Inteview with Nme
found in | Type | Author | Year |
Diskmagazine interviews | LSD 2-cool - 2Tone - AJW - ... | a10/92 |
I N T E R V I E W W I T H N M E By Marc Panther of Soundwave For some time i've been trying to get this interview with NME but I managed to switch his modem off for 5 mins so I could get this interview for Grapevine. Q: Who are you? Introduce yourself. A: My name is Matthew, i'm 22 and I live in Cleveland, England. I am a cracker in "Illusion" a major group on the 64 and my handle is NME. Q: How long have you been in the scene? A: I suppose its about 4 years, i've had my 64 for about five or six but the first few are normally where you just play games on it. Q: Have you got an Amiga? A: Yup, i've had it about a year now and I suppose i've never regretted it. Having a steady flow of new games has helped I suppose, but I have to say that I prefer my 64, probably because I enjoy coding. Q: Have you got any other computers? A: Well the Spectrum 48k that I had about 8 years ago didn`t last the journey and apart from the Amiga and 64, I only have a super NES which i've just got (very nice) Q: What was the first game you cracked and trained? A: Back in the good old days, I never used to crack - only freeze stuff because I never knew better, but the first game I ever managed was a budget game called "Psi Droid", the first game I trained I did by accident and it was another crappy budget from Zepplin, Since then I suppose i've cracked about 300 games. Q: What's your favourite drink, food and music? A: Hmm, favourite food has got to spicey stuff like chilli and Bolognaise, the only drink I have if I have a choice is Lilt, my Favourite music is probably Guns `N` Roses, U2 and I like all the Jarre stuff. Q: Do you like Torch? A: Who? Ha, yeah I suppose he`s ok, i've had a few cheap deals with him and he`s always come up with the goods, although he can be a pain if he wants something off you and you won`t give it to him. Q: Do you have any plans to go Amiga? A: Nope, i'm having it easy on the 64, I do a little cracking and show my face on a few BBS`s and i'm set, plus - there`s no way i'm gonna learn another language unless I have to... I might consider a console scene tho because most of them use 6502 and that's the same as the 6510 that I already know from the 64. Another reason I wouldn't go Amiga is that, when you crack a game on the 64, you also train it and do the best version you can... On the Amiga, all crackers seen to do is put an intro in front as quickly as possible and then a few days later some other group will train it... What? Q: Is the 64 dead? A: No way, its true, it did die a lot since the Amiga came out as lots of people went Amiga, some of the good groups left and we saw old 64`ers on Amiga like "Weetabix" from the old "Scouse Cracking Group" as some of the diehards know, but, if you look in any issue of PCW an established mag you`ll see that the 64 is the second best seller of software and computers at any time, (the ST is a sad 6th being topped by the Spectrum and Amstrad, which proves that any ST owners are Prats) there is still a big scene for the 64 with groups from all over the world even the Aussies have there own scene which consists of importing the European Cracks and putting there own intro in front, which is quite lame as more often that not there is already an American intro in front of that from where they have imported it. Q: What do you see as the future of the 64? A: Hopefully, there will still be as many Software Company's, I can't see people like Ocean ever leaving it, there's already a shit load of hardware out for it so I can't see any Future development there but maybe the future Games will be better as even now clever twats are finding out hidden routines to speed things up and stuff. There are so many people still very much into the 64 that its gonna be around for years to come and will probably only go out when no more parts are made for it. When you think, its never been changed much since the year it came out and has lasted longer than some of the so called better Computers (BBB, Spectrum, Amstrad, Atari) Q: How long have you owned a modem? A: I've had my two 1200 baud Modems for my 64 for about two year and a 9600 that I got given for my Amiga i've had for around 6 month, I use my 9600 with a new cable I had made so I can Connect and Transfer at a breathtaking 2400... This is the fastest speed that the 64 can handle without chucking out errors... Q: What do you think about Grapevine? A: Well the few editions that i've seen have been very nice and informative, it makes a change from all the crap I get on the 64 which are all near enough the same apart from the parts that are cheated by the mag owners group, a little example is a group called Genesis Project on 64, In there magazine, they have about three members in the cracker charts, two or three in the gfx charts and so on, when in fact in nearly all the other mags, they aren't in any... I suppose this goes on in the Amiga Scene, but as i'm a spectator then I can't comment... Q: How many groups are there in the 64 scene? A: There are about 20 very active good groups that everyone knows, but I would say that there are about 200 other lame groups that think they are cool. Of the elite groups, we all have a little lamer bogus group so we can release the shit games that we wouldn't consider releasing, this is a good idea because we have a sort of competition to come up with the shittyest intro's and names for groups like, "The Pies", "Bad Taste", "Duh" Lamers R Us... All the best groups have a lamer group with lame handles. So as well as NME/illusion I have also been lawnmower/PIES. This is of course all classified and I would deny all of the above. Q: Do you call any boards? A: I call the boards (When I have cards) Everyday... along with about 60 other elites and a lot of Germans who can still bluebox (phreak the phone) But cards are getting harder to get hold of because nobody is prepared to HACK them anymore. But since AT&T have gone automated cards are more popular than ever because its now possible to call overseas to anywhere in the world.... At the moment tho there are maybe 20 64 boards in the States and around 10 in Europe. I only call our HQ's the Forum and Terminal Obsession (813-846-0645). The Forum is one of the most popular boards and it is Elite only. Q: How often? A: I would say every day for about three weeks, then I need a New AT&T. We have about three card hackers who are dedicated but sometimes people from the Scene have to share cards, I know this goes on in the Amiga scene because i've had loads of Amiga cards, you can tell when a cards from the Amiga Scene because you all abuse it and it only lasts a day. And normally, when the card is used in two different countries it will die very quickly, once its dead there's not a lot you can do, but I have called up AT&T and bullshitted a card back to life but not often. In my time in the scene I recon that i've had about 400 cards from about 20 different sources. Q: What's your all time favourite game on the 64 and Amiga? A: My favourite game on 64 has got to be Sabre Wulf, its about six or more years old and at the time it was the best thing since sliced bread. Favourite game on Amiga is Elite, although it does get a bit easy and boring when you have everything and you can rip the shit out of anything. Q: How did you become a Cracker? A: Like everyone (I think) I started out playing games on my commy. But after a while it get's boring. Then I got myself an Expert Cartridge and started to randomly save out memory and when I loaded bits back in I got some weird effects and I thought that it was cool so I asked my friend who was already a cracker to teach me what he knows, and from there I picked up bits on my own. I have to mention that I used to get my warez from my old mate Marc Panther who was the biggest pirate on 64 until he went to the Amiga... Q: Do you have any contacts? A: No, I leave all that lame stuff to other members in the group, in all the groups there is scales of Eliteness, And I regard mailtrading one of the lowest. On the boards the people who do keep the boards up to date are called "Runners" and they are the equivalent to the dogsbody, I am a cracker, the wares stem from me and once I give it to the importers then my job is done... and plus I never look at other peoples cracks, I like the odd demo but only so I can rip the music and fonts (called character sets on 64). Q: What's the Crazyest thing you`ve done? A: What you mean Besides agreeing to do this thing? Well I once ran a pencil sharpener blade down a brand new Porshe and I've also swung from a tree with my trousers and underpants around my ankles while people walked past for a laff. Q: What's the worst game you`ve seen on the 64 and Amiga? A: I dunno about the 64 one because there's been some really lame ones. On Amiga, of the games i've seen I would say Kick Off, I hate to see all the little prats getting so excited about kicking a little sprite between to posts. Q: If you were shipwrecked on a desert island, what three things would you want? A: Hmm well first off I would want some beautiful female company, secondly I would say my Walkman with loads of batteries for it and lastly my 64, modem and a years supply of AT&T's Q: What are your future plans? A: Once I get my shit together I would like to become a computer programmer and get loads of money for writing games with the same code but different Graphics and name. Q: What other scene related things do you do? A: Shit, I code most of the intro's that I use, I call the boards and keep up with all the little arguments and comments, I also (now and then) scan for PBX's (Private Branch Exchanges) so that if I run out of cards I can still call out, once I found a 0800 (toll free) PBX that I could start Conferences with (an 0800) but it died after about a Month. I am also always looking for MBX (mailboxes) so all the group members can keep in touch. Q: What's your favourite chocolate? A: I like all chocolate but I think dark stuff like Bourneville in small bits is the best. Q: What's your Favourite book? A: Got to be the "Dragonlance Chronicles", I like all fantasy and some SI-FI. Q: Do you Like lard? A: There's nothing better for my Eggs and Bacon, I hate my Bacon grilled its just not the same and of course, If i'm going out I use it to grease the old hair. Q: How do you get the games you crack? A: I buy them from a very fast shop then re-sell them to other groups abroad that can't get hold of them... This can be profitable but I wouldn't say you could make a living off it. Q: Are you a virgin? A: No, I have sex with "Rosey Palm" every night, but I think Someone else is having Her too? Q: How old is your dad? A: Hold on, I'll ask him... 16 Q: If you had any amount of money, What would you buy? A: Probably a software company, then i'd hire all the crackers and coders from the scene to write games because the professional coders are a load of shit and the don't know all the short cuts that Crackers do. Q: What's the most trainers (+'s) you`ve put in a game? A: Lazer Squad on the 64 I found about 100 Trainers but I couldn't be Arsed to write a Cheat Routine. Q: What do you hate Most? A: I hate it when everyone comes in my room to play on the computers and they leave the place looking like a bombs hit it and I have to tidy up and make my fucking bed every bastard night. Yeah, I think that's what I hate Most. Q: Who is the top group on 64? A: Illusion of course... haha no, I don`t know because the games are coming out all over the world and the English guys can`t get hold of the German wares and the Germans have to order all the English stuff so the Scene is spilt up a bit, but some of the most famous are... Illusion, Legend, Talent, Genesis and of course the American groups The Shoulin Monestry, Empire, Excaliber... Q: What is your claim to fame and praised possession? A: Well Marc, somewhere in the darkest depths of the bottom draw of my filing cabinet, I have a Christmas card from "Bob and the lads at FAST" (No bull!). Q: Okay Matt, thanx for the interview you can go back to your Modem now, but before you go have you any last words? A: Yeah, Peace and Cheese! Leech mode active... end.