Come Sunday, it will be 2023 (Crap! This is supposed to be evergreen content!), and I'm setting my sights on what I want for this next trip around the sun. I'm usually not one for making New Year's resolutions. After all, time is relative, and I can set a goal any day I want.
Still, 2022 (Oh damn, I did it again!) was a pivotal year for me. After all, my one-year workerversery with TG just passed. Video game journalist is a part of my resume, and now I'm taking gaming more seriously. So, I've decided to set gaming-related resolutions for 20XX (There, I fixed it. Evergreen for the next 78 years.)
5 100% Complete A JRPG
I enjoy JRPGs. Really, I do! My niche is turn-based combat. I enjoy the strategy behind maneuvering my party and choosing the best attacks. Plus, I adore following the dynamic storylines and unique characters often found in JRPGs. The problem is, I never finish them. There's always that one boss battle that makes me put the game down, and then I get distracted by the next shiny game and forget all about it. For instance:
- Kingdom Hearts: The friggin' Ursula battle.
- Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Airbuster. (Yes, that early in the game.)
- And the closest I ever got to completing a JRPG, Final Fantasy X-2. I got stuck on the Magus Sisters in the Farplane, and rage quit. That was almost 20 years ago.
When it comes to JRPGs, I have commitment issues. Maybe it's fear of failure. Or perhaps I have a short attention span. Whatever the reason, I must stop leaving my JRPGs behind with mangled loose ends. Next year is the year of finishing the crap I start!
4 Rise Through The Online Ranks Of A Fighting Game
If I could peg my specialty at work, it's fighting games. I've played them since the 90s and have progressed from button-masher to genre-enthusiast. (And not to toot my own horn, but one of my character guides is currently a reference for our guide writer training. Just saying.)
However, I spent most of my playtime with singer-player content. Regarding arcade modes, I've climbed more ladders than a volunteer firefighter. Yet, I am severely under-experienced in competitive online multiplayer. It's the Achilles' heel in my Tatsumaki Senpukyaku.
Thankfully, the Street Fighter 6 betas have shown me that I can hold my own online. So, it's time to get into training mode, unlock Luke's rushdown potential, and study some match-ups so I can rise through Ranked Matches come June (Oh. Ummm, if you're reading this in not 2022/23, replace this with another fighting game reference, I guess. NRS should reveal their next project at some point, right?)
3 Play More Physically Active Video Games
Like many people, I have goals to improve my health next year. (Also, I have a wellness appointment in mid-January, and the A-student in me wants to impress my doctor. So maybe I should add "stop seeking the validation of others" to my resolutions.) As I age into my 30s, I've been investing more in self-care. Part of that care is becoming more active.
I may not look the part, but I relish a good cardio session. For instance, my go-to gym routine is a 5k on the treadmill, and I stole the spotlight in a Zumba class or two. But now it's winter, and leaving my house to drive my freezing car to the gym is not looking so attractive.
Thankfully, I received a copy of the latest Just Dance for Christmas on PS5. (I'm not sure if that's a dig at my weight from my parents. But "don't look a gift horse in the mouth," am I right?) So I want to take advantage of the gamification of exercise to improve my motivation to move.
While at it, I may want to invest more time in the various VR games, dance pads, taiko drums, and other fitness gaming accessories that clutter my bedroom.
2 Start My Twitch Channel
If you didn't read my author bio (But, of course, everyone reads writer bios on digital news sites.), you should know that I'm an actor and singer outside of my job with TG. And, like many artists, Covid derailed several of my career plans. However, the pandemic also opened doors to new opportunities. For instance, I'm learning I have potential in the niche realm of gaming media.
Now that I'm exploring this part of myself, I'm considering other arenas I can throw my hat into. Maybe my next act is in video game voiceovers or gamer-related comedy like Smosh Games. I'm not entirely sure yet. But I undoubtedly know I want to start a Twitch stream. There's a very creator-driven aspect to the platform that I'm drawn to. I'd much rather cultivate my audience and content than wait for an opportunity from an agent or casting director.
I've already invested in an Elgato capture card, a new webcam, a gamer chair, a second monitor, and a professional microphone. I even have a blue curtain for backdrops. At this point, the only things keeping me from starting my Twitch streams are my excuses:
- "I need to download a moderator bot app so I don't get harassed/doxxed."
- "I need to write more, so my bosses know I'm serious about my job."
- "My bedroom is too crowded. It will look weird on camera."
- "I can't think of a high-relevancy game to stream."
- Blah, blah, blah, blah, blahbity, BLAH!
No, no, no! What I need is to shit or get off the damn pot!
You know what? This applies to auditions, too. I need to be #bookedandblessed next year!
1 Finally, Purchase That PS2 I Keep Telling Myself I Would Buy
One of my favorite consoles I ever owned was my Playstation 2. Furthermore, I was still regularly playing my PS2 well into my Xbox 360 years. Many of my favorite games launched on the console, including Tekken TAG Tournament, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, Amplitude, and several DDRs. I even started importing games from Japan, including Namco X Capcom, pop'n music, and a Japan-exclusive Darkstalkers Collection.
Unfortunately, my game importing ruined my last PS2 when I lost my Magic Swap card and jammed a gift card into the PS2 disk drive. Still, all of my PS2 games sit on a tall bookshelf in my room, gathering dust. My parents keep telling me, "Chris, just get rid of them!" I firmly reply, "No, I'm planning on replacing my PS2 soon."
Yet, whenever I search eBay for a PS2 console, I can never cough up the $150 to buy one. It never seems to be the right time. And I've been getting by with emulation, so does it matter? But, at this point, it's more about the principal. If I never get that PS2, I'm just loading another empty promise onto my Twitch streamer dreams, my fitness goals, my fighting game training, and my JRPG playthroughs.
Oh, Sweet Baby New Year, I do have commitment issues.