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The Corner of Randomness: Dear Social Media

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So much anger.

So much anger.

Dear Social Media,

You know what Social Media, I used to love you so much. Thanks to you, I’ve connected with people from all over the world. I’ve even made some great friends thanks to your power of connecting two people. Hell, I’ve taken vacations to meet up with friends that I have met through you. You have enriched my life in so many good, and positive, ways!

Thanks to you, Social Media, I’ve celebrated a good many of things. I’ve had long conversations about things I enjoy, like video games and photography. I’ve basked in the joy of a new game with other gamers. I’ve also wept at a wide array of tragedies. You’ve allowed me to ride the high times while helping me cope with the bad. You’ve been a great friend that has almost always been there when I needed you.

However, recently you’ve developed some anger issues. You’ve given anyone with an Internet connection and a keyboard a voice, which is both great and terrible. You’ve also created monsters so full of hate, they pollute anything fun and good for the rest of us. The faceless demons use you to spew their displeasure and volatile words with damn near not a care about the feelings of others. You’ve become a scary place, and it’s crushing the fun you once were. I think you need to seek some therapy.

So, Social Media, we need to breakup for a bit until you can get your anger issues under control. Please come to understand that not everything in this world is meant to be a bad thing in need of justice. Lots of things are just there for entertainment and have no ulterior motives. It seems that you are now a place where any piece of entertainment, social issue, or even just the friggin’ sun coming up turns into some platform for rage filled arguments.

Social Media, I want to love you again. I want to embrace you with open arms like I did not even three years ago. I miss you. I miss the great things we did together. However, you’re so pissed off lately that it’s driving out the good and replacing it with so much bad.

Please, Social Media, let’s be friends again. Let’s celebrate all the greatness that we have in this world like we once did not so long ago. It’s time to take a chill pill so people can once again love you and embrace you.

Until we meet again,

Your Lost Love

Monday Gaming Diary: I choose to not have time

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we-are-our-choicesI give up! You win! I just can’t get the time to properly review this guide or game. I want to break down and sob, but then that would just be procrastinating even further. I walked/jogged a half marathon on Sunday, and while listening to podcasts, I thought a lot about the games I want to finish and just don’t seem to have time for. I always tell people that you have the time to play games or do things, it’s just what you’re willing to make time for. And really, this applies to me just as well.

I am choosing to work on game reviews instead of the RPGs I want to finish, just like I chose to set aside lots of time at the beginning of the year to play Dragon Age Origins: Awakening and Dragon Age 2. I chose to play The Order: 1886 twice to review the game and then the guide to get the Platinum trophy. I choose all the time to sit down and pick up my iPad for a quick round of the Mortal Kombat Kard Game. I choose to not stay up until midnight lately (because I’m so damn tired) to work on games and guide reviews. I choose to spend more time with the family than hole up in my office in front of the TV.

I could just as easily choose to throw hot dogs at my family and hole upstairs with Pillars of Eternity or Dragon Age Inquisition. I could choose to not review everything thrown my way and choose to work on my backlog. I really don’t have to accept every review that comes knocking, but I feel the need to. I choose to.

Just like I choose to go work out every day, which also cuts down my video game time. It’s become really important to me, and I don’t want to give it up. I’m not able to work out at night or on weekends, so this when I do so. And I choose to do it.

I also chose to play way too much Broken Age last week and the Mortal Kombat Kard Game. Dear God I need help with some of my choices.

Monday Gaming Diary: I’m NOT set for the summer. I have too many RPGs!

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Cullen has been wondering where I’ve been.

I really really really envy Chris right now in his ability to be so complacent with the games he has, knowing he doesn’t have much else on the schedule to review until the Fall. He can sit back, relax, and play his current list to his heart’s content. It’s times like these that make me wish I didn’t have kids or that I didn’t do this for a living.

The not having kids wouldn’t help much, because since I review and write about games as my main job now, I can’t rest my laurels and catch up with the games I want to all the time. I know, boo hoo, poor me has to play so many games. Total #firstworldproblem and #gamereviewerproblem, I get it. Really, I do. But it is a problem for me, when I want to be able to squeeze in games for myself as well.

The biggest problem is that most of the games I want to find time to play are friggin’ RPGs. Here is the current list of RPGs I want to play or finish:

  • Dragon Age Inquisition
  • Bound by Flame
  • Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
  • Pillars of Eternity

And this is all before The Witcher 3 releases! I’m just screwed, that’s all. Or I’ll just deny I’m in this stupid predicament and make it worse by playing more Mortal Kombat X and Diablo 3. Denial and procrastination always makes things better.

Everything is fine, la di dah… I don’t have these games to review for work or Pillars of Eternity strategy guide to review at all. Nope, it’s all good, and this cake is both delicious and healthy. AND A LIE.

The Corner of Randomness: I’m good for the summer

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Some people just like to watch the world burn, and here I am holding the matches.

Some people just like to watch the world burn, and here I am holding the matches.

There used to be a time when new video game releases were far and few between. Now, however, it seems you can’t go a week without having something ranging from some small unknown indie title to a major AAA game release. There is so many new shinies coming out, it’s becoming a pain in the rear to even keep up with it all.

So what does this have to do with me, well, a lot. My plate of video game entertainment is like sitting down at Thanksgiving and having a huge buffet of gourmet food spread out in front of me, and I have no idea where to begin. Seriously, I have Mortal Kombat X to perfect. I have an enormous amount of exploring to do in Elite: Dangerous. I’ve barely scratched the surface of Pillars of Eternity. I’ve replaced my Diablo 3 addiction with Marvel Heroes 2015. I still owe Keri an actual completed run at Dragon Age: Origins. I still play Grand Theft Auto V with my brother. I still want to dig into all things Bloodborne. Seriously, I think I’m good for a few months.

It’s a good thing I don’t follow the video game industry too closely, or I’d probably lose my mind! I’m sad that we probably won’t have a lot of strategy guides to review due to delays and whatnot. Yet, when I look at the travel schedule for the next five months, I’m glad I’m not really adding any new games to the mile high pile I already have. I am honestly content with what I have at the moment!

At some point, we started to only focus on games for a week and then something new and shiny would come out. You know what? I’m happy with my current situation. I want to enjoy every bit of the games I have currently. I don’t really need something new to dive into. Sure, a lot of these games are now “old” by these new standards we have today, but I don’t care. I’m having fun!

And really, isn’t fun what it’s all about? Yeah, I’m good for the summer. I don’t need any more distractions. If you need me, you can find me in my space ship playing MKX while stealing cars with my level 60 Ghost Rider soaked in the blood of the fallen people who needed to die because they talked to me the wrong way. I am Vlad the Heartless after all.

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