Mason Maddox, 18, is a gamer from Green Bay in Auckland who goes by the alias Massi4h. He has recently returned from the Pan-Asian Championships bringing home the gold for New Zealand in his chosen title, Guitar Hero III, and secured himself a place in the World Cyber Games finals being held in Cologne, Germany. I stopped Mason for a minute to chat about competing in the Pan Asia Competition and his thoughts on the competitive gaming scene in New Zealand.

Good afternoon Mason.

John: Where did your alias, Massi4h, come from?

Mason: Well when looking for a new gaming name, I was thinking of a something that sounded like my name and meant something cool. That came to messiah. I changed the e to an a so that it represented my own name "Mason." At the time, professional gamer Johnathon "fatal1ty" Wendell was a big influence to me, so I replaced a letter in my name for a number like his alias does.

John: When did you first get into video games and when did you start playing competitively?

Mason: When I was about 4 I was playing games in the arcade and playing on game boy. I only really got into competitive games at 13 and entered a few little tournaments around 16. Xlan was the biggest tournament I'd ever been to.

John: What hobbies/interests do you have outside of gaming?

Mason: I like to train kung fu. I also like watching movies, listening to music, going out with mates. Just general teenage stuff.

John: Going back to the start of July now, xLAN was just starting. Were you feeling confident going into the New Zealand Qualifiers?

Mason: Not too confident, but I had hopes of doing pretty good.

John: Less than a month later you're in Singapore competing against the best talent from the asia pacific region. What were your first impressions of the venue?

Mason: I thought the massive set-up was awesome. It was just so big and well laid out.

John: Was there a big difference in the level of competition at the Pan Asian Championship compared to the New Zealand Qualifiers?

Mason: It was a step up I'd say, but as in Singapore, in New Zealand we still have a few players of quite high standard. There weren't a large amount of very skilled players at Singapore, but the skilled players very very good.

John: "Through the Fire and the Flames" by DragonForce was your winning song and a great way to finish the tournament. At what point did you know you'd won the gold medal and how did you feel afterwards?

Mason: When it came to the end of the solo, I knew he needed about 30000 to catch up to me and that's very hard to do. So at that point I felt a bit relaxed. Afterwards I was so overwhelmed. People would ask me how I felt and I was literally speechless.

John: Back to New Zealand for a bit. Is there a big Guitar Hero scene in New Zealand?

Mason: Yes I believe there is. We also do have a nice little community with most of the xbox players in New Zealand.

John: Do you have an overall opinion on the competitive gaming scene in New Zealand?

Mason: I think it is quite good compared to the size of our country. I like how it is, but expanding it out (which I think is happening) can only make it better.

John: Do you have any advice for new players interested in playing Guitar Hero?

Mason: Just learn techniques and practice certain things that you can't do (maybe hard songs, solos, fast strumming). Instead of just playing the game lots, set out what you want to do and how you want to improve.

John: Thank you for your time Mason and best of luck for Germany.

We had a chance to sit down with Grubby for a few minutes after his match this afternoon.

tmdude sits down with the CounterStrike 1.6 players the day before the eblacks leave for the Grand Final 2008

Part1

 

Part2

Part 3

 

tmdude sits down with the Guitar Hero 3 player the day before the eblacks leave for the Grand Final 2008

 

tmdude sits down with the Halo3 players the day before the eblacks leave for the Grand Final 2008

 

xLAN: Hey Toosharn Thanks for taking the time to have a chat to us.

Toosharn: No Problem at all.

xLAN: So to start tell us a little about yourself?

Toosharn: My name is Toosharn, I'm 26, have been a gamer from way back, I am a web developer by trade and made GameSwap during 2006. I'm mainly a console gamer, I have a ps2, Xbox and 360. People my know me from Halo, Halo 2 and 3. Theres also a halo2 video called "tribute to traction" which i'm in. In 2004 I represented New Zealand in halo at the WCG in San Francisco.

xLAN: Tell us a Little about Gameswap.

Toosharn: GameSwap is a relatively new videogames trading website, you can buy, sell swap and auction games as well as consoles, accessories, dvds and more. So its not just for trading but also collecting and managing the games you own and checking out what other people have or want.

xLAN: So not only is it a trading site but it has some social elements to it as well.

Toosharn: Exactly.

xLAN: As you said you are the avid Halo fan, playing all three of the games competitively, what do you think makes Halo great as a competitive game?

Toosharn: Main thing is that it is fun, its a polished game so the gameplay is good. Bungie have put a lot of time and effort into the multiplayer side of the game to ensure maps are well designed and balanced for both sides. more so Halo 2 and 3 (desolation on Halo: CE was terrible). I think there are other more subtle things that make competitive play fun also such as the audio announcer saying "gained the lead" and so forth.

xLAN: so its the competitive elements that make the game for you?

Toosharn: yes but more specifically its the co-op competitive nature of the game that makes it really fun, its our team against theirs. so i'm working with my team (co-op) against another team (competitive).

xLAN: Now in San Fran you competed in Halo when it was 1v1, What was that and how is it different from Playing tournament Halo as a Team?

Toosharn: Totally different dynamic, in 1 vs 1 you only had to worry about your enemy and the powerup respawn times. You assumed all roles but in team play, one of you will be a better sniper and one of you will be better or used to using a rocket launcher. So you may end up doing a more limited or specific role in a team game also its really important to back each other up and not wander of by yourself in a 1v1 you could do whatever you wanted without communicating that to anyone else in a team situation communication is essential we've seen that before when those two aussie boys won the Halo 2 in 2005 they were brothers and their communication was outstanding.

xLAN: So communication becomes a huge factor, but in what way? As in do you come in with a game plan beforehand or do you hit the ground running and adjust on the fly?

Toosharn: well i think most teams will have some sort of plan or strategy, like they'll know what to do at the start of the map. So Joe will get sniper and Jim will rush camo. communication at this point is a huge factor because you've only got 1 screen and 2 eyes you don't know theres someone camping out with a shotty around the corner but someone else might have seen it on their death screen so can give you warning and prevent a death on the team also you can pick up a lot of kills by finishing off enemies your team mate as already weakened if you know where they are. in answer to your question i think most teams will have a basic starting plan and some team roles assigned but during the game they will have to adjust on the fly and thats where communication comes in. Both for calling out the enemy team's location and for setting up your own strat during the game based on what your opponents are doing.

xLAN: Keeping that in mind, what else do you think a Halo team will have to possess to take out a winning spot at xLAN this year?

Toosharn: i think there could be some psychology involved like lets say you get off to a bad start how will your team handle it. The teams that stay focused and determined will come out better off but there's no getting away from individual skill, team strategy and team communication, with the 15 min time limit strategy could be an interesting one. Because its likely some of the matches won't conclude. hopefully there are some close, exciting matches.

xLAN: Moving onto the WCG, what can you tell us about what it was like over at the WCG final in San Francisco?

Toosharn: The whole event was awesome. The skill level was very high. It was a great atmosphere with so many people from all different countries bought together cause of games everyone was pretty relaxed and friendly although there were some nerves during the games obviously one of the dudes setup a halo LAN in the hotel lobby but yeah, obviously some well practiced players. The best were America and Canada. I think the level of competition over there plays a part in it. Probably helps to be able to play mostly lag free internet games as well! There were some insane tricks, grenade jumps, grenading down weapons, powerups and so forth. whoever wins this year is in for an awesome time.

xLAN: Theres alot of talk about professional gamers in recent years, what do you think makes a pro gamer?

Toosharn: I think results make a pro gamer. results and contracts. there's a lot of talk but talk is cheap. if you've got a contract that earns you a salary you're a pro gamer. Results are obviously important too but it is possible to be a pro gamer and not win but of course thats never the aim. I think you've gotta enjoy it too. No point being a "pro" at anything you don't enjoy.

xLAN: Sage words, just before you go, do you have any advice for players lucky enough to make it to the finals this year?

Toosharn: my advice would be that the level of skill you'll meet over there will be insane. They will have everything worked out, exact spawn times of everything, your spawns locked down every little sniper angle. so my advice is "be prepared to put in 200% or get absolutely owned"

xLAN: Well thank you for your time, Toosharn, Good Luck with your matches at xLAN and we will see you there.

Toosharn: Cheers.

Video Interview with “kowi” one of New Zealand’s players who has represented New Zealand at the World Cyber Games Asian Championship 2006 and 2007 and the World Cyber Games Grand Finals in 2006 and 2007 in Warcraft 3.

Video Interview with “Markuchi" one of New Zealand’s XBOX360 players who represented New Zealand at the World Cyber Games Grand Final 2007 in Gears Of War.

Earlier this week i sat down with Thomas and had a chat about guitar hero, Thomas currently works in Games Promotions and is one of the top rated players in New Zealand for Guitar Hero. I decided it may be time to illicit some tips from one of the masters.

Jason: Thomas, thanks for chatting to us today.

Thomas: No problem

Jason: Alright, we will get straight into it. Tell us about Guitar Hero, obviously its a game you've played a fair bit, what keeps you coming back for more?

Thomas:  To put it straightforward to you: It’s just such a highly addictive game. Personally though, i love the intensity of blazing fast solos where your eyes have to do nearly as much work as your fingers and nothing feels better than getting that solo you’ve hated the whole time nailed. Playing real guitar is a major factor for me too, expressing my love for music by playing the guitar to legendary songs such as ‘One’ and ‘My Curse’ with the rest of the band playing gives an emotional atmosphere to an already hectic battle ground. My favourite thing to do in Guitar Hero is hammer away without the need of much strumming (Slash’s Guitar Battle, Devil Went Down To Georgia, etc), this gives me the time to laugh while watching Candy haired Midori rocking it out hardcore on stage with the El Jefe in hand... Basically, Guitar Hero increases reflexes, finger dexterity and (in some cases) party life! It’s helped me get so much better at playing real guitar and i would push everyone to give it a go at least once!

Jason: Well I'm yet to see any benefit to my reflexes but ill keep hacking at it, so would you argue theres room for improvement in the game, i mean with a Guitar Hero 4 on the way what would you like to see changed?

Thomas:  If possible, i would REALLY want to see some form of AUTO-LAG CALIBRATION, the one thing that pushes Guitar Hero back is the annoyance of HD Lag! The game looks marginally better on an HD screen, yet it also means there is going to be a difference between the time the notes read of the disc to when they are displayed on the screen, and every single milli second counts. Also, the ability to legally make your own custom guitar hero songs, even if it’s just you who is ever going to play or see it, it adds an entire new realm of fun to the game (as seen in the thousands of different custom songs people have done – YouTube it)

Jason: That would be an awesome addition, granted although it would be tricky to push that through. have you got any words of advice for new players or players wishing to rock out a little harder on GH?

Thomas:  ALTERNATE YOUR STRUMMING! That’s basically the number one rule if you really want to improve your playing. For all n00bs out there, that means you strum upwards and then downwards (like you can on a real guitar) – luckily for me i started playing this way and it became quite easy rather quickly. Another thing, DON’T PANIC and start pressing any colored button when you start messing up! This only makes things worse, when you miss ONE note get your hand back into place before playing again, this is a great habit to get into and keeps those multipliers up ;) If you’re finding yourself getting a lot better but still not getting those 5 starts you deserve, try thinking about alternate Star Power routes – yes, there are routes... Star Power gives you 8x points (thats 400 points per individual note assuming you haven’t been missing, therefore using Star Power on chords, etc, may give you that extra edge. I don’t want to give away too many secrets,  just keep playing if you truly want to get better – don’t give yourself arthritis trying though

Jason: Recently the game has spawned a fairly impressive competitive following around the world with sites such as score hero popping up to help people track their stats, what do you think of the current state of New Zealand competition?

Thomas:  Wait, there’s competition?! O.o I know that the game has literally swept throughout the world and most people will have some sort of idea what Guitar Hero is about or have played it (with over 5 million players worldwide that’s understandable), but the lack of tournaments and competition for Guitar Hero, and gaming in general, is pretty poor. There are a few good ‘Guitar Gods’ out there, but compared to the States and Canada it’s next to nothing here. I wish there was more competition it would entice me to play more and continue to get better and better.


Jason:  Well the WCG is coming up at xLAN later this year what do you think of the rules used, are they going to provide players a chance to really show off their ability?

Thomas:  I am very pleased to hear that WCG are using the most straight-forward, easy-to-follow rules of a Guitar Hero tournament: Pro Face-Off, Best of 3, Double Elimination. Meaning you can lose up to 4 songs before you are knocked out of the competition (for those bad starts). They have taken on to the best rules and i can only suggest that the double elimination is canned in the final match and it should be best of 3 straight-up; but that’s my view.

A former member of HalcyoN, Nick ‘n1ck’ Shaw is 20 and a professional gamer now playing for Team Sidewinder. I sat down with Nick for a chat about the state of competitive gaming in New Zealand and his plans for the future. I also took the opportunity to ask him about playing for HalcyoN and the shift to Team Sidewinder.

John: Good evening Nick, tell us a bit about yourself. How did you get into competitive gaming and why did you choose to play CS 1.6? Why did you choose your alias?

Nick: Kiaora, my name is Nick Shaw, known as n1ck in the gaming world. I got into competitive gaming through the share enjoyment of online gaming. I chose my alias ‘n1ck’ because I have no creativity.

John: Are you currently working or at School/uni? Where do you work? or What are you studying?

Nick: I am currently working fulltime for a medical company as an accounts assistant and loving it. Other than that I plan to return next semester to Auckland University to complete my Bcom and Bart degrees.

John: Aside from gaming are there any hobbies or sports you enjoy?

Nick: Yes, to name a few; I enjoy investing, movies/media, rugby and basketball.

John: What do you enjoy the most about playing Counter-Strike 1.6 as a competitive sport?

Nick: The adrenaline rush I get in or before a big match. I have played many sports competitively and none of these compare to the pure excitement counter-strike can generate.


John: You were a member of HalcyoN prior to the Team Sidewinder merger. Who founded the clan and when? How did you find your time playing for HalcyoN?

Nick: HalcyoN is quite an old team. I believe it was originally founded by kokain, hellscraper and vanadium back in 2003. I joined the clan in late 2006. I found my time in HalcyoN very exciting and rewarding, playing with such a high energy team was always fun.
 
John: HalcyoN, like many other clans, didn't make the jump from Counter-Strike 1.6 to Counter-Strike Source. Could you quickly take us through some of the differences between the two versions of Counter-Strike and why they affected the decision to stick with 1.6?

Nick: Unlike the previous changes from counter-strike etc 1.5 to 1.6, source is a completely different game. A new engine makes for updated graphics, different physics and effectively a different game play. For HalcyoN as a team, 1.6 was always our priority because of WCG. Personally I also enjoyed 1.6 a lot more, but I’m happy to play either version of the game, just depends on WCG.

John: Tell us a bit about your team mates and give us a quick rundown on HalcyoN's achievements.

Nick: Infidel – I think Bruce is always the mature one of the team, consistently making sure we practice and remain professional, he was also our in game leader.

Hellscraper – Definitely the flash quarter back of the team. Khaled was a great player with a very high energy.

Vanadium – When Ahmed is fired up, he’s one of the most enjoyable players I have the privilege of playing with.

Marine – Glenn was a good overall player, always remained calm and was very mature in and out of game.

Since I joined halcyon, we were able to win Gameathon 2006 and more importantly xLAN WCG qualifier in 2007. We also won various other online competitions throughout 2006/2007.


John: Did you travel overseas with HalcyoN? If so, where? and how do overseas events compare to local events?

Nick: Yes, Halcyon had the privilege last year of competing in WCG world finals in Seattle. This was a truly amazing experience and one not to take for granted. The level of competition and professionalism overseas don’t even compare to local competitions, it was truly amazing.

John: Can you tell us a bit about the Parallax/HalcyoN merger. Both teams have been rivals in the past, is it a different experience playing with former opponents?

Nick: The parallax/Halcyon merge took place towards the beginning of the year; it includes me and Infidel from Halcyon and Simcore, Toonz and Evolution from parallax. At one point or another I have previously played with all these players, so it’s not completely new.
 
John: Which brings us back to Team Sidewinder. Who initiated and guided the merger/rebranding as Team Sidewinder (Counter-Strike 1.6)? and did everything go smoothly?
 
Nick: The merger was initiated by talks between all relevant players in the goal of creating New Zealand’s best possible counter-strike team. Yes it went fairly smoothly but unfortunately for some players this meant they had to miss out.
John: What is your position in the Team Sidewinder Counter-Srike 1.6 team? Is there a chain of command or are all players equal?

John: What can you tell us about Team Sidewinder? Do you think that the 'mega-clans', or syndicates, are a step forward for the New Zealand gaming scene?

Nick: Yes it is defiantly a step forward for New Zealand gaming communities. If we look to overseas to where the professional era of e-sports has truly evolved, all good teams are branded into syndicates. It’s just more realistic for sponsors. Team sidewinder is a great team of people, which we are truly proud to be a part of.

John: What is your opinion on the state of competitive gaming in New Zealand. Where do you think the New Zealand scene is going at the moment? Do you think there is anything we can do better? or anything that may prevent competitive gaming from growing?

Nick: Competitive gaming is quite strong in New Zealand, yet no where near compared to what is overseas. To improve the quality of New Zealand gaming we need to have more competitions, promotions and involvement in our communities.

John: Do you have any plans and/or goals for the future?

Nick: Yes indeed. In terms of competitive gaming I would like to get out of pool play at this year’s WCG grand finals in Germany, continue to win local competitions and lastly win an Australian national. I have many ambitions outside of gaming as well. I would like to establish a career in finance and have aspiring interests in movie producing and sports management.

John: Lastly, do you have any advice for new players interested in joining a Counter-Strike clan and playing competitively? and why should they play Counter-Strike 1.6?

Nick: If you want to join a team, you can always try www.cstrike.co.nz or mIRC channels. People should play counter-strike 1.6 because in my opinion it is the best team game. Lastly can I say a shout out to my team, www.teamsidewinder.com and our sponsors Microsoft, Midcity Internet cafe and of course xLAN for consistently providing New Zealand’s number one gaming event.

SIGN UP FOR XLAN PEOPLE!!

Nick 'n1ck' Shaw

John: Thank you for your time Nick and best of luck in the future.

Video Interview with “wugga” one of New Zealand’s XBOX360 players who has represented New Zealand at the World Cyber Games Asian Championship 2007 and the World Cyber Games Grand Finals in 2006 and 2007 in Dead Or Alive.

 

Video Interview with “DangerMouse” one of New Zealand’s XBOX360 players who represented New Zealand at the World Cyber Games Grand Final 2007 in Gears Of War.

    Video Interview with “slaughter” one of New Zealand’s most successful CounterStrike players who has represented New Zealand at 5 World Cyber Games Grand Finals.  He has recently retired from competitive gaming.