Here we go with another interview. Chris Paladino brings us right inside Microsoft, the Gamerscore Blog and the Community Team for Xbox and Games for Windows. He’s also a pioneer for video game podcasting and didn’t mind to spare some precious advice on that! Read on!
Z: Can you introduce yourself to our readers?
C: Sure, I am Chris Paladino, and I’m a Community Manager for Xbox and Games for Windows. I am on the Community Team - a team responsible for monitoring/responding to issues online, helping to deliver messaging, helping community members such as yourselves, and running the MVP program for the Gaming groups. We also attend a ton of events. We try and always get some community folks into press-events (for example our showcase events, or the recent Halo events a month back).
Z: I usually ask the story behind the gamertag at this point, but I have a feeling it wouldn’t be that smart this time so.. I like your surname, it sounds very… Italian! How does it come?
C: LOL. I have always hated when I try and get in touch with someone, and I don’t know how to reach them. I use my first initial + last name whenever I can to make it easy for folks to find me. I used to go by “Dino56k” back in the days where I didn’t have broadband, yet played a ton of Unreal Tournament, and Quake 3.
Z: UT, Quake 3, 56K connection.. That reminds me of something.. I bet we played together at some point! So how long have you been working for Microsoft and how did you start?
C: I started on the Community Team August 22nd, 2006 - The first day of PAX ‘06 incidentally, so it’s been just under a year.
Z: And what did Dreamstation have to to with it?
C: I ran the podcast, and did reviews over at DreamStation.cc, it was during the sort of “birth of podcasting” - before it was really popular. I had a 30 minute (heavily edited for time and content) show, and I was lucky enough that some folks such as John Porcaro and Tony Hynes heard it, liked it, and subscribed to it. When they needed to expand their team, they thought of me, and the rest is history. It’s been cool to see how podcasts, and community in general - have evolved in the last year.
What’s interesting to note is that podcasts really do give the listeners the personality and quirks of the hosts. I listen to shows where I meet the hosts for the first time and I feel like I have known them for years. John had mentioned to me that I was the only person he has ever hired without giving a formal interview first.
Z: Can you tell us a bit about your job at Microsoft? What’s your typical work day in your office?
C: The typical work day consists of meetings, reading blogs/websites/forums, listening to podcasts, keeping up on reactions to news (both Microsoft and our competitors), and answering emails.
On non-typical (but frequent) days we are travelling, and attending events.
Usually the work day for me is 8:30am - 6pm, and if you count being available on Xbox Live at night, you can add a few hours per day to that.
Z: You know what? INVU. “Gamerscore Blog road tour” ended not long ago (I wish you would have also taken a plane to Europe BTW). Can you sum it up for our readers? I’m sure people from the community who came and see you guys were really excited, what about your side of things?
C: We have kicked around the idea of a European leg of the GSB Road Tour actually. We’re super busy with E3, Comic-Con, Pax, and TGS currently.
The event was amazing. We had 5 cities, and it was awesome to be able to listen to, and talk with, all the folks who took time off of their day to hang out with us. Aside from spending time with and getting to know the Xbox and G4W communities, the biggest kick for me is when I see people play a game in person for the first time. The moments when they yell “OH, DID YOU SEE THAT“!
Z: I wish I’d know the feeling. We already said that you are pretty much a pioneer for video game podcasting. Any advice for somebody who might want to start a podcast or has just done so? Yeah, I’m actually talking about us and our brand new Brave Zaamcasts 
C: Thanks for the compliment. I subscribe to the “keep it short and to the point” way of podcasting. While I understand it’s a TON more effort, editing the podcasts to be as brief as possible helps folks who don’t have 2-3 hrs to listen.
Other pointers are that not everyone is as hardcore as you may be. If you are slinging around acronyms, know your audience. Why say “FPS” and “RTS” all the time unless once and awhile you explain what an “FPS” or “RTS” is? Excessive laughing, or filler such as “um, uh, like, you know” is difficult to listen to all the time. With practice you will stop using these words, but in the meantime try a outline or agenda to keep you on track. Lastly, remember that there are hundreds (or thousands) of people who will be listening. Don’t talk about “the other day with Jeromy” unless you give listeners enough back-story to appreciate the in-jokes, and the laughing.
With all the E3 planning I’m VERY behind in my podcasts, so admittedly I have your podcasts on my to-do list.
Z: Wow, if that’s the case I should start providing a transcript, unless you want to do like our spare English listeners who try and guess 90% of the show 
How many consoles do you own? Which one do you play the most?
C: I’ve owned just about every gaming system at one point. I REALLY liked the Dreamcast - I think it was ahead of it’s time a bit. I currently own a Nintendo DS, a PS2, an Xbox, a 360, and a PC (if that counts). Far and away I play the 360 the most. I used to be a much heavier PC gamer.
Z: Best and worst games of all time?
C: My favorite game of all time is Diablo 2 (and the expansion pack). I STILL have it installed on my machine some 10 years after it came out. Everything in the game (items, and levels) being random makes for a HUGE amount of replay.
My least favorite game is a game called Space Pirates. It was one of those DVD-based games where you use the remote. I had to review that one, and it was painful.
Z: LOL. I have to agree with Diablo 2 BTW, I still have it installed too, good times… Now back to the 360, what do you like the most about it?
C: The ease of use. Being a PC gamer primarily for such a long time, it’s so much less to deal with on the consoles. Vista is making huge strides towards ease of use, but with a 360 I don’t have to get new drivers every month, and install the games, or worry about if it will run on my 2 year old machine. I just pop it in and go.
I also think the 360 controller is the best controller ever. I said that even before I was officially brought on board.
Z: What about Xbox Live?
C: It’s the benchmark that all other services will be measured against. I can video chat with my family back in Cleveland Ohio (about 3000 miles away from me), and I can ALWAYS find a game even if my friends aren’t currently online. On that same point, I’m very happy it’s so easy to mute, and avoid players. I’ve been playing quite a bit of Shadowrun in public matches, and I appreciate how easy it is to never play with certain people again. 
Z: I played enough Halo 2 online, that I understand perfectly. And speaking of the Xbox community you (and me, of course) are so passionate about?
C: I love the Xbox and G4W communities. Coming straight out of the community myself, I’m in a cool position of both getting to know new community members whom I haven’t met yet (such as yourself), as well as the guys who I have known for a few years such as The Gamercast Network guys, Godfree and Vicious696.
I appreciate how passionate everyone is. You know it’s rough spending hours every week on a website, blog, or podcast for the fun of it. There’s not many people who get paid to do their website/podcast/blog full-time, and coming from spending 10-15 hours per week on my podcast, I know it’s a labor of love. We appreciate it, and if there’s anything we can do to help - we try to do that.
Z: I thought 5 hours of podcast editing were too much, you can always do better I guess. Ok, let’s talk about… This! Yeah, I found them.. Pick 3, your favorites, and tell us about them!
C: LOL - wow. Are you stalking me?
I used to make a ton of those little forum tags for games and for other people. I’ve not updated it in quite a long time, but my favorite three visually out of those up there are: Diablo 2, Visual Studio, and City of Heroes/Villains - I think those three work with me visually. They are easy to read, and relatively easy to recognize, with both the color scheme and the image.
Z: “Ridicolously high gas price payer” fits us Italians perfectly, I’d like to borrow it if you don’t mind. Any other passions in your life?
C: The biggest passion is gaming obviously. I also like music, I played guitar and sang (growled more accurately) in a garage death metal band a buddy and I had in college.
Z: *googles “chris paladino death metal”* Thanks very much for your time Chris, expecially during this very busy period with E3!
C: Thank you for the opportunity! Congrats on your recent Trixie interview!
Z: Wow, thanks Feel free to go back to those boring meetings, briefings and conferences *sigh* …and keep us posted!
