<licks people>
So - what’s it like, being the typist of HamiJello?
Enjoyable, really. I usually don’t get to be funny in my day job, so being able to be creative and, I hope funny, is always fun for me.
Is it hard having to maintain some of the Twitter Feuds between The Goo, Jurassik, and Nemesis?
Since somebody else does the Nemesis feed, I find it fun throwing taunts back at them and having somebody else to play off of. As for Jurassik, well…. he’s an idiot, so it’s not hard to want to smack him all the time.
What would you like to see him smacked with?
Anything. Anything at all. But a jackhammer would be much better.
As I understand it, the universe HamiJello hails from was destroyed almost a year or so ago? How’s it been enjoying it’s time here?
Hami still lives in Paragon, so he’s been exploring the empty city. From what I heard, Jurassik got sick and threw up enough asphalt to repave Faultline… and also flooded Founder’s Fall when trying to take a swim. But mainly, I think he’s trying to keep busy, find friends, and stay away from Null the Gull.
What’s so fearful about Null the Gull?
Null the Gull is… well, I can’t really say. He’ll… he’ll find me.
So what about yourself - where on this great wide world are you from?
I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas, all my life.
Is it true that everything is bigger in Texas? Don’t lie to me.
I’d love to say yes, yes it is. But my wife will probably read this and call me out on it.
Oh my.
Which game are you most excited about for 2014? (The correct answer is: City of Titans in 2015-ish!)
<Nod nod> Nothing in 2014. I’ll have to keep playing Star Control or Doom until City of Titans comes out in 2015. <where’s my dolla?>
How did you first hear about Missing Worlds Media (MWM) and their first major project, City of Titans?
Most likely it was something through the Save City of Heroes Facebook page. Most of that time was spent with lack of sleep trying to cram in as much CoH as I could.
What was your reaction to the final tally for the City of Titans Kickstarter of $678k - and 5,000 backers?
Floored. I expected it to go over the goal, but nowhere near as quickly and nowhere near as much. I remember keeping the Kickstarter page loaded on my phone all the time, and refreshing it many times through the day. I also kept my uninterested coworkers up to date on the tally.
Of all the updates, which were your favorite and why?
I loved seeing the updates when a milestone was cracked. Those were my favorite ones, because they showed how strong our community was. 5000 backers, and $678k raised? Fantastic!
So, a favorite question of mine - how would you like to see PvP handled and what could City of Titans do to handle PvP differently than any other MMO?
I’m honestly not a big fan of PVP because I had some bad experiences with being name called in a few games. But I think some sort of cooperative PVP experience could be fun, some kind of team based mission could pique my interest in revisiting PVP.
So like Capture The Flag or PvP Soccer?
I’m thinking more like a Task Force or Mission where the bosses are actual other players.
What is it in a videogame that really sucks you in and gets you invested in it?
One of my favorite games of all time is Star Control 2. It was made in 1992. The graphics are dreadful today, but the thing that keeps me going back to playing it is the storyline, the open-ended missions, and the dialogue choices. I can go talk to the VUX and either call them ugly (which, let’s be honest, they are) or try and make peace with them. I think the idea that YOU control the story is the thing that keeps me sucked in. Even if it’s an illusion, it still keeps me fascinated.
What do you feel is the biggest challenge lying ahead for the City of Titans team?
You’ve got a fantastic, dedicated fanbase. But there are those people out there, a vocal group, who come around to every post about CoT and start the doomsaying. I think there will be a good chunk of those as you get closer to release, so those doomsayers (DOOM!) will be the biggest challenge.
For a game that has just begun development City of Titans seems to already have attracted quite an active community - do you that that is something that is unique to the superhero MMO genre?
Yes. Because the idea of a superhero is one that helps people out and fosters a sense of community. Those that want to be superheroes are ones that are most willing to help and join in on a community.
Speaking of superheroes, what is it attracts you to the Superhero MMO genre?
I’d just love to be able to fly, take down the bad guys, save the people from evil, and be like The Flash was in the Justice League TV Show.
Did you see any of the superhero films this year - Man of Steel, Ironman, Thor?
Oh yeah. All of them mentioned. I turned my wife into a big superhero fan, but she was especially keen to see Thor for some reason.
Was it because of the Jimmy Kimmel “Thor, Actually” trailer?
The only Jimmy Kimmel thing she saw was the parents steal kids’ Halloween candy, so I’m gonna have to go with Chris Hemsworth’s abs.
Did you know that Jimmy Kimmel is actually Chris Hemsworth’s ab’s alternate identity? (This is a lie.)
Well, now you’ve just made her want to record all of his episodes. Maybe even some of The Man Show.
Why do you think the superhero genre in the last decade has gained a lot of attention in the last decade as a medium for telling deep, rich stories?
Because of the rich history it has. They can pick and choose from any fantastic storyline, and alter it to fit events that will appeal to the greater mass. Also, I think with all of the evil in the world today, people like to see heroes save the day.
How do you feel about the whole “superhero tv show” trend these last few years? Well, decade, really, owing to Smallville.
Smallville went too long IMO, got corny near the end. But the trend, such as Arrow and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are turning out well. I’m all for those shows if they get based in a bit of reality like Christopher Nolan’s DC-Verse. Also, I still love watching the DC Animated Universe when I can catch them.
Any comic series or publishing house you follow in particular?
I get the “Star Trek reboot” series from IDW publishing regularly. That’s pretty much my comic book purchase these days, but I do have the entire collection of Batman comics that were given away by the “Batman cereal.” I had to eat boxes of that stuff to get it, it was nasty, but it was BATMAN!
Do you think webcomics are the future of comics?
I would be surprised if web anything wasn’t the future. For now, in our commercialized society, I think it will be a niche that will be for fun. Eventually, it’ll be what everybody does.
What do you think MMO’s are going to be like five years and ten years from now?
I’ve played two MMOs in my life: City of Heroes and Star Trek Online. The cash shop has been added since then, F2P is becoming a standard. The only thing I can think of at this time for any advancement is moving them to a mobile app, like the avatar creator for City of Titans. Perhaps some kind of side missions via mobile apps as well.
What do you think gaming communities are going to be like in the next few years?
I can’t see them being any different than they are now. Forums, in-game chat, and social media are the main ways they communicate now, and I really can’t think of anything other than Borg implants that will change that.
Do you think people are becoming more involved with their digital communities than their local Real-Life communities?
Emotionally, maybe. But I don’t think that there’s any way people can be more involved with such a large area in a physical, economical sense at the time we live in. It would take teleporters to be able to do more than emotional involvement.
Can gaming communities become forces for positive change in the world via charities and other services?
I think that our Real World Heroes showed we can, as well as the many other charity events we helped with. We’re a force for good, and will continue to do so.
This wraps it up at this time for our Fanterview - I want to thank you again for your time and I look forward to seeing you continuing helping Hami communicate with the outside world via Twitter!
I look forward to seeing the new world when it happens, and Hami has lots of stories to tell still! Thank you!
Follow HamiJello on Twitter... or else.: https://twitter.com/HamiJello
Bravo!! Great fanterview!
ReplyDelete