Meet the Reader: Colinbarr66

Before we move along, what’s been you Game of the Year?

That’s a tough one. Both of my favourites are games I’ve been able to play with a friend. Killzone 3 was a great campaign (I only finished it as my friend could play the jungle level without me) with a disappointing online mode and Portal 2 was hilarious and challenging on single player and co-op. More games should include a co-op mode.

I think after it (and split screen play) being dropped at the start of the generation, co-op has really made something of a comeback lately, which can only be a good thing!

Absolutely. Army of Two: The 40th Day is a perfect example. By any right, an average game at best but it ranks as one of my all time favourites as I could play through it with a friend.

Exactly! It feels to me like you’ve been on TSA since the dawn of time. Then again, my memory is pretty pants, so when and how did you first stumble across TSA?

Murdo (CaptainMurdo) and I met in high school and he told me about TSA. So when I got a PS3 I started visiting and reading the site and I eventually signed up in March 2009 and I’ve been hanging around ever since.

I think Murdo said something along those line in his Meet the Reader too. You were also quite involved, running the Community Team for quite a while. What competitions have you enjoyed or been most proud of seeing?

Well, I have to mention the Killzone 2 clan. They were kind enough to accept me into the clan around July in 2009 which I absolutely loved and miss. I was made clan leader then brought onto the staff to help with the community stuff. The competition I’m proudest of is the Killzone 2 Man on Man Tournament that I ran at the start of 2010, which even got the support of Guerrilla Games through some awesome prizes. It was a 32 man one vs one tournament that really got a lot of people in the community talking about and playing Killzone 2. Even nofi played in it!

I remember that! I think I went out in the first round, because I went up against Spoofer, or something…

I think I was in the final against Spoofer, or the semi-final. I can’t really remember in my old age.

I enjoyed all the competitions I was fortunate to have organised or have been a part of. Being part of such a great community is something I miss a lot and it is a very rewarding feeling when you see so many people enjoying themselves.

It certainly is. From the front page features, what articles have you enjoyed the most?

Abridged Too Far was definitely the best feature I’ve seen on TSA and the TSA Debates were always good to read and then be a part of. I still think that the best thing about TSA is the humour, and when it is done in the right way you’ll struggle to find anything better to read on the internet.

Abridged is pretty much universally loved. Now, we know that you and Murdo are good real life friends, but how was it meeting other TSA people at EGX the last two years? Is there anyone left that you’d love to meet?

Well, Murdo and I met Blair in May of last year (a day that was well talked about on Twitter I remember) which was a little strange at first but fun. At last year’s Eurogamer we only met djhsecondnature but this time I got the chance to meet loads of TSAers. I’m a very awkward person and shy when it comes to meeting new people but every time I met someone there has been no awkwardness and its like we’ve been friends for years. It’s a strange feeling as we’ve never met before, yet seem to know each other pretty well.

There’s a few people I’d still like to meet but that list is a private one, for various legal reasons.

Haha! I’m not sure if people should be worried about that one… Moving away from TSA and gaming, do you have any other hobbies and interests?

I don’t really have any hobbies, I don’t have time with work an uni, but my main love in life is wrestling, as we have already spoken about. I do enjoy watching F1 and Motorsport and also some other sports like football and basketball.

I’ll watch any sport as long as there is excitement. So, not cricket.

Cricket is a good one to go to sleep to on a lazy summer afternoon. Do you mind sharing what you study at Uni?

Not at all. I study Architectural Engineering which has something to do with pipes, I believe.

Are you in first year? It’s good to know that its about pipes!

Second year. An Architectural Engineer is someone that designs the services within a building like the heating, ventilating, drainage, lighting etc.

So… Pipes!

In a word, yes, pipes!

We’re pretty much at the end of the interview, with just one final question, and one I hope you’ve been dreading. Snog, Civil Partnership, Smother from Peter, Lewis and Kris?

Is Smother the bad one?

That’s the one where you gently remove life from someone with a pillow. Well, it doesn’t have to be gentle.

Ah, well then. I’d give Lewis a snog, form a civil partnership with Peter (he gives good hugs) and smother Kris. I mean, I like Kris, and I like comics, but hearing about Batman constantly would drive me over the edge.

But wouldn’t Batman come and save one of his biggest supporters?

Probably not, Batman is a nob. I hate Batman [Watch it – Ed]. Sorry, my Scottishness came through there.

How controversial! On that note, it’s time to wrap this up. Do you have any final words for the people that managed to make it this far?

This has been quite long, hasn’t it? Sorry people!

I think they like words, though.

Oh, that’s good. I use words a lot. Thanks to everyone that participated in everything I was fortunate to be a part of during my time with TSA and to the entire community and staff who have been great to me ever since I joined the site all those years ago.

Also follow me on Twitter at @Barr66!

Thanks a bundle to Colin for doing this interview. It was lovely to chat with him again, as he’s not been around on TSA quite as much as he once was!