Wow, where does that time go?!? Ha! Today is RPad.TV’s fourth birthday. It seems like yesterday when I was going through a bout of depression over G4tv and RPadholic N8R convinced me to start my own blog. The site has had lots of ups and a handful of downs. It has changed a lot (mostly for the better, I think) and the focus has shifted a bit. Obviously I’ve been posting a lot of vaping content for the last 11 months and I’ve been writing more general entertainment articles. The former is because I’ve been largely unsatisfied with the vaping content that’s out there and the latter is me just posting whatever is on my mind.
While I’ve met so many of you through videogames, I don’t post as much gaming content as I used to. Part of it is because that I often work as a consultant for publishers and can’t write about that stuff. Part of it is because I don’t get nearly as many content opportunities in gaming as I used to. That’s somewhat understandable since I’m one guy working on a very small blog. Still, it’s disheartening. I’ve been writing about games since 1996 and made tons of PR contacts over the years. While I expected many to completely forget about me since I’m no longer working for a large outlet, I hoped (rather naively in retrospect) that I’d get more support for RPad.TV. It’s incredibly frustrating when PR people that I’ve known for more than a decade won’t let me attend local events or attend local demos. Honestly, part of the reason that I don’t pursue gaming content as much as I used to is because I know I’ll end up getting pissed off and annoyed. Between the lingering effects of my 2012 surgery and my always-ready-to-flare-up skin, I’ve largely given up dealing with most videogame PR people because I don’t need all that noise.
Then there’s the mobile phone coverage. I’m just completely bored by the market. There are only two types of phones I’d buy — Apple iPhones and Google Nexus phones. Everything else bugs me, partially because of silly things the hardware manufacturers do and mostly because of the garbage American carriers pull. The mobile-phone space (hardware, anyway) hasn’t interested me in a few years.
Still, the four-year mark of RPad.TV has me missing all the gaming content that I used to post. I’m going to try to do more, whether I get support from PR people or not. I miss writing about games for the site and I miss talking about games with all of you. With that in mind, kindly join me in an RPad.TV birthday wish for the site’s videogame content to rise again!
I agree on the mobile aspect. I’m not sure what else can be done to push the devices forward. In a way I think the market is starting to get too cute with gestures and crappy voice controls. The android devices are now getting features both software and hardware that is both laughable and nonsensical.
I am excited about the upcoming steam os and look forward to discussions on yet another digital ecosystem. However this one seems quite friendly
F**k the PR people. Get a subscription to GameFly (or wait for a good Steam sale) and play (and cover) whatever games you want.
Congrats on the 4-year anniversary. You deserve all the success in the world. But more importantly, you deserve to be happy (preferably without my receptionist). Don’t let shit get you down. There’s too much awesome stuff going on all around you everyday and if you blink, you may miss something.
Even though I’m not into vaping, I’ll still come here and read your stuff. Actually, I may be pulled (against my will) into the vaping lobbying arena because of all of our convenience stores run by contract operators.
If you’re taking any requests (aside from more gaming stuff), I’d like to see some “Fake-Steve-Jobs”-style rants from you. It could be about anything: Portable computing handsets (we call smartphones), wireless carriers, PR flaks, Ben & Jerry’s lack of bananas in their Chunky Monkey, whatever. If you are going to live up to the (made up) title of “Verbal Entertainer” then you’re going to have to put them fancy words to use.
Whatever you decide to do, I’ll stick around for the ride. Here’s to another four!
-M
P.S. When I say that I’m going to stick around, it’s partly to cover my own ass. Seriously, if you guys don’t hear from me at least once a month, my wife probably killed me for the insurance money. Please notify the police.
I don’t consider myself a regular anymore, and I have noticed that your content has changed somewhat dramatically over the last year or so, but I say, do whatever works. As far as you personally, I have always been a fan, you know that. I think it might have been me who started the whole RPad love over at g4 both because you spoke to your readers, and because, in contrast, Brian Leahy was such an incredible douchebag. Later, when Nate came around, he was extremely cool and funny (and made us all really cool avatars) and also kind of killed the fanboy bullshit over there. I think the people who come here owe a large amount of respect to Nate for his part in making this site happen. I’ve always thought it would be cool to win the lottery and totally bankroll this site and get it to where it should be, so you could be like the fucking count of Monte Cristo, and get your revenge on those who slighted you, preferably in as cruel a way as possible. Do you remember the line in the movie Good Will Hunting, when Ben Affleck’s character tells Matt Damon that everyday when he picks him up for their bullshit job, that he hopes that he doesn’t answer, because he was meant to do better things with his life? I kind of feel that way about you. I hope one day I come here and the content is slow, because you took a job over at Rev3 or maybe a public relations gig somewhere, but maybe that isnt what you want. We need people like you in the douchebag infested waters that are big time gaming journalism. Either way, we’ll be here to read your stuff. You are our Jerry Mcguire, except you aren’t an overrated scientologist gaylord.
This comment was completely awesome. Loved the Good Will Hunting reference! Thank you Sir!!!
Well, Happy 4th Birthday, RPADTV — the blog!