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Names: Tommy Lawler, Kristine Macabuhay

Status: Dating

Which one of you games?
Tommy: We both game, but I game a whole lot more.

Kristine: Tommy and I both play games.  He is the more avid enthusiast, though I may pick up a controller every once in a while.

How often do you game?
Tommy: Daily

Kristine: I don’t do it too often unless it is with a game I really like, at which point I get morbidly obsessed and play at every chance I get.

Do you prefer to play online multiplayer or locally?
Tommy: I’m generally a local gamer these days. Nothing like playing with good friends in the same place.

Kristine: If I had to choose, I would rather play locally.  However… (See question below)

Do you prefer competitive or cooperative multiplayer?
Tommy: Coop for sure. That’s where the laughs are. Competitive can be fun, but I get a little… too competitive

Kristine: Neither.  For me, gaming is a solitary activity for two reasons.  First, I find gaming to be very relaxing and mind-clearing.  I take it up especially when I feel the need to de-stress and withdraw.  Also, I avoid playing with others for fear of sucking ass.  I will be the first to admit that I am a sore loser.

Fave game to play with others?
Tommy: Either Street Fighter or Rock Band

Kristine: Beatles: Rock Band.

Fave game to play with each other?
Tommy: Rock Band. I’d say probably other games but she stops and says “I’ll suck!” before even trying.

Kristine: Beatles: Rock Band, although Little Big Planet and Super Mario Wii are also fun.  We’ve tried playing Halo and Left 4 Dead together, but I do not have the penchant for shooting games so that did not last too long.

Currently playing?
Tommy: Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer, Assassin’s Creed 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia… I have no life.

Kristine: I’m currently playing Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, which was a Christmas gift from Tommy.

Do you consider yourself to be a hardcore or a casual gamer?
Tommy: These days, I don’t have the skill to call myself hardcore, but I also play too much to call it a casual thing. I will just shoehorn a term in there and call myself an Enthusiast.

Kristine: I am definitely a casual gamer.  I probably play a bit more than regular folks, but I don’t play a well-rounded enough selection of games and don’t keep up with industry news.

What do you like about gaming with Kristine?
Tommy: I have a pal to enjoy Beatles Rock Band with.

What do you like about gaming with Tommy?
Kristine: He is very helpful and patient when we play together, which is nice because I kind of suck most of the time.  He’s very encouraging with me when it comes to gaming in general.

What DON’T you like about gaming with Kristine?
Tommy: She’s better than me if it’s something she likes, and it’s a blow to the ego if ever there was one.

What DON’T you like about gaming with Tommy?
Kristine: He and I are both sore losers, which can be a bad combination.  Whereas I approach it by not even trying to compete at all, he is very competitive and has a short fuse when it comes to losing.

What has been your most memorable gaming experience?
Tommy: With Kristine? Probably when she actually sang in Beatles Rock Band

Kristine: Guitar Hero 1.  I was introduced to it at friend’s house.  I liked it so much that I bought my own copy the very next day and played for seven hours straight—I went from being an easy-level player to expert all in one night.

What has been your most frustrating gaming experience?
Tommy: She passes some songs on Expert guitar before me! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE!?

Kristine: The whole concept of Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow eludes me.  I can never get past the stupid first boss.

Who is the better gamer and why?
Tommy: If it’s a game she likes, she is. I think I spread myself thin. I play a huge variety of games and thus don’t get very good at any them. She plays a small handful, and thus gets pretty good at them as they come along.

Kristine: Tommy, hands down.  He’s been playing since he was three years old!

What is your system of choice and why?
Tommy: Really, I don’t care. For multiplatform games, my choice is generally contingent on which will get me the most friends to play with if it has multiplayer. Otherwise I’ll look at the features or performance. I picked up Arkham Asylum on PS3 to play as the Joker, but got Assassin’s Creed 2 on 360 for the faster load times and slightly improved visuals, Dragon Age on PC because of the tactical view just completely lacking in the console versions.

Kristine: For sentimental purposes, the Nintendo DS.  Some of my friends, who were also co-workers at that time, got them the day it came out.  Pre-boyfriend-status Tommy was one of them.  He and another friend spent that whole morning at work playing with the Pictochat feature, which I thought was the coolest thing ever.  That afternoon, I went to Target during my lunch break to buy my very own.  I was a bit apprehensive about it at first because it cost quite a bit of money, but Tommy promised to make sure I don’t let it go to waste.  He’s been making good on that promise ever since.

Fave game of all time?
Tommy: One of the hardest question for me to answer right here. My immediate reaction to this question is always Chrono Trigger because it was the first game where I got really swept up in the characters and story. Just a terrific game. But Half-Life and Street Fighter 3: Third Strike also come to mind. The former’s pretty standard desert island fare, the other I feel I should justify. I realize that Street Fighter 2 is the groundwork and the more important game, but to me personally I’ve had more fun learning and trying to master its direct sequel with close friends. I love that game, and I have amazing memories playing it at home and arcades.

Kristine: Super Mario 3.  It is the first game I ever owned.  My parents bought it for me and my older sister for the Nintendo Family Computer when were little.

What do your gamertags mean?
Tommy: Tawler is just the first letter of my first name tacked onto my last name without its first letter. On PSN I made it TawlOtter because uh… Otters are awesome? Hellooo?

Kristine: Gamertags are for nerds!