Category: Real Life

It’s that time of year again, when Beckett MOG hosts their Readers Choice Awards. I’d really appreciate and love it if everyone went over and cast their vote for the survey, I realize there are a few glitches within the survey at the moment, they’re being ironed out by my Editor Doug (I didn’t have anything to do with creating the survey, but I was asked to promote it). So please head over to the site and complete the survey for your favorite games of 2009! The results will be posted in our next issue of Beckett MOG, which is due to hit shelves mid March.

Click here to head to the survey.

Thanks!

Just a very quick post that I’m post dating to the 9th (even though today is the 15th) because I saw I had a blank spot on the calendar. Sneaky? Sure maybe but it’s my site so that’s what I get to do!

2009 was pretty impressive for me personally, especially in relation to work and games (since my work relates directly to games). Despite the fact that I spent a good 7 months of it sick and bedridden, I still think it was an alright year. I’m hoping that 2010 will be even more impressive. Here are a few things that really stand out in my mind about 2009, and memories that I’ll never forget.

– February 2009, I was informed that I would be heading to San Diego for a day to interview the good folks at SOE. I had about two weeks to prepare for the trip, including getting my passport, and it was probably the most hectic thing I’ve ever done in my entire life. It included 1 day flying, 1 day interviewing, and 1 day flying home (I do live on the other side of NA after all). It was also the most amazing thing I’ve ever done (to date). It was a very surreal experience to speak with developers of EQ, EQ2, and Vanguard, and I received an exceptionally warm welcome by the EQ2 community team. As my first ‘on site’ interview, it was not something I will ever forget.

– Sadly I caught the midori virus while I was there *snickers* and it stuck with me for a few months. I went through some pretty painful health issues, and it lasted until October. Not a happy camper, I had great support from my friends, and did my best, continued my work for Beckett although most of that was from my bed.

– Fall 2009 I received an unexpected phone call from Eric Bloom of Blue Oyster Cult. He was playing wizard 101, and wanted some game tips, and I learned about what a huge gamer he is. He talked about all sorts of things from World of Warcraft, EQ2, Wizard 101, and I have to admit one of the funniest comments from him was ‘I don’t have to explain to you who I am, right?’ when he was talking about how some times he lacked time to game, due to other press obligations. It was neat to finally realize that hey, everyone plays video games.

– Year long I continued to grow in terms of work, I went from writing 1-3 articles per issue to writing 6-7 on a steady basis. I also got a promotion, and now handle web news and all of my own PR when it comes to the games I cover. I think I’ve learned a lot, and still have a long way to go. I managed to make a blog post almost every single day on MmoQuests.com which is something I’m really happy about.

I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’ve learned even more about MMOs and even about players. I’ve met a wonderful community that I continue to hold close to me (granted I can’t really hold anyone close on Twitter) and I like that I managed to keep my values and morals in tact when it comes to writing about video games. I’ve kept a (mostly) positive attitude in everything I write, and I hope to continue that through 2010, whether it’s boring or not, it’s who I am.

I’m excited about what 2010 will bring, and I hope everyone else is too!

Happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself.

I was running out of ideas on what to post this morning (it’s been “one of those” weeks) – and didn’t want to break the three year streak of posting on a daily basis, so thankfully Calthine over on twitter suggested I ‘blog about too many choices in MMOs’. Something I hadn’t really thought of a whole lot.

As much as I love to game (and trust me, I game a lot) there comes a time when I really don’t want to have to think. I don’t want a huge selection of choices on where to go and what to do. Some times I just want to pop into a game and simply play. MMOs are not exactly the type of games that offer this I’ve discovered. If I want that sort of game play (and it doesn’t happen often, but it does happen) I typically pick up a console game. RPGs offer a great selection of ‘follow the story’ where I feel as though I’m progressing, but I don’t have to worry about who I’m playing or what I’m doing.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I want LESS choice in my MMOs, I certainly don’t. I’m just saying that some times, having that much choice simply doesn’t appeal to me. Some times I have no idea who I want to play. What server I want to play on, whether I want to quest, adventure, mentor, craft, collect shinies, or any other huge selection of things in EQ2. Some days even figuring out what game to play is a chore in itself. It’s nice that there are SO many games out there, and so much selection, but in times of confusion, or when all you want is something comforting, it can create a headache.

Am I the only person who gets like this? Do we develop gaming ‘habits’ where we log into our favorite MMO with no indication of what to do and simply sit around and log off a few hours later having done nothing ‘productive’ at all out of habit? If I logged into a PC game or a console game I know with a pretty clear mind what I’m going to be doing in any particular game. Again I’m not saying it’s bad, but it makes me think even more about the different types of gaming out there, and how a lot of us are simply not satisfied with one method.

I have no idea if this is what Calthine had in mind when she offered the suggestion, but at least I got a post out of it today (grins). Happy gaming no matter where you find yourself, and I’ll see you in Norrath.