not.

 

[Mr Thin]

1. In terms of your first consoles and games, how and when did you first get into gaming as a hobby?
My first experience with gaming was watching my dad play Wolfenstein 3D & Duke Nukem on the PC; I used to play games like Jazz Jackrabbit, Hocus Pocus and Jill of the Jungle as well. Soon after that we got a Nintendo 64, which cemented my obsession with video games. It has increased ever since.

2. Would you say you had any favourite games, or series?
My three favourite games of all time are probably Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, WH40K: Dawn of War, and Mass Effect 2. All of which, incidentally, are parts of series.

3. Any genres you tend to prefer playing?
Though I have yet to encounter a genre I completely discriminate against, my favourite would probably be stealth games, such as Splinter Cell, Hitman, Assassin's Creed, etc.

4. Regarding platforms, which do you own? Of those, what do you play most and why?
PC, Xbox 360, Nintendo 64, Gamecube, Nintendo DS. I play the PC most because - thanks largely to Steam and their ridiculously good deals - I have way, way, WAY more games on it than any other platform.

5. What do you think of the PC as a gaming machine?
The best gaming machine; the only thing consoles have going for them is that controllers are better for some games than the keyboard & mouse combo. But since buying an adapter that allows me to use my 360 controller on my PC, that advantage has gone.

The ability to use my PC for the internet and, well, anything are also points in its favour.

6. Finally, with the imminent release of Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, there's a lot of debate amongst the online FPS crowd as to which is better. Where do you stand on this?
They are fundamentally different games, that will be - or at least should be - aiming for fundamentally different audiences.

The Call of Duty series has taken fast-paced, small-scale, close-quarters, first-person action and refined it into near perfection. It is incredibly good for what it is. Having said that, the price of the DLC is ridiculous; I've yet to buy a single piece. And the games take way too long to go down in price themselves. And they're way to bloody similar, just rinse and repeat.

The Battlefield series, on the other hand, has always been about scope and size and scale; about dozens of people attacking dozens of others on multiple fronts. Grand, sweeping conflicts involving tanks and jets and helicopters and APCs and so on.

You're going to get a totally different experience from each of them, so it makes no sense to pit them against one other in a fight to see who wins your affection (unless you can't afford both, like me). If given the choice, though, I would definitely go for Battlefield 3, because CoD: MW3 is going to be exactly the same as MW1 or MW2, and I've already played them.

Final note; I quite enjoy the single player campaigns of the MW games, and if I could buy them separately from the multiplayer for, say, 30% of the total cost, I'd do so in a heartbeat. Whether making that possible would be a good business decision, I've no idea. But it would be nice.

Edit: Oops, forgot personal information.


Name: I suppose I can trust you... Travis.
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Alias: Hm... gonna go with Mr Thin; not quite truthful, but all you're getting from me.

 

[ChocoFace]

1. In terms of your first consoles and games, how and when did you first get into gaming as a hobby?
When i was around 4th grade, when i got my first computer.

2. Would you say you had any favourite games, or series?
My first favourite game was Prince of Persia Warrior Within.

3. Any genres you tend to prefer playing?
Action RPG, adventure games are my love.

4. Regarding platforms, which do you own? Of those, what do you play most and why?
I own a PC and X360. I highly prefer the PC, though.

5. What do you think of the PC as a gaming machine?
It's what i grew up with, so i'm inclined to say the PC with a keyboard and mouse is how i roll.

6. Finally, with the imminent release of Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern
Warfare 3, there's a lot of debate amongst the online FPS crowd as to which is better. Where do you stand on this?
I stand on middle ground i guess. I really haven't bothered to research anythin about these 2 games and can't be arsed to. FPS games aren't really my thing.

My name is Ragnar, im 18 (very soon to be 19), Male and my most common online alias is ChocoFace.

 

[Limecake]

1. In terms of your first consoles and games, how and when did you first get into gaming as a hobby?

My parents bought me a NES when I was just a baby so I was gaming since I was in diapers. Also my aunt had a SNES which I played whenever she babysat me.

2. Would you say you had any favourite games, or series?

Megaman stands out since it was one of the first NES games I played (and probably my only good one) Then of course the classics (Mario, Donkey Kong, Duke Nukem, Diablo, Starcraft, Counter-strike)

3. Any genres you tend to prefer playing?

I love gaming on the computer, mods really add a lot of replay value. Lately I've been more on my Xbox though, my computer needs a nice cleaning and I'm too lazy to do it.

4. Regarding platforms, which do you own? Of those, what do you play most and why?

I own a computer and an xbox, I gave my little brother my old Wii since I never played it and my roomate has a PS3. I usually play PC or Xbox but I'd play on the PS3 if my roomate bought more games for it.

5. What do you think of the PC as a gaming machine?

I remember watching my dad play old PC games when I was a kid, so I've always considered the PC to be a gaming machine. I really don't think PC gaming is dieing out, However our idea of a 'PC' might need to change.

6. Finally, with the imminent release of Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, there's a lot of debate amongst the online FPS crowd as to which is better. Where do you stand on this?

I can't just keep playing TF2? I guess I'd pick Battlefield because they use a class based system and objectives, CoD seems to stick to the 'deathmatch' or 'king of the hill' rounds but battlefield makes you feel like your on a battlefield.

but I doubt I'll pick up either honestly, I've played enough FPS to know what to expect.

EDIT: forgot my info

Name: Korden
Age\Gender: 22 Male
Alias: Limecake, Dr Korden or Esdras

 

[Cheesus333]

Before I give out any information beyond my username, which you can clearly see, I need to know more about this magazine and what you're writing on.

Fair enough. It's a tiny, gamer-focused e-zine - which I understand is also going to be released on the Kindle - called Head Explosion, based in South Wales. Currently putting the finishing touches on its first issue, of which these interviews will be a feature. Link for the Facebook page is here [http://www.facebook.com/groups/278070768875199/].

I didn't want to mention it in detail in the OP as the Escapist has a very, very firm policy against any kind of external advertising. This should be okay though, probably.

 

[SomeLameStuff]

1. In terms of your first consoles and games, how and when did you first get into gaming as a hobby?

When I was 5, my dad bought a NES. My first game ever was Super Mario Brothers, I remember that VERY clearly.

2. Would you say you had any favourite games, or series?

Not really. If pressed to name one I'd probably say... Freespace 2.

3. Any genres you tend to prefer playing?

I try to play everything except sports/racing games. I do like RPGs a bit more though, mainly because those are USUALLY the ones with a good story.

4. Regarding platforms, which do you own? Of those, what do you play most and why?

I have a PC, XBOX 360, PS2, PS3 and PSP 3000. I play my PC the most. If a game I want comes out on multiple platforms, I usually get it on PC (unless it's a fighting game. Those SUCK on PC). Otherwise PS3.

5. What do you think of the PC as a gaming machine?

Pretty solid, although (potentially) expensive.

6. Finally, with the imminent release of Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, there's a lot of debate amongst the online FPS crowd as to which is better. Where do you stand on this?

I prefer the look of Battlefield 3 more, though I will buy both games to see how they measure up against each other.

Name: Andrew
Age: 18 this year
Male
SomeLameShite (Slowly changing it to SomeLameStuff though.)

 

[ramboman88]

1. In terms of your first consoles and games, how and when did you first get into gaming as a hobby?
My first console was a sega game gear, I would play it but not enjoy it too much because of battery life... then a Genesis with the sega CD attachtment, bought from a garage sale. I would play every afternoon, but my main toys where my lego's.

2. Would you say you had any favourite games, or series?
Yes, by far my favorite game was Task Force Harrier EX and Android Assault. I also liked Road Avenger, Golden Axe, Steel Empire, and can't remember what else.

3. Any genres you tend to prefer playing?
I life FPS's but mostly in local coop, western RPG's, tactical RPG's, strategy games that I can take my time with or at least pause the action to think.

4. Regarding platforms, which do you own? Of those, what do you play most and why?
The Genesis is in storage, I own an Xbox 360 and a PC. Being in college I mostly use the xbox offline during the weekends, I've been having to give up the hobby to do more productive things.

5. What do you think of the PC as a gaming machine?
Any console game could easily have been a PC game, provided you would have access to the appropriate controller. A console is relatively cheap and doesn't hog up a computer. Consoles make things simpler for developers by offering a unified set of hardware,
but I doubt dedicated consoles will still be popular after the next generation.

6. Finally, with the imminent release of Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, there's a lot of debate amongst the online FPS crowd as to which is better. Where do you stand on this?[/spoiler]
The debaters are retarded, both product lines have a different emphasis. It's apples and oranges. What people are really debating is which "kind" of game is better, and that happens to be subjective, which is the real cause of this arguing.


Jose Eduardo Pimentel
Male, 23 years old
Dominican Republic
Gaming Alias: Ramboman88, Hank88

Not to be confused with the XBL Ramboman88, I've had this nick since waaaaaay back when Neopets was both cool and age appropriate to me.

 

[Sassafrass]

1. I was about 5 or 6 when I was introduced to the N64. That added with the awesomeness that is Banjo Kazooie and that pretty much sucked me in. There was one day when I played Banjo-Kazooie for 16 hours straight back in those days.

2. Favourite games, I'd have to say Viva Pinata and Whiplash. Series wise, Final Fantasy somehow keeps pulling me back to it, and to a certain extent, so does the Assassins Creed series. I've bought every AC game eventually, so I guess I must like them.

3. I'll try a bit of anything, although I seem to fall back on FPSes and RPGs as my preferred genres.

4. I have a 360 and PS2, with the 360 getting the mist play-time because I pretty much rebought the PS2 for FF X and I know play that at most once a month.

5. Pretty solid. It's only going to get better as the years progress and the games released on it are only gonna get better.

6. They both look as good as each other and no, this is not what you'd call me being on the fence about the matter, no sir.

Name: Jamie
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Online handle: Sassafrass (And a couple of different versions of Sassafrass) and HumanoidCarrot.

 

[Kreett]

1. I first got into gaming when my brother bought some games for our pc and since then i was hooked.

2. Gears of war 1-2 and 3? and Mass effect 1-2-3.

3. Rpg titles mostly and the occational action game.

4. I got a 360 and a laptop. I prefer the Xbox because thats where all my favorite games are.

5. It's bloody brilliant! wouldnt really want one but its awesome.

6. COD is average at best and i havent played any battlefield games.

Nicklas Persson. Im a Pony(im a guy). 17. Drownedsteampro xbox-live gamertag

 

[scorptatious]

Spoiler: Questions

1. In terms of your first consoles and games, how and when did you first get into gaming as a hobby?
2. Would you say you had any favourite games, or series?
3. Any genres you tend to prefer playing?
4. Regarding platforms, which do you own? Of those, what do you play most and why?
5. What do you think of the PC as a gaming machine?
6. Finally, with the imminent release of Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, there's a lot of debate amongst the online FPS crowd as to which is better. Where do you stand on this?

1. I believe I was five at the time when my parents got me a Playstation 1. My first games included 2Xtreme and Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back.

2. My favorite games would include (in no particular order) Shadow of the Colossus, the Oddworld series, Metal Gear Solid series, Final Fantasy IX and VII, Banjo-Kazooie and Tooie, Pokemon series, Mass Effect series, and Spyro the Dragon. Those games I consider to be some of the best games I've played.

3. When I was younger I preferred 3D platformers. As I grew older though, I found myself getting into First Person/Third Person Shooters, RPG's, and Adventure games.

4. I own an XBOX 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, Nintendo DS, and PSP. As of late I mostly play on my PS3 as I have access to downloadable PS1 games and I can play some PS2 games on there as well. The 360 usually is where I play most of my new games however.

5. I believe the PC is quite capable of being a great gaming platform. What with Steam and the like. Although I honestly prefer consoles as I have grown up with them and I'm more used to playing on them.

6. I honestly don't really care about either games since I have never played through games in either series. I have played a bit of Call of Duty, but it's not something I would get into. So as of now I'm neutral in this debate.

My name is Charlie, I'm 19, male, and my online persona is scorptatious. (Or GUNMAN003 if you go to my XBOX LIVE gamertag.)

 

[Scizophrenic Llama]

1. In terms of your first consoles and games, how and when did you first get into gaming as a hobby?

Started as a kid on the PS1 with games like Croc, Bugsby 3D(I was too young to realize how bad this game was, it scares me looking back at it), and eventually other great games like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro. I got a bit older and then Half-Life came into the equation and I'd say that's when the hobby really kicked in and I got an N64 with Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time.

2. Would you say you had any favourite games, or series?

The Metal Gear Solid series has always held that spot as one of my favorite series. The crazy story, the fun stealth gameplay, and the outlandish bosses for each game always was entertaining. Of that series Metal Gear Solid 3 definitely wins the spot as favorite.

3. Any genres you tend to prefer playing?

RPGs, shooters, and rhythm games mostly.

4. Regarding platforms, which do you own? Of those, what do you play most and why?

I own a gaming PC, 360, and a PS3. I just recently got the PC, but that has definitely held my attention the most due to some very lucky timing with the Steam summer sale right when I got it. Of the two consoles, the 360 gets the most play and the PS3 the least simply because it was the last one I got and I pretty much stick to exclusive games for it.

5. What do you think of the PC as a gaming machine?

It's great. If you can afford to keep up with evolving graphics and demands of gaming it's by far the best experience in my opinion. Good games almost always have a good thriving modding community to keep the game from getting stale for many years after release.

6. Finally, with the imminent release of Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, there's a lot of debate amongst the online FPS crowd as to which is better. Where do you stand on this?

I'm personally getting both. Battlefield 3 sits pre-ordered on my PC and I'm awaiting that beta that should be starting within the next week or so if consoles are permitting, and Call of Duty will be on the 360 as most of my friends will have it on that.

If I had to choose between the two I'd give it to Battlefield 3 simply because there seems to be more innovation behind it's creation. Call of Duty has seemed like it's been sitting on the same engine with a lot of graphical tweaks for the past three years or so. The first third of Battlefield 3's hype trailers was about the engine itself and not even the game, so it was something to look forward to.

It all comes down to how you want to play your FPS. Call of Duty is going to keep on with it's balls to the wall fast-paced attitude that makes it's multiplayer so interesting. Battlefield will have it's massive maps with large-team battles for objectives.

Name: Brandon
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Alias: Schizophrenic Llama

 

[Liberator XIII]

1. In terms of your first consoles and games, how and when did you first get into gaming as a hobby?

I believe it was the Commodore 64 in 1997, with... well, the only game I can remember on that system was Soccer Kid, so it must have been that. I would have been 5 at the time. Even so, I didn't get into gaming too much until a few years later (don't know how many - 3 or 4) when my friend showed me GTA III. After that I got a PS2 and GTA and was hooked on gaming ever since.


2. Would you say you had any favourite games, or series?

Absolutely. My favourite game of all time is Final Fantasy X, even though I don't like the other FF games I played (X-2 and XII).

Favourite series is a tough one - I can't remember how much I liked the GTA series, so I won't say that. Currently I'm playing a lot of Rock Band, so I'd say that simply because it's kept me entertained longer than any other series.


3. Any genres you tend to prefer playing?

Tactical RPGs e.g. Disgaea, and music/rhythm games. Until recently I loved FPSes (after a Halo 3 binge I'm kinda tired of them), but that's shifted into action-adventure-sandbox - along the whole realism spectrum (GTA to Saints Row to inFamous). Also purer sandbox games, of the Minecraft and Terraria variety.


4. Regarding platforms, which do you own? Of those, what do you play most and why?

In order of purchase:
Commodore 64 (broken)
Sega Mega Drive (sold because I wasn't listening when my gran asked)
PS2 (broken)
N64 (broken)
PS1 (don't know - probably broken since it'll be covered in dust)
Game Boy (lost it somewhere)
PS2 #2 (kinda works - doesn't play blue discs)
PS2 #3 (works fine, except occasional hiccups)
Xbox 360 (AV connection problem - 1 red light)
Xbox 360 #2 (red-ringed, replaced with #3)
Xbox 360 #3 (just didn't work out of the box, replaced with #4)
...
Xbox 360 #7 (NOT A FRIGGIN' TYPO)(red-ringed)
PS3 (working fine after 3 years)

I play my PS3 most, since the only working machines are my PS2 and PS3. I still play my PS2 a bit though, since it isn't backwards compatible.


5. What do you think of the PC as a gaming machine?

I think it's hard to compare to consoles, which are obviously the stereotypical gaming machine. It has far more utility, since there are just so many more outlets for games, such as free downloadable games or flash games. Games like Minecraft, Terraria and Dwarf Fortress just wouldn't be possible without a PC, and they're all in my top 50 games of all time (of the 900+ I've played). Where possible however, I just use my PS3. My rig just isn't up to playing many modern games, and I feel it's pointless to upgrade it at great expense when the console option is available. Sure you can get better graphics and mods on PC, but I just don't care. The exception is Oblivion - immeasurably improved with mods, and I'll be getting Skyrim on PC if it'll run.

So it's good for variety, but not so much for mainstream AAA games unless you upgrade frequently.


6. Finally, with the imminent release of Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, there's a lot of debate amongst the online FPS crowd as to which is better. Where do you stand on this?

As mentioned I'm tired of FPSes so I don't really care, but I think a bit of friendly rivalry is a good thing - look at Prototype vs. inFamous and Blur vs. Split/Second. All games involved were interesting and fun due to the pressure to be better than the other, and it allows the players to play both and easily decide which is better. This situation ain't healthy, friendly rivalry though, since both games are sequels and of course have fanboys on either side, slinging their poo at the others, frequently drowning out the more rational fans. Not like they have to - the companies themselves have done enough of that (or was that just EA? I forget). I have to say though - I played a bit of MW1 and 2 and disliked them a lot, so I'd side with Battlefield if forced, just since it'll be a bit more fresh for me.



Finally, details.

I'm Sam Knight, I'm 18 and male. I use Liberator XIII most frequently.

 

[RollForInitiative]

1. In terms of your first consoles and games, how and when did you first get into gaming as a hobby?
I started back in the 80's when the NES was released, though I'd already been into PC games on old 286 machines and an Apple I2.

2. Would you say you had any favourite games, or series?
I'm a big fan of most games under the Shin Megami Tensei umbrella of games, such as Persona 4. I'm also a fan of the DS Etrian Odyssey series and the various incarnations of the (core) Dragon Quest series.

3. Any genres you tend to prefer playing?
I play just about any genre other than sports titles, with a preference for RPG and FPS titles up front.

4. Regarding platforms, which do you own? Of those, what do you play most and why?
Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo Wii
Nintendo Game Boy Color
Nintendo DS (original)
Nintendo DSi
Nintendo 3DS
Sega Genesis
Sega CD
Playstation
Playstation 2 (x2)
Playstation 3
Playstation Portable
Xbox
Xbox 360 (x3)
PC

The majority of my gaming time is spent on the Xbox 360 at this point, primarily due to a wealth of good cooperative titles available on LIVE and an extremely comfy couch / badass HDTV.

5. What do you think of the PC as a gaming machine?
It has its moments. I still can't play RTS titles on any other platform and, as a programming enthusiast, I have to give PC's plenty of time. However, as I spend all day working with broken software for a living, I no longer have much patience for the general instability and tweak-n-freak nature of personal computers as a gaming platform.

Do I think it's dead? Not at all. I just generally no longer have the patience necessary to get a game to run as well as I can on a console, especially given that I use an HDTV with 120hz refresh rate for those.

6. Finally, with the imminent release of Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, there's a lot of debate amongst the online FPS crowd as to which is better. Where do you stand on this?

To be perfectly blunt, I'm hoping for Battlefield 3 to take the front because I'll make more money if it does. As for Modern Warfare 3: I'd be much more excited about it, given my positive experiences with Modern Warfare 2, if not for the debacle that lead to key members of Infinity Ward's staff leaving. There is no guarantee at this time that the remaining members are capable of replicating the "magic" of the Modern Warfare titles so I'm adopting a wait-and-see approach.

Either way, as a primarily cooperative gamer I don't overly care about the debate in the slightest.

Name: James
Age: over the hill
Gender: Male
Alias: RollForInitiative

 

[Irridium]

1. In terms of your first consoles and games, how and when did you first get into gaming as a hobby?

Started on the PC when I was about 4 with DOOM. I'd always play it with my dad. I'd sit in his lap, and we'd take turns moving/shooting.

2. Would you say you had any favourite games, or series?

The Timeslpitters series is my all time favorite series, with Timesplitters 2 being my favorite game ever. It's pure fun condensed onto a disk.

3. Any genres you tend to prefer playing?

Not really. But genre's I don't play are sports/racing genre's. Just don't interest me at all.

4. Regarding platforms, which do you own? Of those, what do you play most and why?

All last gen and current gen platforms with a smattering of others from before the last generation. If you want a list, well...

PC
360
PS3
Wii
Xbox
PS2
Gamecube
Dreamcast
N64
SNES
Atari2600
Game Boy
Game Boy Advanced
Game Boy Advanced SP
DS
PSP

I tend to play on PC more these days, since it has so many diverse games.

5. What do you think of the PC as a gaming machine?

Probably the best. Seems it's setting up to be the prime platform for innovation and new ideas, since those don't seem to sell as well on the consoles. It's also where all games end up, eventually. It has all PC games, and through emulators it gets games from the PS1 and earlier. Games no longer sold. If anything, it's a sort of a time machine, letting is go back in time and play all sorts of games from every ere. Alright, I'm getting a bit pretentious here, so I'll stop now.

6. Finally, with the imminent release of Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, there's a lot of debate amongst the online FPS crowd as to which is better. Where do you stand on this?

Honestly, they both look the same to me. Both will most likely have the same controls as well, if Bad Company 2 is anything to go by. They're just two more big-budget shooters in the vast sea of generic-looking shooters. I wish they'd put that money towards making more, smaller, more interesting/innovative games.

Hope that helps.

EDIT: D'oh! Forgot my age/gender stuff.

Name: Tyler
Age:20
Gender: Male
Most Used Online Alias: Irridium.

 

[SuperToaster]

1. I was 4 at the time i played my first game, Super Mario Bros on the NES. Also played other games like duckhunt and zelda at that time.

2. Shadow of the Colossus, Assassin's Creed series, final fantasy III, VI, and IX, and various other games.

3. I like open world games the most, but i'm also into first/third person shooting and RPGs.

4. I have an xbox-360, a normal Xbox, nintendo DS, NES, SNES, PSP, and PC. (If you consider pc a console.)

5. A PC is a great gaming console, It just lacks the games these days.

6. I don't care about Call of Duty or Battlefield I've played some games from both series.
I stay neutral...

Name: Ozzy
Age/Gender: 14 Male
Online Handle: SuperToaster, Silco, and Alfa lately.

 

[electric_warrior]

I'm 19, male, straight, caucasian and English. I'd rather not give my name.

1. In terms of your first consoles and games, how and when did you first get into gaming as a hobby?

My first console was the Playstation when I was 6, I got into it because my friend had
one. my first games were Crash Bandicoot and Tekken 2

2. Would you say you had any favourite games, or series?

Either Shadow of the Colossus Oblivion is my favorite game, my favorite series have to be Mass Effect, FIFA and Uncharted

3. Any genres you tend to prefer playing?

I guess RPGs, platformers, football games and generall action/adventure

4. Regarding platforms, which do you own? Of those, what do you play most and why?

I own a PS3 ad an XBOX 360, I play the XBOX more because all my friends have XBOXes and it has more games that I like. Recently I've been playing Demon's Souls a lot, so have been using my PS3 more, but on the whole, I play the XBOX more.

5. What do you think of the PC as a gaming machine?

Its superior, but who can be bothered with the price and it being constantly superseded by newer technology?

6. Finally, with the imminent release of Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, there's a lot of debate amongst the online FPS crowd as to which is better. Where do you stand on this?

I won't be buying either, I'm much more interested in Uncharted 3 and Skyrim

 

[Eggbert]

First Console/Game: I started out with the GBC and Pokémon Gold, played gameboy games pretty exclusively for a while, moved up to the GBA SP for Pokémon RSE, kept playing just a smattering of games, played Splinter Cell Chaos Theory somewhere in there, then got a PSP and sort of stopped gaming. Currently experiencing a revival with PC gaming, particularly with regards to the GoG catalogue.

Favourites: I love, love, love Portal and Portal 2, along with the HL2 universe. I'm also in love with Sacrifice (published by Interplay) and Giants: Citizen Kabuto.

Genres: I'm mostly into faster FPS games or puzzles. By faster FPS I mean none of that hiding behind cover to heal magically because I have two hit points shit, thank you very much.

Platforms: PC, running Windows 7 and Mac OS X. Still have my GBC, GBA SP, and PSP, but they don't see much use, simply because I don't buy games for them anymore.

PC as a Console: It'd be in a better state if developers and publishers could pull their heads out of their asses, and try to innovate in an interesting direction for once.

BF3 vs MW3: Maybe you've missed the part where I loathe those. I'd rather see the developers of both shot painfully then burned at the stake for developing essentially the same boring ass game everyone's been developing these past few years, then selling them as something new. Seeing as these are both intended to be exclusively multiplayer (don't you dare try to tell me the plots with be compelling or interesting or original), I'll say TF2 is best. It came out in 2007. It shows the value of spending your time making a game fun, not giving it more useless overdone graphics, and has a community with a remarkably low dipshit quotient.

Name's Christian M, an 18 year old male. I use a different alias on every web site, but my Steam name is currently Marcus.

 

[zdgrafyd]

1. In terms of your first consoles and games, how and when did you first get into gaming as a hobby?
The NES was my first console, but I didn't really get into gaming as a hobby back then. I really started gaming, when I got Civilization and my father taught me to play.

2. Would you say you had any favourite games, or series?
The Civilization series and the Heroes of Might and Magic series. No other game comes close to the amount of time I sunk into any game from those series (with the exception of HoMM4, not a fan of it). Lately I have been getting into Starcraft.

3. Any genres you tend to prefer playing?
Strategy. At first predominantly TBS, now leaning towards RTS. More recently also RPGs like Elder Scrolls and Fallout.

4. Regarding platforms, which do you own? Of those, what do you play most and why?
PC and PS3. I favour the PC more because I tend to like strategy games which don't work well on consoles.

5. What do you think of the PC as a gaming machine?
I think, compared to consoles the PC is a superior platform for any kind of competitive gaming. Also modding rocks.

6. Finally, with the imminent release of Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, there's a lot of debate amongst the online FPS crowd as to which is better. Where do you stand on this?
Haven't played any games from either of the series so don't have an opinion here.

Name: Slava
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Alias: zdgrafyd