"The Spotlight"

What's the story behind your Gamertag?

Well, the nickname IanBear comes from my first Uni, Durham. My then Girlfriend (now fiancée) sometimes calls me 'bear' as a pet name, so people started taking the mickey and calling me 'IanBear' and it kind of stuck. When I bought my 360, there was no other logical choice! (actually, I love pure pwnage, and I wanted 'Teh Mast3r3r' but that was taken!)

Give us an insight into who you are, what you do etc.

My name is Ian Robinson, I'm 22, from Bristol, and a master's student at Bath Uni, studying Management. In July 2006 I graduated from Durham University with a 2:1 in History and in October this year I'm going to start work for a famous Management Consultancy firm! I got engaged very recently to my lovely girlfriend Katharine. I went to public school so lots of people think I'm very posh, and I guess if you see the pictures of me you might agree, but I don't think I am compared to a lot of people that I know!

My nickname is 'Biggles' which I think is kind of cool, but you probably think not, but at least it seems to be compared to some of the people's nicknames here at Bath!

Being a West Country boy, I like a bit of cider, and I've made everyone else on my course start drinking it as well! If you ever come round this way, search for 'Black Rat', or 'Celebration', both are incredibly strong but really tasty, and make for a cheap night out lol!

What was your first console and how did you get into gaming?

I used to play Wolfenstein 3D on my dads 386 when I was 6 lol, which is why I am now a violent psychopath, I mean gamer! My first console was an N64 with Zelda, Goldeneye and V-Rally 2 for my 13 th Birthday! I had a race with some mates to see who could complete the game first, then we did all the cheats. Then we started on other games, and before I knew it, a hardcore gamer was born!

If you could be any Game Character who would you be and why?

I want to be cheap and just say Bond because of my love of Goldeneye, but I won't.. instead, I'll go for Captain Scott Mitchell (GRAW series).. Basically just so I could use the cross-com in real life lol! I could in a club, use IFAF (identify fugly or fit!), and I could watch TV in one eye whilst on the tube, how awesome would that be! No need for a mobile phone anymore, just use the cross-com! Maybe I could even give orders to my fiancée.. *runs off to make his own cross-com*

Your known for your High Gamerscore! What has it taken to get there? How do you do it?

Play a lot of crap! I used to play any title if it offered up easy score, but now there are so many AAA titles, I cant afford, both in terms of time and money, to do that anymore. So now I just play the games I want to, although I have made some poor choices recently (fusion frenzy 2 and Phantasy Star being the 2 I regret). Also, I guess being a student helps, I get lots of free time to play! Not wanting to sound big-headed, but I am a pretty good gamer, particularly when it comes to SP games. I think I have completed all the big titles on the hardest difficulty (COD2/3 vet, GoW Insane, GRAW1/2 elevated, Vegas realistic, except for PDZ, because SP sucked!). Generally that gets you lots of points lol!

You must love that Amped Gamerpic!

Yep. People keep asking me how to get it, normally about once a week tbh. Also, what was kinda funny, is that when I changed it to a Borat one for a day, I had loads of messages telling me to change it back! I guess, along with people like Senna, I am as much known for my unique choice of picture as I am for my posts!

So you are now a Mod for UK Spotlight, how you finding it?

Its been an easy job so far, especially as we are allowed to go OT about various things. No-one has traded insults as of the time of writing, and the banter has all been very friendly and jokey, everyone knows when to joke and when not to lol! It will probably get more difficult, as the site is still growing, but I'm sure I can handle the pressure! *starts shaking under strain*

Are there many other communities that compliment the UK Forums and why?

Well, I'd recommend the UK Spotlight! :P They have an excellent moderator there too! :P. Seriously though, join in with the Spotlight games, because they are always a great laugh, competitive, but without any pressure to compete, and most importantly, fun! Apart from my work with the Spotlight, I don’t get too involved with any other outside communities really, perhaps I should join a GRAW2 clan… I also review games for www.playdevil.com, and I would recommend anyone who is interested in doing reviews getting in contact with me, and the editor of the site would be more than happy to see your work, and you get some nice freebies in return!! (I've been invited to the Liepzig games festival this summer w00t!).

How do you play games online? For competition, for fun? Please explain

Mostly for fun, and preferably with mates, I have had some bad (although mostly good) experiences with random people, especially in ranked games! Its good to have some banter and jokes with people whilst playing online, which is why I enjoy all the UK community games that go on so much and try to participate in at least 2 per week. I'm not bad online, so maybe I should play more competitively, but atm I'm happy just to compete with myself to squeeze more precious points out of the games I own!

What are your favourite On and Offline games and why?

Online, PDZ. Without a shadow of a doubt, the forum PDZ games have been my best Live experience. Lasy year I started playing with Senna and the lads (and Angel!) not long after the games started. Since then, I haven't looked back, all the regulars are on my FL, and I've had a lot of fun and become a lot more involved in the community as a result!

Offline, Oblivion. I can't wait for Shivering Isles, (although I might, as I hear a boxed version is coming...). Like many people on the forums, the moment a) when you start the game, with Patrick Stewart's voice over, and then b) when you leave the sewers for the first time and finally c) the ending are three fantastic moments that should not be missed by anyone who likes games! Any game that you plough 80-plus hours into but yet barely scrape the surface of has to be a fantastic game. Sure, it lacks a lot of the depth of Morrowind, but it is far more accessible, has a better plot, better combat, and plays better. A rival for my beloved classics Zelda and Goldeneye for best game ever

With the introduction of new features (IPTV, Video Marketplace etc.) What would like to do and why?

Personally, atm, what I want is a bigger FL and group private chat/video chat! MS seem to be concentrating on downloadable movies and stuff, but I'd like to see more focus on DLC, with more of it and uniform pricing for marketplace items. I think the new news on achievements and DLC that was announced, (with Crackdown and Oblivion following this new pattern) is a step in the right direction, but more still needs to be done imo. I would also like to see the arcade limit scrapped totally, (I mean, who doesn't have a hard-drive, even if you have a core!) and Dreamcast/other console titles offered, that would be awesome!

When is your best time to chill, relax and play Xbox?

I generally play SP in the mornings, and MP in the evenings, when I chill with a few drinks and like to play in the UK Spotlight/PDZ games as much as possible!

What is your Setup and if money was no object what would you get?

Hopefully once I start my job in the city in October money won't be an object! I'm planning on buying a 37-42 inch 1080p TV, the wireless wheel and an HD-DVD player with my golden hello! Maybe I'll upgrade the surround, but it is fine atm, and I'm not sure whether any person needs two 5.1 kits!

My current setup is fairly scabby, I have a 24 inch widescreen SD CRT, which was ace when I got it but now sucks big time, I really wish I could play in HD! I've got 4 controllers, as I often have lots of mates round to play! I have a cheap 5.1 system, but it is good quality and if your budget is really tight like mine, then I would recommend a 5.1 kit over a nasty HD setup!