Lets keep this intro short and sharp! Here's a quick-stop interview with a few of the male and female contenders for DOA4 playing at Gamerthon next week - without further ado, in alphabetical order by game handle.

How long have you been playing DOA?

One of my brother had dead or alive 2 on the playstation 2 which I absolutely loved an pretty much played straight for 3 years before I got dead or alive ultimate where I did the same. It was only late 2006 when I took dead or alive 4 seriously. I stuck with him as my main for several reason.

Why do you choose your main character?

I originally started playing him just out of curiosity. I keep him as my main because he was and still is pretty much not understood. A lot of people do not to expect what's coming at them and he's more than decent with his good point (range, mix ups, has enough decent safe moves). I would have been a spartan player but by her being banned in WCG 2006 and CGS there was no motivation. It's also no secret that my kasumi, busa and hitomi also recently have been getting a good dusting.

Did you play other games in the series or other fighting games?

Pretty much all dead or alives other than the original and 3. Was also in the competetive since with tekken 5/dr which is where I learnt the principals/basics of all fighters. The street fighter games have always been a pick up and play for me. Guilty Gear XX (slash and accent core) were the only 2d fighters that I took seriously, but there is no love for that game down under so there was no point in continue playing (shout out to various friends, ferry for being god awesome and the couch warrior guys for the competitive.. that's pretty much the scene btw haha).

Have you competed in any gaming tournaments before?

I'm competative by nature, in sporting and gaming. I get disappointed in myself if I'm not at my peak at crunch time. I've done too many tournaments to mention, most of them were with fighting games, the others are FPS.

What other games have you been playing?

I'm very busy at the moment leading up to gamerthon, with various training, work and life. I only have time to take unreal tourament 3 (less) seriously.

How do you feel you will go in the tournament?

I've got all that I need, now it's just up to the others. I think I have a good chance.

What other qualities would you bring to a pro gaming team?

Points, knowledge, personality, encouragement and model looks.

What are your hobbies/interests outside video games?

I'm a very physical person. At to moment it's my sparring, and sport (I do futsal, cycling and cross country running). Music is also something I have to mention.

How long have you been playing DOA?
Since the DOA2 arcade machine in I think 99, and played steadily since the Dreamcast version in 2000. It took over from Virtua Fighter 3 as the main fighter of choice for my friends and I (until 4 player parties with Powerstone 2).

Why do you choose your main character?

Its hard to pinpoint now but after playing it tons, her style works for me. Plus I like the lesser used types. Fang is cool and techy with unpredictable offense bouncing off a great set of defensive moves. Probably her multi-part throw got me going though, its fun to see a tiny character joint lock and shoulder ram much meaner looking characters (then taunt and say "sorry").

Did you play other games in the series or other fighting games?

Didn't get to play DOA1 much, but have played 2, 3, Ultimate, and now 4. Fighting games are my fave genre, so we go from Street Fighter 2 onwards and you can pretty much assume I've played it.

Have you competed in any gaming tournaments before?

A bunch, I've been fortunate enough to win all the major DOA tournaments I've entered, including WCG and two years at Egames Expo, but I'd be really rusty at tournament Street Fighter or Virtua Fighter ;)

What other games have you been playing?

Mass Effect has me tightly in its grip right now. It's really freaking amazing. I've been playing Virtua Fighter 5, Halo, Guitar Hero, good old Shenmue Dreamcast and some Live Arcade games like Castlevania, Hexic, Worms.

How do you feel you will go in the tournament?

I'm pretty comfortable with my play level. I'm extremely busy leading up to the event so I hope I have the chance to shake the cobwebs off. I don't assume I'll win, the odds say you just can't do it every time, so it will be a huge challenge and I hope at least a top 4 performance would be a solid effort and keep me in good standing for the team given the experience behind me.

What other qualities would you bring to a pro gaming team?

A knack for bad puns, just one of my many marketable skills. I think my strong knowledge of the game, ability to train others, passion for the game and team, while otherwise being pretty chilled, and really strong media experience. Plus I'm handy to have around if there's a zombie apocolypse. I've read the handbook.

What are your hobbies/interests outside video games?

Cramming my brain with too much pop culture, hitting music gigs, films, fair bit of cycling lately, and working hard on various writing projects in and out of the day job. Too many pies, not enough fingers!

How long have you been playing DOA?

Approx 4-5 Months

Why do you choose your main character?

James told me too! hehe jk's. She dom's. I like her mixups and pressure game. And who can resist the fashionable tassles on her sleeves!

Did you play other games in the series or other fighting games?

Not in the Doa Series - but oldschool streetfighter, tekken and mortal combat. Tops!

Have you competed in any gaming tournaments before?

Yeah. Not for DOA though. Ive been to a lot for Counter-strike Source and bingo.

(jks about the bingo :P)

What other games have you been playing?

Splinter Cell double agent, Counter-strike source, Rainbow six vegas

How do you feel you will go in the tournament?

I think I will go alright. Mz Vixen is a really good player, with a strong Helena, so anything could happen!

What other qualities would you bring to a pro gaming team?

These kind of questions really make you think hey! Im a strong team player, so I guess team spirit and motivation are a big part of the spectrum for me. A lot of people that know me, know that I like to have a joke with basically anything - so with that in mind, add humour to the list. Competitive at heart, I am always striving to improve my game in every aspect, and in turn encourage others to do the same. On a final note - passion. Gotta love it :D

What are your hobbies/interests outside video games?

Apart from video games etc, Im a keen musician, and have played piano nearly my whole life, whilst dabbling with electric guitar here and there. I also am a mad sport fan - Love everything apart from badmitton & 'extreme' Table tennis... I prefer to actually have a visual on the ball.

How long have you been playing DOA?

Months when it first came out. Then a long break while i played frozen throne competetively now i'm back into doa for the last month or so. I am no stranger to fighters however.

Why do you choose your main character?

I originally played jann lee and switched to hayate because his game suits my style perfectly. Great range, lots of tricks and awkward mix up's can make him a dangerous man.

Did you play other games in the series or other fighting games?

DOA3. Mortal kombat series, king of fighters etc.

Have you competed in any gaming tournaments before?

Yes. For Warcraft 3 frozen throne - Bluewire lan and ibisq.

What other games have you been playing?

Warcraft 3 frozen throne for PC.

How do you feel you will go in the tournament?

I feel i have the same mind to compete with the top players in the field however i also feel i lack the "hours put in" and overall "experience" to be a top contender. While i would view myself as a black horse i think i'm capable of causing big upsets - My place style is unusual.

What other qualities would you bring to a pro gaming team?

While i love my games and take them serious I think life is all about moderation and enjoying everything you do. So I feel I would be a lot of fun to have on a pro gaming team and all around pretty down to earth dude.

What are your hobbies/interests outside video games?

Guitar number 1 ! I've been a guitar teacher since 15 and between my games and guitar i do nothing else ! I also enjoy body building and movies : )

How long have you been playing DOA?

Started playing around the start of August last year.

Why do you choose your main character?

Apart from her badass personality. Ayane is very mobile, good at avoiding confrontation, good at capitalising on opponent's mistakes, mad launchers. Top tier character.

Did you play other games in the series or other fighting games?

I played tonnes of X-Men vs. Streetfighter at my local video ezy store and a lot of Marvel vs. Capcom at the other arcades, back in the day. Then later played a bit of Third Strike, where a lot of the time I used to play by myself until some randy hardcore guy puts his coins in the machine and starts romping me. My brother was great at the game though, I probably enjoyed spectating him against other players more, rather than myself getting pwned. Was never serious at playing fighters, but I enjoyed playing them a lot when I'm out.

Have you competed in any gaming tournaments before?

Yeah. I had a bit of success playing Quake2 back in the day. Later I got into CS, where I entered some lan competitions, but was never really serious at it. Not really DOA related aye? lulz.

What other games have you been playing?

Recently? CS, but not really worth mentioning. I rarely touch the game now.

How do you feel you will go in the tournament?

Quietly confident. The other top tier players have quite an edge on me in terms of experience, so I'm well aware not to get cocky. It is quite unknown how well or how miserable I will fail to be honest. But I definately am not going there to think I'm going to lose. If I play to my current ability, then top 2 for me will be a good outcome.

What other qualities would you bring to a pro gaming team?

Oriental Flavour. Definately. If you want rice I'll always be there. Haha actually, I am well aware that I am far far from a perfect player. Out of all the top players, I have much more to learn than they do and so I have the opportunity to improve my game much more rapidly than they do. If I have confidence in my game as current, then who knows how good I will be? If I get a top placing at a national level and become a pro, only great things will happen in the future. Not just for me, but also for the team in the DOA department.

By the way I wasn't joking about needing Oriental Flavour. The aurora of the hardworking asian inspires all! Name one sucessful CGS team that does not have an asian. Ha take that! Theory already proven.

What are your hobbies/interests outside video games?

Recently I've been playing quite abit of tennis casually with one of my mates when we both have free time off at the same time from work and study, so thats fun. Also recently been playing poker machines with my mum which oddly enough is fun too haha. I LOVE my fashion, if I were just like 1/10 interested in a store I will stay there literally for ages(the average girl got nothing on me) and my collection of sunnies pwnz. Yea also I like those nights where the music takes over your soul and stay up till late mornings, yea that's great. All those things are just my small interests though. Gaming > Life to be honest.

How long have you been playing DOA?

Since the 360 came out in Australia.

Why do you choose your main character?

Because she fights pretty, has some really good combos and she's not used as much as some of the others.

Did you play other games in the series or other fighting games?

Yeah. I played a lot of the mortal kombat games, street fighters and I played DOA ultimate and DOA 3.

Have you competed in any gaming tournaments before?

A couple, mostly just as a spectator though.

What other games have you been playing?

I mostly play shooters, gears of war is my main game but I love halo 3 and cod4. I have just got into rainbow six vegas 2.

I also love guitar hero.

How do you feel you will go in the tournament?

It will be interesting to see how it turns out but other than that it's all about fun!

What other qualities would you bring to a pro gaming team?

I love gaming a lot and I put a lot of effort into playing and getting better. I'm a dedicated part of the Australian girl gamer’s community and am the leader of a clan with almost 50 aussie girls now.

What are your hobbies/interests outside video games?

I'm a uni student studying to be a teacher, and i'm currently doing my prac in a grade 7 classroom so i'm so busy that i don’t get to peruse much other then gaming.

How long have you been playing DOA?

I started playing around casually with DoA2 on the DreamCast, then I bought an Xbox because of DoA3 and played that casually with EtherRain from the day I got it until DoA4 came out on the Xbox 360 (which I also bought for DoA4). And DoA4 I'm obviously still playing haha. I began playing competitively properly in DoA4. So, I've been with DoA for (wow, I just checked) about 8 years, but only playing competitively and (more so) properly for about 2 years.

Why do you choose your main character?

Initially it was the visual appeal in DoA3, I saw her on an Xbox pamplhet haha. Then I played as her and had some fun, then I actually learned how to play as her and then it became even more fun as they way I learned to use her in DoA4 is very comfortable for me. I have a natural tendency to play the way I do with her, and it seems quite effective.

Did you play other games in the series or other fighting games?

I play a few other fighters casually, like DoA3, Virtua Fighter 5, Tekken:DR, Street Fighter 3rd Strike, Garou and a few other 2D fighters I play. I messed around on the old DoA's and Virtua Fighters for a while and some of the Guilty Gear series. But those were very casual aswell.

Have you competed in any gaming tournaments before?

I've had to develop my competitive mentality, which took some time. So I only have started competitively playing games in the past few years. My first tournament was WCG06 (DoA4), since then I have entered and organised various tournaments for a few different games. Although I suppose I'm relatively new to competitive, I've taken to it very fondly and I love everything about it, I appreciate losing as much as winning, if not more so since it is so refreshing.

What other games have you been playing?

Recently, other than DoA4, only Virtua Fighter 5. And I played a little DoA3 just yesterday haha.

How do you feel you will go in the tournament?

I'm confident with how I've progressed since the last Pan Asian CGS draft in Kuala Lumpur. I was disappointed with the result, so I've decided to build myself up to be much stronger. I've taken some time to think things out abit more. Even though I do appreciate losing, it's only because I want to win. I have been playing a little with EtherRain, who is a reputable player who can compete well with many other top players, has been a very good friend to me in many respects but most relevently right now in DoA4. So, while I may have lost out on getting drafted last year, I expect alot more of myself this year.

What other qualities would you bring to a pro gaming team?

A burning desire to win, knowledge of the game and model like looks comparable to that of Andlthen, in which he is god tier.
But mostly a burning desire to win fueled by the air that I breathe, and knowledge of the game.

What are your hobbies/interests outside video games?

I'm studying musical composition, I play the drums and am learning to sing. I train in Wuhsu, and have an almost unsurpressable love for free running.