THIS GAMER'S LIFE
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Who does he
​think he is?

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The author is a professional editor and unprofessional blogger.

This Gamer's Life was created in 2018 as a home for video game content and to archive the author's most popular blogs on the Game Informer website. Posts have covered new video game releases, past titles and franchises, industry trends and conventions such as E3, IndieCade, DreamHack, L.A. Comic Con and Anime Expo, with an eye toward providing an objective perspective of the medium and increasing coverage of independent game developers.

When the author is asked why he chose to become a blogger, there's no easy answer. He didn't really know what it meant to be a blogger when he began posting on the website 1UP. He simply wanted to share impressions of video games with others who shared his interest. The fact that people actually read the posts, and even liked them, was a pleasant surprise. So in some ways, blogging chose him.

This was true of his role as a Featured Community Blogger (2012-2018) on the official website of Game Informer, an industry magazine and fourth-largest U.S. publication by circulation at the time (user blogs were discontinued in a June 2018 website redesign). The nonstaff/nonpaid role was bestowed by magazine staff (to Shootist2600 in the link, the author's gamertag/username) in recognition of unique and consistent contribution to the blog section.

From 2009 to 2018, 82 blogs had received recognition and 21 had been chosen for the magazine newsletter. In 2012, 32 of 44 blogs were recognized by the site (a 73% rate that was best among 643 bloggers). The author also interviewed developers/publishers at the Electronic Entertainment Expo and reported on the event. As website moderator, he assisted members and enforced site conduct.

This Gamer's Life is the result of more than 15 years spent writing about video games. Every experience has helped inform the author's views on the industry, the challenges faced by independent studios, and his craft as a writer covering this medium. None of this would have been possible without the gaming community, and the support of the industry and social media followers. Thank you for visiting and always being an inspiration!
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Game Informer Issue 233, September 2012
VIDEO GAME, CONVENTION & OTHER COVERAGE

Blogs exclusive to ThisGamersLife.com:
  • Maskmaker Crafts an Engaging Journey
  • The Entropy Centre Is a Rewarding Pastime
  • Family Man Asks, "Which Family Do You Serve?"
  • South of the Circle: Where Some Battles Are Waged in the Heart
  • Beautiful Desolation Finds Splendor Among the Ruins
  • A Haven From the Familiar
  • Death Tales Is a Lively Fantasy
  • Colorful Characters Vie With Neon Spectacle in Cloudpunk
  • Paradise Killer Makes a Strong Case for its Stylish Whodunit
  • Summer in Mara Sets Sail on a Promising Voyage
  • It's Easy & Hard to Put Your Finger on Wurroom
  • Good Goliath Is a Tall Tale Come Alive
  • DreamHack Anaheim 2020: Undying & Kynseed
  • DreamHack Anaheim 2020: Delphyq & Wave Break
  • DreamHack Anaheim 2020: Cepheus Protocol & Adventures of Chris
  • 7th Sector Puzzles While it Entertains
  • This Ghost Warrior's Aim Is True
  • A Whale of A Fisherman's Tale
  • Drawn in to The Outer Worlds
  • L.A. Comic Con 2019: Hellboy Reunion, Cosplay & More
  • L.A. Comic Con 2019: Scoring for Video Games Panel​
  • Details Large and Small Make a World of Difference in GreedFall
  • Wreckfest Is a Glorious Tour of Well-Designed Mayhem
  • Space Is the Perfect Setting for This Cold War
  • No Man's Sky Beyond Initial VR Impressions
  • There Is Heart Amid the Splendor of This Kingdom
  • Superhot Is a VR Bullet Ballet
  • Anime Expo 2019: Square Enix Announces New Manga & Books
  • Anime Expo 2019: Exhibitors, Artists & Cosplay
  • A Rewarding Escape to the Gardens of Fujii
  • Oculus Quest Impressions & the State of VR
  • Elder Scrolls Makes a Promising Debut on Mobile Devices
  • This Valley Has Plenty of Peaks
  • Observer Expertly Probes Our Inescapable Fears
  • Crawling Through a VR Dungeon in The Mage's Tale
  • The Highs & Lows of Ace Combat 7 VR Missions
  • Gris Is a Colossal Achievement
  • Marvel's Spider-Man Weaves A Classic Superhero Experience
  • Taming the Wild West in Red Dead Redemption 2
  • Off Course but on Target in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
  • Dreams Take Flight in Rush VR
  • Discover a Charming Tale Well Told in Nairi: Tower of Shirin
  • Prospect & the Ballad of Cee
  • L.A. Comic Con 2018: Artists, Cosplay & Collectibles
  • L.A. Comic Con 2018: Neon Future Interview
  • L.A. Comic Con 2018: Prospect Panel Q&A
  • IndieCade 2018: Phenomenology, A Memoir Blue, Pixel Ripped 1989 & What the Golf?
  • IndieCade 2018: Nishan Shaman, Balam, Bloodroots & WaveBreak
  • DJ Game Electronauts Is a VR Success
  • My E3 2018: Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus & Cybershoes
  • ​My E3 2018: Rise of Industry
  • My E3 2018: Dying Light 2
  • My E3 2018: Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot & Prey: Typhon Hunter
  • My E3 2018: Desert Child, Creed, Bethesda, 3 Min. to Midnight & More
The author is grateful to have had 21 blogs featured in the Game Informer Newsletter:​
  • Skyrim VR: Exploring the World Again for the First Time (12/2/17)
  • Ghost Recon: State of the Shooter (3/11/17)
  • My E3 2016: Kona, Skylar, Solus & More (6/25/16)
  • The Beginning of the End: A Photo Mode Recap of Uncharted 4's First Hours (5/21/16)
  • Hunter or Hunted? The Thrill of the Chase in Far Cry Primal (3/19/16)
  • How to Not Survive in Fallout 4 (12/5/15)
  • Shooters Reloaded (5/23/15)
  • What Does a 19-Year-Old Alien Look Like? (5/2/15)
  • Anime Expo 2014: Cosplay, Artist Alley & Exhibitors (7/18/14)
  • Scratching That BioShock Itch While On The Go (2/9/13)
  • A Far Cry From Your Typical FPS (12/22/12)
  • Making Imaginary Friends in Dragon's Dogma (6/11/12)
  • How Witcher 2 Helps Me Feel Like a Kid Again (5/5/12)
  • Building Character (2/18/12)
  • Amalur Confidential (1/28/12)
  • Shootist's Top 10 Gaming Experiences of 2011 (1/13/12)
  • You Can't Spell Skyrim Without A-R-T (12/9/11)
  • "Video Games" Are Obsolete (12/3/11)
  • Playing for Keeps (10/29/11)
  • L.A. Neo Noire (5/28/11)
  • In Defense of Mediocrity (9/21/10)

He'd written 175 blogs on the Game Informer website and was fortunate to have had 82 selected for the weekly feature Blog Herding -- The Best Blogs of the Community:
  • Skyrim VR: Exploring the World Again for the First Time (11/30/17)
  • Promising VR Large & Small: The Persistence & Moss (11/16/17)
  • Farpoint Brings VR to the Fore in Thrilling Fashion (8/9/17) (Not a Blog Herding selection.)
  • Exploring Boundaries in No Man's Sky (8/25/16)
  • My E3 2016: Kona, Skylar, Solus & More (6/23/16)
  • The Beginning of the End: A Photo Mode Recap of Uncharted 4's First Hours (5/19/16)
  • Hunter or Hunted? The Thrill of the Chase in Far Cry Primal (3/17/16)
  • How to Not Survive in Fallout 4 (12/3/15)
  • This Fallout Wasteland Is Teeming With Opportunity (11/19/15)
  • The Elder Scrolls Online -- Death by Mudcrab & Other Joys (8/27/15)
  • My E3 2015: Logitech, Valhalla Hills, Bounty Train, Extra Life & More (6/25/15)
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt -- Initial Impressions (5/28/15)
  • Shooters Reloaded (5/21/15)
  • What Does a 19-Year-Old Alien Look Like? (4/30/15)
  • Last (Gen) but not Least -- Dragon Age: Inquisition & Far Cry 4 (12/4/14)
  • Stan Lee's Comikaze 2014 (11/13/14)
  • Anime Expo 2014: Cosplay, Artist Alley & Exhibitors (7/10/14)
  • My E3 2014: Rainbow Six, Far Cry, Dying Light & More (6/19/14)
  • Guardrails Off the Beaten Path (4/17/14)
  • Back to the Future: Last Gen Virtual Reality (4/3/14)
  • A Love Letter to Virtual Allies (2/20/14)
  • Generation Gap (1/30/14)
  • Stan Lee's Comikaze (11/14/13)
  • Lost in Los Santos: A GTA Journal, Parts 3 & 4 (9/26/13)
  • Lost in Los Santos: A GTA Journal, Part 2 (9/26/13)
  • Arcania: The Complete Tale (9/12/13)
  • The Last of Us and Devotion to Craft (6/27/13)
  • Surviving Metro 2033 (5/23/13)
  • The Peculiar Charms of a Dead Island (5/9/13)
  • If a Zombie Has Warts, Would You Notice? (5/2/13)
  • Screenshots for Dummies (Like Me) (4/18/13)
  • Under the Columbia Big Top (4/11/13)
  • Charting Lara's Past, Present & Future (3/28/13)
  • Mojomonkey12 Is Pod People & Other Tales From the Alien Invasion (3/21/13)
  • Reimagining Lara Croft (3/14/13)
  • A Cat-and-Mouse Alternative to Run-and-Gun (3/7/13)
  • Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance AKA Raiden's Resplendiferousness (2/21/13)
  • Scratching That BioShock Itch While On The Go (2/7/13)
  • Hitman: Absolution Is On Target, Even If I'm Not (1/17/13)
  • Horsing Around in Assassin's Creed 3 (12/27/12)
  • A Far Cry From Your Typical FPS (12/20/12)
  • Grand Theft Auto: Evolution (11/29/12)
  • Beyond Compare: Borderlands 2, Black & Project: Snowblind (11/22/12)
  • Extra Life: Dishonored, Borderlands 2 & More (11/1/12)
  • In Dishonored, Heads Will Roll. And Fly, and Fall, and ... (10/18/12)
  • Borderlands 2: Pandora Revisited (9/27/12)
  • Beyond Compare: Skyrim & Dragon's Dogma (8/30/12)
  • Metal Gear Solid: Evolution (8/16/12)
  • The Elder Scrolls: Evolution (8/9/12)
  • The Other Mass Effect Ending: The Start of Something Big (8/2/12)
  • Bruce Payne 2-1/2: Dizzy Stupor Heroes (7/26/12)
  • The Age of Video Games: Prometheus & Game Development (7/19/12)
  • My E3: Borderlands 2, Tomb Raider & Resident Evil 6 (6/14/12)
  • Making Imaginary Friends in Dragon's Dogma (6/7/12)
  • Dragon's Dogma Gets a Second Chance to Make a First Impression (3/31/12)
  • Sniper Elite V2 Had Greatness in its Sights (5/24/12)
  • How Special Is Spec Ops? (5/17/12)
  • This Hybrid Is a Compelling Mix (5/10/12)
  • How Witcher 2 Helps Me Feel Like a Kid Again (5/3/12)
  • The Ginsu Knife of Video Games? (4/26/12)
  • Reflections of a Lifelong Shooter Fan (3/29/12)
  • I Am (Still) Alive (3/22/12)
  • A Console Gamer Takes Flight on the PC (3/15/12)
  • Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous: Jackie Estacado (3/8/12)
  • What the Mass Effect 3 Demo Really Demonstrates (3/1/12)
  • Long Live the King (2/23/12)
  • Building Character (2/16/12)
  • The Lure of the Dark Side (2/9/12)
  • Tanks for the Memories (2/2/12)
  • Amalur Confidential (1/26/12)
  • Dragon Born Loser (1/19/12)
  • Shootist's Top 10 Gaming Experiences of 2011 (1/12/12)
  • You Can't Spell Skyrim Without A-R-T (12/8/11)
  • "Video Games" Are Obsolete (12/1/11)
  • Dovahkiin Don'ts: And An Excuse for My Pictorial (11/24/11)
  • Playing for Keeps (10/27/11)
  • To Die For: Exhibiting Rage (10/13/11)
  • Smiling Through the Pain (9/29/11)
  • Surviving the Dead Island of Banoi: A Photo Essay (9/15/11)
  • L.A. Neo Noire (5/26/11)
  • The Tyranny of Father Time (12/10/10)
  • An End to Labels? (10/14/10)
  • In Defense of Mediocrity (9/24/10)
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops Teaser Trailer Dissected: A Pictorial (5/6/10)

For all 175 blogs posted by the author on the former Game Informer website, please visit the following link:
  • Blog Posts by Kyle Wadsworth - www.GameInformer.com.*

(*External content is the responsibility of a third party and might not always be accessible.)
CONVENTION COVERAGE

​Anime Expo:
  • ​Anime Expo 2019: Square Enix Announces New Manga & Books
  • Anime Expo 2019: Exhibitors, Artists & Cosplay
  • Anime Expo 2014: Cosplay, Artist Alley & Exhibitors
  • Anime Expo 2012: Cosplay, Fan Art & Collectibles*

DreamHack:
  • DreamHack Anaheim 2020: Undying & Kynseed
  • DreamHack Anaheim 2020: Delphyq & Wave Break
  • DreamHack Anaheim 2020: Cepheus Protocol & Adventures of Chris

Electronic Entertainment Expo:
  • My E3 2018: Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus & Cybershoes
  • My E3 2018: Rise of Industry​
  • My E3 2018: Dying Light 2
  • My E3 2018: Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot & Prey: Typhon Hunter
  • My E3 2018: Desert Child, Creed, Bethesda, 3 Min. to Midnight & More
  • My E3 2016: Dropzone & Elite Dangerous*
  • My E3 2016: The Dwarves, ELEX, War Thunder VR & More*
  • My E3 2016: Kona, Skylar, Solus & More
  • My E3 2016: Battlefield 1 & Titanfall 2 at EA Play*
  • My E3 2015: CrossCode, Shift Happens, Lichdom Battlemage, Total War: WARHAMMER & More*
  • My E3 2015: Logitech, Valhalla Hills, Bounty Train, Extra Life & More
  • My E3 2014: Rainbow Six, Far Cry, Dying Light & More
  • My E3 2013: TAKEDOWN, Saints Row IV, The Elder Scrolls Online & More*
  • My E3 2013: Sherlock Holmes, Castlevania, Witcher, Thief & More*
  • My E3 2013: Warframe, Ryse, Contrast, Titanfall & More*
  • My E3 2012: Planetside 2, Samsung Cloud Gaming, Watch Dogs & Wrap Up*
  • My E3 2012: Divinity Debut, DayZ's Hall, Raven's Cry, Otherland, Kartuga & More*
  • My E3 2012: Borderlands 2, Tomb Raider & Resident Evil 6

IndieCade:
  • IndieCade 2018: Phenomenology, A Memoir Blue, Pixel Ripped 1989 & What the Golf?
  • IndieCade 2018: Nishan Shaman, Balam, Bloodroots & WaveBreak

L.A. Comic Con/Stan Lee's Comikaze:
  • L.A. Comic Con 2019: Hellboy Reunion, Cosplay & More
  • L.A. Comic Con 2019: Scoring for Video Games Panel
  • L.A. Comic Con 2018: Artists, Cosplay & Collectibles
  • L.A. Comic Con 2018: Neon Future Interview
  • L.A. Comic Con 2018: Prospect Panel Q&A
  • Stan Lee's Comikaze 2015*
  • Stan Lee's Comikaze 2014
  • Stan Lee's Comikaze 2013​

(*External content is the responsibility of a third party and might not always be accessible.)
WRITING CONTESTS WON

Letters From Harran writing contest (November 2015)
​The author was one of 11 winners in the Letters From Harran writing contest sponsored by The Dying Light Team at video game developer Techland Games. (Winning entries are included and given credit in the Dying Light: The Following expansion pack. See screenshots below.)​​
Killzone: Liberation Tales of War Story Contest (June 2006)
While a member of Sony's Gamer Advisory Panel (2005-'09), the author won the Killzone: Liberation Tales of War Story Contest sponsored by video game publisher Sony and developer Guerrilla Games. (See the prize below: A life-size model Helghast helmet used in the Killzone: Liberation ad campaign, the same worn in the image at the top of the page.)
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MISCELLANEOUS
​
Web presence:
  • Twitter: https://twitter.com/Shootist2600
  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0POdBgrjOa09NHWPdbZJWw

Video game details:
  • Game Systems (Past & Present): Atari 2600; Microsoft Xbox, Xbox 360 & Xbox One; Nintendo GameBoy, Wii, Super NES Classic Edition & Switch; Oculus Quest; Sony PlayStation 1, 2, 3, 4 & VR (PSVR); Steam Deck
  • Favorite Game Genres: FPS, TPS, RPG, Action/Adventure, Racing, Platformers
  • Favorite Games: BioShock franchise; The Elder Scrolls franchise; Fallout franchise; Gris; The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; The Last of Us series; Mass Effect; Observer; ​Uncharted series; Shadow of the Colossus; Silent Hill franchise; Tomb Raider series; The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

MMO info:
  • Favorite MMO Game: The Elder Scrolls Online
  • Character Name: Voorhyym Serpensmyde
  • Character Class: Templar
  • Character Level: 12
  • Character Alignment/Team: Ebonheart Pact
  • Server Name: North America

Other interests:
  • Favorite Music: Lily Allen, Alvvays, Courtney Barnett, Big Thief, Blue Six, Colbie Caillat, Cayetana, Chastity Belt, Frankie Cosmos, Cowboy Junkies, Lucy Dacus, Samantha James, Kaskade, Late Night Alumni, Sarah McLachlan, Metric, Michiko, Morgan Page, Oceanlab, Over the Rhine, Toni Price, Joan Shelley, Sunflower Bean, Taylor Swift, The Wailin' Jennys, Waxahatchee, The Weepies, Neil Young
  • Favorite Movies: Alien, Blade Runner, Braveheart, Dances With Wolves, Gladiator, Heat, The Hunt for Red October, Interstellar, Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut), Lawrence of Arabia, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Wars: A New Hope, Thor: Ragnarok
  • Favorite TV: Barry, Big Little Lies, Chernobyl, Dead to Me, The End of the F***ing World, Fargo, Fear the Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, The Handmaid's Tale, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Rings of Power, The Serpent Qween, Somebody Somewhere, Station Eleven, Stranger Things, Victoria, The Voice, The Walking Dead, Westworld
  • Favorite Books: Habibi, Jane Eyre, Junji Ito manga, My Broken Mariko, Nijigahara Holograph, Rebecca​
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Let there be light ...

The author been playing since the dawn of video games. First came text-based adventure games on floppy disk, then early arcade games in cabinets, before cartridge gaming on the Atari 2600 (hence the gamertag, Shootist2600). That might make him a gaming dinosaur, but it also gives him perspective on how far the industry has come, and where it might be headed.
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The future's so bright ...

He's seen games evolve from the 2D side-scrolling adventure of Pitfall! to the virtual reality open world exploration of Skyrim VR. The author is as excited now as he was then. The future of interactive entertainment is only limited by our imagination, and video games inspire the imagination like few things can. They keep us young, and fuel younger gamers' dreams.
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