Welcome to another Unscripted 360 Showcase…another nominated one as well. 

Steppin’ to the mic right about now…

Tell us a bit about the person behind the console?

I’ve been a gamer all my life like most people coming to this site, and my love for gaming has only grown over the years, especially in the past few years since I got the original Xbox.  Besides gaming and working on my site, I work close to 40 hours a week in retail.

What’s the story behind choosing your Gamertag?

The UNSC part was chosen because in the Halo series, the entire force fighting the Covenant is the UNSC, which the Master Chief is also a part of.  The “Cleric” part comes from the movie, “Equilibrium” starring Christian Bale, and I have yet to find anyone who has seen that movie and didn’t love it, it’s incredible.  I picked it because it was a mix of my favorite game and one of my favorite movies, and it kind of stands out because of all the capital letters.

Equilibrium was my movie! You have a site dedicated to Xbox 360.  How did that come about and tell us your plans for it?

I started it just before E3 2005 (RIP E3).  Back then, it was www.xanga.com/xbox360, and I created it so that I could have a place to point friends and people online to a good summary of all the Xbox 360 info coming out.  I was tired of all the disinformation and rumors, and thought I’d help out.  Then on 2.2.06, I launched the UNSCleric.com domain and actually had some semblance of an actual site, where I could permanently show any articles I wrote, and have a more open way for people to leave comments on news entries.  I’ve always enjoyed doing it, and have no plans to quit anytime soon.  I also have TheHalography.com, which is a summary of the entire Halo universe & the story.  I wrote that to try and show people the depth of Halo’s story, since a lot of people will never read the Halo novels.

I don’t know what the plans are for the future are right now.  I’ve gotten a few e-mails from people saying I should expand it into a fully-fledged website, but I just don’t have the knowledge for that.  All I can guarantee is that the site will only continue to get better as more and more games and accessories come out for the Xbox 360.  I also have some new things I’m thinking about for the near future, like starting a blogcast this fall.

Has the Xbox 360 experience been a good or bad one for you?

It’s been perfect.  I’ve had my Xbox 360 since November 19th, and never had a problem with it.  I also bought an Xbox 360 that I had pre-ordered the day it was announced, and I had a third Xbox 360 at launch that I gave away to a friend.  The Xbox 360 that I kept was the one I won from Every10Minutes.com, and I’ve had zero problems with it, and no one I know has had any problems with theirs either.  As you can tell from my Gamercard, I’ve played a lot of the games the Xbox 360 has to offer and I’ve enjoyed almost every single one.

I think the Achievements/Gamercard idea is genius.  Without it, I don’t think I would have ever tried out a game like Tomb Raider: Legend, but that game was a great experience that I’m glad I didn’t miss out on.  I’ve also enjoyed speaking to and playing with several Xbox team members, I think that’s awesome that they get on nightly and play with the gamers they created the system and Xbox Live service for.

Describe your gaming setup and your routine for getting your game on.

Until December 2004, I played on a 27” TV, standard definition.  I’ve worked since the day I turned 16, and always wanted a big screen though.  So finally after a couple years at my job, I got a 52” HDTV in late 2004.  It was one of those cheap CRTs that sell for like $999 at Best Buy every other weekend though, and was a very easy TV to get static images burned-into.  Within months, I burned the entire Halo 2 HUD into my screen, and it was very, very annoying to look at these yellow marks on each corner of the screen, not to mention all the blooming/color bleeding the TV developed a couple months into use.

Then 5 months ago, on my 19th birthday, I noticed CircuitCity.com had the 56” Samsung DLP HDTV I had been looking at on sale for $1849.  I believe it was some kind of mistake since they had the 50” at $1800, not to mention they moved the 56” price back up to $2600 just hours after I bought it.  Anyways, I went there that day and bought it on credit and am still paying it off.

So, my current setup is that Samsung DLP, and a Sony 5.1 surround sound.  I also bought some Monster video/sound cables, and I don’t know if I noticed a difference, but if you’re going to spend several thousand dollars on your setup and that’s what you value, I think it’s worth the piece of mind to know you have the best cables connecting everything.  It feels good to have worked for everything you have, it’s what I had planned on doing since I was young, and have followed through with that.  Gaming is just as fun on a small screen though too, I’ve done it every now and then since upgrading, and it’s just as good, just not as immersive if you’re someone who really picks up on sounds and visuals.

Which title is getting the most playing time on your Xbox 360?

In the past week or so (mid-August) it was Dead Rising, but usually whatever game is the newest is what I’m playing.  Saints Row is going to get some huge playtime from me.  By the end of this year though, I think my top games will be Gears of War, S!D vs. RAW, F.E.A.R., & Splinter Cell: Double Agent.  I’m probably missing a couple; I can’t keep track of all the amazing games coming out, like Forza 2.

There are plenty of games that people simply wish they never had played.  Which is yours?

NBA Live 06 was really bad, but at least I got some GamerScore from it.  I rented Ridge Racer 6 a couple weeks ago, and that was probably the worst game I have played in a long time, definitely the worst game on the Xbox 360 that I have played.  It took me 9 months to try it, and I wish I never had.

What’s your most anticipated yet to release 360 title?

Halo 3.

What’s the best feature on the Xbox 360 in your opinion?

Xbox Live and the community that comes with it, nothing comes close and nothing ever will.

Would you like to see the Xbox 360 offered in different colors beyond simple faceplates?

I wouldn’t be against it, but I would rather the Xbox team spend time, money, and energy on more important things.  I love the faceplates idea though.  I like that some games now come with a free faceplate if you pre-order them, like Saints Row.

Do you plan to purchase any of the forthcoming peripherals…Live Vision Camera, HD-DVD and others?

Yes, the Vision camera, HD-DVD drive, Wireless headset, and most likely the Forza 2 steering wheel will all be in my home the day they come out.  Hopefully that PS3 I’m going to camp out for sells high on eBay so that all these things are basically free. Only thing I can think of that I have no interest in is the bigger memory card that is coming out in early 2007 last I heard.

How do you feel about the Marketplace, content downloads and the recently rumored ‘consumables’ idea?

I’ve loved it since I first heard about it over a year ago.  I don’t think the Xbox Live team even realized how much people wanted it, as we saw with all the demand for Arcade games ever since the console came out.  I personally didn’t mind when things like the Prey demo didn’t come out when they were promised by a third party source, but I was concerned about the message it was sending to people on the fence between the Xbox 360 & PS3.  Since then though, the Marketplace & Xbox Live Arcade have really stepped up, and I think there’s a lot of people out there without an Xbox 360 that are dying to play free demos of AAA games like Dead Rising and Saints Row.

The premium DLC for some games can and will be exploited by greedy developers, but if people continue to buy it, then there’s nothing that’s going to change it.  The consumables idea that Microsoft has been talking about recently will be interesting to watch play out.  I don’t have an opinion on it until I see how it actually is implemented.

Gamerscore or Achievements?

I don’t think one could exist fully without the other, but I’m more excited when I see the Achievement Unlocked symbol pop-up than I am when I look at my GamerScore.

What would you like to see updated or added in the next big 360 update?

I honestly can’t think of anything right now that I’d like.  I’d be fine with anything extra they end up adding though.  The one thing I’d like is a lot more movie trailers on the Marketplace, I love watching trailers in HD.

Ok.  One game.  One shot.  You against Sam Fisher.  Who wins and what game are you playing?

Well I don’t really know how to answer, but since Sam Fisher excels at stealth, and I (was) really good at Halo 2, which isn’t a stealth game for the most part, I would have to say that.  Also, I automatically picture George Clooney whenever I see the name Sam Fisher, and I’m sure I could beat George Clooney at Halo 2.

Any parting words?

I’d like to thank those who nominated me to be interviewed for a showcase, and thank those who read through this.  I’d like to thank everyone who has checked out my site since May 05.  Also thanks to people like you, Major Nelson, & GamingSteve for the blogcasts that you guys produce.  They’re great to listen to, and it’s fun being able to hear and think about Xbox 360 and gaming in general when you’re away from home, or sitting at the car shop or something.  The awesome community that the Xbox brand has always had is what brought me to the Xbox brand to begin with, and it’s only gotten better with time and sites like this.

It rocks that’s for sure.  Thanks for pleasing the fans with your Showcase UNSCleric.