Meet JM, GameOPS Newest Contributor

You may have seen several contributions on GameOPS for the past few weeks from JM Taylor, well... he's our newest recruit straight from the land of the rising sun! Get to know more about JM after the jump.

Could you tell us something about yourself? How old are you? Where are you located and what are you currently engaged in?

My name is JM Taylor, I'm 29 (yeah, I know, I'm old), and I live in the southern island of Japan called Kyushu. I'm a grad student here taking up my MBA.


When was the first time you actually played a video game? What's the name of the game and game system? What or who made you play?

The first time I played a video game must have been around the age 4 or 5. I think it was either Lode Runner or Master Karateka for a very old computer called the Apple II (told you I was old!). To play on these computers, you'd have to first insert a 5-1/4” floppy disc with DOS in it and boot the computer. Then, you'd stick the game in the second floppy disc drive and run the software from DOS by changing to the B: drive and then running the executable file. Pretty old school, huh?

Who made me play? I don't remember, but it must have been my dad. He was the one who bought the Apple II as well as the games.


Do you own a video game console? If yes, what system? Was it your very first console? What video game platform do you prefer? (PC, Consoles or Handheld)

Yes, I own a few video game consoles. I currently have a PS3, PS2, a Wii, a DSi, and a WonderSwan (which I just found, believe it or not). I also play games on my Acer Aspire 4520G laptop and on an iPhone 3G 8GB. Back in the Philippines I also have a gaming desktop PC.

I have also at one point owned many other consoles which I eventually sold to get a new console, or broke and didn't have the money to pay for repairs. Namely they were the Famicom, Sega Mega Drive, SNES, Gameboy, PSX, and Xbox.

The first console I owned was a Famicom (NES).

I don't really have a preferred video game platform, though I do spend most of my game time on the PS3. My preference really depends on the type of game I'm playing. For FPS, it's PC, of course. For small games with simple and short gameplay segments, the DSi. Everything else I like playing on a home console.


What is your favorite video game? Why?

That's a tough question. I like a lot of games, but there are three that I would probably give a special mention. First is Super Mario Bros. (the first one, on the Famicom). Basically, when I saw it for the very first time as a kid, I thought it was pretty revolutionary. If you've played games before Super Mario Bros., like on the Atari 2600, you'd understand what I mean.

Second would be Katamari Damacy (the first and second). This game has got to be one of the most creative and fun games I've ever played. If I had my PS2 with me right now (it's in Manila), I would most likely still be playing it (I'm planning on getting the newest PS3 version next month). Keita Takahashi is a genius.

Last but not least is Shadow of the Colossus. This is one amazing game. Very immersive, awesome gameplay, great music, and most of all, its narrative techniques have evolved video games into what I would say is the realm of art and literature.


How about a particular video game character, who's your favorite? Why?

My favorite video game character is Alucard. Why? Not sure, but I guess it's because he just looked so badass at the time, and Symphony of the Night was equally one of the most badass games ever made, even until now. So he kind of sticks out for me, among all the other game characters. I used to use his name as my Internet alias, until I realized that something like a million other people had the same idea.


Do you play online games? What are your current and all-time favorites? Are you part of a clan or guild? If yes, can you give us some info about your guild?

If by online games you mean MMORPG, no. I tried Ragnarok when it was beta, but I just really couldn't get into it for some reason.

If by online games you mean any multiplayer game played on the Internet, then yes, or to be exact, I used to. We have really bad internet connection here at the dorm, so I hardly ever play online anymore. I used to play FPS games online, like Call of Duty 4.



If you were to convince a friend or co-worker to play video games, how would you do it? Would you do crazy stuff just to convince him or her?

I wouldn't do “crazy” things to convince someone to play video games. That might just turn them off. What I would do is, I'd invite them over and show them a game they'd probably be interested in. For example, if it's a girl, I'd probably show them Nintendogs or Cooking Mama, or one of the Katamari Damacy games. If it's a guy, then that'll depend on what he likes, for example, racing, sports, whatever, and then I would introduce him to a game in that genre that is easy but fun to play.

The Wii is a great way to get people to start playing. I got a lot of people into gaming because of Wii Sports. So is any one of the rhythm games, like Rock Band or Guitar Hero. I've seen a lot of non-gamers get hooked on those.


Did playing a video game make any difference in your life?

Yes. We Love Katamari (the sequel to Katamari Damacy). The difference it made was really more a culmination of many other games, but I would say that Katamari was the trigger.

After playing this game, I realized something I had forgotten through the years... I wanted to go to Japan, experience life here, and work for a video game company. It took a lot of hard work and a few years to find a way to Japan, but now I'm here.

And no, I'm not yet employed in the game industry, but I'm working on it.


Do you have any personal video game related story that you can share with us?

I have an ex-girlfriend who used to skip school to play The Sims at my place all day. I dropped her off at my house in the morning, and I'd go to school. This happened almost every day for a few months.

I've never seen anyone play The Sims like she did. She would put so much attention to building her house. It would literally take her half the day to get every minute detail right. And only then would she start to actually play the game.

As you may have guessed by now, she eventually had to drop some classes and overstayed in college. Actually, I don't even know if she ever graduated...

Have you ever bought (or played) a pirated copy of a video game?

Yes, I have bought (and downloaded) and played many, many pirated copies of video games before. But one day, when I decided that I wanted to work for the game industry, I realized I had to “repent for my sins” and begin supporting the industry. So I've totally stopped consuming pirated games. Everything I own now is original. Even the game software I have on my DSi and iPhone.

One thing I want to clarify though: I totally understand why Filipinos buy pirated games. Prices of video games (except for some PC games), are just WAY too expensive for the standard of living we have in the Philippines. People in developed nations can easily make something like $30,000 a year. These people can afford $60 games. But $60 games in a country where people barely even make 1/10 of $30,000 a year is not a reasonable amount of money to spend on a game.

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What we didn't tell JM when he applied for GameOPS is that he is now automatically part of the scammers that Tim Cumper had imagined. Get ready to be stalked JM! LOL!

Let's all welcome JM to the GameOPS family! GROUP HUG!!