ABQ interviews Megan Young on gaming…
When Megan Young admitted that she was a gamer during the first Q&A round at the Miss World Philippines 2013 beauty pageant, I got really excited. Just like her (and President PNoy) I totally enjoy computer games but don’t talk about it much because when you say you are a gamer, people tend to judge you as childish or irresponsible or outright strange. But the truth is there are many gamers out there who are not childish, completely responsible and quite normal.
I got a chance to ask Megan about her gaming life at her Miss World 2013 send-off at C2 in Greenhills. Here’s the transcript of our chat:
MEGAN: I love that you’re asking something.. so different from the usual questions that I keep answering over and over again. (LAUGHS)
ABQ: I figured you’d say that. Well, thank you for coming out and saying that you are a beauty queen who loves gaming!
MEGAN: I loooove, LOVE gaming!
ABQ: Ok describe yourself… what kind of a gamer are you?
Megan says she’s an RPG kind of girl…
MEGAN: I think I’m an RPG-kind-of-girl. I really love RPG (Role-Playing) games but I did grow up with my Super Mario… and… basta ako Mario girl talaga and Pokémon… as in hands down!
ABQ: Did you ever get into the cards of Pokémon?
MEGAN: Yes, I collected the cards I even traded them with my classmates and played the game, the actual game!
ABQ: Any other card games you got into?
MEGAN: It was really Pokemon. I didn’t do Magic (the Gathering). That’s not my type. I’m not uh… I’m not the parang, L.O.L., League of Legends type… that’s not my thing although I did play Ragnarok in High School.
ABQ: Ragnarok. Which is the MMORPG. (Massively multiplayer online role-playing game)
MEGAN: Yes, I was very addicted to that. It came to the point that my Mom got so mad because I wasn’t studying because I was playing my online game and… I had to stop my gaming for a while because of school of course… talagang I stopped gaming because of school.
ABQ: So in games like Ragnarok where you can create your own character and be somebody else… do you pattern your character after yourself? Like do you choose a girl who’s cute? Or do you choose a guy who’s like a warrior or a… you know, what kind of characters do you use?
MEGAN: Well I love the girl characters because they’re really cute. My character in Ragnarok was an assassin, a girl. And I loved poking at the Poring because it was just so cute, even if it was so weak, I would just go at it. (Click here to see what a Poring monster looks like!)
Megan Young enjoys a light moment with her 1st Princess Janicel Lubina (left) and 2nd princess Zahra Bianca Saldua (right)
ABQ: First game you ever played that you can’t forget?
MEGAN: It would have to be Super Mario Brothers. And we had that NES console pa… and I was… so little… oh wait, no no sorry, scratch that, that was my first game console but I can remember when I was in kindergarten we would have a computer class and it was on these old Macintosh computers and they were just… it was our first computer class of course so they were teaching us, “ok this is how you, you know, use a computer.”
MEGAN: And…. there were like these math games and they had like images of like frogs running and you had to choose na parang… if they match and stuff like that. And that was the first game I will never forget because I guess the image just captured me and that’s what drew me to like video games like… like the logic part of it that you could do this or you do that and what would happen if you (made) this decision. It draws me that logic part of video games is what really draws me to it.
ABQ: Your favorite RPG?
MEGAN: Fable! It’s a game on the Xbox. And… it’s set in the medieval times. You choose a character, boy or girl, of course I choose a girl. And the decisions that you make… its something from everyday life… you’re character becomes… good or evil… corrupt or noble…
ABQ: Depending on the choices you make.
MEGAN Yes..
ABQ: What about Final Fantasy, did you like that?
MEGAN Actually, you know what, I’ve never played Final Fantasy! And it sucks because I heard its such a great RPG. But I guess I was just too stuck on the other games. I was playing Fable and Assasin’s Creed at one time and I just couldn’t let go of the two to get into Final Fantasy. I think my brother was the one that played Final Fantasy.
“I’m just setting myself up to be Miss World!”
ABQ: Now that you’re a beauty queen, does it feel like an RPG to you?
MEGAN: (Laughs) Actually you know what? Now that I think about it, it kinda does because there is… I don’t wanna say its a game to me because it’s totally NOT a game. But there’s always strategy and logistics wherever you go and… ok let’s just say that I’m the character and I’m choosing which hairstyle to do, which kind of make-up to do, which outfit will go (with) the occasion. In a way it’s kinda like SIMs. You know, you dress up your character, you make them go thru everyday life with the personality that you choose… with… you know… the job that they choose… the people that they meet, that they want to marry and have kids with you know. Just like that. I’m just setting myself up (to be) Miss World. (laughs)
ABQ: Are you brining any games to Indonesia or are you going to be more focused on getting that crown?
MEGAN: Well I really can’t be without my games so I’m going to bring my IPad with me.
ABQ: What are you playing now?
MEGAN: Um.. there’s this fun game called… “Dumb Ways to Die“… um… there’s “Zombies Ate My Neighbors”… and oh what’s that other game? I forget. But those are the two games that I’ve been playing the most. “Dumb Ways to Die” is so fun, it’s so addicting!
ABQ: I gotta play that. So how do you balance your life as an actress and now a beauty queen with your passion for gaming?
MEGAN: I’m actually kinda sad because I haven’t been able to play my games cause I lost my charger to my IPad so it’s just been running in a corner. So hopefully before I leave for Indonesia I’ll be able to get a charger so I can play my games while I’m waiting.
ABQ: But you are able to balance your life.
MEGAN: Of course, you know, I mean my life isn’t focused just on games. It’s a hobby of mine but… you know, I have to put my priorites straight. It’s… before it would be school, work and then my games. But now you know, its just… sideline nalang. Games, games pag may time.
ABQ: So,are you ready to get that Miss World Crown?
MEGAN: I am definitely 1000% ready for that!
ABQ: Thank you very much, Miss World Philippines 2013 Megan Young!!!
Miss World Philippines 2013 Megan Young (middle) with her princesses – 1st Princess Janicel Lubina (left) and 2nd Princess Zahra Bianca Saldua (right)… looks like Janicel forgot her crown!
