Meet the Staff: Steve Wood

Apr 1, 2010

Q. Hang on. You’re a BOY! How come you’re involved in a site with girl gamers?
It’s down to the lovely Miss Vikki, who I have been great friends with since she kindly started watching my Silent Hill: Homecoming videos on Youtube. She told me about her site that was in the process of being constructed and asked me if I wanted to be involved, of course I said yes because it’s a brilliant concept for a website.

I think girl gamers are amazing and I see the kind of written abuse they get on other websites because most blokes think they are superior just for being men. I’m not sycophantic towards myself and I grew up with four half sisters and a mum who are like best friends so I’m happy to support the ladies of gaming because they rock and are way too rare … we need more of you …

Q: What’s the first game you ever played?
The first real game I ever played was Sonic the Hedgehog in one of those huge screen, sit on a bench built into the machine type Arcade setups. The happiest day I remember after that was actually getting a Mega Drive to play that awesome game at home! Now come to think of it, I played games before that. I played these old games on my Dad’s Amstrad! Wow I can’t remember their names but I loved them. It’s all come flooding back to me.

Q. What’s your gaming set-up at home?
Well up here in my room, I have my Logik 26 inch LCD TV with my PS3, 360, PS2, Xbox and Gamecube hooked up to it. Downstairs in the living room, the Wii, (my Mum’s), is attached to the Samsung 32 inch LCD TV. I have a pretty decent gaming PC and the PSP and my Mumsie’s Nintendo DS. I also have my Mega Drive and PS1 knocking about in my room. I’m not addicted… honest… *Twitch*

Q. And what’s your life-changing game? You know, the one that made you realise that gaming was completely awesome?
I had original games that I enjoyed like, everything on the Mega Drive and PS1. However I think the first games I ever owned all the sequels to was Crash Bandicoot, I never got bored of those games, I loved them. The first game with a real story and difficult gameplay that made me become a full on gamer was Max Payne though, I still adore that game and I’ve completed it a zillion times.

Q: And what is your all-time favourite game ever? Why?
I thought about this for a while because it’s harder to work out than if people ask me what my favourite song is. I thought it might be Bioshock but if I’m honest, there are parts in that game that make me sigh, like Fontaine Fisheries. So once again it’s going to have to be Max Payne for the sheer fact that it’s action, horror and Film Noir all wrapped up in an amazing package.

Q: How do you unwind and relax when you’re not playing or writing about games?
I am a busy fellow, blame it on University. I unwind and relax by watching Let’s Plays of games on Youtube and just playing games or watching movies really. I’m very easy to please when it comes to entertainment.

Q. Any nerdy gaming stories to share? Better yet, any embarrassing ones?
Everything I do is an embarrassing event so to narrow it down to one is going to be tricky. Nothing will beat how much I laughed about Sarah’s Modern Warfare 2 ordeal but I guess embarrassing moments always come along when I’m playing anything multiplayer. You see, I have this obsession with running off alone or backtracking alone to do something, insisting “I’ll be fine, just wait there I’ll be back in a jiffy” only to be owned by “Puugh the Slasher” on Guild Wars, Bandits on Borderlands and Zombies on Resi 5, Call of Duty Nazi Zombies and Left 4 Dead 1 and 2. What can I say, it’s a gift.

Q. Do you collect any gaming memorabilia? If not, why not? If yes, what and why?
Oh yes! I always go for the Collectors Edition of games I know I will like. Bioshock 2 Collectors, Fallout 3 Collectors, Scarface: The World is Yours Collectors. I’m also a sucker for figurines too I’m afraid. I have Alex Mercer from Prototype, various Gears of War figures, Agent 47, the God of Rock, Big Sister, Little Sister, Subject Delta, and Edward Carnby from Alone in the Dark. I know I’m sad but I can’t help it! I also have a Gears of War Belt buckle and messenger bag, I’m such a glutton for merchandise.

Q. What’s your perfect evening?
My perfect evening is just having the perfect game-playing evening. Cold fizzy drink, quiet house, sound system plugged in. That’s the time I enjoy playing games the most. Either that or it’s playing something online with someone who I have a laugh with.

Q. Conversely, what would be your idea of a nightmare way to spend an evening?
Being anywhere like a club or a pub/bar, I have Social Anxiety at times and I just really do not enjoy that type of scene at all.

Q. Name five people, alive or dead, you’d like to share a Multiplayer experience with.
Ville Valo from HIM, Noah from the Spoony Experiment, Al Pacino (Imagine him in MW2 with an M16 grenade launcher attachment, that’s all I’m saying), Synyster Gates from Avenged Sevenfold (beating him on Guitar Hero) and Brad from 4Player Podcast.

Q. What job’s currently helping you to feed your gamer habit?
I don’t do anything right now because I had to quit due to University making me miss all my working hours. I have money in the bank though because I used to give computer tutorials and do odd jobs around a Graphic Design studio.

Q. Anything else you think our readers should know?
I scare easy and I have about 5 different Phobias… I’m a wuss!

Q. Nominate the next GGS.com person to get the QA interrogation!
Sarah Grace, pretty please!

Got a question of your own for Steve – or how about for our next nominee, Sarah? Post it in the comments and they just might answer!

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11 comments

  1. /

    Wow! I’ve just realised that we have more in common than just the love of gaming – you mentioned Synyster Gates!!!

    And your reason for disliking pubs/bars is the same as mine – I just didn’t have the guts to mention it. :P

    Reply
    • Steve Wood /

      Oh yes he is an epic individual! I was kind of afraid to mention it too but people probably think I’m dull now so not to worry, me and you could just hang out haha

      Reply
      • /

        Hopefully we’ll get the chance to do just that at Gamescom. :)

        And you’re not dull – you just have more interesting things to do (gaming!) and better things to spend your money on (games!). ;)

        Reply
        • Steve Wood /

          Oh yeah definately! I totally use that as my excuse for not being outgoing :) Infact today I bought the “Dante’s Inferno: Death Edition” even though I didn’t like the demo, purely because it was labelled as 5 pounds under the retail price of the normal edition… 35 pounds… how could I pass that up ? O__O heh

          Reply
  2. Sarah Grace /

    Oh man, I’ve been nominated!! Mwaha.

    Let’s see, this is my favorite question to ask people ’cause it’s short and simple. Steve, if you’re stuck in a mall surrounded by zombies, what weapon, song, and person would you have with you to fight?

    Reply
    • Steve Wood /

      Hmmm let’s see, I would use a Spas-12 Shotgun for maximum blood spatter! I would be listening to “You think I’m not worth a dollar, but I feel like a millionaire” by Queens of the Stone age, and I would take Jill Valentine (REmake) even though she’s just a game character because she’s great at killing zombies and she’s lovely :P

      Reply
      • Sarah Grace /

        Kind of related: I liked Jill in the RE live action movies they did. I’m a nerd who watches movies with the actor commentary and I was watching one where the actress who played Jill was talking with the rest of the cast who were all bullshitting and not even discussing the movie, but the chick who played Jill was really serious about her character and her love for the RE games. It was a really funny contrast.

        Reply
        • Steve Wood /

          Oh yeah I saw that too on Ummmmm Apocalypse! She is indeed very cool :)

          Reply
  3. Ryan Daniels /

    Beating Synyster Gates at Guitar Hero is something you’d HAVE to brag about. =P
    Al Pacino with an M16 Grenade launcher attachment?….EPIC
    Well here’s a question, how are puzzles in video games to you? :P

    PS~I’m one of your viewers on YouTube and I’ve been visiting this site ever so often and never actually replied to any articles or anything of the sort.

    Reply
    • Steve Wood /

      Hi Ryan
      Puzzles in video games are the bane of my existence. Just as I think I’m doing great and my awesomeness knows no bounds, I run into the gaming equivalent of Algebraic Equations… I can’t do Algebra either :/…

      Reply
  4. Lyn Potts /

    Gah! Max Payne, my mortal enemy. That’s right, Mr. Constipated-looking Undercover Cop, I’ll get you someday! I hated that game so much, you couldn’t pay me to play it again. It was so difficult, and Max’s amazingly dull monologues….*shivers*

    Don’t worry, Fontaine Fisheries makes me sigh a lot to. =/ Though I do love Apollo Square and the level with Cohen. :D (can’t remember it’s name, GASP!)

    Alright Steve, here’s a question for you: What is the meaning of life? NO! Just kidding. :P By the way if you get this question wrong you’re going to be thrown off a bridge into a pit of lava….ANYWAYS, If you had to go face to face against any Resident Evil or Silent Hill boss, which one would it be and why?

    Reply

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