Gamer Spotlight: Kei (Lots of text...)

I have a column focusing on the "gaming community" at Examiner.com. Being the Video Game Community Examiner allows me to write basically anything I want, so long as it has to do with console games. So, I decided to take players from the community and interview them.

Why not get to know other players? Here is my first Gamer Spotlight. More will be on the way. I'll post them here on my blog and my column. (Beeteedubz, I'll be looking for more gamers to interview. Interested? PM me!)

Please excuse the difficulty differentiating between my questions and Kei's replies. The format is very different in my article.

"Hello there and welcome to this column's first ever Gamer Spotlight! Gamer Spotlight will be a recurring event here as I interview various gamers from all walks of life. There will always be at least one every week. Today we have Kei, a fighting game enthusiast and fellow Examiner!

-So, Kei, thanks for agreeing to meeting with me for my first ever Gamer Spotlight!

Kei - Hey, it's my pleasure.

-Let's get started with some quick personal info. How old are you and where are you from?

Kei - I'm 26 years old, and I'm from Forrest City, Arkansas.

-I've seen that you use different handles. Can you list all the ones you've gone by?

Kei - Well, my gamertag on Xbox Live is I Kei I, and I also use that handle on Shoryuken.com. On YouTube, GameFAQs, and a few other places, my handle is Mikadok.

-Does one take preference of the other as your main handle?

Kei - If anything, I Kei I, because Kei is simply easier to say.

-Makes sense! What's the inspiration behind the name Kei?

Kei - My dad, mostly, after a talk we had. Now most everyone I know knows me by that.

-Quick step away from games... What other hobbies/interests do you have outside the gaming world?

Kei - Well, I myself have always aspired to be a voice actor. To that end, a few friends and I have had projects we've been working on that'll hopefully come to fruition soon.

-Interesting. Voice acting for games, movies, shows, anime or all of the above?

Kei - I'd be interested in doing all of the above, believe me, but for this particular project, my friend has had elaborate ideas for a series, a couple movies and so on, all having to do with a pretty unique property he's had in his head for a nuymber of years. I think it could do well if the right steps are taken.

-I'd like to be the first in line to see how that turns out. :]

Kei - You'll be the first to know. :3

-Thank you! Moving on, what's your gaming background like? What were your first games/consoles?

Kei - Well, like most others, my first console was the NES. As far as my first game, that's actually a tough one. My most memorable games from a young age, though, would have to be Double Dragon, Castlevania, and, of course, the Mario Bros. games.

-Classics! You started playing in a great era. Which generation of gaming holds a special place in your heart?

Kei - Another tough call, honestly, but I find myself appreciating games that were released during the years of the Sega Saturn/PS1. Games were being treated better back then, in my opinion, because they had less to work with, and more to gain from snagging more consumers, so more quality games were being put out at the time.

-Speaking of quality games, how do you feel about the new trends with Downloadable Content? Some gamers appreciate the updates, others dislike that content for games is announced the day a game launches. Do you have a stance?

Kei - I think it's a double-edged sword, honestly. With the current pricing of games, having to pay more after the fact is something that some gamers can't do, and others aren't willing to do. Aside from that, some gamers may feel cheated to see that a downloadable add-on for a gmae that they already paid full price for is basically adding something to it that they might feel should've been included to begin with. On the other hand, there are those companies that put forth an earnest effort to make downloadable content that they release worthwhile, and players will oftentimes find themselves getting an entirely new version or addition to a game they've been playing that they can get much more fun out of, so it really depends on how it's handled, I suppose.

-That's a very fair outlook. Do you have any favorite genres in particular?

Kei - If I had to call any genre my favorite, it would be fighting games, with action/adventure games coming in a close second.

-And do you have any specific games that stand out as favorites?

Kei - If we're talking currently, no. There are games that I've been pretty steady on as of late, such as Tekken 6 and Marvel vs Capcom 3, but as good as I actually think they are, I wouldn't call them favorites. My favorite fighters to date are actually either older games, or games that probably won't get attention stateside that they deserve, such as Arcana Heart 3, The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match, and, for the usual throwback, Darkstalkers 2/Vampire Savior 2.

-You don't find many gamers this day who can honestly say that they have no favorite games in this generation of games.

Kei - Well, I've always believed that part of a game's charm came from finding out what you can learn from it during the process and how difficult it may or may not be to delve into the more intensive aspects of the games that a person plays. It makes it that much more worthwhile when you can learn how deep a game can really be. While games aren't necessarily lacking in that department nowadays, it's all in where you look. It's my opinion that many games are being made easier in general to attract a broader audience, and that's fine, because it's a process to run a business. This same process, though, means that games with a genuine challenge to them through clever, ingenious design and not due to outright unfairness instilled by flaws in a game's mechanics are becoming fewer and far between.

-I can definitely agree. Did you hear about that Mario game that supposedly gives you the option to let the game play itself if you can't beat a part? My, oh my.
Anyways, what is your proudest gaming achievement?

Kei - Well, I'd think that would be placing 1st in the world in Devil May Cry 4's Bloody Palace leaderboards for a month, afterwhich I wrote up a guide to help other players that might attempt to do the same. At the same time, though, I can't say for certain, as I've made it a point to try and help the gaming community however I'm able, be it by writing guides or making tutorial videos. Perhaps it might be the more recent instance of Shoryuken.com and Eventhubs featuring one of my tutorial videos on the front page of their sites. It's a small step, but it is always nice to know that something you do is indeed being a help to the community, regardless.

-First place in DMC4's Bloody Palace. I have to say, that is quite the feat! It's good to hear you're so involved in the gaming community. Even more so when it's you helping other gamers.

Kei - Well, thank you. I'm hoping I can continue to do so.

-Wrapping up now... Do you have a pieace of gaming advice for others?

Kei - Pretty much that if you're aiming to do great things in a game you're going to play, keep practicing and think outside the box. Also, don't hesitate to help others that need it in the community if you can.

-Good advice. And, just for fun, do you have a favorite quote you'd like to share?

Kei - My favorite quote comes from the character Chaos from the Xenosaga series, that being that "Everything follows the flow.". When he said it, he wanted to pass along the statement that, fight it as you may, there are certain things that are meant to happen, but even if that's the case, it's up to each individual to figure out how they'll deal with what may come.

-Very insightful!
Once again, Kei, thank you for agreeing to be my guinea pi- err...my first interview for the Gamer Spotlight!

Kei - Hey, again, it's my pleasure...er...I think.

There you have it! Another huge thanks to Kei and my thanks to anyone who reads about him.