Tag Archive: interview


On the PS3 Horizon

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May 12, 2010

Originally Published: January 5, 2010, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com) and Lundberg.me

Continuing the momentum of my last article previewing games coming out in 2010, I had a chance here in NYC to get a hands-on preview with some of the biggest upcoming titles for the first quarter of 2010 for Sony’s PS3. Among the titles we looked at include God of War 3, Just Cause 2, Bayonetta, Dante’s Inferno, and Dark Void. I know that Bayonetta actually comes out today, but it is still a good way for those of you who may be on the fence to take a look at some game footage, stills, and get some info from the folks over at Sega themselves. So, without further ado, I present to you my PS3 Q1 2010 preview!

Ray Carsillo Q1 2010 PS3 Preview Party
Video by Jared Bodden

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A Football Blitzkrieg!

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May 11, 2010

Originally Published: December 14, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com) and Lundberg.me

Ever since the Madden franchise acquired rights exclusivity to the NFL, there have been several alternatives to try and put a dent in the near impenetrable armor that surrounds the football powerhouse that is Madden. Another new contender is stepping into the ring though and it isn’t necessarily emphasizing the truck stick.

QuickHit.com is a website that offers a free flash based football game that will rack the brains of Fantasy Football heroes and test the mettle of Madden die-hards alike by combining RPG elements with the pure strategy that you would find out on the gridiron.

RPG elements? Flash based? FREE?! That’s right. It doesn’t get more revolutionary than this. No downloads required and no credit card either. In fact, before writing this article, I got a quick game in at work even though I signed up on my home PC if you’re questioning the download part.

Aside from the pure strategy involved with calling all the plays since you’re your custom team’s head coach (and if you’re a rookie in that department, NFL Legend Bill Cowher lends a few suggestions along the way), you can also decide what players to train (level up) between games and what new abilities they can learn (offensive linemen can learn moves to help them get a pancake block, running backs can break more tackles, etc., etc.).

Now, of course, a team with a higher level will have a clear advantage, but the best part will be when two evenly matched teams duke it out as it is a true test of your football acumen that you just can’t find in the often glitch riddled gameplay of Madden (there are ALWAYS at least five plays that will ALWAYS work).

A downside for many people though will be that the game isn’t the best looking, but anyone who is a true football fan should be able to look past the simple flash-based graphics and appreciate the great football gameplay that is played out before you, as you get the instant gratification or instant frustration as you see how the play you called turns out.

There is only so much I can tell you about QuickHit.com, so I had an opportunity to talk with the Director of Design on QuickHit.com, Brandon Justice, and I think he can tell you much better than I could just how awesome QuickHit.com is so be sure to check out the video over here!

QuickHit.com Football Preview with Director of Design Brandon Justice and Ray Carsillo
Video by Jared Bodden

So, if you are looking for an alternative to Madden or Madden Head Coach and don’t want to keep dropping the $60 every year for updated rosters and tweaked graphics, QuickHit.com might be the answer for you. It’s as simple as going there right now and signing up for FREE (Of course, with it being free there are a couple of short ads you might have to sit through between quarters, but they take about as long as the ridiculous load times Madden 10 had this year)!

Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.

Graphics: 7.5: It is hard to judge graphics on a flash game because you know right off the bat it could never compare to the power of a console game, and QuickHit.com admits that it would be impossible for them to try (at this point in time, anyway), so in comparison to other flash and free online games, the looks for this game are solid, especially in all the menus.

Audio: 5.0: Generic pads clashing, whistles, and other football related SFX mixed with generic music gives this a middle of the road score.

Plot/Plot Development: N/A: It’s a sports sim (with RPG elements)…

Gameplay: 9.0: This is one of the key elements that QuickHit.com shines in. A plethora of plays that are easily selectable with drop down menus that whittle down your options to the specific play you are looking for, no glitches that I was able to notice, and the fantasy football RPG elements between games to level up your players will appeal to every guy who has ever played Fantasy Football and loves tweaking his roster from week to week.

Replay Value: 10.0: RPG and sports games are possibly the most addicting games due to the obsession you develop over time when it comes to leveling up and tweaking your roster as you make another run to a championship. Combining those elements will keep football fans coming back for more. Millions will be lost in workplaces across the country as people keep playing football at QuickHit.com!

Overall (not an average): 8.5: For a work in progress, this is a very addictive and fun (and cheap!) way to pass the time. It can only get better as new features get added to it and it already has a rock solid base to work from.

-Ray Carsillo

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The Beautiful Game

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Originally Published: December 2, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

Soccer has always been the most popular sport in the world, but in the United States it has never been better than 5th in many people’s eyes. Slowly though it has pulled even with other sports for many people as the USA’s representative team and MLS teams have improved their overall quality of play over the years. Now, as we prepare for the 2010 World Cup, US soccer fans are almost at a fever pitch.

Although it is arguable if a US soccer fan will ever reach the level of intensity as fans from European or South American countries (probably not), the spike in popularity for the sport on US soil is clear. With this spike in popularity, we have seen a spike in video games sales for the main soccer video game franchise, FIFA, produced by EA Sports, as well.

FIFA 10, this year’s entry into the FIFA library, is clearly the best version ever produced in the series as the inclusion of the My Live feature, similar to the NBA Live 365 feature, allows you to take control of your favorite team like never before. And the people have responded to this year’s improvements as 4.5 million units have been sold worldwide in its first five weeks of availability, easily making it the most popular sports game of 2009.

I had a chance to talk to Sam Cooper, the Global Product Manager for the FIFA Soccer Franchise at EA Sports, about everything dealing with the FIFA franchise from the increase in sales and popularity over the years and improvements to this year’s game to his overall thoughts on the upcoming World Cup.

To listen to my interview with Sam Cooper, Global Product Manager for FIFA at EA Sports
CLICK HERE!

–Ray Carsillo

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The Newest Face in Late Night

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Originally Published: November 25, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

He is a Saturday Night Live alum, a movie star, and now he is leaving his mark on the late night landscape in a way no one has ever seen before.

Of course, I am talking about Jimmy Fallon. From using Twitter to drive people to his show’s blog (how about the fact his show even has a blog), to spoofing video games, to having the biggest names in movies, music, and sports on his show, Jimmy has already made his mark during his short tenure in the world of late night talk.

Robin Lundberg and I had a chance to talk with Jimmy about all these things and more as Jimmy gets ready to tackle his next big project…the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

To listen to Robin Lundberg and I interview the newest face on the late night landscape
CLICK HERE!

–Ray Carsillo

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Shredding on the World Stage

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Originally Published: November 20, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (Now ESPNNewYork.com) and later re-published in the Nintendo Wii archives of ClassicGameRoom.com

Olympic Snowboarder Shaun White with Ray Carsillo
Video by Jared Bodden

I’m the first to admit that I know little to nothing about snowboarding. The only shredding I know about has to deal with a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character and the only carving I generally do concerns next week’s turkey. The one time in my life I did hit the slopes, I looked more like a Looney Tunes character rolling down the mountainside as the snow collected around my body. But when Olympic gold medalist snowboarder Shaun White comes out with a sequel to his hit video game franchise and wants to sit down for a few minutes (check out the video!), I’m more than happy to brush back up on the subject.

After sitting down with man the game is named after, I grabbed myself a copy of Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage (a Wii exclusive), turned my Wii Balance Board sideways, and geared up for one of the most fun gaming experiences I’ve had all year.

The game opens with a cut scene featuring Shaun and several of his friends as they head to their central base of operations, an airport (so they could have quick access to some of the worlds most premiere courses), as they prepare to move up the international snowboarding rankings and try to make a run at the World Championships. Of course, the higher your rank becomes, the harder it is to keep moving up as the competition and the courses increase in difficulty accordingly.

The boarders are a little cartoony looking, as is typical with many of the Wii’s best games, but aside from that, the game looks beautiful. From snow covering your boarder if you fall flat on your face (which I am very accustomed to) to detailed designs of all the courses used, the game surprisingly delivers big-time on the visuals.

The audio is pretty average. It has a few sweet tracks from Kiss and Andrew W.K. as you shred, but it needs a larger selection to keep me entertained as I perform barrel rolls down the half-pipe. Shaun and the other boarders who lend their voices do a pretty good job at sounding natural and enthusiastic, which was a nice surprise. There isn’t a lot to expect in terms of SFX aside from generic crowd noise so the audio mixers weren’t exactly strained as this game was being put together.

The best part of this game is clearly the gameplay. Using the Wii balance board, you feel like you’re actually on the slopes as you apply pressure to different quadrants on the board to perform a plethora of tricks from tail grabs to indies to gorillas. I don’t recommend playing the game for extended periods of time though because if you play for four or five hours straight, like I did after getting addicted to the game, you’re sure to break a sweat and maybe give yourself a stiff neck from straining your neck left or right constantly as you grind over the always fresh powder.

A real downside for the game is that it’ll probably only take you 10 hours of gameplay to blow through the 100 world ranks and to challenge Shaun as the top dog, but to help bolster the replay value, the game is online capable and there is a new feature where you can design your own tricks to only add to the last version of this game’s awesome customization features.

Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage successfully avoids a sophomore slump and comes out strong with seamless gameplay and awesome additions like new courses, boarders, and online vs. modes. Even if you are not a fan of snowboarding, this is a ridiculously fun game and you can very easily find yourself addicted to it.

Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage is out now exclusively for the Nintendo Wii.

Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.

Graphics: 8.0: Although I’m not a tremendous fan of the cartoony look, I understand the limitations of the Wii and it actually works well with the atmosphere the game looks to create. Add-in some sweet effects like snow covering your boarder when you screw up a trick and I can walk away content with the looks.

Audio: 7.0: Solid voice acting bolsters the game, but not enough music tracks and generic SFX drop the score into a more average range.

Plot/Plot Development: N/A: It’s a sports sim…

Gameplay: 10.0: I used the balance board when playing the game, and although there is a mode where you can only use the wiimote and nunchuck, using the balance board is the ultimate way to experience this game. Also consider that the board flawlessly responds to every shift in weight and movement you make and there isn’t a glitch in the game to speak of.

Replay Value: 8.0: Online vs. modes, create-a-trick mode, and a campaign that will take you probably around 10 hours to get through and this is a good amount to bring you back to this game, especially if you are a shred-head.

Overall (not an average): 9.0: The game wasn’t perfect. But it was so much fun. I really enjoyed every aspect of the game and only a couple of rough edges keep this from being perfect. I can’t wait to see how Shaun tries to top this year’s version in the future and I applaud the move of moving the game from other consoles to a Wii exclusive because I believe being able to focus on the Wii balance board and their control set helped them correct a few of last year’s flaws. The new features and seamless gameplay make this game a sleeper must-have for the holiday season.

-Ray Carsillo

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Sailing Out Across the Radio Waves

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Originally Published: November 12, 2009, on Lundberg.me, Collider.com, and 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

It was an unusually warm day in November when I got word that there would be an advanced screening of Focus Features’ newest picture, Pirate Radio. In addition to the screening, I would get the chance to talk with Tom Sturridge, a bit of an acting newcomer who would serve as the film’s lynchpin, and the writer/director of the film, Richard Curtis.

Well, I grabbed The Who’s Greatest Hits album, aptly titled after one of their greatest singles, My Generation, jumped in my Chevy (would have been more fitting if it was a Mini Cooper, I know, but I drive what I drive) and sped away towards midtown Manhattan.

Being a bit of a Richard Curtis fan for his work as a writer on one of Britain’s most celebrated sitcoms ever, Black Adder, and for his directorial debut with Love, Actually, to say I was amped up would probably be an understatement. I had also wanted to desperately see this movie since I had heard of it because I usually enjoy time-period pieces about one of my favorite subjects, the history of TV and radio.

All I can say is that my anticipation did not turn to disappointment. Pirate Radio is a wonderfully done coming-of-age story about a young English boy named Carl (Tom Sturridge) whose mother has sent him to one of England’s notoriously famous pirate radio stations where his godfather (Bill Nighy) happens to be the man in charge.

Once aboard the floating piece of history, Carl becomes fast friends with many of the DJs who operate out of the waters surrounding England including an American man simply known as “The Count” (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and another known as Dr. (he’s not a real doctor) Dave (Nick Frost). While there, Carl struggles with the many problems faced by a teenaged lad of the time from drugs, to women, to making friends, and all the while finding out who he is to the greatest rock soundtrack possibly ever put together.

The music is the true driving and uniting force of this movie. When I asked Tom how he got into the character of Carl he replied: “The thing that was really useful was just listening to the music. I think the easiest way to learn about what it’s like to be young in the 60s is to listen to its most eloquent, youthful poets sing about it. So, Rich, gave me an iPod before the film that had every piece of music from 1961-66 on it and I would just constantly listen to the music.” To hear more from Tom on Pirate Radio, you can
CLICK HERE!

The music would also serve as the catalyst for much of the action in the movie as back on the shores of merry ol’ England, while Carl is busy finding himself, several members of the Parliament, spearheaded by Sir Alistair Dormandy (Kenneth Branagh) are trying whole heartedly to shut down the pirate radio stations and this would lead to the movie’s exciting climax that I refuse to spoil here.

When all is said and done, Pirate Radio is a fun to watch romp on the high-seas with a tremendous, star-studded cast, who all deliver fantastic performances. When I asked Richard Curtis how it was trying to direct all this talent at once he said, “I think you just have to tell people the truth at the beginning. All of them knew this was going to be a communal film. We shot it in a particular style with cameras on the cameramen’s shoulders so every scene anybody could be being shot at any moment. So it wasn’t one of those films where you said ‘well this is Phil’s half hour, and this is Nick’s half hour’, the camera just roamed around as we did the scene again and again and I think that meant that everybody joined up in the agreement that it was a democracy, a chaotic democracy.” To hear more from Richard on Pirate Radio, you can
CLICK HERE!

The best part of this movie is that as absurd as it is at times, it is based off a time when England really did have radio stations based out at sea and that alone brings a smile to my face. I thought Tom Sturridge wasn’t the most likable of main characters, he seemed a bit too stiff and serious at times, but if you like British humor wrapped up in zany situations, then this should be a sure fire winner for you. Now crank up Baba O’ Riley and be sure to see Pirate Radio as it comes out nationwide Friday, November 13th, 2009.

I give Pirate Radio 4.5 out of 5.

–Ray Carsillo

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Why AC/DC Matters

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April 24, 2010

Originally Published: October 21, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com) and Lundberg.me

Anthony Bozza is a 4-time NY Times Bestselling Author and a former writer/editor for Rolling Stone magazine. So when Anthony says he’s written a book titled Why AC/DC Matters, explaining why AC/DC is probably the greatest rock band of all-time, you should probably think about taking a look at it.

Being a die-hard AC/DC fan myself, it wasn’t a stretch for me to agree with Anthony’s assessment. After reading the book, I invited him to come by the 1050 studios to talk about what made him want to write Why AC/DC Matters and what he thinks the future may hold for the greatest rock band of all-time.

Why AC/DC Matters with Anthony Bozza and Ray Carsillo
Video by Jared Bodden

Why AC/DC Matters by Anthony Bozza is available now wherever books are sold and for more information about Anthony or any of his upcoming projects, you can check him out at his personal website www.anthonybozza.net.

-Ray Carsillo

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Ghosts and Heroes

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Originally Published: October 19, 2009, to 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com), Lundberg.me, and Comicvine.com

With numerous TV, big screen, and broadway credits to his name, Ernie Hudson is easily one of Hollywood’s most recognizable personalities. His ability to portray a gamut of emotions has earned him the chance to play a wide range of characters over his career.

His most recent character is Captain Lubbock on NBC’s Heroes, every Monday night at 8pm, as he tries to chase down Sylar and attempt to wrap his head around the concept of a world full of super powered beings at the same time.

Possibly his most famous character though is as Winston Zeddemore from Ghostbusters I, II, and Ghostbusters: The Video Game.

I had a chance to talk with the veteran actor about everything ranging from his favorite type of role to play to possibly nailing down some solid details about a third Ghostbuster movie.


CLICK HERE – to listen to my conversation with veteran actor Ernie Hudson.

-Ray Carsillo

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The King of Hardcore

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Originally Published: October 14, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com) and Lundberg.me

He is a three time world champion and has had countless matches that will forever live in infamy. His accomplishments include countless broken bones, two missing teeth, and the loss of an ear. Still, he comes back for more and that has earned him the title of the greatest hardcore wrestler of all-time. He is also one of the nicest men I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and is a New York Times bestselling author.

Of course, I am talking about Long Island’s own, Mick Foley. Mick swung by the studio and Robin Lundberg and I had a chance to talk to the living wrestling legend about everything from his upcoming match this Sunday at TNA Wrestling’s Bound for Glory against Abyss to his quest to be recognized by LeBron James.


CLICK HERE – to listen to Robin Lundberg and I interview the living wrestling legend, Mick Foley.

-Ray Carsillo

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Double Dose of Winter Sports

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Originally Published: October 9, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com), Examiner.com, and Lundberg.me

Many people know that I’m a sports fan, and being a video game fan, I love all sports video games as well. In that vein, I’m providing you fine folks with a double shot of sports games with reviews for both NHL 10 and NBA LIVE 10, both from EA Sports.

We will begin with NBA LIVE 10 since there were a lot of questions coming into this season for this game. Usually, the best way to answer questions about a game is to go to the source. I had a chance to speak with NBA LIVE 10 Lead Producer Sean O’ Brien, Dynamic Season feature producer Garreth Reeder, and Lead Gameplay Designer Mike Wang about all the new features in this year’s game and improvements over last year’s version considering the entire game was rebuilt from scratch.


CLICK HERE – to listen to my interview with NBA LIVE 10 Producers Sean O’ Brien and Garreth Reeder and Gameplay Designer Mike Wang.

Since I didn’t have the time to wait for basketball season to actually start, I’m going to have to take Garreth’s word on it, but it sounds phenomenal. From what I did play in Dynasty Mode, I can say that this is the premiere basketball game out there right now and this game model, closer to what the NHL series has used the past few years, is the top of the line format for sports games.

The only knocks I have against the game is that the graphics aren’t as sharp as I would like, especially when you look at other sports games from EA Sports like Madden and NHL, and the A.I. isn’t that great for your teammates. I know I put myself at a natural disadvantage by playing with the Knicks, but when there are lanes to the basket and I am looking for guys to pass to, instead of running up those lanes, my A.I. controlled guys run to the corner or right into a double team. Very frustrating, but that’s the life of a Knicks fan, I suppose.

From what I’ve seen and heard, NBA LIVE 10 is the must have basketball game of the season.

Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.

Graphics: 8.0: The looks of the game are average. Maybe the Dynamic Season takes up a lot of space on the disc so the graphics aren’t as sharp as they could be, but not the most best looking game from EA Sports.

Audio 10.0: The soundtrack of the game gets your blood pumping, and authentic cheers and boos from the Garden crowd (more boos than cheers considering the Knicks’ performance the past couple of years) are awesome. Add in Marv Albert and Steve Kerr providing authentic play-by-play and color commentary and the sound cannot get any better.

Plot/Plot Development: N/A: It’s a sports sim…

Gameplay: 8.0: Garreth might be looking for a perfect score, but the A.I. could use a little more tweaking before I give this a perfect score. No lag though, a great free throw system, and basketball as authentic as it can get on a video game console still gives this a good score.

Replay Value: 10.0: If you love basketball, the Dynamic Season and Dynasty modes will keep you happy throughout the entire season and keep you playing this game for a long time.

Overall (not an average): 8.0: With the addition of Dynamic Season and the rebuilding of the game engine from the ground up, this game is just scratching the tip of its potential. It needs a little further tweaking, but this is ready to be the premiere NBA gaming franchise, starting right now.

From the hardwood we move to the ice as we look at NHL 10. Considering how in-depth NHL 09 was and how many awards it took away last year for it, all EA Sports had to do was make minor tweaks to improve on their already dominate product.

The graphics are even sharper than last year and the way the ice gets worn down as the game progresses is a beautiful thing to see.

The sound is authentic to the point that “Henrik! Henrik!” chants rise up from the Garden whenever the King makes a spectacular save and Gary Thorne and Bill Clement’s commentary are always spot on.

The most impressive thing is that the gameplay and A.I. is even sharper than last year. The puck movement and passing is more realistic and accurate than ever before and the defense reacts like a real team. If a defenseman gets beat for a breakaway, he might try to catch up now for the back check and dive and flail with his stick to try to knock the puck away.

Add in the return of all your favorite features like Dynasty Mode and Be a Pro and the inclusion of first person fist fights now and this is the greatest hockey game of all time.

Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.

Graphics: 10.0: I don’t know how this game could look any better than it does. From the real-time degrading of the ice to movement of the players’ jerseys and this game is gorgeous.

Audio 10.0: The soundtrack of the game is an awesome array as always from EA Sports and Bill Clement and Gary Thorne doing an authentic feeling broadcast makes you want to jump up and shout like you’re in the Garden cheering along with a capacity crowd.

Plot/Plot Development: N/A: It’s a sports sim…

Gameplay: 10.0: The best A.I. system to date combined with the best puck physics I have ever witnessed makes this game as smooth and flawless as if you were watching a game on TV.

Replay Value: 10.0: If you love hockey, there is no reason for you not to immerse yourself in the returning Dynasty or Be a Pro modes.

Overall (not an average): 10.0: What can I say? As a diehard hockey fan, I just can’t find a flaw with this game. If you love hockey, you NEED this game.

So there is your double dose of winter sports. Both of these games are sure winners if you are a fan of these sports.

-Ray Carsillo

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