Gunslinger Gaming

A father. A husband. A veteran. Those are just some roles our friend, GS*Spooky, fill that make him so interesting. We are fortunate enough to refer to him as a fellow member since he first joined our group back in October 2012. With luck, you have run into him on the forums, in chat, or on the Battlefield 3 servers. Please join us in learning more about Spooky, about his love for horror films, and why you may see him at the local Gamestop buying Skylander figurines.

GS: Before we go too far, let’s address the terrible storm label “Hurricane Sandy.” Being that you reside in New Jersey, are you and your family safe? What has been your personal experience with this force of nature?

Spooky: First off, I would like to say thank you to everyone that showed their concern and support of us Gunslingers in the storm’s path. Growing up in this part of the county, we never had to deal with many natural disasters. In the past year we had two hurricanes, two earthquakes, two nor’easters, and a derecho. The news is saying that another nor’easter is going to hit us this week.

As far as Hurricane Sandy, the New Jersey Coast is decimated. Fortunately, my family and I live far enough inland that we did not suffer much damage. We lost power only for a few minutes and some minor flooding. We were/are very fortunate because we are surrounded by complete devastation. I am sure you all have witnessed the disaster on the television. It will take many, many months for any sense of normalcy to return here.

GS: You joined the Gunslingers as a Xbox360 player for Battlefield 3 on October 3rd, 2012. Which fellow members did you first game with in game? Is there any advice you would give other new members in regards to getting one’s self running and gunning with others?

Spooky: I was always a Call of Duty gamer. I started playing multiplayer games when COD 4 was released to the world. I was so disgruntled with Modern Warfare 3 that I totally stopped playing it. I thought I would go out and purchase Battlefield 3 because I heard lots of great things about it. After playing Battlefield 3 for a little while I thought I would look for a platoon to play with. I found the Gunslinger recruiting thread on Battlelog and applied.

Once in the Platoon, I remember playing my first games with the infamous duo of Tick and Dunkaroo. I know there were more Gunslingers in the game but their names escape me. Tick and Dunk made my adjustment into the community an easy one. They were great to play with and easy to talk to. They made me feel at home right away.

As far as giving advice to new comers, I suggest you get your names on the master lists and jump right into the matches. Don’t be shy. Be active in the forums and have fun. This is a great community where everyone treats each other with respect and everyone has the same mentality. It’s all about gaming and fun.

GS: In your profile, you state you are a Iraq Combat Veteran. What was your role while serving? Are you the first in your family to serve or are you from military line?

Spooky: Yes, I am an Iraq war veteran. I joined the United States Army a year after I graduated high school. I enlisted in 1996 where I went to basic training. My MOS was 11M (Mechanized Infantry). I was a gunner on a Bradley fighting vehicle. I was stationed in FT Stewart, GA and Camp Hovey Korea. After Korea, I returned to New Jersey and I went to college to get my degree in Network Management. Thanks to the ARMY my college education was paid for.

After 9/11 happened, I re-enlisted in the Army Reserve. I changed my MOS to 38A (Special Operations / Civil Affairs Specialist). I was deployed to Romania in January 2003 where we were being held prior to the start of the war. In March 2003, we were flown into Iraq for the start of the war. My unit flew into Irbil, Iraq which is in the northern part of the country. There we were attached to 3rd Special Forces Group and made our way down to the city of Kirkuk. Once in place, our job was to help clear the city of Sadaam’s loyalists. Once complete, we were tasked out to “rebuild” the infrastructure of Kirkuk; i.e.: police, fire, education, government. I spent a total of 15 months deployed.

GS: Speaking of your profile, why did you pick the username, “Spooky”?

Spooky: I came up with Spooky simply because I am a stickler for horror flicks. I enjoy the tense, dark, and spookiness of horror films. I have been a fan since my early teenage years. I relish all the work that goes into the costumes and make up. There is nothing like a good scare.

GS: What was the first game you ever played? Being a father, how has being a gamer affected the way you purchase, participate, and/or supervise your own children’s gaming habits, if at all?

Spooky: I can remember way back when playing Mike Tysons Punch Out and Tecmo Bowl. Not too sure if they were one of the first games I played or not. I am lucky if I can remember what I did last weekend, let alone something 30 years ago. LOL. With my son only being seven years old, I try to keep the gaming to a certain limit. My son is heavily involved in sports so that takes up most of his and my time. I purchased the Wii and an Xbox for him to use. He is not allowed on Xbox live. He mainly plays sports games and is big into Sky Landers on the Wii. Most of the other games he has for his systems are family fun games. We have Mario Kart on the Wii and the whole family battles each other on that one. I must admit that I get my butt kicked by him every time. He is not allowed to play on “Daddy’s” Xbox unless we play a game together. I introduced him to Black Ops, and we played some matches against each other in Combat Training. I can tell he has the knack for FPS games already. Watch out future gamers!

GS: You list sports as one of your interests. What sports do you enjoy the most? Do you have a favorite team?

Spooky: I enjoy most sports that are out there. I follow American Football the most. I have been a Philadelphia sports fan my whole life. I love the Philadelphia Eagles, the Phillies, and Flyers. This is a disappointing year for Philly teams. Ugghhhh. No wonder why I drink so much. Hehe. Also, I try and keep an active interest in football by playing fantasy football. I am in two fantasy football leagues this year. So far I have one fantasy team that is doing well and one that stinks.

GS: Okay. You are a tough-as-nails sort of guy. That said, what horror movie has ‘creeped’ you out the most? It is okay. The secret will be between just you and a few thousand people.

Spooky: Hmmm… That’s a tough question being that I love horror flicks. I am going to have to go with “The Entity”. The Entity is a horror film purportedly based on the paranormal events a woman and her family experienced back in 1976. This movie was released back in 1983. Now, I know the movie is a bit dated, but when I first watched it I was totally “creeped” out.

GS: The first item you mention as an occupation in your profile is being a father. The first thing you list for your interests is family. What is a favorite family outing for the Spooky clan?

Spooky: Since we are so close to the coast, we love to spend time at the New Jersey beaches. Now this is only a summer thing so during the winter we like to go up to the Pocono Mountains and get some fun snow time.

GS: What is an ideal day off for Spooky? How does Spooky enjoy it? It is okay if you answer by talking in the third person.

Spooky: Spooky generally doesn’t have a day off. My two wonderful children take up most of my spare time. If it is not the kids then it is the daily chores of the house and lawn. When Spooky does get some down time I love to get some gaming in. My gaming time has dwindled down a lot since having two kids, but I try to make time for it every day. This is why Gunslinger Gaming is the perfect fit for me. I am not pressured by a clan to put in certain hours every day.

GS: What is your drink of choice?

Spooky: I am a seasonal beer kind of guy. I am a big Sam Adams seasonal fan. Right now my beer of choice is Sam Adams Octoberfest. During the winter season I will be drinking Sam Adams Winter Ale and Sam Adams Alpine Spring. During the spring I continue with the Alpine Spring, and in the summer months I will sip on Sam Adams Summer Ale and Bud Lite Lime. Delicious!!! If I need a hard drink I prefer a nice chilled glass of Gentleman Jack. Smooth and to the point! A nice Dirty Martini is always nice too.

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions, Spooky. It has been great having you as a member, and not only do your fellow Gunslingers look forward to gaming with you during your downtime, but we wish you and your family the very best!

The following interview originally started a few months ago and was intended to accompany the Gunslingers 5 year anniversary celebration. Aligning the interview of Freddy with said celebration made sense. Freddy, otherwise known as bigfreddy or TripleF, has been with the rest of us for quite sometime, traveling with the clan across multiple games and even consoles. Life is the cleverest of pitchers and, due to some curve-balls slung Freddy’s and his family’s way, the discussion had to be postponed until now. Please, readers, join me as we learn more about a long time member and dear friend to many members, bigfreddy.

GS: You originally joined the Gunslingers back in October, 2008. To put that in perspective, we were all communicating back on the original GS site then. We weren’t exactly easy to find at the time, either. How was it that you ever came across the group, and what made you decide to join the Gunslingers? Do you remember who you first gamed with after joining?

bigfreddy: I had recently managed to get online with my Wii and was enjoying online racing so much I thought I might join a clan. I had signed up on mariokartwii.com (when the site admin wasn’t full of douchebag spineless hacker wannabees..lol) and looked through their clan recruiting threads. Most of the clans seemed to be little kids who took the whole thing WAY too seriously. Being a teacher I didn’t want to hang around with kids. I have enough of them at work, coupled with the fact that it would be just weird.

I was looking for an adult-only clan, and Gunslingers popped up from the search. The rest, as they say, is history.

I believe the first people I gamed with was Vykk Drago, Thorny, LilBev, Korchie, Balki, yourself (Murph), Worcester Rob, Forming, Jethro and Bennet Tilapaugh also seem to ring a bell.

GS: Extremely few active members can have the global perspective in regards to the evolution of the Gunslingers as you. What are some of the most striking changes that have occurred here that, maybe, people who have joined after you may not be aware?

bigfreddy: The clan was so small back then compared to now. You would go into chat and know everyone there. In fact, because the Wii had such a poor friend request system, the GS chat was the only way to communicate with other clan members.

It was fun, Friday nights used to be the BIG event. Everybody would be on, and because the site revolved around one system and one game (MKWii) we could have 2/3 rooms going at one time , all full of 12 GS members. One of the biggest changes is the way the site operates. It is huge and amazing compared to how it used to be.

As many people will be aware, I don’t use the forums much, mainly because I just don’t have the time, anymore. However, the games and topics that are now available are astounding and a great credit to yourself, the site admin and the contributing members of GS.

GS: Let’s take a trip down memory lane. The following is the exact quote from the registration information you provided when first joining:

“Interests/Hobbies:Walking the dogs, flying my kite, spending quality time with the wife, taking the piss out of my friends and Logging on to NASA’s Website.

Brief Bio:
Left Uni in the late 90′s, studied Applied Chemistry, but most of my uni mates will say I studied Mariokart and Super Mario World instead. Worked as R&D chemist. Now in education.”

How much of the above information is still reverent to your life now days? And, Freddy? Flying your kite? Really?

bigfreddy: Well, the “Brief Bio” is still fairly accurate, but I would need to add “Proud Father, zombie slayer and occasional pwner of Noobs on CoD”.

I have a kite in the boot/ trunk of my car still …. so, really Murph, I do still fly it ….infrequently..lol. I would need to add “Playing with and educating my son Theo (aged 3), going to the park and gardening”.

Some things change and some things stay the same, like me taking the piss out of my friends, Murph …. lol

GS: There was a segment of time when you took a break from the Gunslingers and gaming in general to support your wife during her pregnancy. What are some of rewards and challenges of fatherhood that you didn’t necessarily expect? Can you give an example how your son is clearly taking after his father?

bigfreddy: That time was sadly due to the unexpected arrival of Theodore, our son. Why sadly you ask? Well, he was born premature because my wife, Sammie, had a placental abruption, and I nearly lost them both. It was a very worrying and then ecstatic time for us both. He was 3 lbs 7ozs when he was delivered by emergency C-section.

Rewards:- When he looks me in the eye and says “lub you Daddy”, running to greet me after I get home from work, his first milestones in talking, crawling and walking, the list is endless.

Challenges:- Changing and burping such a small baby, he was like a little doll ; Having to take him to A&E (ER) because he went blue through crying when he had colic at 2.5 months old ; Having to wait 4 weeks to get him home as he was in special care ; Screaming to get his own way (doesn’t happen often but it still does happen…. thank goodness almost never in public) ; Puking on me …I have an irrational and pathological fear of vomit ….I can’t stand it. He puked on me two nights ago…..and I just whined for Sammie to come and take him off of me ….lol.

Poo and wee :- Not a problem, as a baby he projectile pooed and wee’d on me many times …it was funny, I didn’t bat an eyelid, but puke……urrghh…lol.

Theo takes after me in quite a few ways … He likes gaming…..He makes sackboy jump up and down on LBP and says jump, then laughs. He also likes toy cars. Oddly enough, I have also rediscovered my love of playing with toys cars and going “brummmmmmm, brrrrummm, rrrrrrrrr (Brakes squealing)” …lol. He also is a bit of an adrenaline junkie….like I used to be before I got fat…lol, He also likes using the “….” key instead of a comma ….

GS: You are a teacher of science. How did you first figure out that you had such a passion for science? What do you find most fascinating about it, and what article of scientific trivia still proverbially blows your mind that you can share with the rest of us?

bigfreddy: Ever since I was a kid and allowed to mess about with mercury and actually touch it (something that health and safety no longer allows), science has always interested me. The fact that it CAN actually answer many of the questions that plagued me as a child also helped; i.e.: How did we get here? Where are we? What causes night and day? What happens when we die? Obviously the last one (and maybe the first one, too, for the creationists..lol) is contentious. I’d say rotting and a good time will be had by bacteria everywhere….lol. There are many things that “blow my mind” about science.

There are three that I will share with you. All of them are quotes by the great Carl Sagan:

The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.

Atoms are mainly empty space. Matter is composed chiefly of nothing.

This was Carl’s speech when Voyager’s cameras were finally turned around and A “Portrait” of the solar system was taken. Our planet was smaller than one pixel. Man, that guy had a way with words.

Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every “superstar,” every “supreme leader,” every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.

Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.

It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.

― Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space.

Finally, this is a clip I show to the kids at school to get them to realize the vastness of the universe:

Science is truly the greatest pursuit that humankind has ever undertaken. (That’s my quote…lol)

GS: Anyone who has gamed with you can testify that good times have been had. For example, you have been known to wander off to grab another brew or take a needed smoke break…sometimes in the middle of the match. These moments can lead to hilarious times. Can you tell us about one of your personal favorite moments while gaming?

bigfreddy: Many times I have to wander off after getting crawlers on BO Zombies, and I come back and my bro, Mr. Richard Lazer (Dick Lazer) is standing over my soon to be cold corpse. “Bro the crawler died, you went down, blah blah I’ll try and save ya.”

The one that sticks in my mind though I was playing with Dick, the Docs and Tick….I think GS4thMason was there too and others. We were playing sticks and stones. I come back from a smoke to find that EVERYONE is lined up in two rows all aiming at me. I am on mute and I can hear them laughing. I think about what to do and then just fire my crossbow. I dunno how many I took out….only that I was dead very soon after.

GS: Recently, your news in regards to your wife being diagnosed as having breast cancer has made us all collectively pause. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during these trying times. Are there any updates or thoughts you can share with the rest of us?

bigfreddy: I have been meaning to update the thread I posted for a while, but it has been just too much emotional for me to do. Sammie has had her mastectomy and is coping with losing her breast very well now. She was obviously quite upset at first, saying that they have “butchered me”. Now she uses a prothesis to go out and she feels absolutely fine.

The chemotherapy has been rough, though. She has been quite poorly and has had some touch-and-go moments with her white blood cell count being so low and getting infections. So far, she had had Bladder and kidney infections, pneumonia, gastric flu, and been 4 hours away from total organ failure. We have been back and forth to the hospital quite a lot recently.

Sammie is halfway through her chemo now. Her nails and the rest of her hair will go after the next treatment. She is coping, and we are still laughing at life. But it is hard sometimes. Especially when putting it in print.

To those people who don’t know me very well, I may seem a bit sweary and aggressive when playing online. This is currently my release valve and opportunity to vent my pent up anger and rage at the injustice of it all.

Sammie is a good person who has never harmed a soul and always worked her whole life, who desperately wanted to be a mother. It seems that there is no justice in the world, that just three years after the difficult birth of our son, at the age of 42, after being told she would never conceive naturally (which she did), she is diagnosed with breast cancer.

Her odds are an 81% chance she will live 10 years. Theo will be 13 in ten years. Further thoughts or words aren’t necessary. I just can’t contemplate that possible future. It is just too awful, not just for me but for our little boy.

GS: You reside in the UK, but more specifically, where? Do you have any locally bound interests that keep your attention?

bigfreddy: I live in Royal Lytham St.Annes, more specifically in St.Annes on the Sea. Any golfers amongst the clan will recognise the name as The Open was recently held here. I live about a ten minute walk from the course. I didn’t go because the price was ridiculously high just to gain access to the course.

I could watch it all in glorious HD, and I am not that interested in golf, though I do play infrequently.

My main interests lie in going to the park I “inhabited” as a child and taking my son around it, playing football (soccer), and taking him on the swings and slides. We also teach him about nature, and it is fun watching him explore by himself. There are plenty of tourist attractions that we have and can go to, as St.Annes and the neighboring toilet of a town Blackpool is well known for it’s tourist attractions. We don’t go often as we like to get away from crowds of people and get some piece and quiet.

GS: Not too long ago, you had a real life get together with a few other English Gunslingers. Who was involved, and what do you all do? It is reasonable to believe that it may have been awkward at first. Was it? What broke the ice, sort of speak?

bigfreddy: We got together in Blackpool. We went to the Pleasure Beach, which is a Theme park, which for a while had the tallest rollercoaster in the world.

Dave and Becs Gosling (goz007boyz & ss007mums) and Steve Shaw (GS SteveUK) and their children (Harry, Mia and Matthew). You would probably think that it was awkward, but we have been playing together for over 2 years and had been talking on a daily basis almost for over a year. So after a bit of “you look different to your photographs” it wasn’t awkward at all. In fact, we invited them all to our house and ate dinner together and played the new maps for BO that had been released that day.

We also met again this year. Sadly, Sammie wasn’t well enough to join in on the first two days they were here, and we sadly missed out on seeing Steve, Emma and Matthew this time.

However, we went out for a meal with Dave, Becs, Harry, Mia and baby Mason. Then they came over to our house the following day, and we went for lunch and a shell hunting expedition on the beach. We had a great time. Theo loves babies and older children. Mia and Harry were excellent with him and played with him like he was their little brother. No, from our experience meeting GS’sers is a good thing. Just got to organise a trip to the States to meet some people. Richard and Lee, family Freddy is a coming…….Well, sometime in the near future. Hopefully.

GS: Most importantly, what is your favorite drink?

bigfreddy: Jamaica’s finest : Red Stripe Lager Beer is my favourite tipple. That and Dr. Pepper, Barcardi and Coke, Vodka and Coke, JD’s and Coke….lol…. the list is endless…..Oh, I forgot Southern Comfort and Coke or lemonade…..lol.

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. We are honored to count you as a member and a friend. Fellow Gunslingers, if you would like to leave your best wishes to Freddy and his family, you are invited to do so in the “Sammie’s Get Well Thread.”

Whether you have run across Merky Water in chat, in game, or on the Gunslingers Forums, you probably noticed he is a friendly and interesting person with whom to swap ideas. He has been sporting the GS tags since December 28th, 2010, and it is high tide..er..I mean, high time that we learn more about Merky Water! Please forget the lame pun and join us in reading an interview about him below!

GS: You joined the Gunslingers on the final days of 2010. What game drew you to here, and what was your first memory in regards to gaming with another member?

Merky Water: CoD: Black Ops. First CoD title the Wii had with in-game comms. The day after Christmas, the amount of screaming youngsters on the headset was enough to get me looking for a way to mute them. The solution: Gunslingergaming!

GS: In the “How’d You Get Your Name?” thread, you mention that your username is, in part, a reference to working on a river. What is your line of work, and what do you enjoy about it the most? Speaking of rivers, what state is said river in?

Merky Water: Ha. I say a lot in that thread but the river aspect is a bit of the truth. I work at a canoe, raft and kayak livery that operates on the Delaware River. As I love the outdoors, this job appealed as at least 90% is under an open sky. I love kayaking the river and while work requires it from time to time, the type of paddling I enjoy most occurs on my days off. We have a few campgrounds as well but the river work is the draw for me. Interaction with various customers is also usually a plus. But as others in the Recreation business know, even with 95% of the people being pleasant, that other 5% can be so difficult smiles can wander off my face… but then I remember the other 95% and carry on my day! The river flows through a few states, but the area we operate on is where it borders NY and PA and later NJ and PA considered “The Upper Delaware.”

GS: The word on the virtual street is that you have a mean Netflix addiction. What tends to be your genre of choice? What have been some of your favorite “rentals” thus far?

Merky Water's current signature in the forums.

Merky Water: Much to my girlfriend’s dismay, Documentaries are my favorite genre when on Netflix. Ken Burns docs being the best by far. National Parks: America’s Best Idea being my favorite and Baseball being second. Also, nice to catch up on TV shows I either missed nostalgically or missed in existence. The TV show “Life” slipped by me somehow. Arrested Development was good to finally watch, too. Would have been a loyal fan almost to the extent I am of The Office and 30 Rock had I but known.

GS: Since joining, you have convinced your significant other (known around these parts as “Liz_Lemon20“) to also join GS. How did that come about, and are there any games that you both enjoy playing? Has this created a new dimension over who gets rights to the television?

Merky Water: Liz thought I was a bit odd to be playing games as much as I do let alone with ‘strangers.’ Just before MW3 hit, her sister-in-law talked her into trying BO and she fell in love. From there, she started realizing the benefits of an online gamer community. Now, she and I keep trying to nudge her brother and sis-in-law to join the ranks. Liz and I also enjoy bowling and playing You Don’t Know Jack together. The big TV (although mine) is hers when she’s here and rarely would I put up a fight as I already know the winner.

GS: Being a Wii player, I must ask. What are your initial impressions on the WiiU, and do you think you will be purchasing it?

Merky Water: I think I might. It looks very interesting. I honestly thought I was done with console gaming since my N64. Had a friend not talked me into trying his Wii, I would have dismissed it as well. But the motion controls got me hooked. Locating one around launch may prove the issue. I may get one of the other next gen consoles as well if they start to embrace the motion controls they hesitantly started to try.

GS: Okay. Let’s pretend that the controllers need to be recharged. What are some other interests of yours that keep you busy?

Merky Water: Rechargeable AAs are in good supply and I almost always try to keep an extra wiimote with fresh in arm’s reach… But aside from gaming, I enjoy running, cross-country skiing, biking, hiking, rafting(aka drinking as we float) and my favorite: kayaking.

GS: A band of GS members jump into a DeLorean and travel back into time to see what 80′s child version of Merky Water would be doing. What were some of your favorite toys? Cartoons?

Merky Water: Depending the year, watching Fraggle Rock, Voltron or Thundercats, and running around the neighborhood keeping my parents on their toes. “Toys” would largely be Legos, Playmobile, Matchbox cars, Micro Machines and water-guns that showed the least resemblance to guns (overprotective mother ). For the record, I do not consider Legos a toy, but I realize the department they are placed in retail stores.

GS: The world is going to be hit by a comet because Bruce Willis wasn’t a qualified astronaut, after all. What would you do on the final day of Earth? (Pretty morbid, huh?)

Merky Water: Kayak the rivers and streams and enjoy the sights. Even the streaming comet through the blue sky.

GS: We had a couple silly questions, so let’s talk a bit more seriously. What is something you personally regard as important to lead a fulfilling life?

Merky Water: Nature. We humans can make a lot of ‘improvements’ and while comfortable to work and live in, mother nature is second to none as a decorator.

GS: What is your favorite drink?

Merky Water: mixed: Bushmills and Ginger
beer: Yuengling (lager or black&tan)
straight: Bushmills (…or most any whiskey on hand when that runs dry)

Thank you, Merky Water for taking the time to sit down with us. If you would like to read more about him or swap gaming contacts with him, feel free to find him in the forums or chat.

Some of you have gamed along side with MargaritaMama on the PC. Others of you may have run and gunned with her on the Playstation 3. But did any of you know that she is also a classically trained violinist? Well, as May’s edition of the GS Member Spotlight, we all have a chance to get to know more about MargaritaMama in the following interview!

GS: You joined back on February 2nd of this year. How did you come across Gunslinger Gaming?

MargaritaMama: After getting tired of listening to the comments of children on Black ops I set out on a search to find a clan or group to game with. I originally searched for an all girls clan but the ones I found were too strict about K/D and # of hours played each week. I stumbled upon Gunslingers when I switched my search to adult clan. The recruiting thread on the COD forum had me sold with the mention of a Frosty pints night

GS: You play games on both the PC and on the console. For you, which came first, and which do you prefer?

MargaritaMama: I grew up with console and PC games, I can remember our old Atari and then the “lisa” computer. I think the first PC game I played was the first Might and Magic way back when. I used to play mostly single player/ strategy games on the PC and just recently started playing the FPS games on PS3 mostly offline with my husband. Black Ops was the first game I played multiplayer online with. While I really do prefer the PS3 console to the computer (probably because I get a bigger TV and comfier place to sit with the PS3) when the PSN was down I dove into L4D2 and BFBC2 on the PC and now I think I’m hooked on those as well.

GS: Your user profile states you are a classical violinist. How long have you been playing and what can you tell us about the talent that the rest of us may not know?

MargaritaMama: I started suzuki violin lessons at 3yrs old, then added the viola around 8yrs, (and then went on to get a viola performance degree) so it’s been a part of me and my life for as long as I can remember. It’s kinda funny when I compare the feeling I get when I play in a string quartet and when I game with a group of GSers. It’s actually a similar high, creating/accomplishing something temporary with a group of people. Each of us works together and has our part to play to win the game or make the music. I always leave rehearsal or a gaming session on a happy high

GS: Speaking of you musical talent, you are part of “String for Things.” What is it exactly and how are you involved?

MargaritaMama: This is my local string quartet’s website. We just gig around the area doing mostly weddings and then we try to give a charity concert with some real meaty music about once a year.

GS: You have created a topic in the Music section of the GS Forums asking what are everyone’s 10 ten most played tracks on their MP3 players. What sort of MP3 player do you personally have and what tracks do you find inspire you the most in your own creativity?

MargaritaMama: I have an IPOD touch (for running) but I generally just listen to MP3′s through my home computer (it’s hooked up to the nice speakers for our living room). Being a generally happy go lucky person I tend to gravitate toward happy peppy music, that I can dance with my girls to or clean the house to. I’m always on the lookout for new music so I made the thread to see if I could find some good stuff from you all.

GS: On the surface, it would seem that video gaming world and the classical musical world may not cross paths often. Do you find that so socially speaking? What games do you appreciate that exhibit some truly amazing soundtracks?

MargaritaMama: In college I had a little group of 4 musicians who would get together and game a bit. The more I ask people about music and gaming the more people I find are into them both! I generally game with the sound down low so I can keep and ear on my kids in the other room and not have the sounds picked up through the mic. When I watched my husband play Dead Space, it wasn’t really a soundtrack, but the game sounds would freak me out and make me jump!

GS: What got you into gaming? How long have you been gaming?

MargaritaMama: I always gamed a little here and there but ever since joining GS it’s become a real obsession for me.. Ooops.

GS: Have you lived in Florida your whole life? What places/sights do you recommend travelers to visit that may be often overlooked by tour guides of the state?

MargaritaMama: Yup, I was born and raised here, and just moved about the state, never outside of it. Florida has great beaches but the springs are what’s really beautiful around my area. My favorite springs in the area is Ichnetucknee Springs, crystal clear water, wildlife shade and tubing!

GS: Do you find that being a gaming mother make you the coolest mother on the block?

MargaritaMama: I’m either the coolest or the strangest, lol. I know gaming has made me the coolest aunt to my nephews though.

GS: Perhaps this is a bit too on the nose, but, MargaritaMama, what is your favorite drink?

MargaritaMama: Water! Of course it’s a margarita , silly!

Thank you for taking the time to answer the interview, and thank you for being a Gunslinger!

It is only fitting that our dear friend, Fist_of_Metal, is April’s GS Member Spotlight. We all got the opportunity to celebrate another birthday with him, seeing as he has been a member since August 18th, 2009. In fact, Fist_of_Metal first represented himself on a Gunslinger Master List with the Nintendo Wii’s Conduit, and, in April 2011, its sequel, Conduit 2, became the newest addition to the roster of featured games at Gunslinger Gaming. Spanning between those two games, Fist_of_Metal has been slinging the guns in various games, on various consoles with the rest of us. GS took a moment to sit down and get to know our friend with the following interview:

GS: You joined the Gunslingers back in August 2009. How did you first hear of the clan, and what games are you playing now days?

Fist_of_Metal: I registered in a forum at http://www.nintendowiipals.com, looking for gaming buddies on The Conduit. It all seemed a little…kiddish for me. I remember seeing the post about Gunslingergaming and thinking that is kind of a lame name. Then I read on to find out it was an adult only clan. So I checked it out and it was exactly what I wanted and more than expected. Well, I’m going to pick up my copy of Conduit 2, so that’s what I’m playing these days.

GS: While it is a given that you like gaming, you are also an anime fan. What are some of your all time favorite anime series/movies, and what was the series that first got you interested in anime?

Fist_of_Metal: My all time favorite series has to be Yu-Yu Hakusho, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was also very good. The first anime I watched was Dragon Ball Z, the original series, English subbed.

GS: You have been interested in Mario Kart Wii, MAG, and Call of Duty among others, which demonstrates a keen interest in multiple gaming genres. With that in mind, what was the very first game you ever owned, and in what ways do you think any childhood gaming has influenced your tastes today?

Fist_of_Metal: Well, the first game I owned was Mario Kart 64. I remember using that big steering wheel to play Mario Kart, it was awesome. I didn’t own but played my big brothers Genesis/Nintendo/SNES. I played most of the games he didn’t like Shining Force 2 and Secret of Evermore, two Role Playing Games that got me hooked on the genre.

GS: Being a zombie fan, what zombie horror films do you find as the best examples of that sub-genre of cinema?

Fist_of_Metal: Land of the Dead

GS: As stated above, we know you are a fan of gaming, zombie horror, and anime. What is another interest or hobby do you have that would surprise us?

Fist_of_Metal: I recently took a liking to jogging, after I quit smoking cigarettes I decided to keep at it by working my lungs more. It helps, I don’t crave anymore. Also, in High School I discovered I was a decent drawer, particularly portraits. I learned to do portraits using nothing but inkpens, turned out to be really fun.

GS: If you could bring one video game franchise back from the dead, which one would it be and why?

Fist_of_Metal: My serious answer would have to be Battletoads. Final Fantasy could use a resurrection. Every since Final Fantasy hit PS2 it just changed for the worse.

GS: Did you grow up in Ohio? If so, what’s a favorite memory of yours from your time in Ohio could you relate to the rest of us?

Fist_of_Metal: I did grow up in Ohio. My favorite memories are of times spent at Lake Erie, it made it seem like Ohio doesn’t suck so much.

GS: You just had a birthday this April. How did you spend it?

Fist_of_Metal: Well, I worked on my birthday, had a good Steak dinner. I could have taken work off for my birthday but I felt the day off would be better used for Conduit 2. I was right.

GS: What is the story behind the member name, “Fist_of_Metal”?

Fist_of_Metal: No story to be honest. Just a whim, I was eager to join and came up with something quick. That’s OK though, because since my time at GS, Fist_of_Metal has some history now.

GS: What is your favorite drink?

Fist_of_Metal: Jack and Coke or Chocolate Milk

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions, and thank you for being a Gunslinger!

March 2011 marks Bolink654′s one year anniversary as a Gunslinger member. Bolink654 is a bit of a husband and wife—Jeff and Giggles—duo membership, and we had the fortune to sit down and ask “the better half” her thoughts on gaming, couples who game together, and other questions to get to know someone we have had a great time gaming with this last year.

GS: You signed up back in March 2nd, 2010. What made you join the Gunslingers back then, and what is keeping you busy around here now days?

Bolink654: Well, my husband and I bought the game [Modern Warfare: Reflex Edition] a few months before we joined and we just loved playing the game, but realized there were a lot of clans we were going against. That’s when we decided to look into it and see if we would be interested in it, and that’s when we found GS. Ever since we joined the clan, we always have a group of (adult) members to play with and enjoy the game with. And I would also like to point out that the reason I have a win/lose ratio of 3.02 is because of my fellow GS. If it wasn’t for them I would never have even got over 1. What keeps me busy is the tourneys, forums, and of course the game [Call of Duty: Black Ops].

GS: In the forums, you go by the name “bolink654.” In chat, it’s “TheHeims.” Many people, however, have grown fond of referring to you as “Giggles.” How did that start?

Bolink654: The “bolink654″ is just something Jeff has always put on the internet as the user name. Well, with the “TheHeims,” it’s because my husband and I both play, but as a lot of you know, Jeff won’t talk on Skype, so I was the one on there. And when we first started using Skype, I was so shy I didn’t want to talk to them, so every time something was said or done funny, I would always giggle. So, every since then I was called “Giggles.”

GS: You and your husband game together quite often. How does gaming online as a couple affect the experience?

Bolink654: Well, honestly, when we play together, we look out for each other more in the game than we would for someone else. But then again, if we are on opposite teams, we try to kill each other more. The game is great, but when we play together it actually makes the game a little better.

GS: Recently, you purchased a second Nintendo Wii system. What were your motivations for doing so, and do you recommend it for other Nintendo Wii playing couples?

Bolink654: We did it because we both love playing the game, but hated taking turns, and we figured if we got a second Wii, not only could we play at the same time, but, if no one was on, we would still have each other to game with. And for the couples, I very much recommend it. Like I said before, it makes the experience of the game better.

GS: Being a female player in a franchise, such as Call of Duty, with an obvious male fan-base must bring about some amusing moments. Can you relate one?

Bolink654: Well, the other day, we were going against another clan, which were all males. We whooped them pretty good, score limiting the game. And like most other games that happen like that, they start having something to say, so I will respond to them, and when they realize I’m a girl, they either start calling me a hacker or just won’t say anything at all.

GS: We all know you like to game, but what other passions do you have? Hobbies? Favorite movies?

Bolink654: When I’m not playing Call of Duty, I am usually playing in Photoshop. I love to work with pictures. I’ve always been the type to love art and graphics. But during the summer and fall, you will more than likely find me in the woods or out on the lake.

GS: What was the very first video game you remember playing? Have you always been into video games?

Bolink654: Yes, ever since I was old enough I have been playing all kinds of video games. The very first one I remember is Mario on the NES.

GS: If there could be one place in the world you could go to vacation, where would it be and why?

Bolink654: Even though I have been there more than one time, I would still go to Eureka Springs, AR. Its just so beautiful there, more than words can describe, and so much to do. The people that live there are some of the nicest people I have ever met. And the town itself has so much history, it would take you forever to learn it. My favorite part of the whole place is the Crescent Hotel that looks over the whole town. In that place alone, the history is amazing.

GS: You are a big fan of the zombie mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops. What is the horror film that, hands down, scares the crap out of you?

Bolink654: Hands down scariest movie ever is……The Strangers!!! I will NOT ever watch that movie again. I was on my seat the whole time during the movie, and jumping at every little sound! I know it’s not zombies-attacking-people kind of movie, but you try watching it on a stormy night, with all the light out, and by yourself!

GS: What is your favorite drink?

Bolink654: My favorite drink is a frozen strawberry daiquiri. Regular drink would be a Cherry Dr. Pepper.

Thank you for taking the time to answer a few of our questions, and we all look forward to seeing you and your husband on the virtual battlefields!

2010 marked not only a great year for gamers with all sorts of tastes in genres and gameplay, but it was also an amazing year for Gunslinger Gaming. Never before had so many fellow adult gamers have had the opportunity to vote in video game orientated polls exclusively for us older gamers. How did we cast our votes? Which games proved to be our favorites?

Here are the results for 2010 GS Game Awards!

Best Nintendo Wii Game of 2010: GOLDENEYE 007
Runner Up: Super Mario Galaxy 2
Last Year’s Winner: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex
Notes: One can never underestimate the power of nostalgia for Nintendo Wii owners. This Nintendo exclusive title tapped into the fond memories of the gamers who thoroughly cut their teeth on the first person shooter genre with the Nintendo 64 original of GoldenEye. As probably the best movie adaption video game title to ever be released, the remake published by Activision did not disappoint. As a group for parent and adult gamers, it is no surprise that the Gunslingers voted nostalgic title as their favorite Nintendo Wii title of 2010.

———————————————————-

Best Playstation 3 Game of 2010: CALL OF DUTY:

BLACK OPS
Runner Up: Heavy Rain
Last Year’s Winner: Uncharted 2
Notes: The best selling video game of all time, Black Ops, proved to also be one of the most popular titles featured at Gunslinger Gaming. Not only that, this mega blockbuster of a title also helped usher in the fastest growth in membership at GS in its history. At the time of the 2010 Awards results being finalized, the Playstation 3 division of our Black Ops community had over 230 Gunslingers registered on our contact Master List for the game.

———————————————————-

Best Xbox360 Game of 2010: CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS
Runner Up: Mass Effect 2
Last Year’s Winner: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Notes: It only seems right that our Xbox360 community voted Black Ops as the best game of 2010. The game was certainly built from the ground up with Microsoft in mind. Thanks to this historic video game title, the Gunslingers has been enjoying the largest number of Xbox memberships ever. With a Xbox360 Black Ops Master List containing over 200 registered GS members, Xbox360 Gunslingers are here to stay.

———————————————————-

Best PC Game of 2010: CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS & STARCRAFT II
Runner Up: N/A in a tie.

Last Year’s Winner: Plants vs. Zombies & Sims 3
Notes: The Gunslinger PC community stands divided once again in regards to their favorite PC game. Like last year, this year ended in a tie. Black Ops entertained the running and gunning souls while Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty engrossed the science fiction fans in intergalactic war strategy. Now, if Call of Duty would only get on top of making that space shooter, our PC community will be unified in fandom.

———————————————————-

Best Nintendo DS Game of 2010: DRAGON QUEST IX: SENTINELS OF THE STARRY SKIES
Runner Up: Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver
Last Year’s Winner: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Notes: The Dragon Quest franchise, while amazingly popular in Japan, has always struggled in sales when it came to sales in the Western hemisphere. That has all changed with the Dragon Quest IX, and Gunslinger members reflected that boost in popularity. With virtually unlimited replay value and customization, Dragon Quest IX launched the franchise in new territory yet stayed firmly rooted in the formula of previous titles it builds itself upon.

———————————————————-

Best Sony PSP Game of 2010: KINGDOM HEARTS:

BIRTH BY SLEEP
Runner Up: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Last Year’s Winner: Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier
Notes: If the PSP and the DS winners say anything about the Gunslingers taste, it is that we love our role playing games by Square Enix when it comes to handheld devices. The Kingdom Hearts franchise, which bizarrely yet successfully combines the worlds of Disney and Final Fantasty, has earned itself a rather large cult following. Now, if only Square Enix would put out that Playstation 3 Kingdom Hearts title…

———————————————————-

Best Role Playing Game of 2010: DRAGON QUEST IX & MASS EFFECT 2
Runner UP: N/A in a tie
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: One would think that there would never be a scenario in which the Nintendo DS and the Xbox360 crowd would butt heads, there is when it comes to the Gunslingers taste in role playing games. Dragon Quest IX appealed to Nintendo DS owners with a taste for Japanese themed role playing games, while Xbox360 owners couldn’t get enough of the somewhat new genre of futuristic action role playing games. Somehow I get the feeling that there will never be a Dragon Effect cross-over.

———————————————————-

Best Shooter of 2010: CALL OF DUTY: BLACK

OPS
Runner Up: GoldenEye 007
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: If there is one category that the Gunslingers are united on, it is the Shooter category. Black Ops easily won this for best shooter thanks to the collective voice of our Xbox360, PC, Nintendo Wii, and Playstation 3 members.

———————————————————-

Best Driving Game of 2010: GRAN TURISMO 5
Runner Up: ModNation Racers and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: What is arguably the best realistic simulation racing franchise ever came back with a vengeance with Gran Turismo 5. On and offline multiplayer racing. A pantheon of real, bad-ass race cars. Attention to physics. What else could you ask for? Well, don’t ask the GS combat racing crowd that question.

———————————————————-

Best Platform Game of 2010: SUPER MARIO GALAXY

2
Runner Up: Donkey Kong Country Returns
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: Nintendo has always been strong when it comes to publishing platform titles, and 2010 was no exception. Both the winner and the runner up were Nintendo Wii exclusive titles that perfectly captured the nostalgic child in all of us. Since Super Mario Galaxy 2 earned a perfect 10 rating from both IGN.com and Gamespot.com (the only game of this video game console generation to do so), it is no surprise that the Gunslingers give it the collective nod.

———————————————————-

Best Action/Adventure Game of 2010: RED DEAD REDEMPTION
Runner Up: Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: Game developer, Rock Star, single highhandedly brought the Old West back into the forefront of the video game experience. The game offers hundreds of hours of offline gameplay even before a person logs online for some shooting action. It also seemed all too right to start featuring Red Dead Redemption on the Gunslingers 3rd anniversary.

———————————————————-

Best Music/Dance Game of 2010: GUITAR HERO:

WARRIORS OF ROCK
Runner Up: DJ Hero 2
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: Big plastic buttons instead guitar strings or not, the Guitar Hero popularized a gamer’s love for interacting with rock music. Perhaps Warriors of Rock winning the category is a fitting tribute to a franchise that has been discontinued by Activision as of February of 2011.

———————————————————-

Best Sports Game of 2010: MADDEN NFL 2011
Runner Up: FIFA Soccer 2011
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: It should be noted that this category was caught in a tie between Madden and Fifa until the very end. By a single vote, Madden NFL 2011 won the category. I blame the vuvuzela.

———————————————————-

Favorite Game Featured at GS: CALL OF DUTY:

BLACK OPS
Runner Up: GoldenEye 007
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: Taking into account of all the games featured at the Gunslingers since its inception, Black Ops took home the title. Perhaps that was predictable. It did usher in the most members for a single title in GS history, and it is the most recent addition to the community. What actually is the surprising story in all this is what game did not get a single vote. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. It was the only featured game. Even Jak X which had its online server pulled back in 2008 got a vote. Activision, not Infinity Ward, may have got the last laugh as it stands at the Gunslingers. Even the runner up in this category is an Activision title.

———————————————————-

Best GS Arcade Game of 2010: DONKEY KONG JR
Runner Up: Battleball, Connect Four, Resident Evil, & Word Jam
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: The Gunslinger Arcade, unlike so many other gaming forums out there, is customizable with the ability to hand pick flash games from an infinite library. Donkey Kong JR, an accurate adaption of the 1980s Game ‘N’ Watch Nintendo handheld title, proved to be king. Balki currently holds the high score, and this administrator is willing to pay someone under the table to knock him off his throne.

———————————————————-

That concludes this year’s Gunslinger Games Awards. Thank you all for voting and for reading the results. May 2011 prove to be another fantastic year!

My Nintendo Wii got put out of commission last night after my game of Black Ops froze, forcing a restart. After rebooting, it can no longer read any game discs; instead, I got the “Disc Cannot be Read…Consult User Manual for troubleshooting options” error message. When, after a prolonged period of the disc drive spinning, a disc could be read, it resulted in lagged gameplay. For example, the A Button was rendered unresponsive and I would spawn into the match after everyone else without a primary weapon in Black Ops. Additionally, my in-game character would start skipping across the map. In Guitar Hero, a skipping sound would occur on prolonged load screens and the note buttons would scroll completely out of sync with the beat of the song. Soon, however, the disc drive of the Wii could not load a disc at all. All regressive steps happened in the period of one evening of Nintendo Wii playing after the Black Ops game froze.

I have consulted Nintendo and had a long conversation with them in regards to system repairs and the role of Black Ops. The following is the information I got from their tech representative via phone call, some of which is absolutely at odds with Activision’s denial of software glitches for the Nintendo Wii copies of Black Ops.

1.) Nintendo has an open case on Black Ops. Whether or not Activision denies any responsibility for Wii system failures, Nintendo disagrees. Prior to mentioning that I was playing Black Ops when the disc reading errors occurred, the Nintendo representative was recommending that I purchase a Nintendo endorsed cleaning kit and see if that corrected the issue. If it didn’t correct the problem, I would pay $75 plus shipping fees (since my system’s one-year manufacture’s warranty had expired) to send it to a Nintendo repair shop for them to replace the disc drive. When I finally mentioned the game, the Nintendo Representative said, “Wow. You should have told me you owned Black Ops.”

2.) Nintendo will repair a Wii system for FREE if the damage is caused by Black Ops. They will pay for Fed Ex Express shipping. They will pay for replacing the disc drive in the Wii System. They will send it back with a new copy of Black Ops. Why? Nintendo acknowledges that, although this is damage caused by third party software and my warranty has expired, it is software that is legal and bearing the “Official Nintendo Seal.” According to the representative, they have had a multitude of similar cases in relation to Black Ops and, in his words, “Activision has caused us a lot of problems with Black Ops.”

3.) Disc Drive Errors relating to Black Ops are NOT due to faulty Nintendo Wii consoles. Both Activision and Treyarch have claimed that disc drive crashes have occurred only with Wii consoles with pre-existing issues or customer mishandling. Nintendo, again, disagrees. In contrast, the Nintendo representative said certain copies of Black Ops can “put the final nail in the coffin” for older Nintendo Wii consoles, and shorten the lifespan of new Wii consoles due to frequent game freezes. Nintendo believes this is the case to such a degree that it is fixing disc drives at its own cost and seeking reimbursement by Activsion on the back end of the process.

4.) Nintendo will not fix the problem if it sees software or hardware mods installed. The free fix of the disc drive errors is not applicable if the company’s techs notice software or hardware mods/hacks installed on the system, regardless if [u]Black Ops[/u] is the cause or if you are still under your manufacture warranty.

If you are a Nintendo Wii Black Ops player and have had the misfortune to have the game cause a disc drive failure, these are the steps in which to get your system fixed, shipped, and get a new copy of Black Ops for free:

A.) Call the Nintendo Tech Line: 1-800-895-1672

B.) Tell them that you have done the troubleshooting recommended in your Nintendo Wii User Manual and the “Disc Could Not Be Read” error message still persists.

C.) Tell them that the issue occurred while playing Black Ops. At this point, the Tech should acknowledge that Nintendo will fix the issue for free.

D.) After giving the appropriate contact information, Nintendo will send you a pre-paid Fed Ex Express shipping label to your email address that you will print out.

E.) You will use that label to send just the Nintendo console (i.e.: no accessories or cables) boxed up and the Black Ops game disc in a Ziplock back.

F.) Nintendo claims that, for United States customers, you will get your fixed system and new copy of the game in two-to-three weeks, and in less time for California residents because the main repair shop is based in California.

G.) Because Nintendo is well aware of the nature of the disc drive errors relating to Black Ops, representatives are fairly sure that game data and saved files will not be lost in the repair process.

I have just started the process, so I will keep you all up to date in how well it works. Personally, I am quite pleased with Nintendo’s willingness to, in a sense, bite the bullet for Activision, and I hope this can come to use for any Nintendo Wii Black Ops player out there feeling a bit discouraged with not only the breakdown of their beloved console, but also with the denial of causation by Activision and Treyarch.

[View updates on this article that have occurred after original publication HERE.]