Well, I can’t say the interview was actually with Walmart, as it’s more probable it was through a marketing agency Walmart hired, but nonetheless this interview was conducted back in July. I’ve been waiting for them to post it, but at this point I figure they’re never going to publish it so HEY I may as well post it here!
WEEE! It’s like a blast from the past! Or something. <3.
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What are you playing right now?
Maaaan oh man. I typically try to avoid juggling games – ‘cuz more often than not some end up being neglected and that makes me sad — but right now I’m playing Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (PC), Pokemon X (3DS), Harvest Moon: A New Beginning (3DS), Divinity: Original Sin (PC) AND I just started up Watch Dogs (PS4).
Help.
What’s your opinion on the new consoles? Do they have any games worth upgrading for yet?
I think the new consoles are great, they’re fun, and they’re only improving thanks to this thing called technology which allows firmware updates to be pushed remotely. That said, I could have gone several more years without new consoles due to the freakin’ ginormous size of my backlog. Not to mention a nice chunk of the upcoming big hitters (Dragon Age: Inquisition, Alien: Isolation, Destiny, Shadow of Mordor, Far Cry 4, The Evil Within, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, etc.) will also be launching on last-gen consoles.
What I’ve been telling everyone is this: unless there’s an exclusive next-gen game you MUST have at this moment, or if you simply want your games a bit shinier, upgrade. If you don’t give a flying you-know-what, stay where you are for now.
When you’re looking at games, what are you looking for? What’s meat and what’s fluff?
When deciding how I want to dedicate the next 8-100+ hours of my life, I first look for an engaging story. Which, and this goes hand-in-hand, also means I look for a nice array of characters. I’m a very story-driven gamer, and I like to lose myself in stories, characters, lore, sidequests, etc. (If you can’t tell, RPGs are my favorite!)
Graphics and technical mambo-jambo are what I consider fluff. Like I said above, I looove me a good story, and I don’t need fancy graphics or a brand new engine to enjoy myself. Even today I’ll try my hand at a PS1 classic I’ve yet to experience, and in case you haven’t noticed, most of those games haven’t aged very well. ;)
What advice do you have for non-gamers looking to buy a gift for the gamer in their lives?
You can never go wrong with a simple gift card. I know, I know – on the surface it might not seem like the most thoughtful gift, but trust me, us gamer folk never know when something will pop into our lives that we deem necessary to acquire. We might want to make a pre-order, download a game from our consoles, buy a new controller, a game related t-shirt, use online credits…the list goes on and on.
I’d recommend a gift card from any retailer that sells vidja’game paraphernalia. <3
What’s the strangest game you’ve ever played?
Y’know, this is going to sound weird, but Minecraft. And this is purely based off of my ONE experience with it. I came home late one night after being out with friends, and I thought, “What the heck?!” and fired it up. Let’s just say my judgment and ability to understand what was going on was a bit altered and before I knew it I had dug myself into a literal hole and couldn’t get out.
I haven’t touched it since.
What’s next in gaming?
First, I really hope the industry goes back to its brick and mortar roots and strays away from the “motion controls” hoopla. The focus on motion controls has already diminished a great deal, and I hope it continues to stay that way. Of course I don’t think it would be wise to completely cut off support for gamers who enjoy motion controls and more casual games, but I’m happy not to see as much of it in the games I enjoy. The foundation is still a bit rocky, but I think there’s a nice balance that’s beginning to settle.
I think the more obvious, relevant answer to the question is virtual reality. Oculus was just acquired by Facebook for 2 billion and Sony has their own VR shindig with Project Morpheus. Nintendo has said they’re keeping an eye on the VR industry and Microsoft has openly admitted they’ve been “playing” with it.
Meat and fluff, interesting to use those words in a question heh. I don’t play Minecraft but I could just imagine going “ooh dig a a hole* and dig and dig and then stuck… then your done. Do you think Virtual Reality or Occulus Rift will have a place in stuff like E3 (unless it aready has), the way motion Controls did in he past? If so look forward to hearing your experience with it. Thanks For Sharing!