Gamers Interview!
Hey there guys and girls!
We at FragRadio have reached out to the gamers of our community to see what they're like.
We've selected a few to share their opinion. Read it below and leave a comment with what you think!
A special thank you goes out to our participants Jason, Tony, Wil and Kez! Thank you very much for the time you put in to answering the questions.
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What is your gamer-name?
Jason: UntamedZealot.
Tony: Used to be ‘Walkabout’ for over 15 years, but got changed to ‘Daemonia’ when I started playing an undead char in WoW.
Wil: Gilden
Kez: Rolephant
How did you choose it?
Jason: Because a Zealot is an extremist and well it goes well with Untamed then.
Tony: Creating a character takes time. I don’t really know a lot of folks who just hit the ‘randomize’ button on the character customization screen. So when you’re just creating your character, you’re already trying to sort out the different aspects of your personality that you want to hide, and those that you want to flaunt. And the name has to say all that. Mine was based on the name of a female demon in a comic book when I was a much younger…. boy.
Wil: I chose it from one of the Stephen Donaldson books (Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever)
Kez: It's a nickname I've had for a while and it's unique.
Since when have you been gaming?
Jason: About 2001.
Tony: Since the beginning, since there were games. I remember playing ‘Pong’. Yeah I know, I’m old.
Wil: I started playing computer games in the mid nineties. I liked the rpg's a lot. They were not like the ones you play now of course.
Kez: I've been playing video games since I was about 4 or 5
What game did you start with?
Jason: Yu-Gi-Oh Forbidden Memories.
Tony: The first games I played came nameless with a nameless console that you just hooked up onto the TV, and that was it. They had little drawings above the switch board on top, but no names. When it comes to the more know games with a name, besides arcade games, I used to play as many games that contained puzzles, quests, princesses to rescue, lol. And everything else I could get my hands on. Aah, the memories of switching illegally copies 1.4 MB disks on the playgrounds lol.
Wil: I really started gaming with Lara Croft's Tomb Raider games on the playstation.
Kez: The first game I played was Space Invaders on my dad's zx spectrum a good 20 odd years ago now.
What game do you play the most now?
Jason: Dota 2.
Tony: At the moment, nothing too intellectually challenging. Time is a luxury for me, so as soon as I can get a few minutes to an hour of game time, I make the best of it. Max Payne III and Batman, Arkham City are the 2 games I play most atm, don’t have the time to engage myself in a MMORPG.
Wil: World of Warcraft.
Kez: Probably the FIFA games.
What genre do you prefer?
Jason: RPG.
Tony: My absolute favorite kind out there? That’s not an easy question… Depends on my mood really. Some days I can’t get enough questing or grinding done, the next day the only thing I want to do is dual wield my shotguns in some form of outer space.
Wil: MMORPG
Kez: Sport and platform games with a bit of NFS and GTA thrown in.
Are you a casual or a competetive player?
Jason: Competetive because I like a challenge.
Tony: I play casually competitive. Or was it competitively casual? 
Wil: Casual.
Kez: I'm a casual player. I don't think I'm actually good enough to beat anyone.
What upcoming game are you most looking forward to?
Jason: RPG.
Tony: “The Last of Us” and “StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm”.
Wil: Mists of Pandaria (World of Warcraft expansion).
Kez: The new Tomb Raider game and FIFA 13.
Do you play with friends, or on your own?
Jason: With friends.
Tony: Both, really. I can’t imagine a gaming universe with games that don’t have the slightest link with the internet. So again, both. It’s a tremendous rush to achieve something epic with 20 friends all yelling and screaming over a headset, but every now and then it feels good to immerse yourself in a game where you control all the action, and where there’s an actual ‘pause’-button.
Wil: Both.
Kez: A bit of both really although its mainly party games I play with friends. Guitar hero, Mario, that sort of thing, but mostly I play regular games on my own.
What do you think makes someone a good gamer?
Jason: Well I try to get along with a team and win the match and do my best.
Tony: Skill, willingness to cooperate and listen, hours and hours of practice, all of that combined with the obvious lack of any real social contact, we have to keep things clean around here.
Wil: Someone is a good gamer when he/she is a good teamplayer.
Kez: Some one with patience and time in abundance.
Do you use any special gaming peripherals, if so, what do you use?
Jason: Just the standard mouse and keyboard.
Tony: Nothing too bizarre, just the wireless headset. Ooh and my electric chicken. I call him Steve. I’m not sure what it is he actually does to be honest.
Wil: Nope!
Kez: Not really. Just a Guitar Hero guitar.
What do you listen to when you're gaming?
Jason : A lot of Eletronic and Metal
Tony: Music. Any kind, doesn’t matter. Mostly because the tunes you got to hear in the old days weren’t too spectacular. So back in the days, everyone had their own list of background music to their games. Now when I hear songs from then, I can’t help it, I start seeing loading screens on Commodore’s and Amiga’s lol.
Wil: The sound of the game.
Kez: Just the sounds of the game, I'm easily distracted so I tend not to play music or anything like that when I play.
Do you have any tips for (new) gamers?
Jason: If someone is being an asshole just leave them be or try and find a common ground.
Tony: Don’t eat the yellow snow!
Wil: There is also life outside the game!
Kez: Only what I once said to my brother when he bought his Wii, only buy Wii-only games for it. If a game is available on other platforms get it for those instead.
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I hope you enjoyed reading that and I'd be delighted to see all of you leave a comment with your own opinions.
-Jezzi
Jezzi’s Game Column :: July
Summer is in full swing and I notice a drastic change in my gaming pattern.
Normally my gaming days would consist of a lot of coffee, music and especially games, games and more games!
Though, the last few weeks I've been somewhat bored with gaming. I'm feeling the summer tickles and I want to go outside and enjoy Sweden's beautiful nature in full bloom.
But, as soon as I get outside I catch myself thinking "Now what, Jezz?". I'm spastic when it comes to bugs and I've never really been one for taking "long walks on the beach".
So here I am, contradicting 'winter Jezzi' and wishing for snow!
I game better in the cold weather. I can spend hours on World of Warcraft farming or questing. On other winter days/nights I will prefer shooting a few of my best friends in the head with a sniper rifle on Counter Strike : Source.
It's obvious I have a dilemma. I really need a new game! Something that can keep me interested even on the hottest days of the year.
Thankfully I don't have to wait too long for that as I've read a few days ago that ArenaNet released the release date of Guild Wars 2! *Happy Jezzi*
For those of you who missed it, note this date in your calendar: 28 - 08 - 2012
What I would really love to know of you: Does your gaming pattern change when the weather changes? Leave your answer in a comment below.
I leave you with this release date teaser trailer of Guild Wars 2!
Interview with Ryan Couch – iPhone Developer
After the initial launch of the FragRadio iPhone Application, i managed to get a quick chat with our Developer, who actually created the Application. I asked him some questions regarding the release and upcoming launches and updates.
What does the FragRadio iPhone application bring the listeners?
The application itself is a single window application, it displays song name, supports Bluetooth and multitasking, the application displays high retina quality especially for the iPhone 4, 4S, iPod 4G and iPad 3, please note FragRadio isn't available for iPad right now but will be soon.
What can users expect from the FragRadio iPhone application?
As this is the first initial release for the iPhone, over the next few months I will be releasing small updates which will have some small purpose in the functionality of the application, so keep checking the updates on the app store!
Why has it taken so long to develop?
It didn't take long to develop, it was more of a 'bug' on Apple's side of things which took 3 months then expected, it was originally going to be released for October '11. But managed to come to agreement with Apple and now the FragRadio iPhone application is finally where it belongs.
When can we expect updates to the FragRadio iPhone application?
Updates on the FragRadio iPhone application are done when required, but there's a big update in the pipeline to come within a few months time which will have a lot of features packed into it.
How and where can i send feedback about the FragRadio iPhone application?
To send feedback for the FragRadio application, please go to the AppStore on your iOS device and please write a review or otherwise please send your feedback to ryan@fragradio.co.uk / alex@fragradio.co.uk
Where can i get support for FragRadio iPhone application?
To get support for the FragRadio application, you can either drop me an email at ryan@fragradio.co.uk or you can find me on the FragRadio forums.
Where can i download the FragRadio application?
To download the FragRadio iPhone application, you will need to have an iOS device which has the required software - 4.2, you need to navigate to the AppStore and type in 'FragRadio' and it prompts you download it. (iPhone 2G not supported, due to functionality, sorry)
Is the FragRadio application just for iPhones or is it for other platforms as well?
For the time being, it's just for iOS devices (iPhones, iPods and iPads) but there are a few devices which I'd like to develop for but I don't want to share as it would ruin the 'surprise' 
There is talk of a FragRadio Android application, can you confirm this?
I can't say ! But yes, it's on the drawing boards and we will have something in the future ;D
Assembly Winter 2012 Round-Up
I (Jantso) was lucky enough to go to the Assembly Winter 2012 lan events in Finland on behalf of FragRadio. Was it exciting you might ask? HELL YEAH!
I was unfortunately only available to go for the saturday but with just one day, the event didn't let me down. I saw a fantastic mix of experiences from overclocking, some of the worlds leading StarCraft 2 players, TotalBiscuit and dAPOLLO.
Assembly Winter is held in Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki, Finland. Jantso brought his camera (Canon 1100D), laptop (HP Pavilion dv7 1113) and his tripod (Velbon DF-40) which allowed him to get some awesome footage and snapshots for you to look at and experience the event for yourself, as much as you can through your screens. Saturday was the main event day as there's always something for every sort of gamer, from friendly 1vs1 matches to Pro 1vs1 matches.
The most watched event was the Asus ROG SC2 tournament.
Swedish players playing some CS:S
Some sponsor were selling their products
Having a lot of gamers in one place makes the experience that much sweeter
SC2 player Polt
Alot of pepole were watching SC2 final
Can anyone say Nemo?
Full set of pictures of the event: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.282106088524663.61996.130518527016754&type=3
Videos from the Event:
Assembly Winter 2012 Round up:
Frag|JantsoP Playing BF3 with 3 screens:
Frag|JantsoP Playing BF3 @ASM12:
Featured Listener Review: Mass Effect 1
Mass Effect 1 Review
With Bob Hoskins doing a lot of talking as the chief of the earthlings, it became apparent that the first Mass Effect would be more about talking then actual gameplay itself, which in some cases can be quite boring having to listen aliens
Characters:
You can choose from three different characters in this first installment. You either play a Soldier (combat), Engineer (tech) or even a Adept (biotic).
With Mass Effect it became apparent that this game would become quite boring to those who are not familiar with these type of games. The fighting scenes were very slow at times and only lasted as long as you wanted them to.
Battles:
Galactic Battles were encouraging if you had enough time to play with the HUB on the greatly designed SSV Normandy. Even though this game was talked about being a good and solid game it could've been a bit more meaty with the action in it.
Skip to the end:
With alot of the interaction in the scenes, both tedious and long, you really do get to know these chatracters well. In some cases you thought that you had to cut to the end of some conversations just to know what would happen next. In some episodes of the game it became too much and you would skip to the end of these conversations.
Conclusion of Mass Effect 1:
In my opinion this game had it's niggles at times, Mass Effect had a lot going for it. We all knew that there was always going to be a second Mass Effect. Will Mass Effect 2 live up to its expectations so that people want it too?
I guess we will have to wait and see.
Overall Score: 6/7 out of 10.
- Paul Howells aka NTG Excalibur
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Congratulations to NTG Excalibur for being our featured FragRadio listener!
Would you like to be featured on our blog and website? Send in your reviews to jennifer[at]fragradio.co.uk!
CellFactor: Psychokinetic Wars Review
Published by: Ubisoft
Released: Wednesday 03 June 2009
For a downloadable Xbox Live / Playstation Network FPS, priced at just £8 , this game doesn’t seem like a bad deal. The game is very fast-paced and there is a unique spice to it which lets you hurl bits of debris at your opponent. Everything you experience in this game will point you towards the “worth the money” thought. This multiplayer-centric first person shooter is full of glitches and a very vague storyline. If you have played any shooter in the past decade you will find the gameplay very similar and repetitive.
Some people may say the gameplay and feel of the game is near to what you would expect of the Halo series, but of course this game has got its own unique fun factor and many different challenges to progress through. You may find the storyline a bit of a blur, but don’t let that pull you away from the game. The only real difference between this game and its many predecessors is an emphasis on psychic powers.
There are 3 different classes in the game. All with different abilities. Each of the classes have 10 challenges to complete and they all focus on mental abilities. The classes are Bishop, Blackop and Guardian. The Bishop is the psychic specialist, a female robot that can summon up magic-style psychic assaults, shoot laser beams from her fingers and she can fly. Blackop is the more stealthy type but he does come with a mix of standard shooter weapons, psychic powers and he can teleport short distances. The guardian seems to be some kind of manic killbot that runs around crushing his enemies with high speed and can pull off giant leaps to confuse them. All these characters have the ability to rip up chunks of the map with their mind and hurl them towards their opponent. (I think we all wish we had that ability)
Although these make the game sound epic, the maps on the other hand are the classic arena types and make the game look very clumsy compared to the characters. This is possibly why it's very hard to fall in love with this game when you're running around in Unreal Tournament maps like it's 1999. Also, the maps do not seem to line up with the psychic powers. This makes the game a little more challenging.
Simply put, you get what you pay for. CellFactor: Psychokinetic Wars isn't a bad game, especially after you factor in the cut-rate price tag and some of the time-warp goodness of the speedy gameplay. It is certainly dated and cannot compare to the full-price shooters you see today. Jaded FPS nuts might find some entertainment in bouncing around the old-school levels and throwing junk at one another, although the fun factor of repeating the same old song and dance will likely wear thin in a few hours.
I give this game a rating of 7/10
- Daniele D’Ademo
Nuclear Dawn: A Mod Reborn
Nuclear dawn is a game that no doubt missed the spotlight. Based in a post-apocalyptic battle-ground, this game merges FPS and RTS gracefully using Valve’s very own Source Engine. This unique blend is not the first of its kind, but it’s the first ground up production I’ve seen so far.
Let me start off by saying that this game is by no means original by any stretch of the imagination: It is more like the polished version of a popular mod for the Source Engine named “Empires”, which sported the whole war-torn atmosphere, large scale battle grounds, RTS and FPS combination, as well as most of the in-game goodies that tie in with classes and research. This does not mean it is the same game. Do not be fooled, InterWave studios have taken the broken half-finished mod and made it a gem for every gamers collection; here’s why…
Graphics. Needless to say the weakness of us all is the visual presentation of a product, doesn’t matter what it is, but if it looks newer, clearer and slicker – we’re more than likely going to prefer it. Nuclear Dawn is a visually stunning game for a new independent studio, with a HUD designed to feel like a real augmented interface – you instantly begin to enjoy the little touches presentation makes on your gaming experience. The weapons I have to say are the decider, if you are not playing as the only RTS then you will really appreciate it when a gun reacts the way you expect, no more spud-gun recoil for me!
Classes.Sure there aren’t leaps and bounds in improvement, though there is a large change in balance. Classes are no longer designed for specific situations only; you won’t have to respawn to even the playing field as the battle changes. A notable example of this is the engineer: Empires: Engineer can build walls at will on his own, this created a large advantage against vehicles and infantry alike; Nuclear Dawn: Engineers can build walls, but only when they are placed by the commander.
Being the boss. The RTS position, the role of commander is upon you, do you want to read a manual to help your team win the battle, or do you want to get the job done? I give you the comparison of Empires and Nuclear dawn. Commanders are given a true to genre interface which is intuitive as much as it is responsive. You are given research on a platter, ability to order players without struggling to find them, and set up defences without a calculator.
TL;DR: Nuclear Dawn is worth your time because it is a tried and tested game style which has been improved for the more casual market. Like the mainstream FPS? You’ll fit in right at home with this uncelebrated title.
I invite you try its predecessor before buying this game, this can be found here: http://www.empiresmod.com/
Let us know what you think.
Nuclear Dawn: http://store.steampowered.com/app/17710/
InterWave Studios: http://www.interwavestudios.com/
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Star Wars: The Old Republic: PC
I was skeptical about this game at first. Mainly because I've never seen the Star Wars movies. But, as all things in life, don't knock it until you've tried it (With some exceptions.. of course!).
I got this game as a late birthday present from a friend and former WoW guildie. After the long download and installation I found myself watching the opening cinematic with drool practically running from the corner of my mouth.
A big part of gaming for me is the visual side so I was dreading the character creation, waiting to be disappointed. I chose to make a warrior type of character thinking about smashing people's faces in with lighsabers.
The disappointment never came. The options for your characters looks come in abundance. From hairstyle and hair colour to scars on your face and eye colour. There's so much you can do with the character creation that I had to force myself to stop going through the options after two hours of mindless clicking and shaping.
Right from the beginning of your character you get thrown into an action packed storyline where your choices actually affect the way your character evolves and the story continues. In almost all the conversations you can choose from three different answers to questions, comments to someone's ignorance and some of these options give you "Light" or "Dark" points.
I chose to go Dark because, well, who doesn't want to be a badass super villain?!
After a while of rushing through quests, slaughtering things, blowing up egg chambers, backstabbing the people in charge and much more exciting things. I got my first "Dark level" and I noticed my character's eye colour changed to something a bit more evil.
The gameplay is smooth and the quests are interesting. It's a bit difficult to figure out certain things about the game unless you know from the start where you can find your codex. The codex is filled with information you've gathered through quests, talking to people, slaying monsters and collecting lore objects which are scattered throughout the areas.
All that and I still wasn't done being surprised by how well made this game actually is.
I started playing in a group with one of my friends and immediately remembered how much fun it used to be to play in groups.
The conversations you have are shared in a dice-roll system. For example, I choose to let someone live and my friend chooses to kill someone. The invisible dice is being rolled and my friend rolls 83 and I roll 24. Unfortunately the NPC's life is ended because of the choice of my friend. This way you get very interesting and (needless to say) fun scenarios.
All in all you should never be bored on Star Wars the Old Republic. With way too many options to explore and things to see.
I can recommend this game to basically anyone that likes a good story-line, breathtaking graphics and has a slight acceptance of Sci-fi.
~ Jezzi.