The last thing I'm going to write about videogames...

...for a while, at least.

Some of you may remember that this blog used to be specifically about videogame journalism. I wrote a lot about my desire to see games become a legitimate art form, an expressive medium supported by a thoughtful and skillful print media. Although that is no longer where my professional aspirations lie, I'm still an avid gamer and I care a lot about the state of the industry.

Throughout this blog's first incarnation, I felt like the essence of what I was trying to say about games, about how storytelling and gameplay needed to work together, continually eluded me. Well, Leigh Alexander recently linked to this brilliant article and it suddenly all became clear to me.

The biggest obstacle I see to games telling great stories in an interactive medium is the inherent conflict between giving players freedom to do whatever they want in a virtual universe, and forcing players to go from one predetermined plot point to another until they are forced to stop at the end credits.

Authenticity is worth fighting for

I'm currently reading Patton Oswalt's book, Zombie Spaceship Wasteland. If you're unfamiliar with him, Patton Oswalt is a hilarious stand-up comedian and actor. I bought the book expecting it to be hilarious, and it totally is, but what I didn't expect was an unbelievable amount of poignancy. Throughout the book Oswalt tells stories about his childhood, his hometown, and the beginnings of his comedy career. One chapter in particular that struck me was "The Victory Tour," in which he headlines a comedy club for the first time.

Turns out, Patton absolutely bombs his first few nights–so badly, in fact, that the club manager demotes Patton from headliner to opening for the new headliner. Patton meets Gary, the guy he'll now be opening for, and their conversation goes like this:

An addendum

I just wanted to expand on why I decided to use Flattr, and why I think it's so important. I didn't want to make it sound like I was just raging against SOPA and PIPA some more, because I think we've all had enough of that for awhile.

We live in an age where everyone has the ability to create and express themselves–and to post their creations to the Internet, where they instantly gain worldwide exposure. At first it was limited to blogs, but now we have YouTube, Flickr, SoundCloud, and too many other sites to mention where people can share their thoughts, photos, songs, and whatever else.

I am now using Flattr.

Flattr is a radical new way for people to support the blog writers, YouTube producers and musicians who upload their content to the web. If you are as frustrated as I am by the greed of major media producers (such as their attempts to get SOPA and PIPA passed) then this is a powerful way to send them a message. Check it out:

Why You Should Be on Twitter: A Visual Guide

Twitter is pretty great. Despite what many think, it is not just another version of the Facebook wall, where people post whatever inane thoughts pop into their head throughout the day. Sure, that's part of it, but there's more to it than that. Much, much more.

Twitter is a rich cornucopia of information for you to browse and enjoy. For example, you may have heard about Kim Kardashian's wedding last year. I did, thanks to Twitter. And I got a pretty unique perspective on it.

That one time I wanted to be a videogame journalist

It's no secret that I love videogames. I've been playing games regularly since the age of 5, and probably will until I die. Heck, it's a miracle I was able to stop playing long enough just to write this.

I also love writing. And for a long time, writing was how I thought I would eventually make my living. When I got to college, I started writing videogame reviews for the campus newspaper, and actually got paid for it. I thought if I could just do this for the rest of my life, I'll be set.

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http://www.americancensorship.org

Back from the dead

Well, after more than a year, I've decided to start blogging again. I decided that I want to start externalizing all the crazy thoughts and desires that are in my head, even if it's for no one's benefit other than my own. And I want it to be in more than 140 characters. Twitter is awesome (follow me, @brubinow) but I want to get back into the habit of writing more long-form pieces.

I'm not going to be concentrating on videogame journalism anymore, mostly because it is no longer where my professional aspirations lie. I'll talk about that more in a future post, but for now, I'd like to talk about what this blog is going to cover from here on out.

My life has gone through a lot of changes in the past couple years. I'm in a new environment (though still in Los Angeles), a new job, and I have new goals for life. I want to write more. A lot more. I want to try my hand at stand-up comedy. I want to get out and experience all that the wonderful city of Los Angeles has to offer. And most of all, I want to not internalize the whole experience, but to capture it in words (and hopefully later, in photographs, audio and video) and share it with everyone I can.

This is all going to start very soon. I hope to post, at the bare minimum, once per week. More than that if I can. I have several topics already in mind and am actively searching for more. Expect my first dispatch tomorrow. Until then, take care. I love you all.


Edit: In solidarity with the various web sites that are going dark in protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA), this blog will not be updated tomorrow. Expect an update Thursday, January 19.