Hello readers and welcome to another 22 Questions interview. In previous weeks I have promised fairly radical changes being done to the 22 Qs and I am here to deliver. I have altered a few of the questions, added some, and removed others. Also from now on there will be more questions tailored to the interviewee that week, that way you can find out things more specific to that person.

To jump start this new change is this week’s interview, Calyber from the Frag Dolls. The Frag Dolls are a team of seven female gamers brought together by Ubisoft. While they are exceptional in all the Ubisoft games, they also excel in other shooter games like Halo 2, Gears of War, and any other game that places their bullets in your melon. They don’t only compete for fun or money, but also to show folks they are just as good, if not better, than a lot of the guys out there. These girls are not only breaking barriers for girls gamers, but gamers in general. It is an honor to be able to interview one of them. Due to their busy schedule, there will only be 10 Questions in this interview. I promise they will be just as good. Enjoy.

• At what age did you begin gaming, and who would you give credit to for introducing you to gaming?

I started gaming when I was about 4 years old. My older brothers had an NES in our house, so it was natural for me to pick up the controller. Sometimes on the weekends, my sister would invite me to spend the night at her house. She would always have me bring my Sesame Street NES cartridge to play. I’d give credit to her for making video games so exciting for me at such a young age.

• What message would you send to lady gamers everywhere?

To all the ladies out there, if you get hassled over Xbox Live or the internet for being a female gamer, don’t let it get to you. The best thing you can do in that situation is keep playing the games you love and ignore the antisocial guys. It’s safest to play in custom games with people you’re familiar with. Otherwise, mute em’ or boot em’!

• Would you like to see feminine avatars in Halo 3?

Yes! They should have Cortana as a multiplayer character. Females are more fun to play as, plus they’re body sizes are smaller which make them harder to hit.

• What is a little known fact about you?

I come from a big family. I have five older brothers and an older sister.

• What is your favorite act of chivalry in a multiplayer title?

I’ve always held my own in multiplayer games. But there were several times when a few friends and I would jump in an online game of Halo 2. The other team would recognize my feminine voice and hassle me for being a girl. My friends would always stick up for me in situations like that. It was very heroic in my eyes.

• What is the first game that had you hooked?

Little Nemo for the NES. I was a Little Nemo junkie when I was a kid.

• What does the gaming industry need to do in order to attract more female gamers?

It’s all about exposure. All girls love video games, just most of them don’t know it yet. Whether it be marketing that gets there attention, or the persistence of their friends or boyfriends, gals need a little push in the right direction. The Wii is a great way to ease a person into gaming. Because it’s so interactive and simplistic (and super freakin’ fun to play), the player doesn’t need to be a hardcore, experienced gamer to get into it and find it enjoyable.

• What are you better at than anyone you know?

Burping. I know that sounds pretty gross, but I’ve been told that it’s cute when I do it.

• What is the closest you have come to death?

When I was in high school, I took my new manual transmission car to the mall after briefly being showed how to drive stick. It was dark outside and while concentrating on my timing of easing off the clutch and giving my car gas, I didn’t notice that I had turned onto the off ramp of the freeway. A wall of headlights marched unceasingly towards me. Three things happened: I screamed at the top of my lungs, stalled the car, and did a quick u-turn after I was able to start it again. That’s probably the most terrified I’ve ever been.

• If you could make a game about anything, what would it be about?

It’d be about a pirate chicken with hair plugs named Tuggle Duggins who’s obsessed with collecting rubber bands.

Thanks a lot Calyber for the interview. Keep up the great work with the Frag Dolls. As ambassadors of the gaming community, you all do a great job of promoting gaming and spreading the interest. Readers, if you are looking for more information on the Frag Dolls, then stop by their site to view biographies on each and their blog entries. If you would like to chat with them and others in their community, then stop by the Dollhouse, and post some comments.

I hope everyone enjoyed this week’s interview. Stay tuned next week for another great person. As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you have at tiedtheleaderblog@gmail.com.

Posted by Dweezle