It's a Double Friday here at Need for Speed World! We're not only holding 2 Fun Friday contests, but we're also profiling two community members for this week's Spotlight.
Go on the NFSW forums and you're bound to chat with these guys or participated in contests they're holding on behalf of NFSW. Of course, we're talking about none other than all-star moderators Jussi Kauppinen and Kevin Johnson!
Let's get better acquainted with Jussi and Kevin!
Tell us about yourself
My name is Jussi Kauppinen, but some people may know me as jsskppnn. I'm a 39 year old racing game enthusiast from Finland. During office hours, I'm your average white-collar worker, but after work and on weekends, I log myself into NFS World and become one of the World's most notorious street racers.
How long have you been playing NFSW?
My friend installed a trial version of Need for Speed Porsche Unleashed for me about 11 years ago, when I had just gotten my first 3D capable PC. I instantly fell in love with that game because of its huge car collection and superb visual and performance customization options. I have played every Need for Speed game that was released for PC since then and I even got myself High Stakes, which was released before Porsche Unleashed. I've liked all these games but only loved those which could bring me the kind of visual and performance tuning options I associate with the series, due to Porsche Unleashed being the first game in the series I played. My favorite games in the series are Porsche Unleashed, Underground 2, Carbon and now Need for Speed World. I also liked ProStreet, Shift and Shift 2 Unleashed but since I am a keyboard driver, those games never became my all time favorites.
What’s your favourite car(s) in NFSW?
My current favorite is the Skyline 2000 GT-R. I also like my Porsche 959, Ford Escort and all three classic muscle cars. I hope to see a lot more vintage automobiles coming to Need for Speed World in the future.
Your most memorable experience in the game?
It has to be the first time I tried the game at NFSW's HQ in Vancouver 2 years ago. The game wasn't even translated to English yet. More recent memory is from a night when couple of my friends and I cruised and raced around the World in our vintage Skylines, joining multiplayer matches together and cruising to the next location after the races. It was a lot of fun.
What do you like most about NFSW?
I love to paint my cars in the vinyl shop. The system is maybe even better than the one in Carbon. I also like the fact that this is a play-for-free game where I can use real life currency to keep up with those of my friends who have more time to play than I do. What makes World better than some of its competitors is the fact that there are no level limitations in SpeedBoost purchases. The best thing about World however is that it is being built together with the community and it keeps evolving and getting bigger and better every week.
What other console or online games do you play?
I try to play all racing games that get released on PC. If there is a demo or beta test available, I play that and decide if I want to get the full game or not. Sometimes I wait to get the games from the bargain bin, but if it's something I really want to get, I'll pre-order it.
Favourite cars/driving scene in a movie?
I don't have a single favorite, but I really like the driving scenes in Luc Besson's Taxi and Transporter movie series.
What song or music do you rock out to while playing NFSW?
I have a couple of Country Music online radio stations I like to turn on when I play. If product placement is allowed, I can reveal that they are Country Power Station and B98.
When you’re not playing NFSW, what else are you up to?
I have been a Need for Speed forum moderator for EA since June 2006, so that takes a lot of my free time. I also have my own little racing game forum called International Street Racing Community, where I have been organizing weekly Picture Based Racing Competitions for almost 5 years now. The races are currently on hold, but will definitely pick up when Need for Speed The Run gets out.
Star Trek or Star Wars?
This is a really easy one for me, as I have never seen a Star Trek movie or even a full episode of the TV show. I liked the original Star Wars trilogy a lot when I was a kid but even then, Battlestar Galactica was my choice of sci-fi action. I do also like the new version of Battlestar Galactica a lot. Did you know it was made in Vancouver just like NFS World?
Tell us about yourself.
Hello, My name is Kevin Johnson otherwise known as T0TALfps within the EA Community, I'm a 20 year old who works as a Digital Artist & Website Designer, located on a sunny beach resort within the east of the UK. I'm pretty much a nocturnal gamer, due to being able to choose my own 'office hours' - I work night and day sometimes. However, between all that, I am having a blast in games such as Call of Duty, NFSW, and Battlefield titles.
How long have you been playing NFSW?
Around the second wave of closed beta was when I had started playing NFSW. However, most of it was for sending in reports about a few bugs which I had constantly pestered to get fixed.
From playing NFSW a while and then noticing that the forums were in need of support, (and after my extensive years in building, administrating and moderating several online communitys), I put forth my candidacy to NFS Drew to assist in the forums. A few weeks later, after getting support from the team and being welcomed with open arms, I started to assist the community and put things into place for the community to function better.
After a year and a bit, I am still here, moderating and working on ways to grow and maintain a positive community.
What’s your favourite car(s) in NFSW?
I am a fan of Japanese sport cars, so the Nissan GT-R R35 is top-trumps for me. From the speed, looks and customization options - it really is the perfect ride for me. Hopefully more import cars are inbound, its a sure purchase for me!
Your most memorable experience in the game?
I think it's hard to say what the most memorable experience for me is, as everytime I log into NFSW, I'm always getting a different experience, be it social or racing. I'll be controversial and say most memorable experience for me is when the Snowflake arrived. It was all the rage for a few days and the streets were chock-a-block with them, and now...today, it is pretty rare to see one racing around the streets. Its a newborn vintage! Long live the Snowflake.
What do you like most about NFSW?
Players who know me well, know that I truly love designing my rides. I love it so much, I even started to share that experience with the forum community this month by announcing the debut of the VinylDesign competition. Clearly, I am not the only one who loves creating awesome vinyl work. It's always nice to see something shiny on the top of your car. Sometimes I roam around the streets purely looking for awesomely designed rides. That's the best part about NFSW for me, the customization - And what's even better is that with customization, the possibilities are endless.
What other console or online games do you play?
For PC, I am a massive fan of the MMO's, currently I'm playing City of Heroes, RIFT Online, APB Reloaded and also awaiting the release of Secret World and Star Wars: The Old Republic. However, most of my gaming is dedicated to the consoles, especially the 360. I can spend a ton of hours with Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops and on top of that, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Medal of Honor. (Can you guess where the name TOTAL FPS comes from?)
Recently I have been playing a lot of L.A. Noire, Deus EX: Human Revolution and also Need For Speed Hot Pursuit. I am mostly a first-person shooter type of guy. In a gaming industry that is becoming swamped with first person titles more now then ever before, it's time to branch back to my old time loves of role-playing and adventure titles. Broken Sword and Monkey Island anyone? Battlefield 3 is also just around the corner, and with a heavy season of releases to come, gaming is better then ever before!
Favourite car and/or driving scene in a movie?
My favourite driving movies have always and will always be the Fast & Furious titles, more specifically 1, 2 and Tokyo Drift. But the underground/illegal scene with juiced up rides is always a ticket for me. Drifting too. My most favourite scene has to be the part where Sean Boswell tries drifting for his first time - starts off with a shiney car at the top and by the time it gets to the bottom, it's a complete wreck! I hope one day the writers and directors of Fast & Furious venture back to those long lost days, I mean..they were the best, right?
What song or music do you rock out to while playing NFSW?
I listen to a whole mix of music ranging from artists such as Lykke Li, La Roux, The Foals, Tinie Tempah, Adele, Birdy, Hadouken and entire albums of Dubstep. Yep, i'm another one of those zombie people who find Dubstep to be the boss!
When you’re not playing NFSW, what else are you up to?
Im usually at home working on a few commissions, tackling the forums for about 12 hours a day, or out at the office in meetings. Sometimes I'll go to the beach to have a nice jog along the coast, or go swimming at the center nearby. I've recently gotten back into photography, so I'm exploring woods, beaches and other areas for those all important landscape shots.
Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings?
This is a easy one. Harry Potter without a shadow of doubt! I'm only 20 years old. That means I was practically born around the whole Harry Potter phenomena. I've grown up reading the books, watching the movies and even listening to Stephen Fry's audiobooks of Harry Potter. I was constantly surrounded by it from a very young age, so anything about Harry Potter, even to this day, I am completely addicted. I'll be the first to admit that the final Harry Potter movie had made me shed a little tear.
The final movie came out days after my 20th birthday, so in a sense, it was signing off my childhood with that last movie. It was all a bit emotional! However, I still have awesome memories: reading the books, marathon style, with a group of friends when I was like 10 years old and going to the cinema to watch Harry Potter with my first 'serious' girlfriend at 11 years old. The Harry Potter movies will always remind me of my childhood.
If you would like to be profiled or know someone you think would be perfect for NFSW Community Spotlight, shoot an email to ling@needforspeed.com!
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