Wow. It's been a while.
I haven't been around. Obviously. A lot of stuff in my life cropped up and I just didn't have the time for GameSpotting. University. Work. Friends. Travel. All that jazz. It was partially because of GameSpot's ludicrous decision to change the website into a social media platform loaded with errors, glitches and inconsistent features (I see this things haven't been fixed yet). I loved GameSpot, and I spent way too many wasted hours in my youth browsing the broads and forums and chatting about everything from religion to video games to films to...whatever. But university just stole those spare hours away.
So why am I back now?
Because I finished university! Yep. I survived three years of essays, assignments, gut-wrenching assessments, presentations and whatever. It was hard work, and leaving it was harder. But it had to be done. I was 17 when I went in there. Just a kid. I'm 20 now. Goddamn, it feels like yesterday.
Am I going to stick around? It's hard to say. Between doing odd jobs I'm trying to make it as a writer. I've had about 50 short stories, reviews, essays and articles published in a variety of magazines, including Nature (yes, THIS Nature. The science journal). I came ultra close to having a literary agent for my novel, the one who represents David Mitchel (Cloud Atlas), Dennis Lehane (Shutter Island) and others. But it didn't work out. So I went back to the drawing board with a new one.
I'm working in the publishing industry, which includes editing for a major magazine that's had folks like George R. R. Martin, William Gibson, Brandon Sanderson, Neil Gaiman, Marc Laidlaw (who was one of the main writers of Half Life at Valve) between it's pages. I got to work with all of these guys and produce their work (and work by dozens of other big, big name authors). Exchanging emails with the creator of Game of Thrones is something I don't think I'll ever forget doing. And then there's the game designers/writers of Halo, Crysis, and Mass Effect, and the voice actors and performers you get to rub shoulders with. It strips you of that idolatrous marvel in a way, realising that they're just guys like us (who have done pretty awesome things). But that's another story. I'll put that trumpet of mine away.
I do want to stick around and I do miss some of you guys on here. I probably will hang out here a bit more often. I'll have to give up something (which will probably be Facebook since I hate that place), but I'm cool with that. Most of my friends are not gamers, and I tend not to ramp up discussions that I'm passionate about, or debate with someone who said something stupid for the sake of not rocking the boat and making people close to me dislike me. Sometimes it's not about being right, it's about being smart. And I miss those good natured debates, I miss those console wars, and I miss chatting about games. I really, really do. Typing this up now I didn't realise how much I've missed it.
I doubt anyone is reading this, or if anyone even remembers me from all those years ago. But I miss this place. I grew up here. It kicked me around a bit and stomped on my head at times, but it was fundamental to my development in socializing and dealing with people and generally adaptation to the way shit rolls. Might sound strange that I learned this from a gaming forum, but I was only a kid at the time. I ain't anymore.
But either way, I'm going to definitely be here more. 2 years was a bloody long time. 1/10 of my life, really. But that's over now.
I'll see you guys around!
ETA: I didn't realise that this blog post also goes to the forum like a normal thread! I thought it was just an indicator. Sorry about that. Hope it doesn't confuse stuff.
Log in to comment