Another Cool Geek episode comes to an end and we are here with the interesting answers from our own Gaming Guru, Brian Ashcraft of Kotaku. So, dive right in for those invaluable tips for a Smirnoff performance guys!!

1. Stephen: Brian, what do you think is the future of 3-D gaming? Will it continue to give headaches or we can expect some sizzling upgrades in the tech?

Brian: If this generation features immersive gaming via motion sensing, then something close to 3D seems like an eventual progression. They’ve been trying to do that with movies since the 1950’s! What form will that take in gaming? No clue. As you know, about ten years ago Nintendo tried 3D with the Virtual Boy. The product was a disaster, but who’s to say Nintendo (or another) company won’t revisit in the future?

2. Penny: Talking about gaming platforms Brian, we’d certainly like to see PC ruling over consoles. Will it become a reality with the rise of more powerful rigs decked with more cores?

Brian: Oh? I think we’re looking at a sneak attack. The Xbox 360 and the PS3 are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They are PCs. Power-wise, the most expensive PCs rigs do rule over consoles in that they over more power, memory and freedom. And that’s exactly the problem. They are insanely pricey. What’s more, from casual players to the diehards, there is a tremendous variation in the specs PC gamers use. Consoles don’t allow for that vast variation, which is why they are attractive to consumers. An Xbox 360 is an Xbox 360. A PS3 is a PS3. Sure, the memory is different, but whatever. Unless we’re talking imported titles, there’s no will-this-game-run-on-my-machine? However, third party companies would love it if we were all PC gamers as it would bump up their profit margins.

3. Samuel: Of late, we’ve been listening to gaming gurus emphasizing on the fact that the gaming industry is losing creative spark. How far is it true keeping in mind that we often see gamers banging their heads with same old ideas instead of contributing towards “video games as art” movement?

Brian: It’s easier to separate this into “some companies are losing their creative spark,” rather than the industry is losing it as a whole. There are companies making new, innovative games. These are big companies, too. And in Japan, many of the most famous developers have left large third party developers to make their own studios. Of course, there are companies strip mining their franchises into smithereens. And there always have been and will be.

Regarding video games as art, they are. Well, not all of them, but there is a great deal of art in Super Mario Bros.

4. Josh: Tell us about your gaming rituals which get you prepared for an intense gaming sessions? Your clothes/gear/lucky charms you wear or tend to have while playing? Your advice to newbies looking to get into Brian’s shoes.

Brian: Gaming’s not a sport for me. I like to unwind, relax and be engaged — Just like with a good book or film. So, I don’t have any rituals, really.

5. Larry: Brian, what is the future of mobile gaming? Also, I’d like to know how open-source gaming would redefine the gaming world and why can’t we just have all games compatible with all consoles and platforms?

Brian: Mobile as in cell phone gaming? The potential is huge. At this point, growth seems slowed by things like screen size. Also, another road block might be psychological. The DS, the PSP, those are for playing games. Your cell phone is for calling people. That’ll change, of course as more and more developers start making big titles for cell phones. Right now, those big titles are ending up on the DS and the PSP. I can’t help but thinking that if Nintendo unveiled a DS phone or Sony showed a PSP phone, those products would be viewed as a revelation. Those brands carry heavy weight in portable gaming. More so than NTT DoCoMo or Verizon.

Talking about open platforms, I guess the computer is the closest we have to it. But for consoles, I don’t see it happening. Consoles are about control. The console maker controlling game publishers, controlling consumers. As we move from buying actual game software to buying downloads via the Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft online store, that grip is tightening. Console makers are moving further into a retail arena in which the consumers’ options are limited. Open platforms are great for consumers, but I don’t see console makers giving this up — At least not willingly.

6. Vikas: What’s your dream game Brain [SIC], of which you always fantasize? Are you addicted to any right now?

Brian: Not sure if I am addicted to any game, but I’ve been playing the crap out of DJ Max Portable for the PSP, recently.

7. Trendy_ideology: What are the current reasons/thoughts behind the lack of forums for Kotaku? Are there any plans to add forums, or is it an open topic that you’ll address when “The time comes”? And I still wanna know if you guys have ANY leads on info pertaining to modding a PS2 controller so the look stick is 100% inverted. Freaking FXII...

Brian: I’ve never talked to anyone at Gawker Media about forums, so actually I don’t know! When I first started writing at Kotaku, we didn’t even have comments. Can you imagine? There’s some intelligent discussion in the comments section, and we do enjoy reading through them. That section is a like a forum — In a way.

8. karisu: I’ve been very curious to know what brought you to Japan in the first place Brian? Was it for work? Fun? Did you meet your wife in the US and decided to move back to Japan with her? Just curious to know why you ended up in Japan in the first place! Also, did you know Japanese before moving to Japan? If so how did you go about learning? Were you able to take a class or were you self taught? Any tips for someone just starting to learn on their own? I know they say the best way is to move to Japan, but that’s unfortunately not possible for me (at least at the moment!). So any tips from you would be much appreciated.

Brian: How I got to Japan? Actually, I came out here on a whim after college. I was (and still am) interested in Japanese monster movies, anime, yakuza flicks and video games. I spent a chunk of time in Tokyo and then came to Osaka. Loved the city, so I decided to stay. The first couple of years are a bit of a haze, but eventually I started to luck out with freelance gigs and began writing professionally. Seeing your name in print is good encouragement.

I didn’t know any Japanese before I got here. Zero. And my Japanese didn’t really kick into high gear until I met my wife, who refused to speak to me in English. Her rational? She didn’t really know English, and this is Japan. Even now, we speak Japanese at home, which is probably why my son doesn’t speak that much English. So, just moving to Japan won’t necessarily mean that you’ll learn Japanese. You’ll learn some, but it’s best if there’s a strong impetus to learn — Such as a job, classes, etc. And know: Unless you are born here, Japanese is hard, and you’ll never be satisfied with how you speak it.

9. Dhiram: What do you look foward in the game console of the future ?

Brian: Good games. When new consoles launch, people talk about the hardware, its specs. But, really, the most important thing is the actual games.

10. Neil: Virtual world is becoming an addiction with hardcore gamers and with the real investors too taking plunge in it like the real world opening hotels and buying estates. What are your views on it? And, also would like to know whether you approve of spending millions in getting a piece of real estate or opening a store or investing in general in virtual world then the real one?

Brian: Just because something is virtual doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist or is any less real. For example, let’s say there is a comic book store in Manhattan. I do not live in Manhattan, so I cannot visit it. But, I can order its goods via the internet. Does that make the store any less real? What if those comic books are not actual tangible in the traditional sense and are downloads? If someone opens up a virtual hotel or buys virtual real estate, more often than not, they are doing it because they think they will be able to turn a profit. People will use their hotel or they’ll be able to resell the land. In that sense, I think it’s not only fine, but logical. People buy and trade shares of stock on the NYSE, and what are those but pieces of paper?

11. Kelly: As forums are considered as one of the top most resource for gaming news. So, tell us about your favorite five forums?

Brian: Actually, I don’t visit forums that much, except for NeoGAF. The reason why I like GAF? They don’t let just anyone comment over there, and they are quick to lock down threads and ban people. Stuff like that keeps it readable and smart. That, and they’ve got some really funny, clever people over there posting.

12. Nikky: Video games have been the subject of controversy due to the depiction of violence, sexual themes, consumption of drugs, alcohol and issues like racism. As the gaming audience includes a high percentage of youngsters too, so what are your views on it?

Brian: Yes, there are many young gamers, and their parents should be monitoring what the kids are playing — Just as they should be monitoring what they are watching and who their friends are. That’s just being a responsible parent. It’s perceived that the gamers are usually kids, but they’re not. The average age is 33 years old, according to Entertainment Software Association. So, if someone is 33 years-old and has never been exposed to violence, sexual themes, drugs, alcohol and racism, they might want to leave the cocoon in which they live. And not all games explore those issues. There are tons of titles that don’t. Sadly, those games don’t usually get mainstream press coverage.

13. AtheistJew: “Brian, you are basically living my dream right now. Living in Japan as a successful and established freelance journalist. I’m partway there, what with having a Japanese wife, but the “successful freelance journalist” thing is a tad harder, somehow. So to be blunt, what would you recommend I do to get close to or start on the way to where you are, career-wise? Also, could you give us a round ballpark figure of your annual salary? This last part is especially important, as my wife is not convinced freelance journalism is a lucrative career path.”

Brian: Just start writing. For anyone. Anywhere. A lot of journalism is networking, knowing people. That’s who you get assignments from, jobs from. Through another Contributing Editor at Wired (where I’m also a Contributing Editor), I got an offer to come write for Gawker’s game site, Kotaku. That was back when it was literally just Crecente writing the site. I totally lucked out with the Kotaku gig — I dig the work and respect the people I work with. They’re all smart, talented folks. Snarky, too.

Around 2003-2005, blogs started to come into their own. Things were changing, and you could feel it. It was a really exciting time, those two years. A lot of the people I met in journalism and in gaming are doing amazing things now. So my timing was really good. That doesn’t the door has shut forever! Media is still changing, so don’t sit on the sidelines and watch that happen.

Being a journalist can be unstable financially at times. Some months are better than others. Though, I am able to pay rent, put the kid through school and have a car. But there were some truly dark times in the beginning. Since my wife’s father is a photographer, she had a vague idea of what it’s like and what she was getting herself into. If your wife is having reservations about you being able to make a living, show her that you can. Start getting stuff published and getting paychecks. That will hopefully open her eyes.

14. Your views on BornRich & newly launched Instablogs Community?

Brian: Seems like fun!

RapidFire Round:-

1. Missing Features from iPod
1.) TV Tuner 2.) games 3.) Camera 4.) Text Messaging 5.) No, its perfect.

Brian: 3). Camera 4). Text Messaging. Good thing that iPhone is coming out!

2. Posters you would have posted in Your Dorm Room
a.) Pink Floyd- the Wall b.) Scarface c.) Fight Club d.) Playboy e.) Others

Brian: b). Scarface. I’m a huge Brian DePalma fan.

3. Movies you would love to star in
a.) Star Trek b.) Indiana Jones c.) Terminator d.) Fight Club e.) Other

Brian: b). Indiana Jones. Raiders of the Lost Ark was the second or third movie I saw in a theater. The face melting made quite an impression.

4. Your fav. Women in Final Fantasy Game Series
a.) Dirge of Cerberus b.) Rikku from Final Fantasy X-2 c.) Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII d.) Penelo from Final Fantasy XII e.) other

Brian: e). Tifa Lockhart. Who doesn’t like a lady in suspenders?

5. If you could be a character from a video game for a day, who would you be?

Brian: Sonic. Old Sonic, not his current incarnation. NOT his current incarnation.

6. What’s the worst game you’ve ever played?

Brian: Kriss Kross: Make My Video. Even as I kid, I remember immediately think this game was rotten.

7. Gaming Hours spent per Week?

Brian: 8~10 hours per week. Blogging hours: 55 hours plus.

8. Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, Ada Wong from Resident Evil, Antonia Bayle, from the MMORPG EverQuest II. You have to marry one, kill one, and go on a date with one. Choose.

Brian: Marry Antonia Bayle. She seems nice. Date Ada Wong (probably very exciting!) and get her to kill Lara Croft. Antonia Bayle could then clean up the loose ends.

9. A movie you want to be turned into a game?

Brian: Have they made an Assault on Precinct 13 game? That might be pretty good, though I’d rather see its source material, Rio Bravo, as a game. Who wouldn’t want to be Ricky Nelson or Dean Martin?

10. Would you date a girl who has no interest in video games, but is a stunner herself?

Brian: Probably not because my job is connected to video games. My wife is a big game nerd. She actually beats a lot the games before I do, which I think is so cool.

11. Sequel which really disappointed you?
a.) Resident Evil 3: Nemesis b.) Dino Crisis 3 c.) God of War 2 d.) Super Mario Brothers 2 e.) Tomb Raider : Angel of Darkness f.) Others

Brian: d). Super Mario Brothers 2. There was something “off,” wasn’t there?

Oh..yes...you don’t believe it but the interview has come to an end! So, we finally wrap it up with thanks to our this week’s Cool Geek Brian Ashcraft for entertaining us with his cool answers and we wish him ‘Best of Luck’ for all his future endeavors!