First Ever Post

So, who am I and what the hell is this all about.  Well, let me start with a little story.

Back in August of 1999, a game was released that had a near-perfect combination of features.  Graphics (for the time), storyline, gameplay, and out-and-out cool factor (in this case, scaring the shit out of people).  The game was System Shock 2.  All of the reviews stated that the game was one of the best of the year, and that it was a great purchase.  However, it failed to catch on in the mainstream.  It survives now because of a rather small group of die-hard fans that loved it to death.  The reason it died: it lacked an online multiplayer mode.  So, at a time when Counter Strike and Team Fortress were dominating, a game that should have been much more visible on the radar, passed by relatively unnoticed.  

There will be people out there who disagree, and say that it is rather visible.  Well, now it is, looking back.  People have been searching for jewels from the past and it is now recognized by a much larger audience.  At the time, however, it was a relative unknown.

I've long held the belief that any single-player storyline in gaming takes precedence over even the greatest of online multiplayer gaming.  And this has served me well for a long time.  So, I've decided to dedicate a blog to examining just that.  I am more than willing to indulge in online play (it is an impressive and incredibly fun experience).  But I take issue with games that let the single player and a coherent story line fall by the wayside purely for the sake of online.

So, this blog will celebrate those games that manage to restore my faith that people will play games for story line: Games like Mass Effect, Knights of the Old Republic, System Shock, and The Elder Scrolls.  As well as those that combine online play and story line: Games like Halo 2 and 3, Half Life, the Call of Duty series, and Gears of War.

That is its primary purpose.  But, if websites of the past have taught me anything, it's that doing such a narrowly focused concept doesn't last long.  So, I will also share my particular views (reviews, previews) of games of all stripes.  This may be limited at first, but I will endeavor to expand constantly and play many different games and let you all here how someone from the front lines views games.

I will catch you all on the flipside.