Happy New Year!
2015 was cool, but that’s in the past now and we have a new year to look forward to. This is going to be a monumental year for me, as Steff and I are set to get married(!). However, for the purposes of this post, let’s keep the focus on video games, board games and comic books. What are my thoughts on the year ahead?
Before hitting my teen years, I learned the hard way as a video game player to be wary of licensed products. While the allure of playing video games about Batman, The Simpsons or Home Alone (shudder) is clear, the final products were mostly terrible. Quality of the final product usually wasn’t a priority, as publishers and license holders primarily created licensed video games as a promotional tool and as a means of making a quick buck off of unsuspecting gamers. I wasn’t really following board games at the time, though I did own a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles board game that wasn’t great in hindsight.
Of late, video games and board games have diverged greatly when it comes to licensed products. With the rising costs of video game development and a savvier audience who are far less likely to put up with mediocre products with name recognition, most licensed games nowadays reside on mobile platforms as free-to-play experiences. Board games, on the other hand, are going in the other direction. Instead of cranking out garbage games for kids, more license holders and publishers are taking the time to make quality games that gamers of all ages will want to buy. Off the strength of this business strategy, everyone wins. Continue reading
In the early days of Street Fighter IV, I saw Balrog as one of the coolest characters in the game. He was also one of the most popular, as pro-players like Gootecks and PR Balrog proved that the character was viable in tournament play. As the game evolved and new characters were added though, his popularity fell off a cliff.
Despite that, I’ve always toyed with the idea of playing Balrog seriously. I always loved the idea of smashing people with the headbutt and finishing them off with the Violent Buffalo Ultra Combo before they hit the ground. After completing my work with Evil Ryu, it felt like a good time to move onto something new.
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Lots of big Street Fighter V news coming out of Paris Games Week. For starters, Capcom revealed Dhalsim as the latest character added to the playable roster. I’m generally not a fan of the Yoga master, but I love everything I’ve seen in the trailer, from his new look to the plethora of changes made to his arsenal. Definitely excited to give him a shot.
I missed most of the Street Fighter V beta the first time around. After an epic fail of a launch, Capcom conveniently rescheduled the beta to fall on a weekend where I would be out of the province. Played as much as I could on the first and last days of the beta, but it certainly wasn’t ideal.
Hoping that I would be fully available for the second go-around, it clearly wasn’t meant to be. Capcom scheduled their four-day beta during a time when I would be away with Steff for a marriage retreat for three of those days. Also, during one of the periods where I could actually play, the power was scheduled to be shut off in my building. Once again, I made the most with the little time I had.
Video games have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Can’t say the same for their analog equivalent. After growing out of the likes of Monopoly and Risk, I wrote off tabletop gaming for a long time as a pastime for children and those nerdier than I. Only relatively recently have I seen the err in my ways, thanks to fantastic tabletop games like Dominion and Ticket to Ride.
If you’re like the old me, I don’t blame you for being reluctant, dismissive or even oblivious to the modern board gaming scene. However, you’re missing out on a reemerging form of entertainment that isn’t much of a stretch from the video games you already play.
Going into Super Mario Maker, did you have a plan? A grandiose level design idea that you scribbled in a notebook as a child that been patiently waiting to burst off of the page and into the game? Can’t say I did. After completing the tutorial, I found myself at a loss. What the heck do I do now?
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for Toronto fans of all things nerdy, as Fan Expo Canada returns! If memory serves me correctly, this will be my 6th time going to the show. Here’s what I’m excited for this year!
Since 2009, In Third Person has been my outlet for all of the nerdy things I like to talk about. Most of it is video game related, but there’s been a big content shift in the last year or so. Reflecting my new found interest in board games and comic books, I’ve expanded the scope of the site to cover those as well. Finding my voice when talking about those subjects has been a bit of a challenge, but I enjoy the challenge and hope that the practice will make me a more well-rounded geek.
Another new aspect of the site that came up within the last year has been video. Whether it’s Let’s Plays, Street Fighter matches or the short-lived In Third Person Comic Book Show, I’m trying to find the right approach to content that you’ll enjoy while making the production time work within my daily life. Admittedly, I think I have a long way to go before finding that sweet spot, but I’m trying and it’ll get better with time.
Even as the site continues to change with my ever-evolving tastes, you continue to support the site by viewing the content and by buying stuff through my affiliation with Amazon. I appreciate all of the views and comments, as well as any purchases you’ve made through me. If you haven’t checked out my Amazon store in a while, I recently updated it with new things I personally recommend checking out! You’ll get the exact same Amazon product selection and service while helping out the site.
I would like to think that this site would carry on if no one visited the site. However, seeing that you and hundreds of other people visit In Third Person daily makes it a lot easier to stay motivated. We’re actually nearing a huge milestone, as the site is getting close to hitting 300,000 lifetime visits! For a one-man show that does this in his spare time, I think that’s pretty good! Thank you for continuing to support this site and here’s to another year of video games, board games, comic books and other nerdy pursuits!
When I made the switch to PlayStation 4, I wanted to use it as an opportunity to try something new with Ultra Street Fighter IV. Rose continues to be my main, but I’ve spent a lot of time experimenting with others. This time, I decided to embrace the Satsui No Hado with Evil Ryu.
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