Posts Tagged ‘WCG Ultimate Gamer’

WCG Ultimate Gamer 2 – Vote Thirstee 321!

Monday, May 17th, 2010

Follow Thirstee321 on his Twitter @Thirstee321!

Last week, we brought you a little bit of info about Jake … in pro gaming circles, the force of nature known as Thirstee321. We told you guys to stick around until Monday for his big announcement, and the time has come.

Thirstee321 is in the running to be picked as the final contestant in WCG’s Ultimate Gamer (Season 2) But it will take everyone’s help to do so. The contest is done through online voting, and you can vote once PER HOUR to cast your vote.

The voting is Monday the 17 through Sunday the 23rd. You can vote (once per hour per device) at http://www.wcgultimategamer.com

If you want to know more about Jake.. feel free to watch his audition video on the site, or his announcement teaser video we posted here… Orrrrr, you can check out this interview I did with him right now… (Cause that’s how we roll)

So lets talk about video games. What’s the first game you remember playing and thinking… “man I’m better than everybody”.
Wow this is a tough one! There are alot of games that came to mind when thinking about this question! Playing Mario Kart 64 with my dad and brothers while gambling on each race for money was intense, but after thinking for a while I would probably have to say Halo: Combat Evolved. The Christmas of the year that Xbox came out I asked for aPS2 and my friend John asked for an Xbox. I had no idea how much fun Halo was going to be or I never would have asked for a PS2. After playing with him I decided to use the rest of my Christmas money to go buy an xbox. From that point out it was non stop system link parties every day after school. I think at that very point is where I attained my competitiveness in gaming!

You mention the term “multi- genre” gaming. Tell us why it’s important to have that skill versus having a specialty.
Well for me, being a multi- genre gamer is important because I hate to lose! Haha! I come from a very competitive family where absolutely everything we do turns into a game to see who will win. From gambling in Mario Kart, to screaming at each other around Christmas time about a game of Balderdash (board game), it is always a competition! I like getting to a point in each game to where I can beat about 90% of the people I come up against, and then move on to my next challenge. I feel limiting myself to one specific game is hindering my capabilities in ALL games.

Being into multiple genres (I knew a girl like that in college) what would you consider to be an achilles heel?
Haha, I’m not sure how I should take that, but its funny none the less!!! I get asked this quite often, and honestly I hate answering it for the simple fact that I don’t like to admit that I have a weakness lol. If there is one genre I don’t really care for, I would have to say fighting. Fighting games require spending a great amount of time learning each character and what they can actually do. However, I’m always up for a challenge, so if someone asks I like to be somewhat prepared. My approach in fighting games is to get relatively good with one character and then move on, leaving me with the inability to anticipate moves that I had no clue were even in the game.

How often do you train? Is there a set training schedule? Do you say I’m gonna work on this console today or only side scrolling old school games today?
I don’t like to think of gaming as training. I feel that when gaming for fun turns into training, it becomes work. This kind of goes hand and hand with why I don’t like to specialize in one specific game. However, I do play ALOTTTT of games! My schedule for gaming is kind of based around my schooling and my personal life. I’m currently a full time student enrolled at Kent State University and have a girlfriend who enjoys spending time with me. I don’t like to have to give up anything in my life for gaming, but I will NEVER give up gaming for my personal life! This results in a lot of restless nights gaming until 6 am after all the homework is done and my girlfriend is asleep, haha! I would have to say I play about 50-60 hours a week and play just about whatever I am in the mood for. I just love being a gamer!

Besides gaming, are there any other things you like to do with your spare time?
Haha, if get the chance at some spare time I absolutely love to watch movies! A good comedy always brightens my day! I also enjoy spending time with my girlfriend, going for a late night drive with the windows down listening to some music, playing ultimate frisbee, working out, or hanging out with my dogs!

Has gaming ever interfered with your personal life?
Gaming has never really been a problem with my personal life, which I am greatly thankful for! My girlfriend is really understanding about how much I love gaming and I’m excited to say a lot of the time she’s right there next to me kicking ass just as well! She’s quite the Call of Duty Modern Warefare 2 player! Just this morning she went 26 kills and 2 deaths while being 1 kill away from her nuke!

Do you like other games to besides video games?
I happen to enjoy most games that I come across! One game that I particularly like is Corn Hole. Within the last couple years it has gotten really big here in Ohio. I’m not sure if it is as popular everywhere else, but if you don’t know what it is, I suggest that you check it out because it is a lot of fun!

You should know I’m undefeated in air hockey. Repeat UNDEFEATED. I once won the company (Busygamer) in Seattle after a drunken game, only to lose it in Dallas TX after another drunken game of Ms. Pacman. I’ll repeat that I am undefeated. Soooo. feel like trying your luck?
Hahaha! I am going to respect your confidence and not talk trash until we duke it out. Like I said though, I’m always up for a challenge, so I accept! I will warn you though, I am a gamer with extreme hand/eye coordination and I’m no slouch in air hockey myself, so be prepared lol.

Tell me about countdown 321.
Countdown321 is the gaming organization I am with, comprised of some of the best gamers I know! There are two specific gamers with us that are pretty well known. WCG Ultimate Gamer’s 1st place winner Mark Smith (mmmApplesauce321) and 3rd place winner Jamal Nickens (Zophar321). Jamal has also won other major competitions such asScrew Attack’s Iron Man of Gaming tournament and the hit television show Life to the Power of X. We are all extremely devoted in what we do and have a passion for gaming like no other! Our website is devoted to bringing competitive gaming to the local gamer. However, we also do charity events, gaming reviews, and have an ever expanding forum that we hope continues to grow as well as it has been. Head on over to http://www.countdown321.net and check out all the cool stuff we have going on and sign up for our forums while your at it.

If we threw our own gaming competition where you had to drink every hour and compete. Would you participate?
Oh my gosh, that would certainly spice things up a notch, hahaha! I think a competition like that sounds hilarious and extremely fun! If you actually did have a competition like that I would feel completely left out if I wasn’t there! Count me in!

Thirstee321 revs up!

Friday, May 14th, 2010

We love a good story here at Busygamer. Nothing gets us revved up to cheer on fellow gamers like an up and coming gamer starting from the ground up trying to make a lot of waves.

Meet Jake Pfister, or Thirstee321 as he is known in his gamer circles. Thirstee321 is setting himself up to take a stab at being one of the Nation’s top up and coming gamers. This multi genre gamer has a big take no prisoners attitude and is ready to take this to the next level with a little Busygamer love at the same time. What’s the announcement? I guess we’re all going to find out Monday…

One thing is for certain… watching this announcement teaser video… spells woe to some upcoming opponents.

Follow up with more about Thirstee321 here at Countdown321.net!

WCG Ultimate Gamers Mark and Jamal

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009
WCG Ultimate Gamer's Mark Smith (left) and Jamal Nickens (right) with BG's Tim Danger (center)

WCG Ultimate Gamer's Mark Smith (left) and Jamal Nickens (right) with BG's Tim Danger (center)

One of the neatest things we got to do at SGC was hang out with WCG’s Ultimate Gamer contestants Mark Smith (the big winner of the show) and Jamal Nickens (who ended up taking the SGC’s “Iron Man of Gaming” championship this past weekend). The weekend was spent socializing, watching them play some games, and even a night out to downtown Dallas Texas with the gamers and their friends where we demonstrated the only game we could probably take them at was “drinking”. On Sunday, I found some time to sit down with Mark and Jamal and talk about the show, girls, and games.

TDANGER: How did you two guys meet, it was obviously before the show right?
Jamal: Actually, it was a weird thing. We had both went to the same audition. I was the first person to arrive and then I saw Mark and I don’t know if anyone has said this but whatever… I’m like, “Alright, good, he doesn’t have a chance. Who is this dork???? *laughs*
Mark: Yeah, dude, I saw him with his Sonic pillow thinking, “Man there is no way this clown is going to get on this show!??? *laughs*
Jamal: But we were the first two at the audition, I was like five in the morning, he was like at seven. It was intense. I was there sizing up people.

TDANGER: So you guys had not met before then? Not in any other gaming circles?
Jamal: Even at the audition we didn’t even talk. We just saw each other.
Mark: Yeah.

TDANGER: Talking about the show then, how many rounds of auditions did you have to go through?
Jamal:
There was actually two audition rounds. The first was like a prelim, there were game challenges, you had to fill out a survey, like a contract type deal, you had to interview, video interview…
Mark: Yeah, and then they made us play some games. They wanted to see if you talked trash to each other and that sort of thing. Then after that they did auditions in Chicago, Austin, New York and L.A. and out of all of those, they narrowed it down to like 40 people. Then they flew us out to L.A. and they had some really really intense auditions there.
Jamal: I thought it was like 60? They just sent half the people home the first day once you got to L.A.
Mark: Yeah, one guy they actually sent home because you weren’t allowed to leave your room without a handler and stuff because they didn’t want you talking to other potential contestants. Some guy was walking around double fisting beers, like you know, pounding them. They said, “No drinking while you’re there???. I don’t know what he was doing…
TDANGER: We wouldn’t have survived that (referring to Busygamer’s legendary outing on night one of SGC).*laughter all around*
(more…)

Starstruck by Starslay3r

Tuesday, March 10th, 2009
Ciji on WCG:Ultimate Gamer, tonight on Sci Fi Channel

Ciji on WCG:Ultimate Gamer, tonight on Sci Fi Channel

When the Reckon Crew first heard about a new reality series on the Sci-Fi channel, there was a collective groan among us as we imagined another Ghost Hunters or a new Who wants to be a Super Hero with a completely mad Stan Lee. Then we heard the title of the new show, Ultimate Gamer, and that peaked our interest. Then Starslay3r told us she was going to be on it. We were hooked.

Admittedly, we tend to worry a bit when we don’t hear from a friend so when Starslay3r disappeared for a month, we thought something might have happened. But coming to find out that one of our Gamettes will be appearing on a show featuring some of the toughest video game competitors out there playing against one another on a reality show, well, we were thrilled for her to say the least. And then the preview clips came out…

Now many of you might think that watching a show about gaming where the competitors pummel one another on Soul Calibur IV might sound dull but if you haven’t heard, that’s not all it’s about. Once the participants compete on, say, Halo 3, they then go out and play paintball against one another. Or if it’s a racing game, they actually get in real cars to see who can maneuver at high speed through an obstacle course. It’s not just about proving who’s the best at a game… It’s about proving you can do it outside of a video game. At the very least, there’s the potential for hilarity when we see the looks on the players’ faces when the “real life” challenges are announced.

When we asked Starslay3r about her experiences on WCG Ultimate Gamer, she had the following to say:

“I’m not really allowed to say much. I can say that it was, the most intense and most awesome gaming experience I’ve ever had. The show definitely put my gaming skills to the ultimate test and if I could do it all over again, I would do it in a heartbeat.”

WCG: Ultimate Gamer contestants & hosts

WCG: Ultimate Gamer contestants & hosts

Make sure to tune in to the premiere of “WCG Ultimate Gamer” with the Reckon Crew tonight, Tuesday March 10th, at 9PM Central to see how Gamette and all around kicker of butt Starslay3r fares in her battle to be crowned the Ultimate Gamer. You can also pay her a visit at www.starslay3r.com. Tell her the Reckon Crew sent you…  That way she knows who to blame.

Gritskrieg – End of Line






See more of Ciji in her Gamette Gallery and also on the Sci-Fi Channel’s WCG:Ultimate Gamer site.










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