After taking an extended hiatus, Get to Know Your Gamers is back this week with a good friend of mine, Tom Boggess. If you need a co-op buddy for anything, Tom is about as good as they come. Whether he’s shooting up bad guys with you in survival mode for Modern Warfare 3 or exploiting physics while toting a portal gun in Portal 2; he’s got your back whatever the situation. As always, if you’re interested in being featured on ‘Get to Know Your Gamers’, just shoot me an email at ortale.anthony@gmail.com and we can set up an interview!
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, what do you like to do (besides play video games)?
I’m a pretty hardcore gamer – at least when I have the money. I’m 21 years old; I’ve lived in Iowa my entire life. I’m in the process of joining the Marines, which is what I dedicate most of my time to, but I always enjoy hanging out with friends when I get the chance.
What got you into gaming?
My parents. When I was three or four years old, they bought an Atari and ever since then it’s been moving from one game system to the next. Pong and Atari Bowling… those were the days!
What was your first console / game?
The Atari was the first one, and I don’t really remember but Pong was probably the first game I played.
Some people won’t play a game if the graphics are bad. Do graphics have that big of an impact for you?
If the graphics aren’t going to be good, it should at least have a good story. I’ll admit that graphics definitely are the thing that grabs my attention, but I’ve also played a lot of games where the graphics are amazing but the game isn’t good at all.
What do you look for in game / what makes a game ‘fun’ to you?
Lots of fast paced action and custom abilities. I love the idea of being able to somehow put myself into the game.
Do you consider yourself a ‘casual’ or ‘hardcore gamer?
Hardcore.
Do you prefer a solo or co-op / multiplayer experience?
I’d prefer to play with people. I’m always looking for a game that I can play with my dad or friends when they come over.
What are you playing right now?
Battlefield 3 and Skyrim
What is the worst game you’ve ever played?
I don’t know what the worst game I’ve ever played is, but the worst game I’ve ever owned was Naruto: Ultimate Ninja for the PS2. I actually tried to return that game two hours after I bought it. I paid $55 for it, and they wanted to give me back $10. Because of that, it forced me to play the rest of it and although it may not have been the worst I’ve ever played, it was definitely one of the worst I’ve ever owned.
What do you consider to be the best game ever?
There are three that pop into my mind right away. The first is Final Fantasy VIII, the second is Chrono Cross, and the third is SOCOM 2. SOCOM 2 to this day is still the best shooter I’ve ever played and owned. I don’t know what it is about that game, but I remember sitting there for like 12 hours at a time and sometimes I’d be sitting there for 30 minutes doing absolutely nothing, but my heart would still be racing just from the excitement of the game. The thing I loved best about Final Fantasy VIII is that it allowed you to put your own personality into the main character. Chrono Cross is probably one of the best RPG’s I’ve played outside of the Final Fantasy series. The way it’s setup is just so unique, it makes me want to play it right now just from thinking about it.
Random Thought?
Tell your mother I said hello.