Welcome to my latest blog, the Indie Gaming Review! Technically this won't just be a place to discuss and review indie games, as I also intend to keep an eye on the various gaming bundles that pop up on a regular basis, but "Reviews of Indie Games and Gaming Bundles" doesn't quite have the same ring, does it?
Let me first tell you a bit about myself to get you started. I'm 40 years old now, and some of you are likely thinking, "Holy crap -- and he's still playing games!?" Well, yes, I am...though perhaps not as much as I once did. I started playing video games way back in the dark ages, even before systems like the Atari 2600 were around. Our first gaming system in the home was called the Magnavox Odyssey2, and let me tell you: it was awesome! I was around six years old when we first got that, and I remember buying games in little plastic bags (or my mom or brothers would buy them, at least). I also remember some games dying after a few weeks of use -- the electronics were pretty cobbled together, to say the least.
My favorite story for the Odyssey2 goes something like this -- though I'm sure my brother might embellish and/or modify the story a bit. Anyway, it was Christmas, probably in 1981 (so the system was now a couple years old), and there was a new game for our Magnavox system sitting under the Christmas tree. We all knew it was a game, as the shape of the package was the perfect size, and it was addressed to the whole family. I don't know the exact details of what happened Christmas Eve, except that come Christmas morning, we awoke and discovered... that one of my older brothers was missing. Who would be gone on Christmas morning!?
We soon discovered the reason for him being gone. He and his friend had apparently decided to sneak downstairs in the night and open up one of the presents...the game, of course. So there they are, playing the new UFO game before any of the rest of us, when disaster strikes: the game cartridge died! Yes, this was something that happened on occasion, and as luck would have it, our game was dead and no one would be able to play it Christmas morning. Ashamed, he left a note for us all: "I'm sorry I ruined Christmas!" Then he went to his friend's house to hide. LOL
I don't remember much else about what happened that Christmas, but I do know that come December 26, my mom went to the store with the broken game to get a replacement, and we could all finally enjoy the gaming splendor of UFO. Except, the replacement cartridge broke as well within a week or two, and so we were on to our third cartridge! I'm not sure exactly how long we kept the Odyssey2 around, but I do know that by the time I was around 10 years old, my best friend had a Commodore 64 and that was the new hotness, and eventually I would get a C-128 of my own. I graduated to the world of DOS thanks to my dad -- a computer guy -- a couple years later, and while I've played many games on other systems (Amiga, Atari ST, Mac, and pretty much every console from Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, etc.) I have pretty much been a PC gamer all of my life.
I tell you that all as a background to why I love games, and why indie gaming in particular appeals to me. Basically, it's a sentimental nostalgia thing, but there's also something to be said for games that aren't quite so complex -- and games that don't require multi-million dollar investments into the art, programming, and other aspects. I still like the complex games, but there's no place for the small guys in that market. Indie gaming on the other hand is something that pretty much anyone with a PC, a brain, and a lot of desire can get into. Some games will undoubtedly never reach completion, and others will suck -- I tried my hand at making a few games in my early 20s, and trust me: they sucked hard! But for those that get released, it can still be hard to catch a break.
And so, as a technology journalist by trade, I'm going to start writing up short-form reviews of some of the indie games I've purchased lately. I'll give my thoughts on the good, the bad, the ways they might be improved, and the overall value. Hopefully, we can all enjoy the journey together. And if you happen to be an indie game developer and you'd like me to take a look at one of your games, just drop me a note and get me a download, and I'll be happy to play your game and write about it.
No comments:
Post a Comment