If you’re here on the About Me page of a gaming blog I’m assuming you want to know two things. Who I am as a gamer and what you can expect to find on this site. So we’re going to start with some of my history and where I started as a gamer. Then we’ll bring it into the present day gaming experience and then talk a little about what you’ll find here.
Where I Started as a Gamer
My first game system was a Commodore Vic-20. I loved text-based RPGs like The Count and Pirate’s Cove. If Steam existed back then to tell us how many hours I put in, I’m sure that number would be well into the tens of thousands. We didn’t have all the game options as we do now so once you found a game you loved you played it for a long time.
I remember I used to have a couple of books for video games. They contained the actual code for the game in the text of the book itself. I would spend two hours typing out the text for a game, so I could play for an hour or two because my Commodore would overheat after about three to four hours and I didn’t have a cassette tape drive (yup cassette tape) to save the game.
My friends and I finally got smart and bought a desk fan that we would point at the power supply to keep it from overheating. It didn’t matter though because one of our parents would come in and make us turn it off! Our parents didn’t get why we would lose our freaking minds.
Video Games Are Important
Gaming has been an everyday part of my life for almost four decades. I’ve seen a lot of changes, but it’s always been a social experience even when the game is single player.
My friends and I would often gather at one of our houses to figure out the game’s puzzles and traps. Voice communications and streaming technology have given us the ability to have those same group experiences with people all over the world.
The thing non-gamers are missing is that the events that happen while we interact with these virtual worlds actually occur. They create memories, emotions, and connections in an authentic way. The same way it happens in the physical world.
The point of all this is that video games are important! There I said it. You likely already knew that, but it’s hard for us to apply great value to video games as adults when there is this stigma that video games are supposed to be for kids.
The Dream
I think the dream for most gamers is making money playing video games? In the last few years, the pieces of this puzzle have really started to fall into place. Platforms like Twitch, Youtube, and Reddit for gamers have really given us a place to share our thoughts and creations about the games that we love in a meaningful way.
These same platforms and others have provided ways to monetize the work and time that we put into those creations. The ability to monetize has legitimized gaming as a profession, not just a hobby. I think this has given a lot of adult gamers (myself included) permission to dream again about a world where playing games for a living can be real.
That said, it doesn’t mean that it will be easy. Just that it’s possible, is where I am right now. I want to turn video games into my profession. I want to proudly proclaim when someone asks me, “What do you do?” that “I play video games.”
To be proud of it I need to create the best content that I’m able to produce and more than that I need to continually improve that content over time to a point where I create the best material that is possible for anyone to create. That’s the mindset that I’m bringing with me on this journey.
What You Will Find at AridenKane.com
The Best Gaming Guides
I want to create the best video game guides in all of gaming. I feel like that’s a great goal. It is attainable, but I’m going to have to work hard to get there. I promise to try and make every post better than the one before it.
All My Content Across All Platforms
This website will be a hub for everything that I’m doing with gaming. There are amazing platforms out there currently for gamers to express themselves. There are also amazing platforms that do not exist. This site will tie them all together so you’ll always be able to find my content even if the platforms change.
A Safe, Positive, and Upbeat Vibe
I feel like there is too much toxic garbage going on in gaming right now. I want to provide a safe and positive place for people to interact with my gaming content. I can’t control the entire internet, but I should be able to manage to some degree the small areas of the internet that I call home.
What You Won’t Find at AridenKane.com
General Gaming News
There are a lot of creators and companies that have the time and energy or an army of writers to keep up with everything in gaming. That’s not me. I will be covering a few specific games at any one time that I feel I’ll be able to provide expert level information.
I love to keep up with lots of games for which I may never create content. Not because they aren’t great games, but because they don’t fit into the scope of what I’m doing here.
Bad Attitude and Poor Behavior
Honestly, there are more than enough people on the internet and especially in gaming communities that are quick to throw stones and pass judgment. I believe if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all. I’ll let my silence on specific topics speak for me.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, I think you’ll find that I have a somewhat unique view about the games we all love. My take on gaming is not going to be for everyone, but I hope there are people out there will get what I’m trying to do here and love it.
I look forward to meeting you as we embark on the journey through gaming together.