Game Diary: Why?

I can count the number of regular readers of this blog (that I know of) on one hand. I'm lucky if somebody looks at it for more than one minute. Many of the reviews that I spend quite some time writing don't get read by anyone. Why then, do I keep on going? What's the point? Well, the answer is really that I'm doing this for myself. My love of gaming extends far beyond just playing through a game, setting it aside and forgetting about it - it also involves soaking up every bit of gaming culture I can find, be it in print or online form, as an audio podcast or a video. I also quite enjoy writing, though I think I lack the skills (and discipline) to ever get through writing a novel. For as long as I can remember I've written game reviews, way before the Internet was part of our daily lives, and ultimately I do this for one person - myself. When I play really good game, I want to crystallise my thoughts in to something substantial, so that it becomes firmly embedded in my memory and I have something to go back to and reread myself later.

That's not to say that I don't get jaded sometimes. This site is a labour of love and it's a shame it doesn't attract a bigger audience. I have been doing this to try and change this and they are starting to have a small effect. Of course what I would really love to be doing is working for a gaming magazine or web site - a way to combine what I love doing in my spare time with my job, but that may be something of a pipe dream at this point. In the meantime I will continue to post new articles, and work on the print archive of the RPG reviews that I've written over the years. This project is currently on hold until I have some cash to buy a copy of InDesign and some training to learn how to use it, as I would rather make something that looks nice than try and rush it.

On to other things now. I have completed the first part of the Shadow Hearts trilogy (for the second time) and am ready to start the second. Not sure if there will be enough time to finish it before Dragon Age 2 arrives though, as I hear it's a much bigger game this time around. I also spent a few hours playing some Resident Evil 5 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. I initially wasn't blown away by either of these, but now I've taken some time to get to grips with them I think they're both really great games. Finally, I've reordered copies of Pilotwings Resort and Super Street Fighter IV 3D for the 3DS. I really can't wait for the launch date to arrive now, it's going to be amazing. I might also pick up Super Monkey Ball 3D and Ridge Racer 3D depending on how they score in early reviews. I'll post again in a few days with my Tales of Vesperia review, so catch you then.

Part 1 of the amazing Shadow Hearts: Coventant intro



Part 2 of the amazing Shadow Hearts: Coventant intro