With one of the biggest release seasons ahead of us I figured it is time to take down these walls that hold us in. With all the hype that goes on because of our passion about games, we have a tendency to forget just what got us involved in video games in the first place. Go ahead... take a moment to breathe and make contact with what it was that made you so dedicated to spending your hard earned money on games.

*dramatic pause*

For me, it was because I was able to mentally transfer myself from reality to a fantasy land. I was able to get lost in a world that was developed to entertain me. For a moment in time, I was able to forget about my stressful and fast paced life that consumes my existance.

At times when I felt down on life or just confused about what direction I wanted to take my career I had video games to soften the blows that life delivers on us. Just like I can smell a scent in the air that brings memories of my first date or a song that takes me back to the first trip I took out of the country, I can look at games that I have played in the past and remember thoses windows of time in my life. That, to me, is powerful. What allowed me to enjoy those games so immensely to actually place personal experiences on them was me. It was all on me to embrace the games as they were. Even the "bad" games that I played have a special place.

It seems nowaday, that we are too quick to say, "Nope! That's not my thing." when we see a new game that doesn't fit the mold of what we are used to playing. To a certain extent I can understand that but at some point that wall needs to be lowered to allow new experiences to find their way into our lives. Perhaps, the reason why some of us go through "gaming droughts" is because we play the same type of games all the time. Particularly during this period time where we don't have much of an excuse to say there isn't anything out there. If you find yourself saying that, my suggestion to you is get a game that is outside of what you are used to playing.

"But wait, Tone. Aren't we all a little different?"

My first inclination is to answer yes but are we really all that different from each other? We all might have slightly different reasons for playing video games but the one main thing we have in common is that they we play them for fun. That will never change. Keeping that in mind will allow us to embrace each others differences and with that, I feel, you will notice more simliarites then you could have ever thought.

Coming from someone who, in the past, was desperate to find anyone to talk to about video games with, I find myself less inclined to take that step with the very community that I have the most in common. Probably because I don't wish to hear ever tidbit about a game before I have had a chance to play it or that just because my tastes are slightly different than others it gives reason to be chastized.

But...

I refuse to allow those that are narrow-minded and ignorant to speak louder than me. I'm not going to allow them to prevent me from embracing that I am just different than they are, even though we play games for the same reason. My approach and methods of playing video games are different from theirs but my reasons for playing them are not.

I will continue to shield myself from extraneous hype before a game is released.

I will continue to play games I want to play and I will play them with ZEST in front of those that think they are stupid. (Yes, I said zest.)

I will continue to read the reviews AFTER I have bought and played the game.

I will continue to stand out from the mold of others.

I will continue to keep an open mind about what I think I will enjoy...

...and I will do all this on the principle that video games and I have a history. A long history at that. So give me the next wave of video games. Let it come hard and strong because, like Jack Burton always says, I can take it.