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So here I am back at the ol’ tiller, figuratively speaking. It feels like we got a headstart on the mess that was 2020 since at least half of our 2019 was a mess, but at this point I’m going to be very cautious about hoping 2021 will be better.
Computer gaming has been big for me in terms of weathering these storms with sanity intact. I mean that’s been the case nearly all my life ever since I was but a wee tyke playing Combat on my Atari 2600, but now with the conventions on shutdown and restaurants closed, etc. etc., it’s been nice to have a library of virtual escapism at my fingertips. Admittedly, I’ve been working my day job remotely since last March and mostly now tell the difference between a day on duty and a day off duty by how many windows I have open, and sometimes the workday ends and I’m in a haze for awhile or needing to take a nap while my brain sorts itself into leisure mode.
Toys are still good, though. New toys especially. For instance I was finally able to pick up The Outer Worlds as part of the Winter Steam Sale. I’ve waited awhile for TOW because it first debuted exclusively through the Epic game store and regardless of any business shenanigans going on there I just don’t need another launcher on my computer. Also it’s fine because it’s been a long time since I felt any need to buy games at launch, much less pre-order. The industry model of “release first, fix later” is rampant (the recent Cyberpunk 2020 blow-ups being an example) and if I have to wait a year or so for the kinks to be worked out, so be it. Beyond that I get three more benefits:
- The price tends to have come down
- There are often DLCs that have now been bundled into some Ultimate or Game of the Year edition.
- If it sucks, remains unfixed, or isn’t what I expected, the reviews and Let’s Plays will have long been in the wind.
Out of all these the price is still the big one, I suppose, since in addition to any natural price decreases I tend to hold out for sales — although the more independent the studio and the better the effort seems to be, the more likely I am to pay closer to full price or even full price for a game. It doesn’t hurt that most indie games have a lower price tag to begin with.
But anyhow, all this is besides the point I suppose, and the point is that I now have TOW and some other new toys to play with, and I think at least for the start of 2021 I’d like to talk about my toys, even if their subjects aren’t really related to Zombie Ranch. It’s soothing. It also will prevent me from stressing about what to write. So we’ll do that starting next week, probably. Or you can skip. Whichever stresses you least. Heaven knows we all could use a little relief.