Welcome to season 3 of the Lasombra Files, PSU’s weekly hit program. Follow the story of Lasombra and V as they try to solve an inter-dimensional murder mystery of ostentatious proportions, while at the same time shining the spotlight on gamers around the world and in our community.
Standing before me is myself, my old body looking more limber than I imagined I could strut. A visceral scream breaks the tension as for a quick second I see V and herself grappling at the other side of the warehouse. That quick glance and moment of hesitation was all the time needed for my shadow to attack me. A hard kick to the solar-plexus knocks the wind out of my lungs as I grab the leg, attemping to snap his knee. As if he knew my plan, no sooner had I grabbed the first leg did his other leg kick me quickly on the side of the head. Seeing stars, the only thing I could do was roll to safety and re-evaluate my next plan of attack in episode 33: Who am I? As the stars start to fade he does not try and attack me again, only pointing to the real V standing over the body of her shadow, beating it relentlessly. He points a finger at me and starts mouthing words that go directly in my brain.
Name: Mike Watson
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Occupation: Web Interface Developer + Designer (Also a full time student, graduating soon)
Country: United States
Disclaimer: This interview is reproduced as written by the interviewee except for grammar and spelling corrections. Pictures copyright of their artist/photographer/owner. All likenesses used are for parody and/or satirical purposes.
Lasombra: How long have you been gaming?
Vulgotha: I've been gaming since I could walk. My earliest memories are with DOOM and playing on my father's lap. So I guess I was practically born playing the FPS genre! After that tons of Super Mario World, Star Fox and Mega Man X on the SNES, so around 1993-1994 I suppose, possibly earlier and I just don't remember.
Lasombra: How did you find PSU?
Vulgotha: I found PSU back prior to the PS3 launch as I was looking for information on the consoles to decide to buy. Back then it went by a different name though, seems likes ages now. There was a hardware thread by a renowned guru in the community and I found it very informative. I do not believe he's here anymore however. So January 2007. Seems longer than that to me!
Lasombra: Are you solely a Sony gamer this generation or do you split your time between multiple systems?
Vulgotha: Split. Initially it was only PS3 but I got a 360 later and gamed a lot on that. Then, I sold my launch PS3 three years ago due to it aging and made out like a bandit because of its backwards compatibility with PS2 titles! I never picked up another because, I reasoned, the next generation was just around the corner.
Instead I built a powerful PC rig and have grown to be an almost exclusively PC gamer with some PS Vita added to the mix. I fully plan on getting a PS4 day one though! I've lamented not playing the latest Killzone, God of War, Twisted Metal and other PS exclusives...
Lasombra: What do you like about the community at PSU that keeps bringing you back for more?
Vulgotha: The people here. Thinking on it now I realize how few of the original guys there are from when I joined…But a lot of the later additions have proved to be an immeasurable boon to the atmosphere of PSU. This forum seemed very approachable to me back then, and not replete with the snobbery and elitism I'd seen elsewhere. I also liked its structure and how it worked.
Lasombra: In your opinion, what needs to be done to help the community to grow bigger and better?
Vulgotha: PSU needs to become more relevant and user friendly. The system has obviously upgraded a lot since 2007, but it could be so much more. Part of this has been marred by the constant turn over in management and staff, it's tumultuous. PSU needs stability and a firm direction.
From a technical perspective, I can think of several forums which I think are really slick and easy to interface with. PSU should seek to emulate those while adding its own spin on things.
Lasombra: Do you have any gaming goals for this year?
Vulgotha: PS4 baby.
Lasombra: Are you a Trophy hunter, and what do you think about trophies overall?
Vulgotha: I understand why people do it. It's a big source of pride as a completionist. In fact, a few of my friends are Trophy/Achievement hunters, but I need a compelling reason to really do it, something tangible to really hold on to like goals and rewards. I know that PlayStation has something like this in place now, more so than Xbox, but I want it to go even farther. Don't really pay much attention to it at the moment!
Lasombra: The PS2 dominated a console war like no other system. What tricks does Sony need to pull out of their hat to create the same magic with the PS4.
Vulgotha: Not releasing a box that is super expensive a year after the competition is a good start. They also need to work hand in hand with the developers to really flesh out the necessary tools and hardware that will make the creation cycle of games on PS4 a breeze. So far, Sony seems to have nailed those last two.
Better integration with their handheld, PS Vita, is also a must. The PS3 enjoyed some decent interaction with PSP but nothing really earth shattering. I'd love to see them really expand on that by making it a core function of the OS, like PS4 game streaming to PS Vita and soon.
Finally they need to get some competent marketing. Microsoft has the Midas touch where this is concerned and I've always been amazed at how Sony never ceases to underwhelm in this department.
In all, I think having a western touch for the development of the PS4 through Cerny was a very good call. He seems to have some very good ideas and sense of direction for the platform.
Lasombra: Do you have a favourite era of gaming? The SNES/Genesis war? The reign of the Playstation Reich? Hail to the NES?
Vulgotha: My fondest memories were of the SNES and N64: Mario, Star Fox, Road Rage, Jet Force Gemini, Turok, Golden Eye, Starcraft64, Mega Man X…That's my childhood.
Lasombra: Is there a lot of gaming culture in your area of the world? Unique stores, conventions, etc?
Vulgotha: There are certainly many gamers here, but the focus tends to be on PC gaming and tabletop. In particular, Starcraft, League of Legends and Warhammer 40,000 (I'm a huge W40K fan. Books, miniatures, games. Amazing).
Lasombra: Have you ever been burnt out from a gaming session?
Vulgotha: Absolutely, it's all about variety and who you're playing with. If you just keep doing the same going over and over, by yourself, it's a short lived affair. I use gaming as a medium with which to keep in touch with my disparate friends scattered across the US. Much better than simply writing emails or keeping in touch via Facebook, chat services and VoIP alone (although those certainly help too).
Lasombra: You have a very outspoken personality on the forum, and enjoy dabbling in the debates. With so many users on PSU, and other forums, why do you think a lot of people choose to remain silent rather than voice their mind in an open forum?
Vulgotha: People often have little self confidence, especially when it comes to expressing themselves on issues they deem to be “important” “deep” or “intellectual”. They are apprehensive of putting out their thoughts and worry about the responses and attention it will garner. Others simply know that they are ill equipped to comment on the topic, and instead choose to listen rather than speak.
Lasombra: Your sig and avatar are of Mega Man characters. Do you hold out hope that a new Mega Man will someday be released, or has the Blue Bomber lost his relevance in the modern day?
Vulgotha: The only Mega Man games I ever cared about were the X series and Zero. I'm not sure they'll ever properly give those two lines the attention they deserve, at least for the foreseeable future. As a kid, I grew up playing Mega Man X1, X2 and X3 on the SNES and later titles on the PlayStation, so it holds a special place in my heart.
Lasombra: Being a Starcraft and League of Legends player, why do you think professional gaming in North America is still an underground, almost shamed sport to strive towards, while in other countries like South Korea it is accepted and embraced with dedicated gaming channels on TV.
Vulgotha: America has been seemingly reluctant to really embrace gaming as a legitimate competitive sport. We view sports as something that requires physical traits, whereas in Asian cultures I think that they've given just as much credence towards non-physical skill based competitive games. Tome, Starcraft 2 (and such similar sophisticated RTS's) are the “chess” of our times. As our generation gets older and raises children, I feel its popularity will increase.
Lasombra: What made you change from being a console gamer to building a gaming PC? Will you ever go back and replay those missed PS3 games you mentioned, when the system and games are dirt cheap?
Vulgotha: A powerful PC was required for the career path I chose, so it was only logical I simply sink in the extra money to round it out into a fine gaming machine. I wanted to play games like Starcraft 2, Crysis and Dawn of War and be able to do so much more than what I could presently do.
As for the PS3, frankly, only if it becomes very easy for me to do so, such as the PS4 having PS3 titles on the cloud for streaming via Gaikai, or a friend has a PS3 and the games for me to borrow. Something like that. I just cannot justify having another entertainment center box underneath the TV.
Lasombra: Having friends who are Trophy hunters, what kind of crazy stories have they told you of their exploits?
Vulgotha: My best friend once grabbed up Avatar the Last Air Bender video game and abused its broken system for the unlocks and maxed out everything it had to offer within the span of a few minutes. I thought that was both a bit excessive and pretty funny at the time.
Lasombra: As a web developer and designer, what kind of projects do you work on? Take us in a day in the life of one, for those that might be interested in that as a future career.
Vulgotha: I work on a lot of stuff, really. The thing about web work is it really requires you to be flexible and able to do many different types of jobs. You have to understand the hardware, programming logic (and languages) as well as design and the software that goes with it all. There are many different types of work that must be done in order for all the pieces of a web site or service to really come together.
Right now I'm looking for work, since I just moved to NC. But at my old job I did all sorts of stuff. I'd write the Cold fusion for the functionality of the page (data base calls for content, logic, authentication and so on) as well as the JSJ query for that plus aesthetic work. Then of course I'd be called upon to do any sort of graphic related tasks that were necessary, like fixing up a logo or designing a toolbar. Then of course there was the HTML (5) and CSS for the pages, which is a given.
I was also expected to handle customer calls and walk them through problems they were experiencing with the web service, such as not being able to find a specific member or the system being sluggish (which required remoting in to the server and tinkering) and so on.
In the web field, it can be pretty easy to get overwhelmed due to how fast paced everything is and all of the technology that is out there that you should be familiar with. Mobile browsers and hardware have also been a real game changer.
Best advice I would give interested parties:
1. Internet Explorer is evil.
2. Work from the base up.HTML-->CSS-->JS-->JQuery-->Server Side Scripting (PHP,CF, Ruby, etc)--> Database. Meaning, if you can do it with a lower level, less intensive and more compatible language or technology than do it. HTML5 and CSS3 serve as a great example, as you can do a lot with these new technologies that previously required Javascript or Jquery. Keep it as simple and straight forward as possible with the fewest vectors for head ache or browser incompatibility.
3. Keep your images on a page light, don't go nuts, specially with .png files. Internet speeds in many parts of the world just can't deal with such a heavy load.
4. Comment your code.
5. Keep abreast of the newest stuff.
6. Don't get overwhelmed, nobody knows everything. But keeping a broad base of knowledge makes you invaluable and will prevent you from falling into a niche and getting pigeon holed.
"Your sins will always defeat you if you let them" is all the shadow said before running towards me, faster than I thought I could ever had have hoped to be. A few seconds was all that was needed to find myself backed against a wall being pummeled into submission. As my body is being turned to mush I try, I hope, I attempt to throw one punch. My fist streaks the air in slow motion in comparison to how fast the punches are assaulting me but as the fist connects with his chin suddenly everything comes back to real time in episode 34: Sins of the Past. The moment the punch landed everything switched 180 degrees. Instead of being on the defensive I was mercilessly on the offensive, beating my own shadow, as one final kick knocks him out. Exhausted, bloody, but feeling more alive than ever a sudden rush of memories floods my mind. I can only scream at the horror; the repressed memory being remembered. Panting uncontrollably, shocked at the events being witnessed, and trying to find some air to breathe, it did tell me one thing. I now knew who the killer was.
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