When we go on coffee breaks here at Level Up, we always end up talking about gaming. We compare notes on the best setups, how to avoid 3RLs in Xbox, etc. etc.

This made me think; wouldn’t it be cool to feature and show my readers some of the actual gaming cribs of actual Pinoy gamers? Sweet! ‘Eureka blogging-moment’.

And as debut for “Gamer Cribs” (I thought of that name myself. Wapak!), I talked to Girard Garcia. Girard works for our creative department as senior copywriter and editor. He’s the guy that cranks up all those words in our flyers, websites and press releases. Girard or “Gi” is also an avid console gamer and he’ll show us his setup below.

 Gi’s interview (and his crib) after the jump…

GM T: I heard that you actually are a console collector and avid gamer. Tell me how it all started.

Girard: I was deprived from video games when I was a kid! During the days of the Atari and the Family Computer (or NES), my parents never approved of getting me one. I envied all my classmates who had one, and everyday, I would spend playing video games at their homes. I was so desperate that I would even borrow game cartridges from my friends and pretend to play in front of our TV! Though I was able to get my video game fix on our IBM PC XT (green monochrome screen and all), the experience is entirely different when playing in front of the TV with a controller on hand!   

When I finally got a Family Computer (after shamelessly begging my Ninong for one) it was already the 16 bit era – the time of the Sega Genesis and the Super NES. I was fortunate enough to convince my Dad in buying me a Super NES just before it finally ended its reign a year later – making way for the 32 bit Sony Playstation! From then on, I vowed to get every gaming console that came out; no matter the cost… or that my parents will allow it. 

GM T: Tell me about your current setup now?

Girard: My personal Gaming Room features a 32” Sharp Aquos HDTV coupled with a small Yamaha 5.1 surround system. Instead of using the stock subwoofer that came with the system, I opted to use a better and more powerful 100w Polk Audio subwoofer. Underneath the TV are the Nintendo Wii and the Sony PS2. Beside it are the following: Xbox 360, PS3, Gamecube, Xbox, Nintendo 64, and hiding behind the subwoofer is the short-lived Sega Dreamcast. Tucked away are the Playstation one, Super NES, and NES.

 The other one is the Living Room setup which consists of the following: 37” Samsung HDTV, Onkyo audio receiver, Philips upscaling DVD player, Mission Front speakers and Wharfedale surround speakers, and a 285W Velodyne Subwoofer. Game consoles are usually brought down here during parties or gaming sessions.

GM T: Among the consoles, what’s your favorite? and why?

Girard: I still believe that games make the consoles! And most of the best games today are found on the Xbox 360. Until MGS4 and other exclusive big titles arrive on the PS3, the 360 remains my favorite. 

GM T: How would rate the 3 giants in the console industry? Xbox, Sony (PS3) and Nintendo (Wii)? What are the pros and cons of each hardware.

Girard: Xbox 360 gets the highest, next is the Nintendo Wii, followed by the PS3.  

Xbox 360

Pros:

• More and better games due to strong third party support and exclusive games
• Terrific online service (Xbox live)
• Developers say that it’s a lot easier to program games on the Xbox compared to the PS3’s complex architecture. 

Cons:

• 3RL (3 Red Lights) of death. This is when you experience Xbox hardware failure due to GPU overheating or other anomalies. If it hasn’t happened to you yet… it definitely will!
• DVD format. Let’s face it: it’s no match against Sony’s Blu-ray format.
• Lower specs compared to the PS3. Then again, most games that came out for both platforms look either identical or have very minimal differences.
• Needs a separate player to watch HD DVD movies. Well since Toshiba has discontinued support for HD DVDs, maybe it’s not a big deal anymore. 

Nintendo Wii

Pros:

• Innovative gameplay due to the Wii-mote and nunchuck control scheme.
• First party Nintendo games. If you love Mario, Zelda, and other related characters, go get a Nintendo!
• Backwards compatibility with Gamecube.

Cons:

• Lowest system specs of the next gen consoles. Just a bit higher than the Gamecube.
• Innovative gameplay may turn off hardcore players. Novelty of waving the Wii-mote may wear off easily.
• Most games are geared toward kids

PS3

Pros:

• Strong first and third party game support… though it hasn’t really arrived yet!
• Highest system specs around
• Doubles as a Blu-ray player out of the box
• Compatibility with most PS and PS2 games (80gb and higher models only)

Cons:

• Only a handful of games are available. Much lesser if you count only the good ones. Much, much lesser if you count the exclusive ones.
• Be prepared to pay for high priced original games. Good for you if you don’t buy pirated games.
• Programming games for the PS3 is complicated, says developers.
• PS2 and PS1 backward compatibility is now software emulated. Lucky for you if you own the 60gb versions which have the old PS2 emotion chip.
• PS3 exterior scratches easily! — a warning for the OCs… like me.

GM T: What advice would you give those who would be willing to have a great gaming rig system such as yours?

Girard: If you plan on investing on a PS3 or Xbox 360, you will need an HDTV just to appreciate the games visuals. Otherwise, the graphics look nothing out of the ordinary on a standard TV. A 5.1 surround system is the least of your worries – unless you want to experience the best of everything these new consoles have to offer. As for the Nintendo Wii, you are quite safe with owning a regular TV. Visuals look great on both standard and HDTV (still, the Wii has high-def support)

GM T: What are you playing right now? Any favorites?

Girard: Still have to finish Devil May Cry 4 and Lost Odyssey for the Xbox 360. Also playing FF7: Crisis Core for the Sony PSP. Favorite so far is Call of Duty 4. So many games, so little time.

GM T: What are you looking forward to playing? why?

Girard: Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3), Tekken 6, Soul Calibur 4, and Streetfighter 4 (PS3, Xbox360). I’ve always loved the Metal Gear series, and have ever since been a big fan of fighting games – but never really became good at them.

====

Thanks so much, Gi. I appreciate you taking time off from your busy schedule for this interview and for sharing with us your crib.

Ey! Want to show off YOUR gaming crib? Just shoot me an e-mail and I’ll arrange it to be featured here.

Happy gaming!

GM T