What’s your Gamertag and the reason for choosing it?
My gamertag is MSFTY Jez, because “MSFTY” is too short apparently, sad face. I’ve probably spent more money than most changing my gamertag, haha! “MSFTY” means “Microsofty”, and it hallmarks my online persona, I am the #1 Microsoft fan!
What is your favourite genre/s of games and why?
This is tough, I’m pretty torn between shooters and RPGs, which is why games like Fallout and Mass Effect rank so highly in my preferences. I think the Xbox controllers lend themselves so well to shooters, with the rumble triggers and so on, but I like the depth and complexity (and often longevity) offered by RPGs.
What is your favourite game so far? (Doesn’t need to be an Xbox title!)
This is quite tough, but when I’m never sure on the answer, I always give what came to mind first. That game is Final Fantasy 7. It was the game that elevated games from being a toy, to being a hobby for me as a kid. I have high hopes for the remake.
What is your most memorable gaming moment?
Honestly, probably Aerith’s death in Final Fantasy 7 (20-year-old spoiler alert!). I’m privileged to be among those who had no idea it was coming, and it represented a major twist. FF7 was the first game that made me care about its characters, and for one of its main playable characters to be violently killed off was a huge shock.
Which achievement has been the most frustrating to obtain? How long did it take you?
I’m no achievement hunter, I’m simply too lazy most of the time!
What is your gaming guilty pleasure?
My gaming guilty pleasure, could be, that I still check up on World of Warcraft news despite not playing it for years. Deep down, I’m hoping Blizzard can make it good again.
If you could pick a location, from any game, to visit, where would it be and why?
Haha! Most of the games I like to play feature in pretty horrible places. I’d like to visit a world where space travel is the norm, like Halo or Mass Effect. Futurism is awesome.
Finally, where do you see gaming heading in the next decade?
In the next decade, hopefully, physical retail will die and we’ll all head up on to the cloud. Devs won’t be restricted by used games sales, and we’ll enjoy a renaissance of cheaper, more awesome games. Of course the complete opposite could happen, where free-to-play becomes the norm and microtransactions become prevalent in everything…but who knows.
Special thanks to MSFTY Jez for taking the time to answer our questions. Keep an eye on the website for information about how you can feature in the next Meet The Gamer.
Mike is a games journalist, host of 1080Players Gaming Radio. They contributed 62 articles to ICXM between 2015–2016, focused on opinion pieces, game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news: operates 1080Players Gaming Radio on the Boost Radio Network; ICXM published cross-content from his outlet.