Making his name known from behind the wheels, NNCxSam

Van is the most successful e-Sports racing gamer in Vietnam with big achievements.

Favorite gears : Logitech G27 Racing Wheel

Achievements : 

• 2^nd@ Asian Indoor Games III (NFS Most Wanted)
• 1^st @ 2009 Viet Esports Championship (NFS Most Wanted)
• 1^st @ 2010 EPL Champions League (NFS Shift)

RGN Exclusive interview.

RGN: Racing games is a rare genre for competitive gaming. When did you start playing racing games? And why do you stick to this genre?

NNCxSam:

I started playing in 2006 and ever since then I have been playing almost only racing games. I’m fond of this genre because of my passion for motorsports; plus there were so many of my friends playing online and there were a bunch of tournaments back then.

RGN: Why did you choose Need for Speed (NFS) series over other racing titles?

NNCxSam:

Almost right after the moment I read an article about NFS Most Wanted on PCWorld magazine, I went out to buy a copy of the game and installed it on my “sluggish rig”. My first experience of the game is that it was so awesome, and I think this “first experience” is so important that it plotted my future with NFS.

RGN: Arcade racing or simulation racing, which one do you prefer?

NNCxSam:

Both are equal. Simulation games are decent to be used at esports tournaments, as this genre requires more skills. But arcade racing is good to play online for fun.

In fact, arcade racing genre is popular and it helps building up a large e-racing community thanks to its simple gameplay. This genre is very easy to play and neither experience nor advanced controller is required. Conversely, in simulation titles, it’s hard to master a car without a steering wheel and experience, and if you don’t have these, you will be despondent very soon.

RGN: What was your first tournament? And what do you think about your achievement (if any) in that tournament?

NNCxSam:

It was BKIT 2007. This tournament was held by Polytechnic University of HCMC in celebration of the foundation of the university’s Informatics Technology department. I fluttered so much and almost dropped my gamepad despite the fact that my opponent in the final match was… my blood brother. Finishing second, I think, is a good result for my first competition.

RGN: What do you think is the most memorable leap in your gaming career?

NNCxSam:

I think it was the moment I received a silver medal in Asian Indoor Games III, my first international tournament.

Also, there was a “leap” that I cannot forget - the time I began using a racing wheel (Logitech MOMO Racing) instead of gamepads. After only three days getting used to the wheel, I beat almost every NFS Most Wanted lap-time record in Vietnam. The time interval was so short that I was suspected for cheating by Vietnamese racing-gamers at that time.

RGN: Does gaming affect your life much?

NNCxSam:

In different times, gaming affects my life in different amounts. But now, I’m totally in good control of it.

RGN: Would you give us any suggestion on how to enhance racing skill?

NNCxSam:

Training with skilled players is top priority as training is the key of everything; if you want to be good, you have to train hard.

Besides, you should to watch lap-record videos, replays from skilled players as many as possible, so that you can learn the best racing line. This can help you save your time finding best racing lines in game.

Taking part in forums dedicated to racing games is also recommended, as you may learn much from there. For Vietnamese-speaking players, Vietnam Racing Zone is such a place.

RGN: Will you become a real race driver if there is an opportunity?

NNCxSam:

I really haven’t thought about this, but if there is an opportunity I will try my best, who know what will happen in the future? But I’m sure about one thing, there will be no “restart button” to use when I mess things up in real life. Haha.

RGN: What clan/team do you play for at the moment? What do you plan for your future of gaming?

NNCxSam:

I’m now playing for NNC esports-racing, a fairly new team consisting of only three members: AR47, Shy and me.

My plan for the coming time is to get familiar with all racing tracks in SHIFT 2 Unleashed, the most recent NFS title.

RGN: Thank you for this interview, we wish you the best for your future gaming competitions.