About TSA, when and why did you decide to sign up and start participating in the forums?
The latter part is easy, because obviously the community was wonderful and I was simply looking for Dutch women to groom.
Oh really? On a gaming website?
Yup! The community’s wonderful, so it’s lovely. I can’t remember why I arrived at TSA, but I used to not be loyal to any game site. I’d flitter around all the big ones, but what I did was check Google News for gaming news, and TSA must’ve come up in the results. Then I went on there and must’ve scrolled to look at the comments, expecting another set of “classy” comments like on IGN, and was so genuinely surprised that people were being mature and polite. Something practically unheard onf on the internet.
It’s quite special. If you go from somewhere like Youtube to TSA, it’s quite a big change.
Oh it’s like Darwinism, going from primordial ooze to people that inhabit the stars. Us Brits are so nice compared to you incredibly rude Dutch types!
Yeah, we have been voted the rudest nation in the world before. I say “please” and “thank you” now, though.
You haven’t taken the washing out of the machine, but you’re pretty good, these days.
So, Mr. Williams, do you have any hidden talents or skills?Â
Yes! Sarcasm and um…
That isn’t hidden at all!
Yes, and the Hide the Sausage game isn’t hidden either, so that’s rubbish too… I can talk so, so much, and I never get a sore throat. I got stuck on a little island with some friends once, and I just talked the entire time. I mean, they talked as well, but they had rests while I just didn’t shut up.
You should have a talk show.
I should get a radio show together, and just get the voice out. Uh, but I don’t really know. I’m quick to learn stuff, as you’ve probably noticed. Daft stuff, like trying to balance a bottle on a finger, and I’m quick to learn plenty other things.
I think it’s just because you want to know everything?
I am such a curious blighter. Not nosy in a bad way, but just want to know how stuff works.
I do a really mean impersonation of Sweep’s squeak, from Sooty and Sweep. If ever the guy that does the voice dies, and I think he uses a little squeaker, I can do it no problem.
I think this is before my time.
Another age joke! What is wrong with you?
It’s all I can do! It’s just so easy. Ooh! What’s the nerdiest thing you have ever done in public?
Uh, I kissed a nerd. You.
Oh! I’m not a nerd!
You are an amazing nerd. You read books and stuff.
No, I’m a geek!
What’s the difference? You read loads of books.
Have you dressed up as Leia?
Can you imagine?! Um, no. I can’t get on with that, really. One of my friends went to a Star Trek convention dressed as a crew member, and I just thought to myself, “Oh, you’re joking!” And he looks like a Jedi Jesus anyway, so he looked like an out of work Star Trek crew member selling the Big Issue.
I’ve never done anything terribly nerdy. I guess I went to a game convention, back when it wasn’t that cool, during the Amiga days. When the gaming community was just wonderful. Mind you piracy was rife, in such a crazy, crazy way.
Do you think it’s not so nerdy anymore, because it’s just too big a business now?
No, no, I guess you can think that the internet is the place for nerds, so you can find someone to be nerdy about any game you want. Like the bikinis the girls wear in Dead or Alive, or something bizarre.
Now with individually jiggling boobies!
It’s weird. For all my boundless curiosity, I seem to be strangely well adjusted.
That is a bit strange. A bit unfair. You should have at least one weird thing.
Well, here you go, we were chatting with one of the chaps on TSA, Kitch, who’s also known as GTOWN, and his missus was in the background and just said “Kitch! Why does Mike not sound like a gamer?” And it was so funny, because it just wound the other guys up a bit.
That’s so mean! But babe, you not only don’t sound like a gamer, but you sound like a radio show host, so it’s not fair competition.
I wasn’t actually looking to compare, but I guess I just don’t come across as much of a gamer. Gaming’s lovely fun, though.
There’s a few more questions, and I was talking to you about competitions earlier, so what do you think is the best competition that TSA has run so far? You’ve been involved in loads of them.Â
Good God!
Just pick one that you did?
Yeah, no bias whatsoever! Um, I don’t know actually. Did we give away a PS Vita recently? That was a smashing competition to have, as it gives TSA that little bit more clout.
Taking the prize out of the equation, what competitions do you enjoy the most?
Well, they take a lot of effort, but I do enjoy the treasure hunts. We did a competition once, which Adam and I fashioned between us, and then CC_Star just commented “Oh, well done Al.” on the article, and he’d had nothing to do with it, which was just funny. But when the comments are just positive, it’s lovely to see that kind of feedback, and I’ve no doubt it’s what spurs Peter and all the writers on to see all the warmth from the bosom of the community.
Haha. Bosom! You just want to get as many rude words in here without it really being rude.
Yes! From the, um, cleftal horizon.
Oh, you can do better than that… Who’s the TSAer you’d most like to meet and why?
Well you, because you’ve paid for food that will be arriving soon.
That doesn’t count, you already know me!
OK, well I’d quite like to meet the guys that I’m in touch with a lot, and the ones I used to do the podcast with as well… No, that’s too easy an answer, is there someone utterly surreal on TSA? Maybe I don’t even think he’s real?
I know, I’d like to meet Tef, because nobody knows anything about him, at all. Ever. I only want to meet him so I can mug him, take his wallet, take his credit card out and learn his expiry date, because once when we talking, he put in a fake expiry date, even though he didn’t give us any other details into the Skype window, so it was more than irrelevant. So I’m going to mug him forcibly from behind.
It’s because you’re curious, you just want to know everything.
Are we OK with that plan?
I am, if you are.
You should be!
OK, for the last question, and I believe this is a popular one, even though I didn’t get it in my interview…
Oh God, not the snog, civil partnership one.
Yes!
Can’t we just have a group thing, and I’ll have them all?
No! Snog, Civil Partnership and Smother the podcast hosts Peter, Kris and Lewis?
Right, I’ll have a kiss with Kris, because I just don’t think he gets enough love. He gets killed a lot. Then a Civil Partnership with Lewis, because I think he’s filthy, and I could do with that, and I’m just going to kill Peter, just to put him out of his misery. He works so hard, and I don’t think he’s religious, so he’s not built up any karma for the next life at all, he’s just worked himself to the bone, so I think it’s just better to kill him now.
Well there’s no doubting your logic.
Wouldn’t that just be awful? Like me getting hit by a bus as a child.
I was so happy when I didn’t get this question.
Oh! I’m going to put you in there. I’m going to smother you…
Yeah, you didn’t get asked, I was just keeping you for myself.
Possessive much? OK, is there anything else that you’d like to share before we go?
No, not really. I’d like to be on TSA a bit more, because we’ve been very busy getting you (Hanny) over to the UK, and it means you’re coming down to Cardiff lots to see me, which is brill, but socialising has taken a bit of a kick. So I’m trying to pop on and say hello a bit more.
I’m not dead yet!
So that’s that! Well not quite, there’s a few minutes on the end of the audio interview which are a bit backstage, so listen to that if you want to full scoop.
And with that, Meet the Reader has come to an end. Goodbye.
Death_In_Flamez
NO FRICKIN WAY YOU LIVE IN MUMBLES!!!!! WE GO TO MUMBLES EVERY TIME WE GO TO WALES TO VISIT OUR FAMILY!!!!!! If you have ANY decency you shall know about Joe’s Ice Cream? ;)
Origami Killer
Is this the one for which is by Bracelet bay as you start your walk along to langland?
Death_In_Flamez
You know mate I genuinely have no idea :P There used to be a bridge before the street though….and there is a Tesco nearby and a Joe’s near that Tesco actually! Both sit ins which is ten times better than the simple parlour which you find in Park Tawe :P
Origami Killer
You’ve lost me now! The only tesco I know of there is by the Uni, which isn’t the Mumbles XD The mumbles is lovely though :)
SpikeyMikey23
Joes is overated shit! ;)
Death_In_Flamez
NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! JOES IS F*****G GOOD ICE CREAM
bunimomike
Born and bred in Mumbles. Yep. Now in Cardiff Bay so maintaining the theme of water.
The Joe’s Ice Cream you mention is the one in Swansea but without hitting the city centre itself. Very handy. However, the Joe’s in Mumbles is super-easy to get to and practically on the sea front.
Although I’ll be interested what SpikeyMikey thinks of my recommendation. Go to Verdi’s instead. In Mumbles ON the sea front and promenade. Half way between the village and the pier. Stunning place for ice cream. Even the bikers look less angry when licking away at their strawberry yoghurt dollop. :-p
Also, make sure to visit Worm’s Head in the Gower. Here’s a photo I took a few years back. Oooo….lovely
Origami Killer
Rhossili & llangenith? :) For the last well 18 years of my life, since I’ve been born, we have family hols in West Wales (beats abroad any day) so practically know every beach starting from Gower peninsular up to Aberystwyth :) Worms head is lovely, always windy there though, saw seals the last time we were there too :D Sorry i could ramble all day long about every beach and stop along the coast :L Absolutely love the welsh coast :P
SpikeyMikey23
Much prefer Verdi’s. And your absolutely right…. The bikers look so happy. Ice cream in their beards… The lot haha.
Mumbles and the gower are a ten minute drive. You can’t beat it, especially in the sunshine!
gazzagb
I always go to a place called Verdes or something with my cousins whenever I visit them in Mumbles! TSA’s a small world!
bunimomike
Wonderful, fella. It has quite the reputation. I know people who drive forty odd miles just to fabricate the excuse to get some ice cream from Verdi’s – Strawberry Yoghurt Ice Cream being my favourite. It’s a summertime flavour so is extra precious during the warm weather (when it arrives). ;-)
Origami Killer
So are you living in Cardiff or the Mumbles? Pretty big difference tbh to somebody from South Wales :P
This was a joy to listen to :) Hope to see you back in the forums more, missed your unique humour there.
bunimomike
Aye. I’m quite the deserter with me being in Bluebirds territory at the moment. :-)
Origami Killer
Could see you around town then! Ill keep my eye out for someone with a paper doodle face ;)
blast71
Really funny interview, and i’m glad i’m not the only pensioner on this site!;)
teflon
We have a high ratio of “near death” people on TSA. It’s only getting higher too. ;)
SpikeyMikey23
Coffin dodgers tef. Thats how to describe em ;)
bunimomike
Tape-to-tape with a dodgy maxell cassette still has Sony worried. :-p
freezebug2
Great to read that you might be returning to the forums again in the future, maybe to light them up again…..no pressure :P
“Mumbles, which is French for breasts, I believe, because the two hills are big bumps.”
TellyTubbyland per-chance? Eh Oh! :P
bunimomike
Definitely not family friendly. You know that by now. ;-)
SpikeyMikey23
Howdy mike
bunimomike
Hello Mike. What a wonderful first name we have. *revels in awesomeness* :-)
SpikeyMikey23
Its the name of winners!
FigmentedReality
What the hell did I just read? lol Funny stuff
bunimomike
Cheers, fella. Utter nonsense with a hint of surreal.
TSBonyman
Truly an auspicious ending to the MTRs. Great to meet you mike, it’s always good craic when you’re around. As one of the “near death” people, i get a bit nostalgic whenever anyone mentions ZX81 or Amiga… happy days :)
bunimomike
Ah, cheers matey. Always enjoy your thoughts and comments too. Very much so.
Nuff respect (and all that middle class white man talk). :-)
Nate
A shame this feature is over, but nice to see it end with a bang. Which is what I imagine happened after the interview. Giggidy.
bunimomike
Ha! Shameless and funny. Ah… My hero.
Nate
If I could reach through the screen and touch your face I would. Sadly we don’t yet have the technology. Kisses.
bunimomike
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Tef for transcribing the audio interviews (throughout the time we’ve enjoyed Meet the Reader). Each one must’ve taken quite some time and you’ve selflessly done the lot. Honestly, Tef, above and beyond the usual effort. Awesome stuff.
nemesisND1derboy
Indeed! Remember mine when you interviewed me? What was it, three pages of stuff? Fun times! Poor Tef.
teflon
:)
bunimomike
Thanks, Tef. Whoever you are. :P
gazzagb
Sad to see the end of MtR, but it certainly went out with a bang! Well done Mike, Hanny and Tefers!