In the style of a Q&A. Check out the awesome that is all about LGR below!

Let the interview BEGIN!!!

SP: First off, thanks for doing this interview with us today. I know a lot of our readers will enjoy it. Many are big fans of you and your reviews.

LGR: Greetings! Certainly, I appreciate you offering to do this. Always cool to “speak” to fans through awesome sites like this one.

SP: How long have you been a gamer and what was the first game you remember playing?

LGR: I’ve been gaming since I was 5 years old. First game I remember playing was Crystal Caves for MS-DOS by Apogee. Either that or Commander Keen: Goodbye Galaxy, played them both pretty much at the same time. But I do know that Crystal Caves was the first game I picked out of the store, followed shortly by SimCity and SimAnt!


SP: How many games do you own? More PC than Console?

LGR: Currently, I own about 2,000 physical games and about 350 digital PC games (Steam, GOG, etc). Of the physical games, about 1,300 of those are PC games. Didn’t start collecting until about 2007, so most of this is pretty recently-acquired. The vast majority of the games are from the year 2000 and before, since I just freakin’ love retro games.

SP: Do you prefer PC Gaming or Console?

LGR: PC, no question. It’s objectively a better platform overall and there are way more experiences to be had with it than on consoles. Plus, it’s an open platform and is easier to fix yourself and expand without waiting on the will of a huge console maker. It’s also not nearly as expensive as many make it out to be if you’re smart about your purchases. I still play console games when there are exclusives, but if I have a choice it’s PC all the way. Plus, I find computer inherently more fun to collect than consoles. Anyone can collect for an NES, but it takes a serious geek to collect for the Osborne-1A or Thomson MO-5.

SP: What are your hopes for the future of The Sims franchise?

LGR: Interesting question at this point as we’re nearing the assumed end of TS3’s shelf life. I think it’s really getting stale and I don’t like what I’m seeing with all the ham-fisted social integration, predatory free-to-play versions, and overpriced lackluster retail packs. I’d love to see the next game(s) in the series focus on what made The Sims awesome: simulating life however you want to, with more options and smoother gameplay than ever before. I have a wishlist of cool stuff I’d like, but I don’t want to see it become more focused on any one thing. I’d just like it to remain what it is while adding new experiences without taking advantage of its fanbase. Sims fans are often too willing to let things slide, and it’s time for more of us to take a stand and let EA know what we want.
SP: If EA drops Stuff Packs with The Sims 4 in favor of The Sims 4 Store, will you miss them?
LGR: Nope! I’m not a fan of stuff packs, never have been. They only occasionally provide truly new content, they’re initirally too costly for what they do provide, and Katy Perry Sweet Treats. Yes, that last one is a point all on its own. On the flipside, I’ve had a lot of fun with the online store items, while there are precious few things from any of the stuff packs that I use in my game. As long as online stuff is priced fairly and there are lower prices as time goes on, I don’t care if I never see another Stuff Pack again.

SP: Just how long is your beard and how long will you let it grow?

LGR: Heh, it’s been growing for about 10 months and it’s now 5-6 inches long. Almost feels like the point of no return is coming up soon, so I really need to decide on whether or not I want this sweet wizard beard or a more socially appropriate visage. But screw social acceptability, the real question comes down to how long I’ll procrastinate… you don’t choose a beard, a beard chooses you.

SP: If you could make your own game, what would it be about and what genre would it be?

LGR: I actually have this one game that I’ve wanted to make since I was a kid, and I honestly still think it’d be amazing. Nobody has done it yet either, which is really bizarre since it seems so obvious to me. Without giving too much away (because I still have hope) think of a mixture of racing, role-playing, crafting, and open world gameplay with some life simulation à la The Sims thrown in. Yes. Now gimme 50 million bucks or so.

SP: What attracted you to The Sims, SimCity and the Simulation Genre?

LGR: Initially, I have no idea. I was so young, but I just remember thinking SimCity and SimAnt were the most awesome things I’d ever seen. I was home-schooled at the time so we were always looking at new ways to learn about stuff, and the Maxis Software Toys were great resources. I’ve just been hooked ever since! I’ve always been attracted to simulating things that I can relate to and then pushing them to their limits, and it’s far less messy and illegal in the confines of a game. The Sims lets you do this like no other game out there, so when that came along I was an instant lifelong fan.

SP: Of all the Sims games in the franchise, which is your favorite and least favorite?

LGR: The Sims 2 is the one I’ve spent the mod time with, mainly because of the great expansions and massive amount of modding capability. I’m still very partial to The Sims 1 in all its simplistic glory, and I love many of the additions The Sims 3 brought to the table. But I’m going to go with TS2, if only because I genuinely have no idea how much time I wasted with it and don’t regret it in the least.
SP: Coke or Pepsi?
LGR: Pepsi. Unless using as a mixer, then Coke.

SP: If you could meet one of the people behind many of the most popular gaming franchises, who would it be and why?

LGR: I don’t think it’s any surprise that Will Wright is the first that comes to mind. The man is a freaking genius, and I don’t use that term lightly. I’ve read every book I can find that features him, soaked in every interview and speech, and hassled him (kindly) on Twitter every so often. I’d really just like to thank him personally for opening my eyes to countless universal concepts and making it fun along the way.

SP: How do you feel about cloud game saves and games that require a constant internet connection (like the new SimCity)?

LGR: As an option, I have no problem with it. As a mandate, I think it sucks. There are too many people (myself included) that have unstable Internet connections. Not only that, but it’s often used an excuse for DRM, which I am absolutely against. If I buy something, I should be able to do with it what I please. Not being able to play a single player game on my own because of an arbitrary publisher restriction is garbage. And what happens when the servers are down? You’re screwed.

SP: Speaking of the new SimCity… From what we know about it thus far and from what we’ve seen of it, are you looking forward to playing it next year?

LGR: I’m very much looking forward to it, despite my reservations about it. I may be cautiously optimistic, but I can’t deny that I’m excited as balls to play it. I’m hoping to get into the beta and give it a go, but even if I don’t that’s fine, I’m just happy a new SimCity is on the way. And it’s got a great team designing it that appear to have a genuine grip on what makes SimCity unique, so yes I do have a reason to hope for the best other than blind fanboyism.

SP: From one lazy gamer to another, thanks so much for this interview today. I know our readers are gonna love it.

LGR: No problem, and thanks again for asking and for the interest. And remember, laziness is a state of mind, not necessarily a lack of action!