It has been three years since I first wrote a review for this site. At the risk of sounding like I’m grandstanding for such a tiny accomplishment, I want to take a moment for myself to reflect on everything I managed to power through so that 156 written reviews, 41 video reviews (soon to be 42), somewhere around 45 comments, and a few other random side projects could be available for public consumption. Three years ago I was floundering. I was out of university for almost a year and had nothing to show for it. I wasn’t accepted into an MBA program, I didn’t have any job prospects lined up, and I was barely making enough money via side jobs to keep my head above water. I sat down with one of my girlfriend’s work acquaintances and, over the course of a long discussion, he suggested trying to start a blog about a subject that I had a passion for.
It was obvious to me that my blog should be about video games. The gaming world had been a form of entertainment since I was a small kid (my dad built my first computer when I was 3), but over the course of my university career it developed into so much more. My “capstone” project was about the financial viability of Electronic Arts in 2010 and 2011, and I led my group to accurately predict the stock growth of the company. I used an independent study course to write an extensive thesis discussing the creation of virtual reality ecosystems and even created a formula that could be used to apply the ecosystem to an actual game. I made the prototype using the Warcraft 3 editor and the project is still my pride and joy to this day. But there were so many game review sites already, most with far more extensive budgets than I could ever compete with. I wasn’t ever going to be an IGN if I tried to play their game. So I decided to try and help a different audience. I had met so many parents who had no clue what their children were playing in games, so I wanted to bridge the gap between parents and children in this small way. Part of it may have been an inner desire to share this subject that I cared so much about with my parents, but the form that it eventually took was something that is now irrelevant to them. The first review I wrote was Assassin’s Creed. It was a great game to start with. On the surface it seemed like something intimidating. After all the idea of “assassins” clearly indicates that murder and violence is going to follow. But the reality is that the game is an excellent way to introduce historical elements to teens that are otherwise extremely difficult to understand. It’s not a 100% accurate history lesson, but it helps to introduce names, places, and concepts that enveloped the Middle East during the Crusades. Simply slapping an M label on the box doesn’t do the writing any sort of justice. Unfortunately this is an area where I still struggle. I want to find a way to effectively communicate the greatness of certain games, the stories they tell, and how they impact the player. Games like Battlefield and Call of Duty are a lot of fun, but there’s something much deeper to games like Mass Effect, Oblivion, and Heavy Rain. There’s something in the writing that can reach out and touch a person’s soul. These games are a way to transport people into places of wonder where they can do awesome things. They can save galaxies, conquer dragons, command armies, and do in a matter of hours what few people get to do in a lifetime. Every once in a while I’ll get a youtube comment that questions why my reviews exist. While the question may be directed at the subject matter, since the questioner often sees no utility in the content I provide, it is a question I still continue to ask myself. Why do you keep writing? Is it because you have subscribers who expect your content? Is it because you enjoy writing these reviews? Is it because of the benefits that come with maintaining the site? I write because I want to help people. I want to help kids access powerful, amazing games that can teach them something about humanity while they are entertained. I want parents to understand why I love this medium so much even if they don’t know how to use a wii-mote to play Mario Kart. I want help myself better understand what is appropriate and what is inappropriate in games so that I am able to positively influence the gaming industry. I want to create something that shines a light on the dark and murky subject matter that games often wade through on the quest for entertainment. Whether or not I believe that I have accomplished anything over the past three years is irrelevant because there is still so much left to do. Having twice as many hours in each day still wouldn’t be enough to do everything I want to with this site. Side Story Games may never be a household name, but I promise to work diligently to keep it going. I want to make sure that my content can benefit anyone who needs it.
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The Legendary Carmine
Andrew Clayton (a.k.a. The Legendary Carmine) is SSG's Executive Editor. He toils at the stone to make sure this site brings its readers valuable content on a daily basis. Like what we do? Want to see more? Donate to the site using the button below!
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