Interview with StarSlay3r, Top Female U.S. Gamer

Wed, 28 Apr 2010, 3:16 pm
by Rob Clegg, Do Gaming journalist
Tags: Ciji Thornton, StarSlay3r, Guitar Hero, WCG Ultimate Gamer, The Tester

Ciji ‘StarSlay3r’ Thornton has been gaming since she was a child and began playing competitively in 1998. She has won many Guitar Hero competitions since then and has ranked up to a total of over 30 top five finishes in nine different games in three genres.

Thornton is considered one of the top female gamers in America and is a threat to many top teams and players. She has been ranked as high as fifth worldwide for Guitar Hero: World Tour in 2008.

Thornton also made history in 2009 by being the first female in the World Cyber Games (WCG) to ever compete on Team USA, and she is considered the best female in Guitar Hero based on tournament placements.

She was also a contestant on popular TV shows such as WCG Ultimate Gamer and Sony’s The Tester.

Telkom Do Gaming caught up with Thornton for a chat.

Telkom Do Gaming (DG): Hey Ciji, thanks for taking time out to chat to us.

Thank you for having me!

DG: How long have you been playing Guitar Hero for?

I’ve been playing Guitar Hero since shortly after its original release date in 2005.

DG: So what would you say is the secret to a good Guitarist Hero?

Being good at Guitar Hero just takes practice. I had been playing a similar game called Guitar Freaks since 1999, so when Guitar Hero first came out I was already playing on Hard difficulty.

If you practice a good 20 hours a week and review the scorehero.com forums for star paths, tapping, and other techniques you will see a drastic improvement in your performance. Practice makes perfect!

DG: What has been your most memorable achievement in Guitar Hero?

My first time competing at a national level on Gamespot’s tournament TV was pretty memorable. I had so much fun and ranked third in the nation for Guitar Hero 3, beating out the top ranking Wii Guitar Hero player which was something that I was really proud of.

I was also pretty surprised when WCG offered me the opportunity to represent Team USA at the Pan American Championships for Guitar Hero last year. That was an awesome time and it led to me taking first place in Rock Band while I was there!

DG: Apart from Guitar Hero, you also play Street Fighter IV. How is that going? Any recent competitive wins?

Street Fighter has proved to be one of the most difficult games for me to master… probably ever. Most of the time I pick up games very fast but this past year of playing the game has definitely been one full of learning, and I’m still learning every day!

My most recent tournament placements were fourth, fifth and seventh when I competed in New York last month, and I recently placed fourth place with my team RM519 and Steve the Champion at the UGTL tournament this past Saturday.

I have been placing top eight in tournaments lately which has been a great accomplishment. I even got my first OCV (one character victory) singlehandedly, taking out a team of two top players in New York at the CTF tournament last month, which was a great show of how much my skills have improved in the past year.

To read the rest of the interview click HERE to go to the official Telkom Do Gaming website!

Ciji Thornton, better known as Starslay3r, already had an impressive gaming resume before appearing on PSN’s first reality show The Tester. She is the top female all around gamer for the Guitar Hero franchise, has had over 30 top 5 finishes in varies competitions, and was the first female gamer to compete in the World Cyber Games representing Team USA. After the break she answers some questions we asked about her love of gaming, experiences being a game tester, and what it was like competing on PSN’s The Tester.

The Naked Gamers: Let’s start with the basics: how did you get into professional gaming?

Ciji: I started competing at a professional level about 3 years ago shortly after entering an 8 week series of tournaments called the Midnight Gaming Championship and the Computer Players League in Dallas, TX and placing at a high state and national level for GH 1 and 2.

TNG: Did you always have a passion for gaming (grew up gaming), or was that something that developed later in life?

Ciji: I was always into gaming even as a kid but never really took gaming too seriously til 1999 when I started entering DDR tournaments.

TNG: What qualities/skills do you think someone needs to have in order to be successful in such a competitive profession as a tester or pro gamer?

Ciji: As a tester you must have a good eye, strong gaming skills, an understanding of bugs/glitches and determination because it’s easy to get bored of the game your testing and the long hours you’ll spend testing are often something that most ppl can’t put up with for long.

As a pro gamer it takes having a lot of skill, patience, determination, discipline and money. Going to tournaments is expensive and often requires a lot of traveling, playing at a top level requires putting in a lot of time practicing, cutting out a lot of the fun things in life and the ability to perform well under pressure. These are all things that take a long time and don’t happen overnight and most people don’t understand that,

TNG: How would you prepare for an actual interview for a video game testing or other QA positions? I’m assuming they don’t make you LARP or roll around in a giant inflatable ball for an interview. Or do they?

Ciji: Haha thankfully no they do not. For a QA position my resume speaks for itself. I’ve worked on some of the best selling games that are out today and the fact that I have been a sprinter and have OEM, legal and first party requirement experience helps to ensure the company takes me seriously. The only preparing I usually have to do is researching the company I’m applying with to ensure that I am familiar with their games and that they are games I’m capable of working on, for example… I wouldn’t bother wasting EA Sports’ time since I’m not a strong sports gamer.

TNG: Do you have any stories of having to test a game you just couldn’t stand playing? How do you deal with playing the same level repeatedly for endless hours?

Ciji: Yes. Oh my gosh yes… This game just wouldn’t go away I think I worked on it on and off for like 6 months and for one reason or another the project would seem like it’s over then something failed or something didn’t unlock then I was thrown back on. I can’t name the game, but the people that worked with me on it know EXACTLY what game I’m talking about. It was the only game that made me not want to go to work and I refuse to touch that game today.

TNG: For people looking at going into a career with video games, what are some common misconceptions they might have about the industry?

Ciji: Two words: Grandma’s Boy. Basically a lot of people think that testing is fun like in that movie and while it can be fun at times, it is NOTHING like that movie.

TNG: What’s one lesson you’ve learned that you wish you’d known before getting into the gaming industry?

Ciji: That it’s hard to move up in the industry. I spent 1 1/2 years working for a company before ever getting a raise or being considered for a higher position and even then I was told that position would pay the same and STILL not guarantee me a permanent position with the company. I was pretty disappointed when after 2 years of hard work I had a better position with hardly any more pay. Testing is a very low paying job especially considering how much hard work is involved.

TNG: What gaming accomplishment are you the most proud of? Is there a certain achievement or trophy that you deserve bragging rights for?

Ciji: Getting a world ranking of 5th for gh world tour on the global ranking system was pretty cool, ranking 3rd in the nation for gh3 was awesome and fun since it was skill PLUS showmanship. I also got to represent team USA for Guitar Hero in the Pan American Championships last year which was a great opportunity and also led to me winning 1st place in the Rock Band tournament that was held there as well.

TNG: What do you enjoy most about competing?

Ciji: The hype from people cheering me on in SF4. It’s such an awesome feeling when I beat someone and everyone cheers and high fives me, it’s something that I never experienced before playing Guitar Hero competitively.

TNG: What’s the most challenging aspect of your career?

Ciji: Trying to prove that the stereotype of female gamers is not true.

TNG: Being the top female ranking player, how much time, per week, do you spend playing Guitar Hero?

Ciji: I hardly ever touch that game anymore so maybe 2 hours a week tops.

TNG: Which Guitar Hero song is the most challenging for you and which one do you always kick ass playing?

Ciji: All four Dragonforce songs are pretty hard just because I’m not consistant in them and that bugs me. I love playing Muse songs or any hardcore songs in gh… The songs I can headbang to while playing are always my favorite and the ones I do best at.

TNG: Who is your favorite fighter in Street Fighter IV?

Ciji: I love Sagat but I play as E. Honda.

TNG: Have any of your experiences on The Tester or at WCG made you a better gamer?

Ciji: The Tester had nothing to do with gaming so no. WCG Ultimate Gamer made me want to get back into playing all games again and for the past year and a half

TNG: Where would you like to see yourself go in the Video games industry? Do you want to create games, or just play games?

Ciji: I’d like to own my own company one day specializing either in marketing or pro gaming peripherals/ accessories. Either that or if possible I’d like to one day make my own rhythm game, but that would take a while.

To read the rest of this interview click HERE

Kristen goes to the casting of WCG’s Ultimate gamer 2. She interview’s Ciji a contestant of last year.
Excuse the microphone pops.

if you missed the first season, check out Season 1 on Hulu!
http://www.hulu.com/wcg-ultimate-gamer

thebitbag.com
gamemeetsgirl.com

Ciji “StarSlay3r” Thornton talks about starting out as a Pro, possibly moving to NYC, girls problems in gaming, and her future goals as a Pro Gamer. Our own Rivington B. Bisland III does the interview at the Gunnar Optiks booth inside PAX East.



To watch this video and more check out Noobtube.tv

GALAXY4GAMERS.COM UNVEILS GROUNDBREAKING
“BEAT-A-PRO” PLATFORM

Partnership with Empire Arcadia Creates a New Revenue Vehicle for Pro-Gamers

Los Angeles, CA – Competitive video gaming and social network site, Galaxy4Gamers (G4G)
announces its launch of their latest product offering, Beat-A-Pro. The first-ever platform of its kind,
Beat-A-Pro is a unique program where gamers can line up and challenge world famous gamers, like
Alex “CaliPower” Valle from LevelUp, Justin “Marvelous” Wong, Robert “Prod1gyX” Paz and Ciji
“StarSlay3r” Thornton each week on G4G.

“We are taking professional gaming to a whole new level by integrating a virtual arcade, progressive
jackpots and live-streaming with playback into one slick interface,” says Chris Doe, G4G CEO. “This
platform gives pro-gamers a viable way to make money from their skills, and gives up-and-coming
gamers a chance to make their mark by competing against the best. If you’re looking to take your video
game skills to the next level, this is the place to build your resume, gain serious fame and recognition
and train against the greatest! Plus, anyone can watch the live video stream, and gamers can build
their fan-base.”

Beat-A-Pro is available to the world on March 8, 2010. Gamers can relive the good old arcade days and
play a variety of titles each week against world-renowned cyberathletes, including three of Empire
Arcadia’s famous pro-gamers, and win fame, glory and cold-hard-cash. Current gaming genres offered
are Fighting and Music on the most popular consoles, G4G will be launching several more genres
including FirstPersonShooter and Sports titles in the next month. Instant recognition, fame and huge
jackpots await anyone who can beat the best of the best at their respective game.

“Pro Gaming continues to develop each year, and as a development company for Digital Competitive
Entertainment, Empire Arcadia is proud to lend its hand to the evolution of professional gaming,” says
Triforce, Empire Arcadia CEO and Founder. “G4G has created an innovative platform using a unique
technology for some of Empire Arcadia’s most prolific gamers to compete against other gamers from all
over the world.”

BEAT-A-PRO RULES:
• EntryFee is $10
• Progressive Jackpot with a minimum jackpot of $50
• First come first serve
• Must have fast internet connection (3 bar minimum on XBOXLive)
• Once it is your turn, you have 3 minutes to respond after the Pro says they are ready to play
• Spot will be forfeited if you are not available to play when it is your turn
• All games will be streamed live and saved onto G4G for playback at anytime
2/2

SCHEDULE: Monday thru Thursday (each week) @ 8pm -10pm PST
MONDAY
• Guitar Hero 5 – Robert “Prod1gyX” Pazz
TUESDAY
• Street Fighter 4 – Alex “CaliPower” Valle
• Guitar Hero – Ciji “StarSlay3r” Thornton
WEDNESDAY
• Street Fighter 4 – Justin “Marvelous” Wong
THURSDAY
• Coming Soon. More games & more professional gamers.
For more details about Beat-A-Pro, please visit www.galaxy4gamers.com/G4G-BEAT_A_PRO

About G4G:
Galaxy4Gamers.com (G4G) is a competitive video gaming and social network site for avid gamers,
featuring a wide variety of jackpot tournaments and one vs. one challenges on all the hottest gaming
titles using the most popular consoles – PS3, Xbox360 and Wii. G4G is the only competitive video
gaming site to allow live streaming and play back for all users and events. G4G offers gamers a robust
platform to showcase their skills, win money and gain respect. G4G boasts an array of features
including an automated result verification system, a secure banking portal, a custom player rating
system, clan gaming options, sponsored tournaments, 24 hour customer service, prompt withdrawal
services, immediate gaming dispute resolution services, advanced chat, message and mail
functionality. For more information, please visit www.galaxy4gamers.com.

About Empire Arcadia:
Empire Arcadia Inc. (“Empire” or “EMP”) is the most diverse, versatile and laudable development
company for Digital Competitive Entertainment through its gamers, in the world. With expertise in over
1000 successful events, Empire Arcadia, Inc. has earned considerable recognition amongst our peers.
We continue to build and grow as a company so that we may be able to further service the video game
industry and its communities. For more information, please visit www.EmpireArcadia.com.

About Level | Up:
Built on a fused foundation of player experience, technology, and organization, Level|Up is committed
to bringing quality mediums of gaming entertainment to the world. Level up your game and
entertainment viewing with a selection of programming that includes tutorials, product reviews,
tournaments, and special event coverage. For more information, please visit www.levelup-series.com.

It was brought to our attention that Fruzsina Eordogh (Femme Fatality) wrote up an article about how StarSlay3r was used in the recent Repomen Hunt. Here is her article from true/slant. Click here to read the article straight from the website and to leave a comment. Thank you very much Fruzsina for this very awesome write up!

Mar. 11 2010 – 3:33 pm
Famous girl gamer used in viral marketing campaign for ‘Repo Men’ movie
By FRUZSINA EORDOGH

Wired, Universal Pictures, and Lone Shark Games launched an alternate reality game combined with a manhunt. It’s connected to the upcoming March 19 release of the movie Repo Men. In the futuristic movie, characters who have received replacement organs from “the Union” fall behind on payments have to go on the run from Repo Men. In the new game, four real people have gone on the run, and it is the job of the public to find them.

via Wired.com What’s This Crazy #repomen Thing on Twitter?

Ciji Thornton (StarSlay3r) is one of the very few professional female gamers out there, and I was personally excited that she was picked to participate in this viral marketing campaign. She’s already been in two gaming reality shows and proven her acting chops, so if anything, this will only further her career…. and maybe get her an acting gig? It’s all about the connections, lady. Ciji’s got that punk rocker/”guitar hero” look (complete with tattoos) that works well with zombie movies, futuristic post-apocalyptic flicks, and if any studio wants to make a film revolving around video games, she is a natural shoo-in. And acting wouldn’t necessarily prevent her from gaming….

StarSlay3r on her website:

“I did this for the opportunity to take a break from my normal life. I’m hoping to meet new people, experience new things, and experience life on the run to the fullest extent. I’m going to be keeping a notebook with me at all times so that I can log everything that happens so that I can share my story upon my return. I hope the fact that I have a decent size fan base will help me to make it the full 30 days by having them tweet misdirecting information, planting moles in the repo men chat rooms and leaving messages to warn me when the repomen are getting close to figuring out my location. I’m very thankful that I was one of the 4 chosen out of hundreds of applicants and I can’t wait to start my adventure!”

Sadly, after having been on the run since February 25, Ciji’s journey ended yesterday. Ms. Thornton was caught at a skating rink by Geneva Conventional who is now $15,000 richer, thanks to grabbing not just Ciji, but another runner named Usman Akeju. (Woah, this viral marketing campaign is giving out money!?) Ciji’s capture is disappointing for a couple of reasons:

One, Ciji cannot win seven grand now that she has been captured, and we know she has a daughter back in Michigan. Cue the Les Miserables song “Castle on a Cloud”…. j/k!

Second, the clue that led Geneva Conventional to the skating rink to capture these two, was just for Usman Akeju who had an “assignment” there. It appears that Ciji was just tagging along. That sucks. That’s what you get for being friendly, Ciji!

And… for those of you who want to get involved in the manhunt and win some money before the movie comes out, go here to enroll, …..and here is a more in depth post by the Alternate Reality Gaming Network about Ciji’s capture (including links to podcasts and the video of Geneva Conventional talking about her experience).

StarSlay3r made her debut in the Netherlands and Belgium via this months issue of CHIEF magazine. CHIEF magazine is a paper press gaming magazine published in Belgium and the Netherlands (Europe) on a monthly basis. StarSlay3r is featured in the November issue #27 and her interview can be found on page 80 and 81 in the Pro Gamer section. StarSlay3r now joins the list of pro gamers interviewed by CHIEF magazine along side Todd Rogers, TriForce Johnson, Jonathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel, Manuel “Grubby” Schenkhuizen and Tom “Tsquared” Taylor and would like to extend her gratitude to Stijn Bolle for taking the time to interview her.

The interview is completely in Dutch but luckily we have a copy of the original questionnaire which includes some bonus Q&A’s for you guys! Enjoy!

CHIEF:  At first sight, people could think you only recently hopped the wagon of eSports, but you’ve been at it for more than ten years. How did you first get into gaming and what kept you interested after all these years?

StarSlay3r: I first got into gaming competitively for fun but then I learned about people like Fatal1ty. I knew that I loved gaming and had fun at competitions that were local, but when I heard that a kid is making THOUSANDS of dollars winning tournaments it made me stop and think… ‘You’re telling me this could be my career?’ and that’s something I’ve always thought would be great to pursue even though it seemed pretty impossible to do back then. About three years ago I started placing well in tournaments and started to gain attention and that’s when I realized that I was on the right track to actually making what seemed like a foolish childhood dream actually come true. I was happy to see that years of hard work spent practicing were actually paying off and I was slowly starting to get attention from the gaming community as well as respect from the already well known pro gamers.

CHIEF: A lot of players seem interchangeable in their appearance, but playing Guitar Hero and Rock Band, your look, complete with piercings, tattoos and a matching outfit, really makes you seem a part of the game. Do you consider it a complete lifestyle rather than a hobby you happen to be exceptionally good at?

StarSlay3r: I’ve always been a more alternative style type of person but this was the first time where my look actually worked well with a game that I was playing. I already had the bright red hair the tattoos and the piercings and when competing in Guitar Hero tournaments participants started to tell me how similar I looked to a character in the game named “Judy Nails”. After realizing that many people started giving me the nick name of “Judy Nails” at tournaments I decided to roll with it and start cosplaying as her at tournaments for fun and it worked out extremely well. People were drawn in by my appearance but stayed interested when they learned that I was more than just a cosplayer, I was actually placing in tournaments as well. While cosplaying as Judy was fun, I have always had this type of style and just want people to know that when I dress up at events that’s just me being me… not Judy.

CHIEF:  You participated in WCG Ultimate Gamer, where gaming was mixed with emotional setups and drama like an authentic reality show. How do you feel about the whole experience afterward? Do you think it’s the future of how games can become entertaining for a larger audience?

StarSlay3r: I liked the concept of WCG Ultimate Gamer, although I don’t think the drama was really helpful toward showing the world what gaming is all about. Unfortunately drama is something that most reality shows need to keep audiences interested, however I think a reality show based on following 12 gamers as they practice all year long for the WCG championships, following them around the US as they compete in local tournaments all the way up to National Finals would be something that would more accurately portray what it’s like to be a professional gamer and would in the end help to boost awareness of how hard we work as well, although I’m not exactly sure how interested the world would be in watching 12 gamers stare at tv’s all day long.

CHIEF: In July, you wrote a long post on your blog about the state of professional gaming. What are the gripes with eSports you care most about?

StarSlay3r: I think right now some of my biggest upsets with the gaming industry include things like Pro gamers that are signed to teams belittling your average player which discourages many people from trying harder to be better. The fact that there aren’t enough major tournament/ leagues around these days is something that bothers me as well. WSVG and CGS are just two of the major tournaments that have come and gone that were a step in the right direction having salaried players on teams, televised matches and so on. I am pretty disappointed to see how few tournaments there were this year on a large scale. Also the amount that gamers are winning in console tournaments is so low compared to pc tournaments. When Fatal1ty wins $250k in a Painkiller tournament and players come from all over the world to enter EVO or Devastation for just a couple grand max. it’s disappointing to see that when Xbox is today’s major way to game, we don’t really get much for our hard work and high placement.

CHIEF: With television appearances, more than 1,000 followers on Twitter and your popular website, you have become one of the first, true, female celebrities. In what way did it change your life?

StarSlay3r: I’m just happy that I have so many supporters. I have received MANY inspiring emails and messages through Xbox and myspace and such from people that make me pretty happy and tell me I’m doing the right thing in the gaming world. WCG Ultimate Gamer was a great way to help connect me with some of the most awesome people I’ve ever met in my life and I’m happy that I had that opportunity to be a part of peoples lives in one way or another, whether I physically helped them to accomplish a goal or was just inspiring them to pick up a game or enter a tournament from them watching me on tv or online. For the most part, I’m pretty much the same person I was before the tv show and before I was recognized in the gaming community, I just look at it as I have more friends to play games with now, and that’s something I’m really thankful for.

CHIEF: There was a downside to your popularity, as you were often harassed on Xbox Live and had to start blocking people. What kind of messages did you receive?

StarSlay3r: Over 600 thousand people saw WCG Ultimate Gamer and I understand not all of those people are going to love me. Because of the fact that for many of those people Ultimate Gamer was their first time ever seeing or hearing about me, they thought that everything they saw about me on the show was 100% how I am at all times. People have a hard time realizing that reality tv is edited to portray people in a certain light, so I got some messages from people who think I made some poor decisions on the show and did not like how things went down between myself, Geoff, Dante and Mark from the show. Sometimes I’d get messages saying that I made that I was stupid for doing something, and sometimes I’d just get straight up hate mail from people saying that I wasn’t a true gamer, I was just some actress hired to be on the show or that I had no real skill in the games I played on the show and was told to “go back to guitar hero”. It’s something I knew I’d have to deal with when the show came out, but I wasn’t quite as prepared for what I had in store as I thought I would be. Since I’m easily accessible on myspace, facebook, aim, raptr and I’ve attended many gaming events, I’ve had the chance to meet a lot of people who watched the show and they’ve changed their opinion of me. I’m sure things like this have happened to all people on reality shows, and its just something that people need time to get over. Gamers are probably some of the most judgmental people I’ve ever met, and it’s just a part of being in the spotlight.

CHIEF: While having regular sponsors such as Tritton Technologies, you also have some such as Coffin Case which would otherwise be reserved for real rock stars. Do you feel the popularity of music games is changing the music industry and the way people want to experience music?

StarSlay3r: I think that Rock Band and Guitar Hero were two of the greatest things that could have ever happened to the music industry honestly. On top of increasing peoples awareness about amazing bands, those games are the best way for you to sort or live the rockstar life but without all of the stress! It’s so fun to hop up on stage and full combo a metallica song for example, and have people stand up and applaud. I’ve been told that watching a good showmanship tournament for guitar hero is just as fun to some people as actually going to a concert. Great music, people rocking out on stage and not just doing it just to hit the buttons… but sliding around the stage and headbanging because they honestly just enjoy the game… it’s definitely one of the things I love the most about gaming and the main reason why I clung onto the rhythm game genre for so long.

CHIEF:  Do you play music yourself and what kind of bands and genres are you interested in?

StarSlay3r: I’m still learning how to play guitar and drums in the real world but it’s definitely a lot more difficult than it is playing Guitar Hero. I played the electronic keyboard for a long time but stopped playing a few years back. I really think that having a musical background is something that helps when trying to master the rhythm game genre. When it comes to what type of music I like, I love industrial, techno, Jrock, metal and hard rock so bands like The Gazette, Rammstein, Metallica, Celldweller and Combichrist to name a few. Basically if I can mosh or dance to it, it’s probably something I’d enjoy listening to.

CHIEF: Are you able to make a living out of professional gaming or do you have another job that takes precedence?

StarSlay3r: I used to test games for a living, checking for software glitches and errors. My job title was “sprinter” meaning I had to check for bugs while beating the game on the hardest difficulty as fast as possible. While I loved testing games, unfortunately the demand for these positions has dropped and I now have the opportunity to focus all of my time on gaming. I decided about a month ago that I would go full force into gaming and train as hard as possible to make this something I do for a living and not as much something I do when I’m not working. Gaming is my life, and something I enjoy doing very much… I’m just hoping I can find a way to make “pro gaming” my actual 9-5.

CHIEF: You also work as an actress, host and model. Could you talk about the kind of projects you have been involved with because of your notability in gaming?

StarSlay3r: Most of the acting that I did in the past was actually before I was known as “StarSlay3r”. I used to be very camera shy but once I started being taped for my Guitar Hero performances I started to loosen up a bit and I was asked to interview some people at the Guitar Hero 3 launch party with Rob, the host of Coin-Op TV. After we shot that footage he kept in touch and asked me to come back to his show a few other times both as a guest, IM girl and just to talk to the fans of the show. Since then I have been in commercials for Tritton, was on the tv show Ultimate Gamer and most recently just shot a short trailer with No Mercy Video called “Killer Game” which was definitely the most fun roles I have had to date! On the side I do some clothing and product modeling for companies like BusyGamer.com, J!NX clothing, Playstation and more. I’ve been really lucky that companies like these have look at my gaming history and thought of me when looking for people to promote their products.

CHIEF: Games such as Guitar Hero often are reproached for not offering creativity or variety in playing style. How would you respond to that?

StarSlay3r: Rhythm games are a special genre that really should only be compared to each other and not games from other genres. Games like Street Fighter for example do promote creativity and you notice everyone has their own play style which is great, but games like Guitar Hero are more about consistency, accuracy, and being able to perform well under pressure. I can, however, say this… while competitively playing Guitar Hero doesn’t really offer much creativity, the game does have the music creator feature which makes up for everything. Basically with the music studio users can create their own music by laying down their own bass, guitar, drum and keyboard track and this is the area where the user can show exactly how creative they are.

CHIEF: You’re into games, comics, anime … making you the dream girl of many gamers, but I read that some of your boyfriends actually complained that you were just too involved with games. Is that really true?

StarSlay3r: Yes, unfortunately. Trying to be a professional gamer and having some sort of relationship at the same time is something that is pretty hard to do. With all of the time I spent working then coming home and sitting in front of the tv for hours practicing Guitar Hero or rock band, competing in tournaments online and offline and leaving town for events… it puts a lot of stress on a relationship. There were many times when the question “want to go watch a movie?” was asked and I’d have to reply “I’m practicing for WCG” or “I’m studying star paths” would come out and it really just upset people who didn’t understand how important events like that are. I think as gaming becomes more mainstream it will be something that is more acceptable to people and more of an understandable excuse for not going out to a party or movie.

CHIEF: You’re interested in racing cars in real life too. Are you aiming for a professional career there as well?

StarSlay3r: Oh how I wish I could! I’ve learned a lot from racing cars for years at local speedways and drag strips but there’s a limit to how much experience I can get. I’ve wanted to be that person doing the stunts and professional racing in movies like “Fast and Furious” but unfortunately the classes that I’d have to take to be qualified to do that are about $2,500 for 3 days of training. While this is something I’d really love to pursue, it’s something that has sat on the back burner for a while now due to how expensive it is.

CHIEF: It seems the time is over players could just specialize in one game and keep at it. How do you feel about adapting to all different kinds of genres all the time to get to keep competing at different events?

StarSlay3r: I’m glad you asked this! I get asked the question “Why don’t you just stick to Guitar Hero if you’re so good at it?” a lot and I have to try to explain to people how games are like fads now that come and go. Basically games like StarCraft, Quake and DotA are what I call “safe” games… meaning if you play this game and you’re pro at it you don’t need to worry because these games are going to be around the competitive scene forever. Games like Guitar Hero, Rock Band and Street Fighter are “fad” games meaning you’ll find lots of tournaments for them now, but next year they will probably seem non existent in the competitive scene. I find that by playing all games I never run out of competitions to keep me busy. Guitar Hero tournaments are so hard to find these days and I find tournaments for Street Fighter everywhere along with Need for Speed: Shift and Tekken 6. By playing all games I’m ensuring I’m always at every tournament and every gaming event that comes up and always competing, not just watching people from the sidelines wishing I there was a tournament for MY game going on. I’m just not the type of person to sit at home practicing all year for one tournament… it’s just not my thing.

CHIEF: Could you tell about the type of charities you are involved with? In what way do you try to use gaming to make a difference?

StarSlay3r: I have helped charities like the Autism Society of America, breast cancer research, To Write Love On Her Arms and Starlight in the past. I have a soft spot for kids and hate to see them suffer so I spend a majority of my time helping charities that focus on helping terminally ill children such as Starlight and Child’s Play and I especially love those charities because they’re backed up by a lot of gamers and gaming companies which is where I fit in. I try to use my popularity in the gaming world to help increase awareness of these charities and help raise funds for them to get games in the hospitals for children to ease their suffering and make the trips to the hospital for surgery a bit less scary. My next charity event is called The Rock-A-Thon where I will team up with 11 other gamers and play Rock Band for 3 days straight in an attempt to raise money for Child’s Play while also setting a new world record at the same time. (therockathon.com)

CHIEF: Professional gaming events sometimes still carry the stigma of having some socially awkward players. How would you describe the atmosphere and the people you get to meet?

StarSlay3r: While I have met my fair share of socially awkward players I am noticing that this stigma is a lot less common today then it used to be. There’s a lot more players that are just the average girl/guy next door that just trains hard on games and went from competing at joe’s house on the weekends to entering events like MLG and not as many of the basement dwellers that never leave the house except to enter CPL or QuakeCon. One thing that I’ve noticed is that since the release of games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band people have learned to crawl out of their shell and have fun playing games and in front of huge crowds too, so this has helped to reduce peoples anxiety and helped gamers to become a lot more talkative and friendly at events and I have met some of the coolest people I’ve ever known while at gaming events.

CHIEF:  How often do you practice and isn’t it a somewhat lonesome, solitary experience to have to spend so much time on it?

StarSlay3r: I usually practice about 5-10 games at a time and put in a good 40-60 hours a week of practicing these games. Practicing rhythm games which depend on accuracy and consistancy is probably the only lonesome experience when it comes to gaming since all other games rely on me practicing with other players to get better, I can never be lonely. I used to spend all of my time practicing guitar hero while locked in my room with a video camera and star path print outs which was really bad for my social life and super stressful, but now that I’m back to practicing all games it’s a lot more fun. I spend a good 5-8 hours every week at a local arcade practicing Street Fighter 4, Tekken 6 and BlazBlue with the best players and I have formed some great friendships with these people as well. Also, ever since Ultimate Gamer came out my friends list is full and I get game requests daily from fans which keeps me busy at home with practice while meeting new people at the same time.


CHIEF: What kind of games are you practicing right now and what kind of events, tournament and promotions are you looking forward to?

StarSlay3r: Right now I’m practicing Street Fighter 4, Tekken 6, BlazBlue, a little bit of Guitar Hero: Smash Hits and GH5, Rock Band 2, Need for Speed: Shift and Virtua Fighter 5. I’m looking forward to DJ Hero’s release (and of course I’ll be competing on this game as well!), Ultimate Gamer: Season 2, EVO 2010, and the event I’m most looking forward to is the Rock-A-Thon this November. I have never done an event quite like this and I’m looking forward to rocking out for a great cause.

Energizer and Rock Band are looking for the Rock Band band that has the fan power and personality to power through a long lasting performance live from the MTV Store in Times Square. StarSlay3r, Prod1gy X, Sam Cohn and Corey Schon heard about this competition and decided to form the Ultimate Rock Band 2 team full of the best Rock Band 2 players in the nation and have dubbed this band… EMPIRE ROCKADIA.

Fans are encouraged to join the bands fan page by going to http://www.RockBand.com/Energizer and following the links to add the application to their facebook page and selecting that they are a fan of the band EMPIRE ROCKADIA but don’t delay! The Rock Band 2 contest ends in just a couple weeks and EMPIRE ROCKADIA needs as many fans as possible before the contest ends if they want to perform for 20 hours straight in Times Square, so become a fan today!

The final day of the Pan American Championships was the day that StarSlay3r finally got some free time to do some interviews with the press. The following interview was done with Tico Gamers from Costa Rica and was posted on TicoGamers.com early this morning.

Escrito por K£¥RÖ
Miércoles 16 de Septiembre de 2009 10:31
Aunque el Pan American Championship 2009 termino, TG sigue con su cobertura post-evento con videos tanto del evento, juegos de GH WT y por supuesto las entrevistas a los mejores jugadores de América.

English translation:
Written by Keyro
September 16th 2009 10:31
Although the 2009 Pan American Championship is finished, TG continues with its post-event coverage with many videos of the event, GH:WT matches and of course interviews with the better players of America.



To learn more about Tico Gamers and for more coverage of the WCG Pan American Championships visit their official website

StarSlay3r is confirmed as a competitor on this years Team USA for Guitar Hero: World Tour for the Pan American Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico. StarSlay3r is the first female in the history of WCG to represent the US for Guitar Hero and after hearing the news Girl Gamer posted an article about StarSlay3r’s gaming history and her position on the team. StarSlay3r will be competing in Mexico with two other members from WCG Ultimate Gamer; Mark “AppleSauce” Smith and Robert “Prod1gy X” Paz who will be competing on USA’s Halo 3 team.

Small excerpt from the article:

Best of luck to Ciji “StarSlay3r” Thornton and we will be rooting for her as she does team USA proud at the Guitar Hero Pan American Championship. And to all you gamers out there young or old, pro or not, remember this:
It doesn’t matter what gender you are, a gamer is a gamer and Ciji is a perfect example of the best rising to dominate the top.

READ MORE>>

A special thank you goes out to GirlGamer.com