Nick’s Game Diary Week of Jan. 28, 2024
A weekly diary of the things I’m doing and digging.
Jan. 29, 2024
New ep out now! Always love having Shinobi on the show!
Just realized I’ve been dating most of my dates in these entries as 2023. Whoops.
Starting the week on yet another sad note. I recently got into vinyl and have been working my way through collecting some of my favorites. Got to Low Roar and to no surprise at all, the vinyls are priced high since the death of lead man, Ryan Karazija. On a more positivie note, I did find a live version of Don’t Be So Serious played in this really cool venue in Switzerland.
Click to 42:53 for Don’t Be So Serious. Great all around performance here.
Jan. 30, 2024
It’s the time of the year again. That’s right, it’s vision board time! I don’t mess with scissors or glue, I instead opt for GIMP and Copy-Paste. Without further delay, here is this year’s board.
2024 Vision Board
Let’s break some of this down:
Hank: My dog turns 7…8… He’s somewhere in there. Point is, he’s getting older. I want to get out and walk with the guy more. Who knows how much longer he’ll be around. He loves the hell out of walks. I still get out with him, but not nearly as much as we did in Chicago.
My Wife & Kids: I feel major changes are around the corner for me, career wise. I want to keep my focus on those most important in my life, the little people and the boss of the house. Who am I kidding, they’re all the boss.
People on the People: I want to make more face-to-face time with friends. A nurture those relationships. Get to know folks better offline.
You Better Work: I want to keep the gym routine going. Running and lifting at least three times a week. Stop eating bullcrap and start making better snacking decisions.
Books on Books: I’ve accumulated a back catalog of books from the last few Christmases. It’s time to start knocking those out. I want to at least read 1 book a month. I refuse to go back to Goodreads though. That place is rough.
Where Do Books Go: More library visits. Not just my regular libraries, but some off the beaten path as well.
Cans on a String: More interviews for the podcast this year. I started dabbling my feet in the interview waters in 2023. If I’m really digging something, I’m gonna go out and try to talk to the person who made it!
Phone Off: Less time on the little screen. If I’m not texting friends and family, I’m just not getting much out of it anymore. Social media just doesn’t hold my interest as much as it used to. So much of it feels empty and lacking in the social aspect.
$$: Going to try and save a few bucks here and there. It’s not going change my life in a major way, but those stowed away dollars will offer some piece of mine.
Keep Writing: New pilot, keep pitching Hard Drive, and keep the reviews going (here and on Game Chonicles). A few actors to keep in the back of my brain while writing new character.
Jan. 31, 2024
It’s done! A draft of BASTARDS’ KEEP is finally done! Alright, I’m being a bit dramatic. I’ve only been at this since early December, but this new pilot has been running through my mind on a loop. Feels great to have it down on paper and be a real thing. Time to rest the noggin and prepare for some notes.
No sweeter words than “The End”
Just recorded this week’s podcast! Was great to have special guest, Matt Fresh, a contributor to Hard Drive, on the show! Matt’s been with Hard Drive a little longer than I have, but he’s already putting out a lot of great stuff. I think this one is my personal favorite. Can’t wait to have Matt back! Congrats on beating Spider-Man 2, Matt.
That Matt is a big coffee drinker.
Feb. 1, 2024
Got notes on BASTARDS’ KEEP back from some blind reads on CoverflyX. It’s looking good so far. Sent the draft out to a few friends and my manager. Let’s see what the folks who know me think about it?
The game I’m playing and under embargo has some funny similiarities to Transistor. I can’t really get to into it yet, but I’m loving how much these games are complimenting each other.
Inched a litte further into Transistor tonight. The world and gameplay are finally starting to suck me in. It’s the character pages with each ability that finally took hold of me. You unlock additional lore about each character by using their ability in different ways (IE passive, active, ect.) I really think I can power through this game and have it done by the weekend.
I finally get it, the sword is a giant USB Stick
Feb. 2, 2024
The Old Switch-A-roo crew is on next week’s episode. We’re going to do an older format of the show and revisit 2000 Q1. Should be fun to get back to some of our roots!
Just noticed the thumbs up/down. Love it!
Started branching off my usual video game podcast cycle. I just can’t get into the Bombcast or Bombcast adjacent shows that used to fill up my commutes and office downtime. Some new favorites include:
Remap Radio - A little more nuance when it comes to breaking down the news of the week.
Noclip Crewcast - Love the behind-the-scenes feel of this one. Amazing game variety. Danny is a great host.
Aftermath Hours - Still fairly new, but the small bit I’ve heard of this one left enough of an impression to add it to my weekly mix
WTFamicom - Nick and Dan are two big goofs. I love their energy. I think they’d make great guests on the podcast…..Awesome mini Gears of War episode this week!
Those are just a few of the standouts. Of course still love all of the podcasts our wonderful guests have come from.
