GamePro Goes One On One With The NBA (Page 3 of 7)

By John Gaudiosi
November 27, 2007 14:05 PM PST
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Channing Frye of the Portland Trailblazers has a WoW addiction that could probably rival yours.

GP: What did you play growing up?

CF: I played everything. I started with Nintendo, then I got a Sega Genesis. Sonic the Hedgehog was a great game. NBA Jam. I played that until it broke. We played James Bond Goldeneye on Nintendo 64 and WCW vs. NWO, which was hot.

GP: What do you play today?

Yeah, Channing Frye wants to get his hands on this too.

CF: Lately, we play Xbox 360. That really changed everything. Depending on my mood or who's at my house, we play either 360 or Wii. I also play a lot of games like World of Warcraft. I'm a big nerd, I got addicted to that game. I play that too much. I have like a 59 and a 67. It goes up to 70 and the expansion is going to go up to 80. I play with a lot of my teammates; it keeps me safe and I stay in my house all of the time.

GP: Is World of Warcraft popular with NBA players?

CF: David Robinson and Andre Kilenko play. I play with my brother and some friends. I'm not saying I'm the best but I'm saying don't mess with me, my hunter is nice. I have a hunter and a mage and I'm building up a shaman.

GP: Do you find the time flies by inside World of Warcraft?

CF: One time me and my boy, we played for 16 hours one time. If it's a day off, you're too tired to get up. You sit at the computer and eat. I love that game.

GP: What are you playing on consoles these days?

CF: Halo is ridiculous. I have the Halo 3 Beta. It's sick. The only thing I have a problem with is the new controls [because] they changed it up a bit for the 360 and I wasn't really feeling that.

I have Bioshock, which is cool. I've been playing that a lot.

Guitar Hero. I love that freakin' game. That game is addictive. That gets all of my attention. I'm deep on medium [but] the CD's scratching so I can't get past a certain part of the game. I can handle four notes at once, it's just when they start coming really fast that it gets hard. I can do it if I really try. My brother and I have some real battles. Guitar Hero III, I'll be the first one to get that.

GP: Are videogames popular amongst NBA players?

CF: I don't know if it's popular in the NBA, but it is in my household. Forget the rest of the NBA.

GP: Do you travel with any game consoles?

CF: I bring my computer and play World of Warcraft.

GP: What have you learned from your experience doing mo-cap with EA Sports?

CF: It's crazy how many people you need to make the NBA Live videogame and how much detail they pay to everything...your foot, your ankles, your joints and everything. Basically, the people here are geniuses.

GP: What were you able to do at the mo-cap session?

CF: My actual jumpshot, my running, my lay-ups, my play. My signature move...if you're looking at the basket from the left block and if you shoot from there you'll be okay with me.

GP: What did you think of NBA Live 08?

CF: They messed up my jumper a little bit last year but they've fixed it in 08. How I run and how I look is a lot better this year.

GP: What would you add to the game?

CF: I'd give myself a little more flare a little more shake and bake.

GP: What'd you think of the Wii NBA Live 08 game?

CF: Family play makes it easier for parents to get involved with their kids with games.

GP: And the Xbox 360 game?

CF: The 360 was sick. The gameplay was smooth. The graphics are amazing. The way they integrated people's signature moves and the way they dribble and finish was really great.

GP: Any new features you like?

CF: The hot spots in the game. You can hit a button and figure out where any individual player shoots best on the court. They got the stats from the NBA.

GP: Do you keep track of player ratings for the new NBA Live games?

CF: I don't really care about my stats in the NBA games. I kind of boost those up by the end of the year anyway. Trust me, if you shoot every single time in the videogame, you'll be alright.