The Potential End Of My Time As A Gamer

Now, that title's a little bit of an exaggeration, but it fit the space, whereas my original title didn't.

I'm writing here on this blog because I'm trying to sort some thoughts out. I'm putting it up on the forums just so that at least one person can read it. I'm not looking for discussion, or anything like that, so please, continue lurking, or talk among yourselves, or whatever you'd like to do. I would just like to provide food for thought. For you, to look at my situation and my view on things, and how they apply to you. At one point earlier this year, I had a thousand people a day for about a week reading an article I wrote, but those days are no more. It was a nice feeling though, knowing that that many people read something I wrote, but I'm completely content with just you reading this. Anyway, onto the explanation of the overly-dramatic title.

After E3 2012, I felt this intense feeling of burnout. After Nintendo's press conference, I didn't want to play any game released this year. I was done. I looked at the games coming out in the future, including titles I loved like Halo 4, Tomb Raider, and Assassin's Creed III, and I decided that I just didn't care anymore. Since then, I haven't had the need to play any game made for my current gen consoles. However, I made a trip down to DC to the Art in Video Games exhibit, which was awesome. The line for the Flower demo made me feel all warm and toasty inside. I bought the Ultimate History of Video Games book while I was there, and have been reading it quite a bit since then. The history of this medium is just fascinating. It was so fascinating to me, I began playing a lot of older games. But as I have played, I've noticed a little something happening to me. Unless it's some sort of elaborate ruse that the end of the console cycle is pulling on me (likely), I'm gonna be pretty much done with most video games by the end of this year.

It's going hand in hand with this bigger life issue I've been having, which I won't get into details about here, but the big thing is that I'm traveling light now. I'll be going wherever I want to go, living wherever I want to live, from a backpack and a bag or two. The idea came after I had thrown away a bunch of useless crap that I kept around because, you know, someone gave it to me as a birthday present but I never used it. I just ignored the emotions tied to it, threw it away, and now I don't remember it anymore, and my room is roomy again. It was such a great feeling to have less material things owned, so great that I've created a plan to reduce it all down to the point where I don't need much more than the essentials. Even if I get a big room, I won't need much at all. This means no more TV, which means no more console gaming.

Now, again referring to the overly-dramatic title, this does not mean I'm done with gaming. I can, with the money from sold consoles and games, buy a 3DS(XL?) to throw in my backpack. I don't play a lot of portable games, but if Nintendo continues to do what they're doing, they'll have all the games I'll ever need to play: 2D and 3D Mario and Zelda, and Pokemon. That's what my gaming world will be reduced to. And you know what? I'm fine with that.

The target date for the completion of this transition will be December 2012-January 2013(Mayan-willing). So what will I do until then? Well, I'm going to be playing a lot of Zelda. One could say, every Zelda. Yes, I plan to at least attempt to play the CD-i ones. I do not intend to finish certain ones, like Zelda II and the CD-i games. But with most of them I will do my best. It's not like I'll have any of these fall blockbusters taking up my time, right? The reason I'm doing this is that I've always identified with Link. Probably because of the white, blonde, male, left-handedness characteristics we share. But beyond that, LoZ is a cherished franchise that one might say is the holiest of holies for video games. That status is debatable, but it always had that air about it. Each main installment is incredibly important and properly spaced between quite a few years, rather than Mario coming out every year, the whore. (They're all great games, but I wanted to make a joke, okay?) But I had never finished one of those games, though I think I got pretty far in Link's Awakening as a kid, which may have had this effect on me that I feel now whenever I talk highly of Zelda. Anyway, I had to fix that. So I'm playing through them all. I'm going to be part of a Child's Play 24 hour marathon later this year, which I'm scheduling to be my final run on Skyward Sword, completing my all-Zelda run, and if I beat it before the 24 hours finishes, my sleepless ass will go back to the CD-i Zeldas, for extra hilarity.

EXCUUUUUUSE MEEEEE, PRINCESS.

Also, guys, have you played the original Legend of Zelda? I'm nowhere near finishing it, but...AMAZING. Maybe it's more amazing when you're reading that history book I mentioned earlier at the same time. To think Nintendo created design choices (that we now take for granted in nearly every video game) back in 1987? It blows my mind.

After that, my gaming will happen on the 3DS with few games. The rest will be sold. My life will be moving on to other things, and video games will merely be a short spurt of entertainment now and then. That's kinda what they were supposed to be in the first place. Will I separate from the Bombcast? I dunno. They've really grown on me. I don't know if I'll be able to go through life without a weekly update on Vinny's Ham Radio stuff and Ryan's preference of mask to wear for bird watching, and I often play all their 2-hour videos over and over as background noise when I'm doing something else. I'll probably also keep up with Nintendo Voice Chat, but I'm pretty much done with the rest there is out there. On the blog I'm currently continuing to start up, I will be leaving reviews to a good friend of mine, while I'll be providing...well, I don't know yet. My initial idea is gaming culture humor. Don't know yet, gotta try some different things.

So yeah, I'm glad I typed all this out. Man, you guys should've seen the whole paragraphs I wrote and then erased as I went through all my thoughts. My stories about how I talked with Hector Sanchez about why there was no 360 exclusive character for MK9, how I got invited to E3, but couldn't go. Vodka, shaky interviews with Kim Swift, angry mothers, sleepless nights, CARS, Casey Hudson working for Epic Games, writing articles during work hours, meeting Greg Kasavin... and a lot of that was just this past year! (And would probably be better left unexplained :). ) A lot of me is tied to video games. But you know? I'm feeling totally okay with letting a lot of that go. I don't think of myself as throwing in the towel. I've just had my fill of what hardcore gaming has to offer. Maybe I'll come back in a few years, who knows? Anyway, I hope my ranting to myself at four in the morning entertained you for these last couple of minutes.

...I can't think of a good line to end this on. I'm a writer, dammit, I should have this down...

"Live long and you shall not pass." - Obi-Wan Kenobi

I dunno...

EDIT: Had to fix the GRAAAAVE error I made up there, where I said that LoZ was released in 83. It was released in 87. Thank you all for the replies and support! When I finish this annoying stretch of small naps and can begin feeling really awake, I shall reply. =)