Meet the Reader: Mystery Guest

This week’s a bit of a special treat for people. Not only do we have a Mystery Guest for you, but it’s an audio interview (loosely transcribed below), and we have Bunimomike on hosting duties. Can you figure out who our interviewee is?

Before we start, though, our Meet the Reader guest suffers with dyspraxia. The ins and outs of that can be found on Wikipedia but in the voice interview it can sometimes catch the motor functions out, so speech can often prove a bit trickier than normal.

Meet The Reader – Mystery Guest by TSAMTR

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What we’ve got here is a double-whammy of a delight for you. We have a special guest interviewee, who I’ll not be naming until the end of the interview, just to see if you can work out who it is by the end. If not, then shame on you as he’s a pretty unique personality to TSA.

Try not to spoil it, Mike!

I won’t, though you’ve given it away already, you’ve let them know who I am. But seriously, I know you well enough so this is just a bit of fun to keep this a secret from everybody. So what we’ll do is bypass the usual opening questions, and skip right ahead to how you came across TSA?

I think I discovered it through Amazon’s video game forums, and I used to nick the article for the PSN Store updates of TSA and put the link in. I just decided one day “Oh, what the hell. Might as well check it out.” Liked the look of it, signed up, and the rest is history.

History that future generations can learn from, never to repeat the same mistakes again, to allow you into the fold! That’s quite curious that you came in from that direction. Were you a member of any other gaming websites?

I think TSA was my first.

Oooh, there was a first love. There’s more to come, isn’t there?

Yeah, TSA’s got a good community, there’s barely any fanboys, though we do get the odd idiot every now and then. The Community Team usually beats them up, and shows them the door!

Speaking personally, I think TSA’s really allowed you to… flourish, as a personality on there, and also that you’ve enjoyed yourself a huge amount. This is a bit of a clue, but you spent an awful long amount of time there, possibly a bit too much. I could just chat for hours, but I’m trying desperately to stick to the questions. So, our delightful anonymous guest, how old are you?

18.

Said with such confidence! Do you remember your first gaming experience? What was a big factor in you gaming in the first place?

I think my first experience was with Street Fighter. I know my first proper venture into gaming was on the PS1, but before that with the Mega Drive, well… I saw it and weren’t interested at the time. A few years later, I wondered what the PS1 was like, played a few games, enjoyed it, and ever since then I’ve been a massive gamer. Perhaps too much of a gamer!

I’m so glad you said the word ‘gamer’ after ‘massive’. I guess you were drawn to the glitz that Sony brought with the PS1, they were pretty instrumental in making video gaming and console gaming what it is now.

Yeah, I think Sony basically came along and said “Right, this is what gaming is. It’s not for kids, it’s for everyone.” Then just went and dominated in the PS1 days.

Yes, and massively with the PS2. It was good to see them bring a fresh attitude to the market.

Unfortunately, the accidentally killed the Dreamcast and Sega off, but I didn’t really know that even existed until a few years ago. I thought it was just the three companies, Microsoft, Ninty and Sony.

Well you can just sort of replace Microsoft with Sega, back then, I guess it just provided a bit of healthy competition. So, you were enjoying the PS1, and were there any franchises from back then that you still enjoy?

I wasn’t really that big a gamer back then. Looking back, I regret not playing, and am trying to get some of the big games that began back then. Metal Gear Solid, the PS1 Final Fantasy games, Silent Hill and Resident Evil.

So basically, all those big classics that are still held in such high regard, you want to go back and see where they started?

Yeah, it would be nice if Sony in Europe would get off their backsides and put them all up on the PSN Store. I know there’s legal issues, but…

Oh yes, of course. We’ve seen some stuff not hit the store from legal wrangling.

I think Silent Hill 1 was on there, but then it was taken off.

Well, it’s a big franchise, and I think we had a little bit of news at E3. A sneaky preview that a new Silent Hill was coming, but I think some people have become a bit disenfranchised with that franchise.

Well I’ve heard that it’s gone down hill a lot, Silent Hill, but I haven’t really played it so I can’t say if it’s gone down hill or not, in my opinion. It’s just one of those games you’ve only heard of, but you want to play it to see what it’s about.

Yes, it’s just the curiosity that gets the better of you. It’s a massive franchise and you just want a little taste. Right, you know what? Once again, I’m going to have to behave, and ask structured questions.

It’s not the NuTSAck Podcast, Mike.

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29 Comments

  1. Great read and very funny, the answer to the first question gave it away as he posted that answer in the forums the other day ;) still was laughing towards the end, and liked your talk about the story of a game. Terminator salvation btw, i liked it in coop, was great fun ;)

  2. Good read. It seems I share your fondness for RPG’s and disdain for the majority of FPS’s. I didn’t know these articles were your idea, well-done on that :)

  3. It was lovely having a chat with you, fella. Also, tef, thank you for transcribing things. Awesome effort.

  4. Brilliant stuff lads, this made for a very enjoyable lunch break read. I hope you survive the inevitable assassination attempts for slagging CoD!

    • He’ll survive, its quite an understanding community here when statements are well presented and justified like his was. It’s when people make unqualified comments that help breaks loose!

      • That’s why i like TSA. Less likely to get stabbed for having a different opinion. But i am still not leaving the Steve cave.

      • i disagree on that, i said why i disliked Batman AA and said Fifa 12 looked the same, and got blasted both times, even when i did make reasonable points! so you do get some idiots on here who dont realize that everyone is entitled to their own opionion. However, the majority of the readers respect that which i love :)
        btw i really really hate call of duty, but i still play it, i have many other FPS’s which i think are better, Killzone 3 for definite.

  5. Really great listen and read.
    Top idea Steven, it’s interesting learning a little about members, makes the place feel a bit more personal and bunimo, as ever, lends an element of class to proceedings as an excellent host.

    Great start to a Sunday.

    • You’ve just made me burst out with laughter. I’m printing this off to show my Mum. Me and the word ‘class’ in the same sentence and without it proceeded with “yet again, I had to throw Mike out of the…”.

      • Haha! You’re an absolute credit to the place, no doubt. :)

  6. great read=)
    and a good idea steve=) and once again nice to know about the other members on this site=)
    and very enjoyable to listen to the conversation… more with this!!! *enjoying himself face*

  7. Great read and a terrific listen! Articles like this and Meet the Staff always keep me entertained, keep up the great work guys. Oh and thanks Steve for letting us hear your thoughts on things!! :D

  8. Guessed who it was from the opening blurb about dyspraxia, booyah! I will now only respond to being called Uberdoc.

    • Hey! Douchy-Sprog! I’mma not gonna be callin’ you that, kay? ;)

    • How did you work that out just from the opening bit about Dyspraxia? Did Bmike tell you? O-o

      • Not me, fella. DrNate doesn’t even want to meet for anonymous hot-zombie action, let alone converse with me. :-P

      • I’ll converse and meet for any hot action you like Bunny, that deep voice sends rumbles right through me ;-)

        @Steve, just my inner medic picking up on small patterns of speech, nothing to worry about!

  9. That was a good read. :)

  10. that was entertaining, quite a few laughs.
    i wouldn’t mind seeing, or hearing, more of these.

    but, seriously, you’re worried about being professional.
    have you never listened to the TSA podcasts?

    • Tef told us to behave or he’ll take away our consoles and PCs.:(

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