Meet the Reader: Ashw92

Hello! Have you met Ashw92 before? Well either way, be polite and say hi.

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This week, we’ll start with question 3 and work backwards. Where do you come from, how old are you, and what is your name?

Oh, changing things up?

Keeps everyone on their toes.

I’m originally from Colchester in Essex but am now at university in Northampton. I’m 19 years old and my name is Ashley Wood.

Interesting… I believe that within this information, there are the clues to your TSA and PSN ID’s origins… Could you please elaborate?

Ah yes, well there is a load of originality there. Took me a lifetime to come up with something so ingenious! I’ve never been able to create a name for myself that I liked and felt I could stick to, so just went back to the obvious.

Yeah, using your actual name and year of birth is pretty simple to come up with. Also quite handy to remember it, barring total amnesia from severe head trauma.

See? All about being practical. Who needs an imagination?

You’re something of a youngster, compared to the last few interviews, so I’m quite interested to hear where your first experiences with gaming lie?

Well, my first proper gaming experience, as far as I know, was with a MegaDrive that my aunt brought for me when I was fairly young. I don’t know exactly when, I just vaguely remember playing on it. From then I went on to the first PlayStation, then the PS2 and now the PS3.

I’ve also dabbled with Nintendo handhelds in there, but I can’t remember where they fit into the timeline.

So, a bit of a Sony fan, through and through? Has there been any temptation to try out Microsoft’s consoles at all?

It does appear that way. I think I didn’t bother with the original Xbox because I had the PS2. I remember slightly deviating away from gaming around the time the 360 came out, so wasn’t quite as interested in it. By the time I got back into the swing of things the PS3 was on its way and I just always decided I’d prefer to stick with Sony consoles.

Yeah, that’s fair enough. After the PS3, and now the Vita next week, I’m pretty invested in their brand too. What would you consider to be your favourite game of all time?

I’m really looking forward to the Vita too, only a few more days!

Of all time? Thats difficult. There have been a lot of games I have invested loads of time into, I think the most would be CoD4: Modern Warfare. I got extremely addicted to the online portion and it was my first proper FPS I played and committed to.

I also hold a soft spot for Tony Hawks Pro Skater 4. That has to be up there with my favourites, I remember spending days on it and being driven mental trying to do some of the more difficult challenges, like skitching that elephant.

I think my favourite game of all time however has to be Portal 2. I’d slightly ignored the first Portal, because it seemed a bit odd, but I picked it up when it went free on Steam and absolutely loved it. I had to get Portal 2 as soon as possible and found it the best gaming experience I’ve ever had. the story was great, the voice acting was great, the puzzles were hard enough to challenge but still fun.

So are you really into FPS games? Is that your favourite genre too?

CoD4 really opened those doors for me and made me really get into the genre, but recently I’ve moved away from it a bit more and diversified to a wider variety of games. I’m generally a sucker for a good story that draws you in, rather than a “run here and shoot these guys” kind of approach.

I’ve moved over to driving games quite a bit too and got myself the Driving Force GT wheel to be more engaged with it and be more precise.

I got my DFGT for Gran Turismo 5, and (now that I’m pseudo used to it) that game has just got better and better for me! Is it GT5 for you too?

Yeah its GT5 for me too as well as Dirt 3, but yeah, the wheel has improved it immensely. Much easier to just drive smoother and actually have more control. Hasn’t helped me beat my inability to complete the NASCAR challenges that are driving me nuts, though!

Turn off ABS and Traction Control, and the NASCAR events get so much easier. Protip for you there.

Haha. Cheers, I’ll try that!

Good luck! I always like to ask people what their most embarrassing game was. Do you have any particularly awful games in your history? Maybe you even enjoyed them?

The most embarrassing game I’ve actually paid for myself was Iron Man 2. The game is completely appalling, but it was only a fiver and I thought it’d be good for trophies, at least!

However, the worst game I’ve ever played was a game called Xtreme Train Racing, which I think says enough for itself. It was for the PS2 and I remember my mum buying it for me one time when they went out, I think I played it once out of courtesy!

A bit like at the end of that The Simpsons episode, with the golf game? Wait… How can train racing be considered extreme?

I wish I knew what The Simpsons episode you were referring to, but it doesn’t ring any bells.

It wasn’t just ‘extreme’ it was ‘Xtreme’. Dropping that ‘e’ changes everything! Oh wait, I’ll correct myself it was called Xtreme Express!

Oh, it’s one of the Christmas episodes, where Bart shoplifts a game he wants, which is basically Mortal Kombat, but gets caught. There’s the whole disillusionment with him on Marge’s side, but then Bart manages to redeem himself, and Marge buys him the game that the salesperson tells her all the kids want, which is a rubbish golf game.

Ringing any bells yet?

Ah yeah, it does vaguely now.

To be fair, you would have been 3 when it first aired…

Yeah, but they are re-aired all the time, so it makes no difference. Nearly as bad as Friends.

But just think… In 10 years time, there’ll be kids who will have absolutely no idea about Friends. Likewise The Simpsons has to end at some point, right?

The Simpsons are doing their 500th episode very soon, and still seems to be going strong, although it’s not as good as it once was. I still think its got a lot of life in it yet. I’d be surprised if Friends doesn’t get a movie version at some point soon.

A movie? Oh dear… Enough terrible, terrible thoughts for this interview.

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24 Comments

  1. Nice to meet you Ash, another one for some GT5 meets maybe?

    And a nemesis next week? Wait, I didn’t agree to doing this!

    • I think i will be putting my name down sorry. don’t worry about me shaking things up though, i can slot nicely into last :-)

  2. Nice to read about you, I really enjoyed reading your Guest Article on Death, one of the best submitted. Good luck with the rest of the course :)

    by the way I loved that Simpson’s episode which Tef was on about! :)

    • Thanks :-) I really enjoy doing them. I want to wrote more but i find coming up with a topic really hard.

      • Look forward to seeing more if you can. I enjoy guest articles a little too much, submitted too many :P

      • You are not the only one. I tend to choose a topic then write a few sentences before realising that i can’t do much with said topic. :-/ I think Kris nearly caused OK to go into hiding when he did too many articles. ;)

      • Nearly? i did go into hiding :P No more articles from me for a long while or never :P

  3. Tef, you didn’t to post a link to your TSA GT5 definitive guide in the GT5 forum….tips galore {:O :P
    Great purchase btw Ash, the DFGT is IMO the best wheel out there when considering price, effectiveness etc.

  4. Very nice to meet you Ash! As opposed to a placard at EGX could you make a standard bearer? Great rallying point ;D

  5. Nice to meet your Ash(Ketchup or whatever the hell that guy from pokemon, last name is). I’ve played Extreme Express and looking back, it was medicore game at best, imo. :)

    If i did play against Peter during the quiz on the TSAcast, i would skip ahead and then go back so that i can annoy him via twitter by saying that i’ve beaten him. :p

  6. Lovely read, fella. Hope you and miffi-lou are well. :-) Plenty more drunken (video game) racing soon I hope. Miffi sounds so talented with the whole magnetic walls thing. :P

    • Haha cheers. yeah we are both well thanks, yourself? To be fair she is improving slightly but not while tipsy lol

    • You bet there will be more! What’s more fun than crashing into walls and giggling like an idiot? lol

  7. nice read=) and hi to u ash *waves*
    maybe a go with the DIRT3 meets?

  8. Nice to meet you ash. And I never knew Miffi-lou was your girlfriend!

  9. Hello, nice to see someone else from N E Essex on here.

  10. I just realised that Ash’s hair is a very good colour match for TSA’s current background.

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