Let's Talk with blueriversbeast

By Marc Hollinshead,
Hello everyone and welcome back to another Community Interview! This week,my guest is blueriversbeast, a gamer who is loyal to two different game series, although they are very different to each other. Let's give a big TA welcome to blueriversbeast!

Marc: Gamertags almost always tell something about their owners. Tell us about yours.
blueriversbeast


BR:
I was born and raised in a small town in Wisconsin named Blue River. I’m still not quite sure where the beast part got tacked on but that’s neither here nor there.

Marc: How long have you been gaming?

BR:
It’s been about 20 years now. My first console was the Sega Genesis with the Sonic 2 bundle.

Marc: Do others in your family game, or are you a first-generation gamer?

BR:
I’m an only child and definitely a first generation gamer. It’s quite comical to see my mom attempt to play anything (although she enjoys Wii Sports) and my dad thinks video games are just movies, so there’s that.

Marc: Sounds like your dad has a not-too-bad opinion at least! Personally, I say that games are like books. wink

What do your parents/significant other/friends have to say about your gaming?

BR:
My mom has always been very supportive of it throughout my life. She’s been the one from the get go to get the consoles/games and care about what’s happening in the games still to this day. She’s secretly pretty cool and secretly always has been. My friends are all gamers and I can’t think of a single friend of mine that doesn’t play a few hours per week.

Marc: All your friends are gamers? That's pretty lucky, I must say.

Assuming you’re not a professional gamer, what’s your day job?

BR:
I’m currently going to college at Northeastern Illinois University for a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and I have an Associate’s Degree in Marketing. Other than that I’m just working part time.

Marc: What other hobbies do you enjoy?

BR:
I’m really into music, I listen to various genres and albums until I can usually memorize them, I’m like Rainman in that regard.

Marc: Tell us about your home life – parents, spouse, children, significant other, animal companions?

BR:
I currently live alone in an apartment in Evanston, Illinois, which is a close suburb of Chicago. It’s pretty lonely but with party chat I can always chat with my best friends that live back home. I really want a dog but I’ll have to hold off for a while.

Marc: Of what real life achievement are you most proud? Would you give us some details?

BR:
I’d say getting my Associate’s Degree. I had a major setback in school timewise but I still got through it and am now currently still going to school so that’ll be the next achievement unlocked.

Marc: What’s your favorite game of all time on any console? What makes it special?

BR:
Pokemon Yellow on Game Boy. If I was ever stranded on an island that would be my game. It brings back a lot of memories of when I was younger and obsessed with Pokemon, plus Pikachu follows you around and you can get all of the starter Pokemon so what’s not to love?

Marc: Do you remember the first game you played? What’s your fondest memory of it?

BR:
The first one I remember having is Sonic 2 that came bundled with my Sega. The fondest memory that I have of it now is being a lot better at that game when I was younger than I am at it right now in life.

Marc: If some evil spell allowed you to own only a single game for the rest of your life, what would it be? Why?

BR:
I’d say Pokemon Yellow again but on the Xbox 360 I’d say Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in 2008. Everyone at school was playing it and I had just gotten Xbox Live for the first time and this was actually the first time I had ever been online. Just a great multiplayer experience and had so much fun playing with my friends. It was also before the game got hacks online and ruined it.

Marc: What part of the world do you live in? If I were to visit, what sights would I have to see?

BR:
I currently live in Evanston, IL, a suburb of Chicago. If you were to visit we’d take the train into the city and go to Millennium Park and see the Bean, a monument there. Afterwards we would grab some Chicago style pizza and maybe see a Cubs or White Sox game. (Being from Wisconsin I can never cheer for the Cubs though)

Marc: Once again I say that where you live sounds MUCH more interesting than where I live! Maybe I should just move. laugh

Any games you regret putting on your gamertag?

BR:
I wouldn’t say regrets because at some point I had the desire to play particular games but there are definitely games that after x amount of time you know you made an imperfect decision.

Marc: Tell us about your gamer pic. Why did you choose that one?

BR:
Haha, my entire thought process was ‘Oh, this says beast on it, I’ll buy it’. That’s pretty much the extent to that one.

Marc: Nothing wrong with that! I'd happily get one if I saw "Marc" or "Pilkington" on it. No luck yet, though. :-P

Do you have any particular gaming pet peeves?

BR:
Being a CoD guy, I hate when people don’t know how/don’t want to play the objective. As a squad we’re all pretty competitive and very good at the games but when someone’s skill level isn’t near yours it can be quite frustrating or you’re called a try hard. That’s annoying, plus the people who hack games to make them unplayable. Last gaming pet peeve would be not permanently discounting maps and such for games that are old. I think the CoD DLC is notoriously crazy overpriced for it being a broken multiplayer game across various games and platforms.

Marc: You've just listed a good number of reasons why I've never had my gamertag even go near a COD game. laugh

What upcoming game are you most looking forward to?

BR:
I got really excited for both Fallout 4 and Assassin's Creed Syndicate. I spent a ton of time with Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas so that was a given and I just like the setting of Assassin's Creed Syndicate although I’m kind of burnt out with those ones currently.

Marc: What game(s) are you currently playing? How are you finding it?

BR:
Honestly I’ve been playing a lot of Splatoon on Wii U. It’s a really fun third person ‘shooter’ and I have been having a blast with it. On Xbox One I’ve been alternating between Neverwinter (HK) and Trivial Pursuit.

Marc: What game are you most proud of completing? Why?

BR:
Probably L.A. Noire. I spent a ton of time on here figuring out how to do a lot of the achievements and that was a game I really enjoyed and looked forward to and picked up on the midnight that it came out.

Marc: I have fond memories of that game as well. It's one of the few games I could sit and play and achievements were an afterthought.

What single Xbox achievement are you most proud of? Why?

BR:
Call of Duty 4: Modern WarfareThe UltimatumThe The Ultimatum achievement in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare worth 80 pointsComplete 'Ultimatum', 'All In', and 'No Fighting in the War Room' on Veteran difficulty

The hard part was the mission where you lead the entire team with 9 minutes to do it on Veteran and if you don’t push ahead to checkpoints you won’t get them and enemies spawn really weirdly. I ended up throwing and smashing my controller on a concrete wall and that is to this day the only controller I’ve broken in my life. Ah, memories.

Marc: That's one thing I don't understand as a gamer. Getting so angry that you smash your controller. I just don't have the mentality to go that far. :-P

In a slightly different vein, do you have a favorite achievement? One perhaps that you just really enjoyed attaining?

BR:
Call of Duty 4: Modern WarfareMile High ClubThe Mile High Club achievement in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare worth 46 pointsSky dive to safety on Veteran difficulty

It’s surprisingly simple if you know what you’re doing and I’ve gotten the achievement for a few of my friends. Once was on my second try at their house (the first time I jumped weird and killed the VIP). It’s like a bar trick for me or something.

Marc: If you found yourself dropped into a video game, which video game character would you most want to have your back?

BR:
Ash Ketchum from Pokemon because he’s 10 years old, beats up random people’s pets and takes their money, and is in every sense of the word the best in the entire world at what he does.

Marc: Thinking about it in the simplest way like that makes it sound very dodgy indeed. laugh

In the same scenario, what character/creature would you most/least like to see headed your way?

BR:
Ash Ketchum because he’s going to beat up my pets with his pets and steal all of my money. Or a Super Mutant from Fallout.

Marc: Any characters you would like seen thrown into video game hell?

BR:
I thought about this for a while and couldn’t really think of anyone besides Handsome Jack. He’s a great character but I didn’t enjoy fighting all of his armies all of the time.

Marc: Ever had any bad experiences online? How did you handle it?

BR:
All the time, actually. I get messages a lot saying that we’re try hards and other very derogatory stuff but I just laugh because that person wasted their time sending me a message that I won’t respond to. I’ve mentioned it before several times but I hate that some of my favorite games are hacked to the point of being unplayable.

Marc: Do you prefer single player or multi-player?

BR:
Multiplayer if I have friends to play with, I hardly ever play multiplayer just by myself in a party or whatever. I like the fact that you never truly know what the other person is going to use or if they’re better than you.

Marc: Do you have a favorite group of friends you like to play with? If so, how did you meet?

BR:
Yeah, I have a squad I play with when we can all get together which is becoming increasingly rare lately. We mostly all met at our first college, UW-Richland and it kind of branches off in a 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon thing from there. I met one of my best friends at a restaurant by hearing his voice and my friend said ‘that kinda sounds like CreepyLawnGnome’ and he just said his gamertag out loud and sure enough, it was him.

Marc: If you could have a multiplayer session with anyone in the world, whom would you choose? Why?

BR:
Definitely iJustine or someone who knows someone at Call of Duty. iJustine because she’s just awesome and her new book is incredible. The Call of Duty one is because they need me to help.

Marc: What other consoles do you own? What are your favorites on those platforms?

BR:
I currently have an Xbox One, 360, Wii U, PS2 and PS3 as well as a 3DS. In my life I’ve had a Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, PS1, N64, Gamecube and countless Game Boy variations if I’m remembering them all.

Marc: Have you ever had a game you really looked forward to that you were disappointed in when it finally arrived? Tell us about it.

BR:
The one I remember is Call of Duty: Ghosts. We always do the midnight releases and are so excited for the new yearly installment and this one was just blah. It’s the first one that I really knew was rushed out and it didn’t have challenges and other things yet. Plus the main campaign character never spoke a single word at all which was/is really strange. He even got shot and didn’t moan or anything.

Marc: He must be a huge badass if getting shot evokes no vocal response from him, unless he was too busy being dead.

Tell us about your gaming set-up.
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BR:
I have a Samsung TV that sits on a fireplace. It’s pretty neat.

Marc: I couldn't help but notice 50 Shades of Grey sitting on top of your DVD collection there. I've neither read or watched it myself. :-P

How do you use TA? Tracking, walkthroughs, solutions, sessions?

BR:
I use TA for its news updates which I think is a very underrated thing in itself. You’re my favorite news outlet for current games, future games, patches, top fives, community interviews, etc. I also use tracking and solutions the most but I’ve been in a few sessions as well (119 positive, 0 neutral, and 0 negative votes as I type this).

Marc: TA is my favourite news outlet as well. The Newshounds really are just amazing, aren't they? wink

How has your gaming changed or evolved since coming to TA?

BR:
For the first time in a long time I felt like I was among people that I could connect with. We as a community enjoy playing games and getting achievements in some form and I can finally talk to people who like the same things as I do. That’s how it’s changed. I’d say it’s evolved because I could finally figure out the best/easiest way to gain some achievements. There’s also game reviews and stories that I really enjoy reading about.

Marc: What do you like and dislike most about the site?

BR:
Like: game news, reviews and the community. Dislike: people who always seem to have something negative to say in the threads. For example: free DLC for a year plus? But where are the heists, Rockstar??? You’re not going to get me to come back to your game that easily. Things like that are always annoying to me. Another example: there’s no sale for a $10 game?? I’ll wait until it’s free, that’ll show them. Like c’mon. I personally do really enjoy the Hydro Thunder Hurricane guy though, shout out to him. I hope he comments something Hydro Thunder Hurricane on this to make me smile.

Marc: I hope he doesn't Yeah, that will be pretty neat.

How did you learn about TA? Have you signed up any friends to the website?

BR:
I learned about TA in 2009 or 2010 I think when I Google’d how to get a certain achievement or something and this came up. I’ve been pretty much hooked ever since. I’ve signed up a few friends, too. At the school where I got my first degree I’d be in class for the entire session on TA making a list of which achievements to do when I got home and it was intriguing to some people. I also signed up my best friends.

Marc: Have you made friends here?

BR:
I’ve made two friends here, AceStAyWilDiN and YazFromAlcatraz. Yaz lives in Washington State and I was actually there at the end of May so we met up, had a few beers and talked about games for a few hours. Yaz is the leader on the site for basketball achievements but that’s neither here nor there. Ace is just an incredible achievement hunter and great boost partner and he’s also on Twitch a lot now so go and check that out. Both of these guys would be amazing Community Interviews by the way, hint hint, nudge nudge, wink wink, cough cough.

Marc: If you could have a game handcrafted just for you, what would your perfect game be?

BR:
I’m baffled there’s not a business simulation game where you start a business, get a loan, and have to have it paid in x years and get profits or get shut down. If there is I haven’t heard of it or played it. Hiring employees, shipping products, etc.

Marc: Why do you choose TA over other gaming sites?

BR:
The news and the community behind it.

Marc: Do you have a “claim to fame” in gaming? If so, what is it?

BR:
I planned carefully which achievements to unlock until I hit 99,000 gamerscore exactly, then I played Avatar: TLA for my 100,000. I wouldn’t necessarily say claim to fame but it’s pretty neat.

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*Lightning Round*
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Favorite 360 game?

Alan Wake

Favorite non-360 game?

Pokemon Yellow

Least favorite game?

In real life? Arm wrestling, I suck.

Favorite game developer?

Bethesda

Favorite game weapon?

All of the crazy guns in Sunset Overdrive

Most hated game enemy?

Russians

Favorite game character?

Chad in Wii Sports

Favorite game sidekick?

The waypoint symbol in Fallout 3/NV or The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Favorite game ending?

Call of Duty: Ghosts so I wouldn’t have to play the campaign again

Most hated game ending?

BioShock Infinite because I had no idea what just happened

Favorite game environment?

Alan Wake

Favorite game music?

GTA: Vice City

Most emotional video game moment?

I was playing Left 4 Dead with someone and they jumped out of a window to their death and I laughed hysterically

Game that shouldn’t have had a sequel?

Alan Wake, the sequel being Alan Wake's American Nightmare I mean.

Non-Xbox game you’d love to have achievements in?

Animal Crossing on 3DS

**********************
*End of Lightning Round*
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Marc: Is there anything in particular you want the TA community to know about you?

BR:
I was born at a very young age. Also my Twitter handle is @HashtagVagina if you want to follow me/follow each other.

Marc: I actually had to do a double take when I saw that hashtag.

Is there anything I haven’t asked that you want to talk about?

BR:
What are your thoughts on kale?

Marc: I've never actually eaten it if I'm honest. This is coming from someone who works in a fruit and veg department of a supermarket!

Any shout-outs you want to make before we go?

BR:
Shout out to my friends that I play with regularly and on TA. I’d say YazFromAlcatraz and AceStayWildin. If I get a Community Interview it’s like we all have had a Community Interview. I love you all, mama we made it. I also want to especially thank Kylie Severson, Tylor and Cody Harlan, Justin Bjornstad, Chris Mara, and Dan Machovec. Lastly, I want to add my thanks to everyone on the TA staff!

There you have it, folks. Thanks again to blueriversbeast for taking the time share his own story with us. Join me again in two weeks time where I'll be with my next guest, https://www.trueachievements.com/Cw+Icecold.htm.

Come back to see me and, you guessed it... let's talk. wave

I'd like to remind everyone that because of the huge waiting list for candidates, I am currently not taking any applications for the Community Interview. When some of the backlog has been worked through, I'll let you know. ~ Marc
Marc Hollinshead
Written by Marc Hollinshead
To summarize Marc in two words, it would be "Christian Gamer." You will usually find him getting stuck into story heavy action-adventure games, RPG's and the odd quirky title when he isn't raving about Dark Souls and Mass Effect. Outside the world of gaming, Marc attends and helps out in his church on a regular basis and has a not-so thrilling job in a supermarket.
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