RETROGRADE TECH GEEKS Go back in time to when How does Microsoft’s 3-pointers were bombs layout and design and a frog could dance at program hold up? We halftime in Double Dribble. take it for a spin. PAGE 11 PAGE 10 Fourth Quarter 2009 PRINCE OF THE IRON TEKKEN FIST A fallen student of Namco’s Cybertainment division shares SOUL his beginnings CALIBUR with its aging series Tekken. PAGE 2 GAMING INSURRECTION FOURTH QUARTER 2009 editorial Though the average Joe doesn’t care about E3, you should h … the leaves are transpiring in the Los Angeles media. So why should you care beginning to change Civic Center, and they don’t about E3? colors and the kiddies care. If you don’t, that’s cool. But if AAA are back to school. So why does anyone give a you want to know what’s coming That can mean only one thing: hoot? Because it’s simply the out, what looks decent and worth It’s fall! With fall also comes the biggest event of the year for your time and your money, care. change of seasons also for the video gamers and the compa- If you care at all about how your Cry of War gaming industry. Christmas is nies that need them. money’s going to be spent just around the corner. Anyone who is anyone in the around Christmastime for the So how does the gaming in- industry goes. For years since its gamer in your life, care. If you dustry measure when it’s time to 1995 conception, the trade show don’t watch the conferences, I change the blankets on the bed? gained a mythological stature don’t blame you. They can be Good question. One need to and perception. It was the place snoozefests (*cough* here’s look no further than July. Yes, set to be if you cared a shred about looking at you Nintendo your clocks back a few months gaming. Since it’s been toned *cough*). Read the coverage in to the heat and desperation of down by the board that runs it, the various trade magazines, July. E3 has had its star diminished a however. Get the small bites of Lyndsey Mosley The Electronic Entertainment little. But that doesn’t mean that information. Watch it on G4. Bet- Expo is heralded in the industry it’s no longer a premiere event. ter yet, read it in our Third Quar- with the fanfare reserved for the So why does the average ter 2009 coverage. Oscars. While the industry is go- gamer not know about E3? All I’m asking, as a gamer, is ing gaga over the newest an- Blame it on the overenthusiastic that you become better informed nouncements, most average media. Not the gaming media, about the industry, one that’s joes know nothing about what’s mind you, but the mainstream worth the hype. contents Columns Features Usual Suspects The Cry of War ..…......….2 Prince of the Iron Fist What We’re Playing …...… 8 ….....3-7 Sage’s Chronicles ..….....8 Tech Geeks ……….….. ....10 Retrograde ….……………11 Save the Date ……….......17 GAMING staff this issue INSURRECTION Lyndsey Mosley is the editor and Editor Lyndsey Mosley Lyndsey M. Mosley founder of GI. Mosley is a copy editor and page designer in the newspaper Columnists industry as her day job and is an avid Lyndsey M. Mosley gamer and amateur photographer in James T. L. Mosley her spare time. Mosley resides in North Carolina with her husband. Contributors Marcus Barnes Brandon Beatty ContactContactContact: editor@gaming Noob insurrection.com Web site What I’m playing: Scribblenauts (DS), www.gaming Jamie Mosley is a contributor CrossworDS (DS), Dance Dance insurrection.com to GI, researching and writing Revolution Extreme (Japanese) (PS2) the quarterly D&D feature Blog www.gaming Sage’s Chronicles. “J. Mo,” insurrection.com/ as he prefers to be called, Brandon Beatty is a contributor to GI. blog resides in North Carolina with Beatty has a degree in criminal justice his wife. and enjoys Resident Evil games. Youtube Beatty resides in Columbia, S.C. www.youtube. Contact:Contact:Contact: fromthedungeon@ com/user/ Gaming gaminginsurrection.com ContactContactContact: brandonb@gaming Insurrection insurrection.com What I’m playing: Command Twitter & Conquer 3 (PC), Final What I’m playing: Resident Evil 3: @GamingInsurrect Tactics Advance 2 (DS), Nemesis (PSOne), Crash Bandicoot 2 Magic the Gathering (XBox) (PSOne), Teenage Mutant Ninja Gaming Insurrection Turtles (NES) Media copyright 2009 PRINCEPRINCE OFOF THETHE IRONIRON FISTFIST SSSTORYTORYTORY ANDANDAND PHOTOSPHOTOSPHOTOS A former Namco arcade manager talks about LLLYNDSEYYNDSEYYNDSEY M. MM. MOSLEYOSLEYOSLEY his time learning Heihachi, Nightmare and the gang king among players. Well, maybe a prince among ROYAL PROCLAIMS players. That’s how I would accurately describe RESOURCES ………………...…...5 my husband of nearly 5 years. He is king in his TEKKEN CHARACTERS …..……..6 own domain but Jamie Mosley is far lesser royalty A SOULCALIBUR CHARACTERS…...7 in his mind when you ask him about his Tekken skills or skills with any fighting game, for that matter. Why the humble façade? Maybe it stems from his upbring- MORE ONLINE WANT TO SEE AND ing or maybe he reflects on his time surrounded by some of WATCH MORE? the most gifted Tekken players in the world. Whatever it is, VISIT GAMING Jamie knows that secret alone and until very recently was INSURRECTION.COM reluctant to share it … even with his non-Tekken inclined wife. FOR MULTIMEDIA FROM THE SERIES. PAGE 4 GAMING INSURRECTION FOURTH QUARTER 2009 general knowledge about electricity,” he I think that Namco makes part. I put pressure on them to look for ROYAL BLOOD AWAKENS said. gaps in their defense. I use the left jab a He would love to apply that knowledge high-quality fighting games lot to try to throw off their rhythm. In the Jamie’s Tekken-induced fog began in elsewhere but doesn’t have the need for and I hope that they will continue second round, while still using the left 1995 when he joined the staff of the it right now because “mostly today in my “ jab to throw off their rhythm, I look for Namco arcade in Greenwood, S.C., as present job, I don’t have to use that ex- to do so. I think they should press holes to make damaging combos. If an assistant manager. He was no perience,” he explained. on with both series while not there’s a third round, I use the same stranger to the establishment, however. Jamie claims the job was interesting technique.” “I used to go there a lot and then I for him. forgetting either series’ roots. His strategy, he says, was put to the stopped going in 1993, the year before I “Working for Namco had its ups and test with tournaments in both series. graduated from high school,” he said. “I downs. Namco was supportive of its “I’ve played in tournaments for both was asked to come and apply by the products. They always sponsored tour- series,” he opined. “I finished first in four manager, whom I knew from high naments if they were held and organ- Jamie Mosley of six tournaments for Soulcalibur. Usu- former Namco Cybertainment employee ” school,” he said. By 1998, he’d moved ized using Namco games. I always re- ally in Tekken I would finish eighth or up the corporate ladder within the com- ceived Namco-themed gifts for tourna- ninth.” pany. ment winners.” “I was offered a store management po- So what exactly caused him to leave With Tekken, he judges himself at the TIME FOR APPLICATION sition at South Dekalb Mall in Decatur, the company? “intermediate level. I have seen some Ga., in January 1998 and I accepted it “Namco closed the arcade I was man- great Tekken players and their skills are By utilizing his time with different and moved shortly after.” aging in South Dekalb Mall. I would vastly superior to mine. In fact, I would styles, Jamie put it to the test on the With his move, Jamie decided he have had to renew my contract with feel good if I get in two punches against road in addition to tournaments. needed to improve his skills overall to them and move to a different state. I de- those superior Tekken players.” “It was a group of friends: Caylon compete with the players in the notori- cided not to continue with the company He continued, “I would say I am at an Hardy, Mike Magha, Rhian Zimmerman, ously competitive Atlanta region. at that point,” he said. advanced Soulcalibur skill level. I have Preston Jones and myself, that would “I was playing more Soulcalibur then. Casting a pensive glance when asked seen great Soulcalibur players and travel around to different arcades in the Soulcalibur was bigger in Greenwood if he would do things differently, Jamie fought against them. I would win two out Southeast looking for competition,” he than Tekken at the time. I had to play pointed out, “Looking back, I think I of five battles. I am just not as consistent said. more Tekken after I moved. There was would have still made the same decision as they are.” “We usually did it on weekends for more competition with Tekken than Soul- because Namco closed the location that Jamie’s sure about his assessment be- both series. We started traveling for Tek- calibur, although I still played them they wanted me to transfer to almost cause of his time with the company. ken 3 in 1997 and we continued through both,” he said. “I had to change my three months later.” “Working for the division gave me am- 1998 with Soulcalibur.” level of play style with Tekken.” So much for staying put.