The balance between work and play

It’s a funny give and take to be a so-called gaming journalist. On one hand, you need to play games to get a true understanding of the way certain titles control and how they mesh with the player. It allows writers to really experience the feel of a game and give a more in-depth insight to readers. On the other hand, if you get stuck playing too much, you fall behind on the actual writing aspect of the job. What good does it do to play games if you can’t reach out to people and give them the information they want? It kind of defeats the whole journalist side to it, you know? As someone who greatly appreciates both sides(as I’m sure most gaming journalists do) and is new to the whole experience, it’s been quite a challenge to balance work and play.

I will admit it’s at least ten times easier to get caught up in the hands-on side of things. What’s not to love about sitting down and getting lost in the experience of a good game? Although, I must say it’s pretty easy to get lost in a good article too! But the point still stands that, for a large majority of video game journalists, they must have started playing the games and then picked up writing along the way. If you love both enough, eventually it becomes a no-brainer what to do with the rest of your life. But, as someone who has just started the transition to serious gaming journalism and video production, non-stop binge gaming is a hard habit to leave behind.

RIIIIIIGHT!?!?!

For instance, I only have about five hours of free time each day. By the time I get home from work at around 10:45 P.M., I’m so beat that playing is always the first option that comes to mind. It’s the easier route that offers instant stress relief. Now that I’m trying to make something of myself though, I almost always choose the route of writing and editing. It leaves me with a sense of pride at the end of the night that a game can’t provide. Now don’t get me wrong, there is a certain sense of satisfaction from beating a hardcore level on “Towerfall: Ascension” or finally making that awesome set in “Monster Hunter” that I spent hours farming for, but it’s a different feeling of accomplishment. It’s almost as if posting that new video makes me feel like I’m one step closer to getting a job at an awesome website, magazine or newspaper(yes, those still exist). It’s something that makes me sleep easy and keeps me excited to do it all over again the next day. But overall, I like to write and edit because of my love of the content: video games. After all, they’re a huge part of what got me here. If it wasn’t writing, it would have been drawing concept art, developing or testing games. Heck, I would even find a job in PR if it meant I could promote games. So, that leaves me with the big question: What is the right amount of playing?

Well, I’m now figuring out that there isn’t really a definite answer for me right now. Lately, I’ve been getting in about five to seven hours weekly. That’s not enough, in my eyes, because it doesn’t lend itself well to keeping up with the way games feel, a facet that changes quite a lot. Playing only this much allows me to put out four to six articles a week and possibly one video, but I don’t feel like I’m experiencing anything. It feels more like I’m on the outside looking in. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as I believe there needs to be some sort of divide between work and play, but it seems like the same concept as a sportscaster who never played the sport they report on. I understand that this isn’t a foreign concept in the case of many sportscasters, but I’m more inclined to listen to someone who understands what they’re talking about from multiple points of view.

So I have no boss at home... but this one was too good to pass up!

So, in the end, too much playing equals not enough writing, which means nobody wins, and too much writing gets content out and keeps people interested, but it creates a disconnect between myself and the spark that ignited my passion. I’m between a rock and a hard place, but eventually I think I’ll be able to get it right. It’s just funny that the aspect that makes games so appealing(The physical act of playing) is my biggest obstacle to overcome right now. If worse comes to worse I could always quit my day job, I suppose. Right!? Who needs an income?! But what fun would that be? All great journeys have their difficult parts, and if it wasn’t for games that truth wouldn’t be so apparent! Link doesn’t just save Zelda. Portals don’t just automatically solve puzzles. Foxes don’t just naturally do barrel rolls. There has to be a struggle, and in my case it’ll be the one where I make sure to always- Oops! Time’s up. Sorry, got to go check on my town in Animal Crossing. K.K. Slider’s going to be here soon!

Take care, guys. If you have any tips or suggestions on how you balance your time, I would love to hear them. See you all next time! 

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

"New Leaf" builds upon old tricks

In its GameCube debut, "Animal Crossing" showed the world that Nintendo can contend with the best when it comes to the life simulation genre.
A laid back atmosphere, colorful NPC interactions and simple, yet addicting gameplay helped the title become popular despite competition with games such as "Harvest Moon" and "The Sims." Since the original game's release, there have been three more installments, and even after four iterations and 12 years little has changed in the wild, creature-filled game that is Animal Crossing.
As "New Leaf" is much of the same, it makes more sense to speak about what sets it apart from the rest of the Animal Crossing games.
Will this game's additions set it apart enough to give it a distinct personality, or will the new elements even make a difference to a series this popular?
The first obvious change players will notice is the role he/she will take within their respective towns. Upon arrival, villagers will greet players as the town's mayor. Although it takes a few days to begin mayoral duties, it doesn't take long to learn how to fulfill your duties. As mayor, public works projects and ordinances can be built and enforced to personalize the town to the player's liking. For example, towns only start with one bridge to cross the river that splits the city into two. The player can then start a public works project to build another bridge. Lamp posts, fences, store upgrades and many other projects can be taken on in the same way to create a more advanced town. Project funds are acquired by a donation system that can contributed to by players, NPCs or visiting players. The system is a small detail, but what is Animal Crossing but a bunch of fun, tiny details that create a game filled with personality?
Ordinances allow the player to create laws that change the town specifically to suit his/her needs. The "beautiful town" perk cleans the town up in many ways, including getting rid of cockroaches, eliminating all trash in the ocean and river and lowering the chance that flowers will wither. These ordinances are wonderful additions because they allow the player to interact with their town in the way they choose. If a player works an early morning shift in real life they can create an ordinance that allows them to enjoy "New Leaf" when they have more free time. Again, it's a small change, but it shows the developers want to give players more bang for their buck, and these changes definitely do just that.
A new mechanic brought to "New Leaf," comparable to fishing and bug catching, is swimming. By wearing a wetsuit, players can take a dip in the ocean and dive for underwater treasures such as seaweed and sea stars. These items can be given to the museum to display and can also be sold to the store for a few extra bells. While it might not be the most fascinating mechanic, it's something for players to do when they get tired of the same old song and dance that previous games offered.
Speaking of the same old song and dance, "New Leaf" has at least expanded upon the number of fish and bugs that can be caught by 12 respectively. Veterans and newcomers can both appreciate an update like this, even if it is just a couple extra bug and fishy faces added to the mix.
Last, but not least, the museum is a facet of Animal Crossing that has always added extra challenge to the game. In "New Leaf," the museum can be given a second floor after certain conditions are met and a specific public works project is presented to the player. Once the second floor is built, players can then display items of their own choice, so when other players visit their museum it will have its own unique feel, and no two museums will be the same. "New Leaf" may not be a major series overhaul, but in this case why fix something that isn't broken? Players are given more options in the latest Animal Crossing installment, and despite how small those options are, they assist "New Leaf" in being the most wholesome title to date. If gamers enjoyed other entries in the series there is no reason they shouldn't give "New Leaf" a try. It's just as addictive, personal and enchanting as the rest, with a few new touch-ups to boot. So grab your bug net, fishing rod and shovel, and get ready to be bell hunting for months to come in this have-it-your-way game.
This game get an 8 out of 10.