“Hello, World!”

Videogames are fascinating. They share similarities with other avenues of entertainment, like books and movies. These other mediums can be broken down into genres and largely serve as commentary or a manner of escapism. However, videogames have something unique. The player gets to interject their will into what they are experiencing. I find that this creates a deeper connection between the creators and the audience as the audience has an active role in exploring the artform. This is the novelty of videogames. You and I get a say in how the plot unfolds and I think that is excellent. This freedom of expression keeps me coming back for more and something I intend to highlight on this section of the site.

I want to use this platform to document my thoughts on all things videogames. Some months, I plan to play a select few games from a genre I am interested in. Other months, I will opine on unsettling trends in the gaming industry or anti-consumer practices from PC part manufacturers. My mission with this section is to provide you, the reader, with insight regarding genres that perhaps you wish to check out, or to keep you informed about exploitative practices in the gaming space. While these are noble goals, the other reason I am embarking on this mission is to defeat my videogame backlog this year. I hope these posts will encourage me to venture into new genres and help me reflect on the experiences. My favorite videogame connoisseur, Videogamedunkey, stated “a critic’s power lies in the consistency of their voice”. While I’m not a professional gaming critic, I do believe that consistency and principles are so important in every aspect of life, not just for sharing opinions on videogames. I will do my absolute best to keep this in mind.

I have played a lot of games in my time on this planet. I started out with Nintendo handhelds and home consoles (Gameboy Advance, N64), had some childhood run-ins with PC gaming (back when PC games were actually on a disk and Windows XP was in town), got exposed to the Xbox ecosystem in high school, gravitated towards gaming laptops in college, and eventually built PCs myself. I point this out to say that I’ve gone on quite the journey already. And yet, I still have so much more to explore in this space. Videogames are a form of escapism for me. They present a break from the constant stress of the real-world (yes, Political Discourse section, I’m looking at you). Even though games can be stressful too, I resonate with overcoming challenges and demonstrating mastery. I am looking forward to synthesizing my new experiences in gaming and share that with folks who may be looking for that next game to play, or a genre to jump into.

I hope that you will join me next month as I reflect on the most recent Spiderman games. With the release of Spiderman 2 on PC imminent, I have been finishing up the original Spiderman PC port and Spiderman: Miles Morales in anticipation. Until then!