Halo Diehards Spotlight: AstoriaNate, creator and host of “The Map Show”

I first saw AstoriaNate’s “The Map Show” over at HaloCustoms.com. Within seconds my interest was piqued and it didn’t take long for me to be amused. What I particularly enjoyed was that I continued to be amused for the entire 6 minutes of the video, which impressed me. “But”, I thought to myself, “could he do it again?” Turns out AstoriaNate has got something. I am amused. I hope you are amused too. And the best part? He’s helping out other map makers by showcasing their hard work.

Please join me in getting to know more about AstoriaNate, the man behind “The Map Show”.

 

10 Questions with AstoriaNate, creator and host of “The Map Show”

the-map-show-banner
 

1. Approximately how many hours of Halo do you play a week?
 
Not nearly as much as many others, which is clear when you look at my Halo 4 rank. I’m actually playing less after having launched “The Map Show.” I feel like I’m taking a bit of a breather, because from when I started playing 4 to the time I launched the show, I was probably playing 14 hours a week, maybe? At that time I was “on hiatus” from work. That’s just fancy entertainment industry talk for unemployed, but I’m back in the workforce, so it makes it tough to find time to play.
 
 
2. How did you come up with the idea for “The Map Show?”
 
Well, I received Halo 4 as a Christmas gift. Does that technically make me a Christmas noob? I’d played CE, 2, 3, and Reach, so maybe a noob with past experience? Anyway, I was hesitant when I got 4. I like many others felt like Reach just missed the mark. I traded Reach in for $40 at GameStop, so you know I bailed on it early. I don’t think it helped that I was in a FPS funk. So I received 4, didn’t play it for a week, maybe even two, but when I did, the whole Halo Universe felt fresh again.
 
Some hate 4, but I got sucked in. The first thing that jumped out at me was the meaty sound fx. I love playing with these sweet Sony studio monitor headphones. With them on you hear EVERYTHING! I was even ok with the campaign, albeit quite hokey. Why was Cortana like a twit ogling her prom date? “Take a girl for a ride?” STFU, Cortana. I digress.
 
The idea for “The Map Show” was really a result of my unquenchable thirst for custom maps. After dabbling in forge, I started going to YouTube for some tutorials, then I found a new map here, a new map there, and for awhile it was great. Then I started to wonder what forgers who didn’t have as high a level of exposure were creating in 4. That’s when I decided to create a show especially for them to come out and brag about their latest creations. It was a purely lazy move, I wanted maps to just fall in my lap rather than having to go looking for them.
 
Professionally, I do have experience working in television, on shows that are household names, so a talk show format felt like something I could possibly pull off. Creating a studio with the late night talk show feel, host desk, guest couch, bright lights, just seemed ridiculous to me, which also made it fun, so I thought, what the hell?
 
 
3. What’s the most memorable thing that has happened while you were playing Halo on LIVE?
 
I don’t know about memorable, but the most surprising thing that happens to me on LIVE is when I find myself atop the leaderboard. I don’t know if people should blame 343, but I swear there’s something fishy going on in Halo 4, b/c I have NEVER been able to take out fellow Spartans like I have in this game. Now keep in mind, some of these feats were realized around 1p on a Wednesday on my “hiatus,” a time when, shall we say, the less than dexterous are frequenting the battlefields.
 
 
4. Have you created other Halo content?
 
This is the first, and I want to say, the most surprising thing to come of it was the incredible support I’ve received from the Halo community. I mean, there was a time when I had to wonder, “am I being mocked, or is this person being sincere?” In that case I think I was being mocked, but to this day I can’t be sure. Who uses the word “fresh” more than once in describing your show? Yeah, I stand by the verdict that he was being an asshole. Can I swear? Feel free to edit me if not.
 
I would like to specifically point out the people at HaloCustoms.com. I don’t know these people at all, and they’ve been awesome about giving feedback, and some really great constructive criticism. I guess I was expecting to have derogatory slurs flung in my direction, so it was a bit of a shock when everyone was so cool.
 
 
5. If you knew Earth were going to get glassed one year from today, what would you do with that year?
 
One year from today? It’s going to sound lame but I’m taking the fam and we’re heading to the best beach with the best surfing and the best frozen margaritas, and good mexican food, b/c what’s a margarita without a nice fat burrito? Man, now i really want a margarita.
 
 
6. What are your thoughts on – – Moa?
 
Am I being asked how I feel about the ostrich-like creatures from Reach, or the Mall of America? Incidentally, did you know the Moa is an extinct bird indigenous to New Zealand? Me neither, but Wikipedia says so, so it must be true.
 
 
7. List some people who inspire you and why.
 
I think anyone putting themselves out there attempting to be creative is inspiring. The best part about this “Map Show” thing is that I get to write and edit, and I get to create visual content I myself find interesting. This is a freedom I’ve yet to gain professionally, so in the meantime, I’ll keep doing the best I can to make the show a fun place for Halo fans to waste 6 min of their lives while at work or school.
 
 
8. How long have you been creating your Halo content and how many have you created?
 
February 2013, not very long. Right now I’m sitting on only 4 episodes with nearly 500 total views. I have guests backed up, and my procrastination is the only obstacle. My goal at the beginning of this whole thing was to see if I could get to 10 episodes before completely hating it. I have a tendency to get bored of something rather quickly, but so far I want to keep going and get that 10th episode.
 
 
9. What are your future plans for “The Map Show?”
 
Location shoot! I gotta make a studio on Forge Island. Impact is starting to feel a little dark and cold, and it cracks me up that it would be like Oprah taking her show to Miami for the week. Maybe that’s how I’ll mark the 10th episode.
 
 
10. Are you in a Halo clan? Why/why not?
 
I might be? Or maybe I was approached by one sometime during Halo 3, but I think I blew them off. I do think someone asked around that time, but I never jumped on the clan bandwagon. Halo clan, not clan clan. Those guys are dicks.
 
 
And that concludes this Halo Diehards Spotlight. I laughed, did you? Oh, and Nate: No, you cannot be a Christmas noob if you’ve played previous Halo’s.  And did you know that the Moa is one of the animals scientists are considering bringing back from extinction? I don’t know about you, but I’d try a real Moa burger! If you haven’t seen AstoriaNate’s show, now’s your chance.
 
~CHa0s

 
 

 

Lulz, that was entertaining, I want to see moar of AstoriaNate! >>
 
How about you take me to that HaloCustoms site? I haven’t checked that place out yet! >>
 
 

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