It’s been a busy last couple of months here at TCbH HQ. Well. I guess I wasn’t even always here. I took a trip to the Pacific Northwest, went to PAX Unplugged, then experienced all the excitement of Christmas as a parent of a 4 year old. So yeah, like I said, busy.
Anyway, there were a few things I wanted to mention as general updates.
Pacific Northwest
This was a family vacation, but the one thing I wanted to mention here is that I got to visit some really awesome friends, many of whom have contributed or supported the site in different ways (shoutouts to Mike Travis, Jen Kelley, and Rob Conley (more on him in a bit)), but also I got to visit Mox Boarding House, which was incredible.
Man. If I had known what to expect I would have set aside a full day. Not only were the facilities wonderful, clean, and gorgeously maintained, but the whole vibe and atmosphere were simultaneously deep-nerd and yet totally welcoming. The staff were really incredible, too; very talkative, great personalities, and helpful. All around, 10/10, can’t wait to go back.
PAX Unplugged
You’ve probably seen some of our coverage in one way or another, but the bottom line is that this was once again one of my highlights of the year. PAX is such a groovy, supportive convention that seems equally geared toward casual and hardcore audiences. I also like just how community driven it is, creating platforms for creators to really engage with audiences, such as the Unpub room.
That said, all of the audio and video coverage was a huge amount of work, and I could never have done it without the incredible help of Rob Conley of Ginger Cat Productions (told you he’d be back) and Robert Doremus. These two dudes hauled gear, held cameras, checked equipment… they did it all. Truly amazing friends and for the duration of the con, completely realiable teammates who made it all possible. I can’t wait to go back again, and I sincerely hope both of them are able to make it too.
20 Greatest Games of All Time
I don’t ever want to be accused of not doing ALL THE THINGS, so last minute (well, maybe 10 days) before the end of the year, I decided, why not make a video committing to my top 20 games of all time? I mean, it’s only like the first time I’ve ever done that, or even made an ordered top-anything list that I’d be willing to stand by. You see, my reluctance is that I find the whole notion kind of silly, but I still believe in it.
I felt like I got a good process and have conviction about the games I chose, so I thought it was time to really go forward. The result was spectacular. I am so proud of how that freaking thing came out. Maybe it’s not monumental in the grand scheme of things, but I think it is one of our finest edited pieces of work, and would be so honored if you checked it out.
So that’s the climax of our year. We have a few odds and ends going on right now, like finishing up our patron rewards (letters are written, now gathering packaging supplies) and some sort of “games of 2018” roundup which will hopefully come before January. Got a few upcoming projects too, ranging from Platypus Con here in Juneau, to “Cardboard Academy”, a learn to play video series.
So, with that I’m going to sign off for now. Thanks for all of your support, have a marvelous New Year.
