Obligitory Introductory Blog Post

This is the 30th blog I've started on just about as many different websites. Some still exist, some have been erased and I've probably even lost a few along the way. I've worked on many topics, but I always find myself in love with writing about games.

But I constantly struggle with what on earth to write about. It shouldn't be very tough, seeing as I consume (gaming news, podcasts, previews, reviews), play (gaming since age 3 or so on every machine I can get my hands on), and for the past six and a half years I've worked in gaming retail.

I've worked through the launch of the current generation of gaming, console and handheld. I can recall the launch of every major title since Xbox Live began nearly seven years ago. The first piece of gaming swag I remember bringing home is an ATV Offroad Fury 2 t-shirt. And I can readily discuss, educate, and argue about any aspect of gaming. But where do I go from here?

What I can say about myself right now, is that I feel as if I'm at a crossroads in my gaming habits. The more hours I put in at my store and the more time I spend making life choices, the less game time I have. Over the past couple years, I can count the number of games I've finished on one hand. I have also become increasingly more OCD about the way I consume games. I must play series in order, to 100% completion, gaining every achievement, trophy, percentage point, or bragging right along the way.

So perhaps I will begin this blog with a question.

What do other gamers that feel this way think? How have your gaming habits changed? What do you do to continue to stay interested in gaming? What type of gamer do you consider yourself? Have you ever/ever wanted to work in the industry?

From here, I don't know where this will go. But let's open the dialogue up. Again.

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Andrew Hiscock

June 25, 2009

Hellooooo and welcome. I have a wife and daughter and a huge inventory of interests (scuba diver, intense hockey fan, musician, film buff, and video games). I rarely find huge time slots to play games, so games will last me in excess of a month, and they usually get traded in because I never see a time when I will return to them. I consider myself an "interested" gamer. I will follow news with some regularity, I will check in on reviews of games that have piqued my interest (whether I intend to play them or not), and I feel tuned into the culture. I don't have any sort of raving fandom or intense laying habits, so I am not sure I would call myself hardcore. Actually, I make no effort in staying interested in video games. It's kind of like music. I won't play my guitar or bass every day, but I will always call myself a musician. Music and games are two things I grew up with, and I don't think there's any "staying interested", it's just part of my life. I never thought about working in the industry, at least not as a career. I like writing about games, but I live in Newfoundland and have never had any intention of leaving my island, let alone Canada, so a career in writing was never an option. As my day job is "shipwreck hunter", I'm not about to start breaking into other industries, as my job is cool as it gets. That said, I love writing about games. I love writing in general, and I am working on a couple books about Newfoundland shipwrecks (one of which has been requested by the publisher, so that's pretty neat). But "videogames" is a world and hobby I understand, keep tabs on, and is incredibly diverse and interesting, so writing and thinking about it offers all sorts of good times.