A True Home Athlete: RayBladeX
by Burbie52, HSM team writer
While putting together my article about the club called The VIPs (or Very Important Pixels), I met a nice guy named RayBladeX, who has a purple jacket like many of the others in the club. He was kind enough to let me use his YouTube channel as a link in my article; there he shows anyone who watches them how he got his various wins in Midway and also has several videos of the fighting games he loves to play outside of Home.
Then, when the new game Scribble Shooter came out I bought it, like many others did — and lo and behold, within a few days RayBladeX was number two on the console. This I found to be fascinating, and it made me wonder what other games in Home he has beaten and made it to the uppermost rankings in. So I asked him for an interview and he was gracious enough to agree — but what I found out during this process actually surprised me, and you will find out why.
Burbie52: First, I want to ask you about your purple jacket; how long did it take you to beat all the games in Midway Two and claim it?
RayBladeX: It took me eight hours total and $16.00 to complete it; I did it all in one day.
Burbie52: One day? That’s amazing to me. I gave up on getting to even level one on a few of those games. So which was harder, do you think: Midway One or Midway Two?
RayBladeX: Actually, Midway One was harder; there is more of a random element there. None of the games are truly random, but you don’t figure that out until you get to play them for free.
Burbie52: What do you mean by them not being random?
RayBladeX: Well, lets take Fickle Flapper for example. You have to hit a specific “light” to land on the whatever color you need. Pressing nothing at all will win you level one, while hitting four lights will get you to level ten. Once you reach level ten in Midway One you can play the game for free; that isn’t true in Midway Two. Sometimes I watch other people play and offer them tips.
Burbie52: So is Midway your favorite game in Home?
RayBladeX: Yes, I love all of the Midway games. Swingers and Half-Cocked are my favorites in Midway Two, and Trigger Happy is my favorite in Midway One. I love the Trigger Happy in a Box arcade game because it is essentially endless. It is the only game in Home like that, but when you play a game like that you have to pray you don’t lose your connection as you lose your score too. In other words, high scoring equals more time playing the game continuously.
Burbie52: What do you think of Scribble Shooter? I noticed you were second on the scoreboard already.
RayBladeX: I like the game a lot, but I wish it was like Trigger Happy and was endless instead of ending at level ten.
Burbie52: Can you tell me a little about your “real” self? How old are you?
RayBladeX: I am thirty-five years old. I live on Oahu in Hawaii.
Burbie52: Married? Kids? Have you always lived in Hawaii?
RayBladeX: I was born here, but lived in Oregon for quite a while; I just returned here a little while ago. And I am single and looking. I work as a carpenter; right now we are building the new Disney resort here on Oahu (at Ko’Olina).
Burbie52: Do you play any other games in Home?
RayBladeX: Yes; I like the Sodium games and I have beaten several of the others as well, but I can’t be first in everything.
Burbie52: Do you like the new Sodium Two racer?
RayBladeX: Yes, my fastest time on track one is fifty-three seconds. Because it is time-based, you have to play it a lot to shave off milliseconds. I believe I am ahead of Grimm right now.
Burbie52: Now that Midway is beaten, do you still go there?
RayBladeX: Yes, I like to go there and help people, and I use Half- Cocked to create art now; it’s still fun.
Burbie52: Do you play any games outside of Home as well?
RayBladeX: I love fighting games. In fact, I play them professionally in tournaments, [I’m] heading to the EVO 2011 in Las Vegas this week.
Burbie52: Wow! What games do you like?
RayBladeX: Well, I love Tekken, Street Fighter, Virtua Fighter, and Soul Caliber to name a few.
Burbie52: Can you elaborate a bit on your fighting game career?
RayBladeX's tools of the trade
RayBladeX: Sure; I have been a two-time finalist in the World Cyber Games in 2008 and 2009. Came in fifth overall there; I had to travel to New York and Los Angeles for those. I won a tournament in 2010 called Bloody Knuckles; there is a video of it on YouTube. I am currently going to go participate in the EVO (Evolution) 2011 in Las Vegas. I leave on Wednesday this week. It is considered the biggest fighting game tournament in the world, and I am excited to be a part of it.
Burbie52: You are quite a skilled game player both outside and inside of Home. So you only come into Home to game?
RayBladeX: First and foremost I am a fighting game player, but I love Home! I come here to have some downtime and I love the perfect mix of friends and gaming here.
Burbie52: If you could have any kind of new game come into Home, what would it be?
RayBladeX: It would be an arcade based fighting game with the ability to have two players fight against each other. I would also like to see games like Sodium Two and Scribble Shooter available to us outside of Home on the XMB.
I want to thank RayBladeX for his time, and add that I think he is a gentleman and one of the most well-rounded Home athletes I have ever met. He is one of the rare few who blends his gaming life seamlessly with his Home life, having a foot in both worlds and showing enthusiasm for each when there are far too many who feel compelled to believe that we as gamers much choose between one or the other. I wish him well in all of his endeavors both in and out of PlayStation Home.
August 1st, 2011 by Burbie52 | 11 comments
Burbie52 is a 62 year-old published author and founder of the Grey Gamers group within Home. Born and raised in Michigan, she has lived there her entire life, with the exception of a twelve-year residency on the Big Island of Hawaii. She enjoys reading and writing, as well as video games, especially RPG's. She has one son in his twenties.
Great interview, Burbie! I know of several people who are convinced that all of the Midway games are just pure chance, so it’s really fascinating to hear someone who’s an undisputed master say that they aren’t random at all. Eight hours and $16? Wow!
Much more impressive than Ray’s gaming abilities,which are impressive enough,is the way Ray approaches these games.Often times when some1’s score or time gets beaten by some1 else they get mad and start name calling,not Ray.He re-attacks the game again and again,improving his already impressive scores all the time.At some games being good isn’t good enough for Ray and he pushes himself to the upper limits of his abilities,while remaining a decent guy.Back in the early days of our rivalry on”Trigger Happy in a Box” I sent him a message saying “Nice try kid keep at it.” after we had swapped high scores,this was before i knew we were nearly the same age.I was kind of trying to make him mad but Ray never let on if he was,he just re-focused and took back the lead then sent back my same message to me,which made me instantly respect him.Congrats Ray on your own article,it is well deserved.
Ray kind of dispels the myth that Home isn’t for hardcore gamers. Sure, there are a lot of elements which make it a ‘social app’, but there’s a lot to be said for the gaming environment as well, as Ray proves out.
And 8 hours and 16 bucks to beat Midway? Sheesh, dood must have 4 fingers and 6 thumbs. More power to you, Ray!
Nice interview, Burb. A pleasure to read,
Ray is a skilled gamer, and always taking time to make helpful tutorials. Teaching inexperienced people all the time, on how to squeeze their balls with finesse ;). GL at evo.
Yay, Ray!
Good one, Cobolt,
Thanks for the interview.
Although I didn’t make it on stream, I ended up placing in the Top 64 players for Super Street Fighter 4 arcade edition out of 1800 players.
Feel kinda bummed I wasnt able to get any of the VO Home items.
Ray is very giving and the best dressed Michael Jackson Homie I’ve ever seen.
I didn’t realize how much of a serious gamer outside of Home Ray is, thanks Burbie.
Congratulations on the Bloody Knuckles championship! Saweet!
I don’t play fighting games but catching a glimpse of this EVO tournament on Home I went online to see it without all the troubles I had on Home. It was very exciting, I couldn’t believe how into it I got.
Then someone mentioned that non other than my Home friend Ray was there. Not just there, but challenging the best Street Fighter players in the world.
SF it turns out, is THE marquee game in the EVO fighting world, maybe all fighters, tho I’m sure that debatable by fighting gamers.
I was soooo hoping the Puerto Rican Ray was my Ray, but alas he was not.
Great job Ray, at Home helping others and at being one of the best outside of Home gamers too. Well done.
15 Years on, Streetfighter STILL remains one of my favorite arcade games of all time. I have my favorites (Ryu, Ken, Sagat, Chun Li, Guile)
I hear that SF3 will be coming to PS3 via network store? that would be fantastic, because I loved that incarnation too.
It took me FOREVER to master the dragon punch (The special ‘Air’ defense and quick knockdown move on ‘weak’ punch) And I did learn the Chun Li is absolutely LETHAL to fight against when trapped into a corner.
Tekken is a favorite too. Paul Phoenix I like for his heavy handed power moves and throws. And Heihachi for his ‘own’ Dragon punch move.
I would love to get better at fighting games myself and compete in a future EVO tournament. I’d like to see ray write as a guest contributor of his own experiences as a fighter gamer and what advice he would give to new gamers that want to turn professional.
When I first met Ray, I had no idea that he was this über-gamer guy. We just sort of chatted at the Dolphy races and he was a really good-humored, cheerful, generous sort of person. He’s the kind of person you find and, when it’s time to part ways, you hope you were interesting enough that he’ll accept a friend request so you can hang out again.
Personally, as impressed as I now am with Ray’s skills, what I still respect most is who he is as a person. Outgoing, earnest, even-tempered, intelligent, and, despite his achievements, not at all full of himself. I think that’s worth an awful lot, maybe even its own article.
Anyway, Ray, if you read this comment, I hope I haven’t made you feel awkward. I just figure you deserve to be spoken well of. I’ll go back to poking fun at you in Home, I promise.
Thanks for the comments, everyone =)
I’ve been in the fighting game community (FGC) since 1998 and have entered all EVOs since 2000 (except 2010).
EVO revolves around the Street Fighter series but also offers many different different fighting games for players to compete in, at times they even had a tourney for Mario Kart DS and even Mario Golf (EVO 2007).
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@ Cheeky -- Yeah, maybe I could write a beginner’s guide to fighters. “How to become a Virtual Fighter”.
@ Aiken -- my own article? Eh I dunno =p
I think a Beginner’s Guide to Fighters would be an awesome article, Ray. Mahalo for the good idea! Please start writing it tonight.