Gamerweblog.com

A Talk With A Geeky Girl Gamer: Nicole Spagnuolo

30th July, 2012 - Posted by Mashupman -

Gamerweblog.com is putting together a series of interviews with gaming ladies of all walks of life. In an effort to put the spotlight on what many still believe is a rarity, the girl who is an avid gamer. Today we highlight: Nicole Spagnuolo

Can you briefly explain what you do?
“IRL I’m a technical sales engineer for a software company.  I support about 30 people with technical issues and present and demonstrate software to users.  Online I’m a warrior princess slaying dragons and saving the prince from the evil witch….oh and I’m also a podcaster.”

And how does that all relate to your gaming?
“I started podcasting with my husband back in 2006 with our video podcast, The Wood Whisperer.  We were also big World of Warcraft players and in 2007, we met Patrick Beja at a conference called the Podcast & New Media Expo.  I was a bit star-struck since I loved listening to his WoW segment on The Instance.  I had no idea that he would know who we were and a fast friendship followed since we had a lot in common.  In early 2009, I did my first audio podcast, The Movielicous, with Patrick and Mark “Turpster” Turpin.  With a bit of experience under my belt, later that year I approached Kim “Molly” Price and Stephanie “Gypsygirl” D on starting up a new gaming podcast called Ladies of Leet.  The three of us raided together in WoW and I loved the dynamic and fun we had in game, and I wanted to try and bring that into a podcast.”

Do you still get to do a lot of gaming?
“After having my son Mateo, I clearly don’t have as much time as before to game, but I still find the time because it’s something I still very much enjoy. Maybe once he starts sleeping past 5am, I might be able to stay awake past 9pm and get more game time, but for now I play when he naps and after he goes to bed.”

When you have a free night for gaming, what is your go-to game?
“Honestly right now I need a game that lets me play for short bursts of time. Diablo 3 is fitting the bill.  I’ve also been playing Munchkin Deluxe (board game) with my husband.  That game is meant for 3 or more people, but we’ve made a few small changes to the rules and have a blast.  It’s has similar concepts to D&D, but without all the nasty roleplaying.”

What are some of the other games that you enjoy playing?
“World of Warcraft is my all time favorite game, but I’m also a big fan of Assassins Creed, Uncharted, Bioshock, God of War, Fable 3, Little Big Planet 2, Red Dead Redemption, Fallout 3, Alan Wake, Dragon Age 2. I could go on but I’ll stop there.”

Any game(s) that you are playing through at the moment?
“I’m still working on finishing Uncharted 3. I’m also playing The Walking Dead video game from Telltale Games. They’ve only released 2 of the 5 episodes, but wow they are great episodes. I can’t wait for more.

Is there a genre of games or an element that is common among the games you like to play?
I find I’m a big fan of 3^rd player action-adventure games. Give me a great unique story and something to shoot or collect and I’m pretty much hooked.”

Do you have a favorite platform that you play games on? And can you explain why it is your favorite?
“I go back and forth between my PS3 and my PC throughout the year. I’ve always loved my PS3 more than my Xbox simply because I never had to pay to go online. I love my PC because it’s where I play my MMO’s. Right now I’m playing Tera, but when Mists of Pandaria comes out I know I’ll be going right back to WoW.”

To conclude the article, I’d like to use this set of ten questions that I have prepared to include in every interview. For this I have taken inspiration from Bernard Pigott and James Lipton (Inside The Actor’s Studio).

Here they are, the Trivial Ten!

1.         What is your favorite word?
“Awesome”

2.         What is your least favorite word?
“Scab”

3.         What draws you into a game?
“The story”

4.         What turns you off of a game?
“When I can’t jump in a game or go into an area that clearly looks like I should be able to go”

5.         What game mechanic do you love?
“I love when I get a grappling hook or a jetpack”

6.         What game mechanic do you hate?
“Stealth, I’m a bit impatient in game and rather just run in and shoot everything”

7.         What is your favorite curse word?
“Shitballs”

8.         What game that you’ve not played would you like to pick up?
“Skyrim, it came out when my son was born.”

9.         What games do you steer clear from?
“Not a big fan of sports video games.  Don’t get me wrong, I loved playing sports as a kid, but it never really translated to video games for me.”

10.      If you were to design a game, what would be the name of the main character?
“Neola”

I would like to take this moment that thank you for answers. And would like to leave you some space for any final comments you may have for the readers. Is there anything in particular you want to share?
“I just wanted to say thank you for the interview If anyone is interested in checking out the podcasts I participate in, they can find them over at http://frogpants.com. They can find more about me on http://www.twitter.com/nicolespag.”