Meet the Reader: PoorPaddy89

What would you say is your favourite genre, though? Do you spread it around a bit, or do you generally just focus on this particular subset of gaming?

Um, I’d usually say third-person action adventure games – God of War, Metal Gear, Assassin’s Creed, etc – but recently I’ve been playing a lot of RPGs on my PC, and Skyrim in particular. I’m tempted to dip my toe into the MMORPG world with Star Wars: The Old Republic. I know, I’m a hypocrite after ranting about online gameplay, but the Knights of the Old Republic games are incredible, and I really want to finish that story.

Ah, but MMORPGs are 90% co-operative anyway. It’s all about going on quests with friends, and only the occasional player versus player are, which you can generally steer clear of.

I do like some co-op games, so maybe when I have a steady income then I’ll be able to afford the subscription and will give it a go.

Sounds like a plan. I do also like to ask people what the most embarrassing game they’ve ever played is? Was it actually a bit of a guilty pleasure, even?

I’ve been thinking about this question, and I honestly can’t think of an embarrassing game. I do have a bit of an embarrassing story involving a game though, if that’ll do?

Yeah, I suppose it will… This had better be good, to make up for it.

Oh god, pressure’s on! Basically I went and bought The Sims 2 when I was 14 or something, but it was rated a 15. My mother is rather strict about age ratings, so it took tons and tons of begging for her to let me keep it, saying that there were no ‘naughty bits’ on screen or anything. Anyway, that night after she finally agreed to let me keep it, we were watching TV and the ad for the game came on, where it’s two real people playing strip poker. That was pretty awkward.

Game went straight back next day.

Hahaha. It’s awkward enough watching even vaguely racy stuff on TV.

The worst is Titanic. Love the film, but when Kate’s got her knockers out and you’re sitting there with the family… bad times.

See, now that’s a guilty pleasure right there. Are you going to see it in 3D?

No. I think some parts could work quite well in 3D actually, but I refuse to give James Cameron any more money after Avatar. 3D is dying out anyway, and good ridance.

Is it? I think we’re just in a bit of a lull where it’s not pushed quite as hard, but still very prevalent. Give it 4-5 years for the TV technology to improve and better techniques to emerge and it’ll be right back on track.

It’s not doing great. I’d happily watch 3D films if I didn’t have to do the glasses thing.

There’s not a huge amount of new films being shot in 3D. I can only think of The Hobbit. Other than that it seems to be re-releases; Star Wars, Titanic, Disney movies.

Yeah, I think the removal of glasses is the main bone of contention here.

It’s so annoying when you forget to wear contacts, then you’re feeling ridiculous in two pairs of glasses. Wah.

Can you not get prescription 3D glasses?

Now there’s an idea!

Let us know how it goes! How was it that you first stumbled across TSA?

I think I was looking for stuff on trophies, back in the days when I was a trophy whore. Anyway, I checked out some of the articles and really liked the style of the site, then signed up a while later.

So you’re not a trophy whore anymore?

Not as much as I used to be! I’ll plat games I enjoy, like Uncharted etc, but I won’t grind online trophies anymore. I bought a few HD collections just for the trophies, but I never bought the god-awful likes of Hannah Montana for a trophy!

I’ve almost completely given up on trophies, really. There are very few games where I think it’d be nice to get the Platinum, but even then… I’m in it for the game itself.

Yeah. I like trophies, but they have kind of ruined gameplay to an extent.

Only a teensy bit. It’s mainly a psychological thing. So, you stuck around for the articles and writing? What regular features on the site have you found yourself reading and enjoying the most?

I do like the Massive Poll and Meet the Reader articles – I think that’s part of what keeps me coming back to TSA; the sense of community. It doesn’t feel like the staff are separate from the readers. And across many articles I do enjoy the underlying sarcasm and wit that only British writers can pull off!

Well, your stereotypical American doesn’t understand sarcasm… So speaking of the community, have you got involved a huge amount, or are you a bit more of a lurker? I note your rather low forum post count. 

Tsk tsk.

I know, I’ve barely used the forum until recently. I comment on articles a fair bit, but I’m gonna get more involved in the forums. So if I end up pissing loads of people off, it’s your fault for making me get involved! I haven’t done any meets yet, but will soon fix that!

The pressure’s on, now that you’ve done MtR. The comments will all be “Who is this?!” and “We don’t like non-regs!”

As long as someone comments, I won’t cry myself to sleep. Y’all can bollock me if you want, just don’t ignore me!

Actually, don’t bollock me either. I’m super-nice.

We’ll just have to take your word for it, right now.

Make your judgements later.

Indeed. So, when it comes to life away from gaming and TSA, how do you spend your time? You already mentioned a liking of Irish music.

Yeah, I’m having a full-on ceilidh in my room right now. I’m a huge fan of the Pogues especially. I’m a man of simple pleasures – if I’m not gaming I’m probably at the pub or at the cinema. I do love my movies. And I’ve just finished my last bit of uni work so I have to find a job soon…

It must be quite noisy in there! Do you mind me asking what you’ve been studying and where your career will likely take you?

I’ve been doing a film BA degree, 50:50 practical and theory. I went in wanting to be a bigshot writer/director, but now since doing my dissertation on representations of women in ‘Saw’ I want to do an MA in film theory and go on to be a researcher/lecturer in the field of gender representation in film and video games.

Any excuse to look at wobbly knockers in video games, eh?

Now there’s my guilty pleasure!

I’ll bet there’s a tiny handful of programmers that specialise in breast physics.

Tiny handful?! You should check out more mods for games like Skyrim – half the mods on there are for nude replacements and boob-physics. Not that I’ve downloaded any of them. *cough*

“It’s research, mum!”

You say that as a joke, but it’s scary how much I’ve already needed to say that.

Said it and, presumably, meant it too… Most of the time…

Oh yeah, if it was any other kind of “research” I’d have a much better excuse.

Haha, and whilst we’re already here in the gutters, I think it’s a lovely time to wrap things up with the usual, oft dreaded question: Snog, Civil Partnership, Smother or Shark Attack the four podcast hosts: Peter, Lewis, Kris and Kev?

Ah, the big decision! Well, after seeing the video podcast I’d say I’d snog Peter cos he has big arms. Lewis is hilarious so civil partnership for the lolz. Kris I’m afraid would get a shark attack for not having a PS3 (I’m still not a fanboy) so Kev has to get smothered, sadly.

Kris does have a PS3 now. Still no HDTV though.

Well, that’s my bad! I’ll try and save him in that case. Then I’d push him back in.

That’s even more brutal.

Them’s the rules.

The first rule of MtR is that there are no rules.

The second rule is ‘no smoking’.

Yup. Take it outside. With that, I’d like to thank you for your time, and bid you an enjoyable trek out of obscurity and into the limelight of TSA. Do you have any final words for the readers that made it this far?

And the same to you, sir! Umm, please don’t bully me on the forums? Thanks!

I then stopped talking to Paddy. He seemed a kind of alright-ish guy. Bit obsessed with the boobs, though. Hmmm… Be nice to him, y’hear?