Something I Wasn't Expecting

The past few weeks have been a bit odd for me.

I've been spending an awful lot of time thinking about the gaming industry as a whole. I've been working as a sort of freelance journalist and podcast guy for just about half a year now. I don't get paid, I don't make much of a notable change or exert any influence on the industry as a whole. It's only recently that I really put stock into what I've done so far and what I'd like to be doing a few years from now.

Gaming's sort of a way of life for me. I've grown up playing all manner of video games, ranging from Crash Bandicoot and Spyro on the PSX to my 6-year infatuation with World of Warcraft (a story for another time, no doubt). I still have fond memories of 100%'ing Banjo-Kazooie and finally nailing Free Bird on Expert. There was always something to play at my house, whether it was a board game or a Game Boy. Was it unusual? Maybe. Was it awesome? You bet it was.

(My parents both played EverQuest for six years or so, as a side-note. That probably has something to do with it.)



Getting back to my idea at hand, I've thought about where I stand in relation to the industry as a whole. After watching D-Toid's 5-year anniversary video (Awesome job getting this far, you guys!), I realized that half the reason I had gotten so into video games when I was younger (read: this "younger" is only like four, five years ago mind you) was to one day to go E3. It looked like such a vibrant and exciting atmosphere, and watching the anniversary video I could really gain an understanding of the emotion behind this site's creation. I sat there watching and suddenly something clicked: I have the press credentials to go to E3 now.

Yeah, I know that E3 is sort of a shallower gaming convention in comparison to PAX nowadays. G4 makes it their personal plaything for 3 whole days and everyone just kinda goes along with that. I don't mind that. I've always looked at the convention as, for whatever reason, that first step in the door that says "Welcome to the gaming industry". It's surreal to think I could take that step in less than 4 months. The fact that I have the ability to live out one of the many, many dreams I had as a younger teen is sort of bewildering. Sure, it'll cost me a pretty penny; college student flying halfway across the country to play video games and meet a bunch of really cool geeks is not exactly the biggest "required" expense, y'know? It's not so much the practicality of it as it is the reality: I'm a member of the industry, however small my contributions to it might be.

That sorta sounds like I'm gloating now that I look at it, but to be honest I couldn't be more humbled. If I could tell my younger self that one day I would have the ability to go to E3...it'd be a real eye-opener.

Next step: Meet Gabe Newell. It could happen!