Gaming resolutions I’ll strive to keep in 2015

Which one will stick?

Recommended Videos

No one ever keeps resolutions.

I tell myself every January that I’m going to stop inspecting cheese for fingerprints before putting it on a sandwich or that I’ll actually start wearing something other than sweatpants and a hoodie out in public when it’s cold, but it never happens. And it never will happen. What would I even wear? A pair of Uggs and leggings with some kind of lame scarf? How do you even wear a scarf? And what if my tongue somehow detects the wrongness of a fingerprint on the surface of my Deli Deluxe cheese slice? There are some questions we’re just not meant to know the answers to, just like there are resolutions that we’ll make and break in the span of 24 hours.

While sitting on my lunch break today I ruminated on the deeper meaning behind player agency, the male gaze and how it pertains to gaming, and whether Hatred should or shouldn’t remain on Steam. After giving a glut of heady topics much thought, I decided I didn’t care about any of them, so I started to write an article about my video game resolutions for 2015, none of which have anything to do with those concepts. Here’s to being a better video game enthusiast gamer in 2015.

I will stop trying to solo every single MMO I play. 


What can I say? I’m a lone wolf. And yet, I enjoy playing MMOs, like World of Warcraft. But the catch is I would always rather play alone. It’s not that I have anything against other players. I’m just a firm believer in the fact that you can only rely on yourself in certain situations, and when you’re trying to level a character past its teens and others keep reaping the rewards of your hard work, playing a game very quickly turns into a slog rather than an enjoyable hobby. Still, it’s the nature of the MMO to play with others. To get the most out of any of them you need to open up and let other people in. I’ll give it the old college try (beyond friends and whatnot, anyway) and start putting myself out there. Probably. Maybe. 

I will stop expecting the free-to-play model to improve.


It’s not going to. End of story. As long as people are paying to break blocks in Candy Crush Saga or whatever clone they’re addicted to at the moment, this model will only expand and evolve. I will no longer look upon these titles with disdain or contempt and will simply understand that they’re part of an ecosystem that’s beyond me. But, just like I was quoted as saying back at PAX East 2010 as I was shoehorned into the “girls and gaming” panel (shocker, I’m a woman!) social gaming is real gaming, and people who enjoy these types of diversions are “real” gamers, for whatever that’s worth. Far be it from me to keep them from what they enjoy.

I will attempt streaming games again.


Real talk, I think streaming personalities are some of the most abrasive out there in the world of gaming, especially so-called “pro gamers” who aren’t any better than the five-year-old Tetris savant next door. I’m sure there are plenty of entertaining personalities out there, and there’s no doubt money to be made from it. We’re all trying to make that scrilla scratch, and I ain’t even mad. But when all you have to offer are spoken memes or quips about how old school you are, you’re not entertaining me. So I’ll put my money where my mouth is and stream some gameplay this year at some point, and not League of Legends or whatever’s hot for the cool e-Kids. I may not have a catchphrase or legions of fans, and I’m not fantastic at the games I’ll choose to play. But I’ll interact with people and make an honest attempt at being someone you’ll want to catch on stream regularly. I just need to figure out when.

I will channel my anger about various annoyances into getting better at the games I enjoy.


It’s easy to sit around being irritated at those AT&T commercials where that couple comes in with a baby looking for more data or minutes for their cell plan or whatever and the sales associate is impeccably dressed, attentive, and whispering to the whispering parents, which is in every single way a ridiculous and pandering commercial to extremes I cannot fathom. But it’s harder to take that bottled-up rage and use it to focus on making myself better — either in general or within the games I enjoy the most. Practice makes perfect, and I could research strategies to improve my StarCraft II matches or my Mario Kart 8 racing skills. I focus so much on completing the games in my never-ending back-avalanche that I don’t concentrate as much on grinding my opponents into dust. I need to find a healthy outlet in which I can channel all of my disdain for people who use the word “preggers” and PR representatives who think we actually need trailers for trailers. 

I will stop immediately deleting emails about Kickstarters for games that I’ll never play.


Well, this one is only partially true. I can only commit to giving them at least a quick glance before sending them to the circular file. I love and support the fact that nearly anyone can create a game these days and find the funding they deserve, but I deserve an inbox not cluttered with desperate pleas for my attention, games writer or not. I do browse Kickstarter for awesome projects, so when there’s something that strikes my fancy I like to bring attention to it when I can. Oh, and that image is an old illustration of Mighty No. 9, one of the only two Kickstarters I’ve ever backed: that one and another one to be nice, but will probably never play again in my life. There are some genuinely interesting projects on there, but I’ll find them or they’ll find me. But still — cursory glance over the email, then delete…only if you don’t spam my personal email, my LinkedIn mail, Twitter DMs, and my Facebook. To those who do that, what is wrong with you?

I’ll stop pretending I have a Persona 4 waifu. 

I just don’t, okay? I don’t like any of the Persona 4 characters all that much. Love the game. Don’t get me wrong. I’m more of a Mitsuru girl, anyway. 

I will keep an open mind. 


This isn’t so much a change as something I’m pledging for myself. I want to keep an open mind as to which games I cover, purchase, support, and follow. Maybe this is the year I’ll get into a MOBA I previously hated. I might decide to delve deeper into the Dynasty Warriors series or dig through my massive backlog for a series I’ve not given a chance before, like Gabriel Knight. I might even look into one of the many 99-cent indie titles floating around the internet that looks terribly unappealing and discover a modest little secret I want to share with the entire industry. Whatever happens, I’m excited to be taking yet another ride in the Merry-Go-Video-Game-Industry, no matter how far removed of a cousin I may be. 


Destructoid is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more
related content
Read Article 8BitDo’s new keyboard goes beige with a Commodore 64 aesthetic
8BitDo Commodore 64 Retro Mechanical Keyboard
Read Article Take-Two is buying Gearbox from Embracer, next Borderlands is in development
Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Box
Read Article Stardew Valley patch 1.6.3 gives Krobus his own portrait
Portrait of Krobus in Stardew Valley
Related Content
Read Article 8BitDo’s new keyboard goes beige with a Commodore 64 aesthetic
8BitDo Commodore 64 Retro Mechanical Keyboard
Read Article Take-Two is buying Gearbox from Embracer, next Borderlands is in development
Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Box
Read Article Stardew Valley patch 1.6.3 gives Krobus his own portrait
Portrait of Krobus in Stardew Valley