Want to know a little more about the Demo Gamer? You've come to the right place. If you want the short version, click here.
First off, what better way to get to know me than through some of my favorite computer and video games (in no particular order)? Half Life, Star Control 2, Transport Tycoon Deluxe, Total Annihilation, Supreme Commander, SpaceChem, Fluidity, Super Mario Strikers, Need for Speed: Underground, SSX3, Amped, The Secret of Monkey Island, Warcraft 2, X-Com: UFO Defense, Gran Turismo (all of them), all Metroid games, Dance Dance Revolution, and StarFox64. Not a comprehensive list, but that should give you an idea.
Who am I? I'm a former hardcore gamer born just before the rise of the NES with fuzzy memories of IntelliVision. I'm also a recent graduate with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. My father is a video and computer game journalism pioneer who is no longer in the industry. Throughout my childhood, I played a multitude of consoles and a ludicrously large amount of games that came through our house, including such esoterics as the 3DO and Jaguar. Living near Seattle at the time, I was privileged to do game testing for Nintendo a few times. We never traveled without a Game Boy or Game Gear, and I'm still frustrated that we never got a Lynx. I have attended a pair of E3 shows and authored a short article for Wired Magazine. I wear glasses due to the eyestrain of my youth: gaming (too much) used to be my primary hobby. Now it is definitely secondary (sometimes tertiary, sad day) to work, family, and other obligations. Writing and music are two of my other favorite hobbies, along with snowboarding. I am married to a wonderful non-gamer who enjoys an occasional Wii game here or there and tolerates my gaming hobby pretty well. My two little boys are awesome, and the oldest is coming along nicely in his gaming indoctrination, somewhat to the chagrin of his mother.
What do I think about video and computer games? I think they are generally fun, and even art at times. I see them as a valuable and powerful form of entertainment and engagement. I sometimes wish I could go back to the glory days of Goldeneye and StarFox64 marathons, but now I have to budget my gaming time. I try to focus on innovative and rewarding games because my time is so precious. I also try to focus on indie developers because their games tend to be more affordable and my funds are quite limited. I have really enjoyed the indie side of the gaming industry thus far. As a sidenote, I also enjoy tabletop gaming as often as possible.
What kind of gaming equipment do I have? I have a pair of Windows PCs, neither of which are powerhouses, a Nintendo Wii, and an iPhone. We also have a few Game Boys but those are for the kids :-) I hope to upgrade to an Xbox 360, PS3, and iPad sooner rather than later.
Why should you care about what I write? Well, first off, I don't get free review copies of games, and I don't want them. I prefer to buy my own games so that you can trust me when I say a game is good and so that I can also feel comfortable writing a less-than-positive review. I want my gaming experiences to be as close to yours, from try to buy to enjoy. That is why I start by playing a demo, like you might, to see if a game is worth my limited time. I find demos to be a particularly interesting way to interact with a game, similar in some ways to a movie trailer. Also, if you're an ex-hardcore gamer like me, you know what it's like to not have the time for gaming that you really want, to not play all the blockbusters due to time/money constraints and what have you. It is my hope that we can share ways to maximize what little gaming time we have.
Got more questions? Let me know! You can reach me here.
--Demo Gamer
