Speaking of competitions, you’ve taken part in quite a few. Where have you had the most fun so far?
I love the competitions on TSA, mainly because you are playing against a lobby of people that know what they are doing. The incentive of some sort of prize is an added bonus. I would say the two F1 championships have been epic. Of course, the Resistance 3 competition was ace too, because I won a T-Shirt!
How are you doing in the current one? High hopes?
At the moment the aim is to match Jambo who is always in my group. I have finished 2nd on the road in every race so far but endured the odd hiccup. I think I need to buy a wheel to really compete though. Still, in the final race everything is to play for!
As such a race nut, I’d have assumed you have a wheel already. Even I have one!
They cost money, and I live in Leeds! Despite the name, a wheel is just out of reach.
That’s your excuse for everything. I must admit, though, when I was passing through Leeds a couple weeks back, there were a lot of missing textures, and placeholder assets… Very shoddy.
Hahaha! I loved your “Where is Teflon” image game on Twitter. I missed it, but went back to look through.
What did you think? Doesn’t smell quite as bad as people make out, huh?
I saw a one legged pigeon. It was fatter than all the other pigeons. I think that says it all, really.
Yes, that sums things up quite nicely.
Reading it back, you wouldn’t think it does, but it somehow exudes the right feel.
I concur, I will have to keep an eye out for that pigeon.
I saw a pigeon once in Paris that had a chunk of its skull missing, you could see part of its brain. Probably best to move on at this point.
That’s quite disturbing, but now I’m just thinking of that Peter Jackson film, Bad Taste.
Good shout!
There’s lots of brains in that. Also strawberry yoghurt. (Those that haven’t seen Bad Taste should, to see how these two items relate to one another)
Speaking of movies, I do the odd piece for ScreenDemon.com currently. I had to get the plug in there somewhere!
It’s only fair. It is TSA’s sister site, after all. So away from games and TSA, there’s lots of movies too?
Yup! That came from the uni days where we would all watch films a lot, and since uni I have just continued on so in the evenings I can catch a film and write a review. It’s less time consuming than reviewing games!
I can believe that. Is there anything you particularly enjoyed this year? Film of The Year! Go!
Well, somewhat predictably I properly enjoyed Senna, but you probably knew that. Putting that aside, Crazy, Stupid, Love is most surprising, because it’s not as rubbish as it should be, Drive was chilling and Red State was plain weird in a great way. Oh, and The Troll Hunter. Loved that!
That was 5.
You’ve not really got the concept of Film of The Year right. What’s the worst film you’ve ever watched?
Damn, I’ll work on that for next year.
A friend of mine really likes this trashy comedy called EuroTrip, which is simply god awful. I had to watch it and politely pretend to laugh at the right time. Not only that, but later in the same year there was a small gathering at his and I had to watch that turgid mess again!
Also, there was a stereotypical geeky guy with a camera, who everyone thought was like me.
I’ll bet you didn’t even get lucky!
Right, exactly!
Wait…
Tough break. Do you have any exciting out-doors-y activities? Dabbled in a bit of spelunking?
I hear you are an expert in spelunking. Your reputation precedes you.
I’m often giving lectures.
I must go to one sometime, but I can’t say I’ve done it myself. I work during the day, doing marketing shizzle for my family’s photography business. So I enjoy taking pictures, lots and lots of pictures, mainly of gigs. Listening to new music is my first love and then going to gigs and taking pictures goes hand in hand with that.
I also play a bit of tennis, pretty poorly it has to be said, but now it’s winter I play poker instead.
I’ll bet you do! I’ll be certain let you know when I’m next in Leeds for my spelunking lectures. SEGUE! Are there any TSAgents from your time on the site you’d particularly like to meet?
I agree with Tonyyeb’s sentiments in the previous Meet The Reader that a real-life go-karting TSA Meet would be ace! People like Matty, Jambo, Manorhowze, Tonyyeb, Maneorix, someone called Teflon, Spooferbananaramabaneous or something, plus many others. It would be great to see them in real life, and then Jambo can drive the entire race on Lean Mix .
That’s Spoofer’s full name. Jambo’s figured out how not to use Lean Mix, you realise.
Oh yeah, but he still beats you using the slowest fuel, or the worst tyres. He’s too quick!
He asked me not to say anything mean about him this week, so I’m going to lie and say he’s such a sweetheart.
Fair play to that! No Irish accent attempts.
His awful attempts at a Northern Irish accent annoys me. He should stop that.
I don’t understand how you can live your whole life doing a fake Northern Irish accent, I don’t know how he manages it.
Maybe he has to because he’s in a witness protection scheme?
Ha, someone got annoyed that he beat then on GT5 using just his little toes?
It’s plausible. This must be true. Right, I feel we’ve jabbered on for quite long enough, so this next bit will jump all over the shop. What is your favourite colour?
Blue.
What camera(s) do you use/your preferred loadout?
I use some out-there cameras, not the ordinary Canon’s or Nikons. Working in a camera shop, you realise a lot of it is just brand names. My loadout is a Sony Alpha 35 with the 18-200mm attachment and ultra-quick reload perk. Then I have a wonderful compact Casio Zr100.
Have you prestiged that?
Twice.
How many toes do you have?
13. Don’t ask.
Do you own a pair of wellington boots?
Yup, and they’re still covered in Leeds Festival/Bestival mud.
Snog, Civil Partnership, Smother from Peter, Lewis, Kris?
Ewww! I was hoping this one wouldn’t be asked. I’ll go with snogging Kris, civil partnership with Peter & then smothering Lewis. That Dance Central video put me off Kris a little there.
Which one? The latest one?
Yup. The best bit about that for me was when Kris is fully dressed up, running down the street and then a random person exits their house. What must they have thought?
That random guy looked rather puzzled. Well, we have come to the end of the interview, and it’s generally held that the interviewee (that’s you) says a few final words.
Oh right, no pressure then!
Was that it?
Ha, no!
Right, was that it?
I try my best not to cry….but it really is the people on TSA that….(sob)……..really make the site…..(sniff)…..what it is and it’s an absolute joy to read it……..(sob)…..everyday and take part in meets & competitions…….(break down).
That was it.
That? You sure? Well, OK…
Thanks to Tom for joining me on this nonsense laden interview. A blast was had by all. Who will be sat on my lap next week for a friendly, yet brutal interrogation?
Origami Killer
haha very funny. In group C on F1 it’s always you and Jambo stealing the show in 1st and 2nd :P Worst film I saw this year was Buried.
Origami Killer
forgot to say, have you received your res3 t-shirt? I haven’t.
Tomhlord
I do believe that they haven’t been dispatched from the original source yet.
bacon_nuts
I thought buried was really interesting, pretty horrible, but in the way it should have been.
Origami Killer
it tried to be realistic but in fact it was not at all. So boring as well.
tonyyeb
Great MTR! Tom’s a top guy to play online against, I think once he gets a wheel Jambo might have turn up the engine! ;)
gazzagb
EuroTrip is a brilliant film!
Manorhowze
Good read. Loving the pic of the old TOCA games, they were awesome back in the day. (Although I think I forgot to mention them in the PS1 games thread. *damn*)
And Jambo’s fake accent is getting annoying, we all know he’s Jamaican as his username is short for Jamaican Bob. ;)
Jambo
Ya man.
teflon
Does this mean you’re going to stop with the Irish one now?
Jambo
Its Northern Irish :-P
tonyyeb
You should use your twitter account then Manor! A great chat about the TOCA games has passed you by!
freezebug2
Yup, good taste in nostalgic games there Tom, I still have two of those Toca’s in their original cases….be great to have a PS3 version released other than Grid, although Grid 2 would be welcome ;)
Tomhlord
I wish Grid 2 would be released, I have my fingers crossed that it is out this time next year!
maneorix
I’ve got to agree CMR 2.0 is one of my favourite if not my favourite PSX game of all time. I spent waaaay too much time playing that!
Tomhlord
All day, every day!
spooferbarnabas
You had/have an N64 and didn’t mention Diddy Kong Racing?! You’re dead to me. Good meet the reader though dude, even if you did get my name slightly wrong ;)
Tomhlord
I got you’re name wrong, really? ;)
shields_t
Great stuff, I’ve been caught out by the singstar play notification before now too, I used to say it was my wife playing but these dys I just embrace the karaoke!
Tomhlord
It’s the way forward!
shields_t
Aye ;-)
cam the man
Good to meet you Tom.
I would say my fav games of all time would come from the TOCA and CMR series. Much preferred the earlier games format than the latest ones.
Tomhlord
I do enjoy all of them, but those early ones (for their time) were epic!
MadJunkBoy
nice to meet u mr ford…
great read again teflon… and a funny one=)
Go-Kart FTW! =)
lenn117
I think they should interview CB or Blair next….be very interesting and funny imo
mynameisblair
We’ve both done Meet the Staff articles, hunt them down and you shall be rewarded :D