[07.01.11] Get to know your gamers - Tony Ortale

Tony Ortale

Microsoft

Well it’s that time of the week again, and I thought I'd mix things up a little bit. I realized it might be interesting for you guys to know the man behind all of these articles you're reading, so I decided to interview myself! Today you'll get an inside look on your favorite video games Examiner, so you can see what make me tick! As always, if you would like to see yourself in the spotlight on "Get to Know Your Gamers", feel free to drop an email and we'll get you in the rotation!

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, what do you like to do (besides play video games)?

I’ve lived in Iowa all my life, have a huge passion for music, and like playing sports with friends. I’m also notorious for having a massive crush on Taylor Swift and boldly flaunting the fact that my favorite band is the Backstreet Boys. I work in the electronics section of my local Target, the newest location for Gamers in Coralville, ChaCha, and write articles for Examiner.com.

What got you into gaming?

Having a NES sitting around in my house growing up was my pathway into the world of gaming. I loved that system and that’s where I developed my passion for gaming. I feel like it offers an experience that movies just can’t match, because you’re actually involved in it.

What was your first console / game?

That lovely Nintendo Entertainment System, which I still have, and it still works! My first game was probably either Super Mario Bros. or Joshua for the NES.

Some people won’t play a game if the graphics are bad. Do graphics have that big of an impact for you?

Graphics are great, but what I really look for is a truly immersive experience or something that never gets old.

What do you look for in game / what makes a game ‘fun’ to you?

I love a story you can really dive deep into and become lost in. It’s also great to have games you can keep coming back to, like the Halo series, which are great for those late night gaming sessions with friends!

Do you consider yourself a ‘casual’ or ‘hardcore gamer?

I would consider myself hardcore, however I really like the points my friends Rob Nielsen and Adison Finken brought up in their interviews. I agree that if you’re going to try to define yourself, it really varies by game; however, that it’s really just a better idea not to categorize yourself in any way.

Do you prefer a solo or co-op / multiplayer experience?

Both. I love a strong single player experience to lose yourself in, however the multiplayer is a huge component, because it’s nice to wind down each night by hoping on Xbox live and being able to game with a bunch of my friends that aren’t nearby anymore.

What are you playing right now?

L.A. Noire, MLB 10: The Show, NBA 2K11, and Borderlands.

What is the worst game you’ve ever played?

Terminator: Salvation. That was disgusting. I did manage to grind through it though for the achievements… I’m kind of an achievement hoarder.

What do you consider to be the best game ever?

Now everyone is going to know I threw a trick question into my interview, but for me, I don’t think there’s really any such thing as a universal ‘best game ever’. I think the ‘best game ever’ is the game that’s most special to you. This is going to come as a surprise to many because everyone knows I love the Guitar Hero series, however for me, that game would be Halo 2 because of the nights of endless gaming with all of my friends where we would have a massive LAN party with tons of pizza, soda, and Halo. After sticking to the normal game types for a while, we’d mix it up a little with our own game types like hide-and-seek or tower of power. Our greatest innovation may have been ‘mongoose wars’, but that actually came about in Halo 3.

Random Thought?

Ok… shameless promotion time.

I could really use some more people to interview, hint hint, so if you’d like to be featured, shoot me an email: ortale.anthony@gmail.com or contact me on Facebook. It’s a chance for your 15 minutes of fame and a great opportunity to tell the world what it really needs to hear! Well, in the realm of video games anyway…

[06.23.11] Get to know your gamers - Adison Finken

Adison Finken's Xbox Live Avatar

Microsoft

Well, it’s that time of the week again, so today we go all the way to Des Moines, IA for an interview with Mr. Adison Finken. He’s a man of strong opinions which he loves to share. If you ever want someone great to talk about video games with, then he’s your man. His knowledge of the industry is astounding and informative; it’s likely you’ll see his name pop up at least a few more times around here. As always, if you would like to see yourself in the spotlight on "Get to Know Your Gamers", feel free to drop an email and we'll get you in the rotation!

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, what do you like to do (besides play video games)?

I’m Adison Finken from West Des Moines. Aside from gaming, my second passion is movies. Most of my time spent is either from watching movies or making bank, working the 9 – 5 for the man. I’m a big fan of Frisbee and traveling. I also do a movie podcast with a friend of mine called “Dude, that was sweet”. It’s about 45 minutes to an hour of movies and entertainment news. Nothing has been posted yet, but I’ll update with a link as soon as we upload some material.

What got you into gaming?

I have two fond memories of gaming. When I was much younger, my dad would always take the Nintendo controller and mess with it. One time, he recorded himself playing it and then would give me the controller playing back his recording and tell my mom “look, he’s really good at Mario!” making her think I’m some gaming prodigy at about the age of 3. I also would always go to my dad’s work and play Duke Nukem 3D because we didn’t have computers powerful enough at home, and I thought that was the coolest game ever!

What was your first console / game?

The Nintendo 64 was my first console. The game I remember most fondly was Turok the Dinosaur hunter, because I thought it was so cool when you’d shoot people in the jugular and it would just spray all out! Super Mario 64, although not my favorite, was funny because my brother actually received it in his pile of Christmas Gifts and was very adamant about being the first to play it, however he ran off and played with other Christmas gifts while I sat patiently waiting for my dad to plug the console in, so I actually got to play it first.

Some people won’t play a game if the graphics are bad. Do graphics have that big of an impact for you?

Graphics are important, but often times aren’t the determining factor. They go a long way in making it seem more realistic, but gameplay comes first; It has to be fun to play.

What do you look for in game / what makes a game ‘fun’ to you?

The big thing that I look for in a game is gameplay. It has to be really really fun to play. My favorite style is 3rd person action games. I actually got my start more in 1st person games, but I elevated to 3rd and now prefer the way they play. Games like Uncharted are some of my favorite. I’ll play pretty much anything though, I’m not a “video game snob” with the exception of sports games… because I suck at them.

Do you consider yourself a ‘casual’ or ‘hardcore gamer?

I would say it depends on the game. The majority of the time I’m a casual gamer – I like to play for the fun, and not for the competitive aspect – however if I’m playing a game that is more competition oriented I would consider myself more hardcore. I really enjoyed Modern Warfare 2 and played the online multiplayer like crazy, so for that I’d consider myself ‘hardcore’.

Do you prefer a solo or co-op / multiplayer experience?

I’m a big single-player guy. The thing that I value more than anything is a good single-player aspect. Multiplayer and co-op is great, but you just don’t get the same immersion that you get with the single-player experience, and I really like to find myself fully immersed in the story.

What are you playing right now?

Just picked up Infamous 2 for the PS3 and Red Faction Armageddon for the 360. I’m playingInfamous 2 more, because it has a better story, and I love that it makes you feel like a super-hero. You start out so powerful, and even by half-way through, you’re just wondering what powers they could possibly keep giving you to make you more powerful.

What is the worst game you’ve ever played?

That’s a tough question. I’m going to give a very controversial answer. Bringing everything in as far as quality of its predecessors and all the hype surrounding it, I’m going to have to say that Black Opps was the worst game I’ve ever played. Not necessarily because it was actually the worst quality game I’ve ever played, but simply because it was over hyped and not as well refined as I thought it should have been. I’m not saying no one should play it, but I’m saying that personally it was just a huge let-down for me and that’s why I didn’t enjoy it.

What do you consider to be the best game ever?

Half Life and Counterstrike. Half Life was a very crucial game in defining what I became as a gamer, being that it’s so immersive, I’d never really played a game that was so awesome. Everything was unparalleled. I can pick it up today and not enjoy it as much as a game I just grabbed off the shelf for 60. Counterstrike, because I spent so much time on it playing with friends. We’d go home from school and play until it was bed time, then get up in the morning and play some more. It was one of those games you just can’t put down, before the time of Call of Duty or Battlefield, and the online play was just so much fun.

Random Thought?

Whenever it comes down to it, movies are still better than games, because I have more movies than games.

[06.15.11] Get to know your gamers - Rob Nielsen

The avatar Rob uses to represent himself on the PlayStation Network

Sony

It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for another Get To Know Your Gamers. This week, the spotlight falls on Mr. Rob Nielsen. If anybody ever really knew what it meant to be a gamer, it’s this guy! Read on to find out why and to hear the rest of what he has to say. As always, if you would like to be featured in "Get to Know Your Gamers", feel free to drop an email and we'll get you in the rotation!

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, what do you like to do (besides play video games)?

I`m Rob and I`m from Waterloo, Iowa. I play video games way too much. When I`m not, I`m usually playing my guitar, painting, or watching terrible horror films. If I`m not doing any of those things my nose is probably stuck in a book.

What got you into gaming?

Art is really important to me, and video games are just another art form, so I was always interested in them as far back as memory allows. I consider my generation very fortunate as we were able to grow up in the golden age of a new art form.

What was your first console / game?

My first console was the NES, and my first game was the Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt pack-in. I still have them, and all my original NES and SNES games and systems.

Some people won’t play a game if the graphics are bad. Do graphics have that big of an impact for you?

Graphics can add a great deal to immersion if done well, but they aren`t my primary criteria for playing a game. I`m usually a lot more interested in the gameplay and the story. For example, I would point to a game like Super Metroid, a case where the graphics were stunning when the game was released but in which the game remains completely playable today, almost twenty years later, on the strength of its story, intuitive controls, and atmosphere.

What do you look for in game / what makes a game ‘fun’ to you?

Since I`m primarily interested in single-player experiences, having a strong story is really the deciding factor when choosing the games I want to play. Like a film or book, I lose interest quickly if I don`t feel like I can relate to the protagonist or if the plot isn`t compelling. Also a strong element of exploration in a game always seems to hook me and keep me playing, wanting to see what`s around the next corner. Finally, as a lifelong fan of horror literature and films, scary games are always a personal favorite. My very favorite games usually contain all of the above elements in one fashion or another.

Do you consider yourself a ‘casual’ or ‘hardcore gamer?

I don`t really think of myself as either. I don`t think anyone should self-define using paradigms like that because they`re inherently limiting. I think people should just play the games that appeal to them.

Do you prefer a solo or co-op / multiplayer experience?

Single player is really important to me. Multiplayer is a nice added component for a great game, but for me, if a game doesn’t have a great single player experience, the whole game just feels shallow and unfulfilling. However, I understand that other gamers may have a different viewpoint.

What are you playing right now?

I just finished Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, which in my view is an incredible game and very underrated. Currently, I`m playing Demon`s Souls, Fallout: New Vegas, and Patapon 2, all of which are really great games as well.

What is the worst game you’ve ever played?

I remember purchasing The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall upon release. Upon starting the game, the software would often glitch and spawn your character in the first dungeon with a random negative number for health, sometimes one`s hero would fall through the floor and out of the game world when walking, and the hero could loiter in the in-game shops until they 'closed' for the evening, steal everything on the shelves, and walk out the front door with no consequence whatsoever. In fact, the game was so broken that the main quest could not be completed and the game was completely unwinnable until Bethesda patched it later. However, post-patch, the game is one of the best RPG`s ever made and still a personal favorite to this day.

What do you consider to be the best game ever?

Hands down the Mario series is still the best, across every Nintendo console iteration, and always will be. Individually though, I would have to name Silent Hill 2 as a personal favorite.

Random Thought?

Keep on enjoying this awesome hobby, and a personal thanks to my good buddy Tony for giving me an opportunity to ramble for a while!

[06.08.11] Get To Know Your Gamers - Ryan Hingtgen

Ryan Hingtgen's Xbox Live Avatar

Microsoft

Today marks the start of a new series called "Get to Know Your Gamers". Roughly every week (or maybe just whenever I have something to post), I'll be interviewing a local gamer and asking their opinions on video games. It's a fun way to give everyone their "15 Minutes of Fame" and to get an idea of what people around here think about the industry. If you would like to be featured in "Get to Know Your Gamers", feel free to drop an email and we'll set something up! Without further ado, here's our first featured Gamer: Ryan Hingtgen.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, what do you like to do (besides play video games)?

21 years old, lived in Iowa all my life. Besides video games I also enjoy tabletop, board games, and building models.

What got you into gaming?

Had an OLD computer with a troll doll game lol. Also got to play a lot of Nintendo and Sega at friends’ houses and I was hooked. Also used to play a lot of Civilization on the computer, got a copy at the library and I still play that game. I’m not sure if I ever returned the copy I borrowed!

What was your first console / game?

Personally I had a PS1 that I had gotten for Christmas one year. I pretty much only played NBA Live 98, with all the rules off of course. Those were some full contact games of basketball!

Some people won’t play a game if the graphics are bad. Do graphics have that big of an impact for you?

It really depends on the game. Lately I’ve been playing a lot of Minecraft. It’s a great game but it has awful graphics. However that works because it has an awesome format that makes it infinitely replayable. I definitely prefer a well thought out game to a pretty one any day.

What do you look for in game / what makes a game ‘fun’ to you?

It has to be replayable, and it has to have some multiplayer features. In fact, if there’s no online multiplayer option, I don’t really buy a game anymore.

Do you consider yourself a ‘casual’ or ‘hardcore gamer?

I’m definitely somewhere in the middle, on the one hand I’m spending most of my time in my games, but I’ve known folks who dreamed of going pro (lol). I definitely just play games because I find it relaxing. The moment a game becomes stressful, it sits on my shelf.

Do you prefer a solo or co-op / multiplayer experience?

Definitely Online Multiplayer. Cut my teeth online playing Socom for PlayStation and never looked back.

What are you playing right now?

At the moment I’m playing Rift, great game so far and a good alternative to World of Warcraft if MMO’s are your thing. Here’s a link to a free trial [Edit: Link Fixed!]. I’m also playing some Starcraft 2 and Call of Duty right now. Kind of biding my time until Battlefield comes out, looks to be a good one, but we will see!

What is the worst game you’ve ever played?

There was once an American Idol music game I got for my birthday from a friend. You could play it with the sound off on the hardest difficulty. To be fair, it was great fun to play with friends when they were over, but looking back it was a completely laughable attempt at a game.

What do you consider to be the best game ever?

To be honest I don’t think I could pick just one. For sports games I think NBA 2k11 was excellent, made me feel like a little kid again playing basketball! Judging by my playtime, I might say World of Warcraft, but I feel that that has gone downhill over the past couple years. And then there was Guitar Hero! I have played so many good games I wouldn’t want to pick just one.

Random Thought?

Play games for you. Often times it’s easy to get caught up in your k/d ratio, or that honor grind. But it will always boil over and you will become frustrated sooner or later. One thing to remember when playing online games, there is ALWAYS someone better than you. Don’t sweat it, just move and win the next game.