Contemporary and Past Gaming Trends

No, this is not a blog post about the gaming industry as whole, but rather my current (and past) gaming habits.� I've noticed that as I have become older (I am turning 21 soon) my habits and preferences have changed despite the fact that I once said they never would!
��� The evolution of my gaming tastes and preferences becomes more intriguing to me the more I think about it.� When I was around the age of 6-10, my favorite genre was the platformer.� Nobody could convince otherwise, and I remember going to my local Blockbuster and renting the usual suspects, Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, Glover, Yoshi Story, DK 64, and only once did I play the horrendous Super Man 64. I enjoyed these games to no extent, playing them over and over, either trying to beat my high score or finding those Jiggie pieces!� Then, as I transitioned out of the N64 era into the Gamecube generation, I became obsessed with fighters, more specifically Super Smash Bros Melee. I would have my best buddies come over and play t hours on end, and unlocking new characters was a nice surprise. Since I didn't know what wikis were at the time, I wouldn't know that after the versus match or after the single player campaign i would be challenged by a new fighter. Soul Caliber II� was a close second, ans my go-to fighters were Kilik and Link.� Cervantes and Nightmare were my biggest hurdles, and once I conquered them I proclaimed to my friends that I was invincible (yeah, that's right!).�
���� During my Gamecube saga (now between the ages 9-13), I also dabbled into my friend's Xbox.� This is where I met the little app called Halo: Combat Evolved. This is also where I began my love for shooters, specifically the� Sci-Fi genre.� I remember vividly playing the campaign cooperatively, from the Slip-Space jumped Pillar of Autumn to touching down on the Forerunner artifact named Halo, and unleashing the killer parasite known as The Flood.� Aside from the impressive scope and draw distance of the missions, the gameplay and the music are what drew me in the most.� Just waiting in the main menu, listening to the main theme with its drums and Gregorian, almost Gothic chants was enough to win me over.� I personally didn't own an Xbox until 2004, after the launch of Halo 2. Halo 2 got me sucked into Xbox Live and online gaming changed the way I have played games since.� Creating obnoxiously stupid clan names became the norm, trash talking and teaming up with strangers became a regularity, and good times were had on a daily basis.
���� My run with the original Xbox was truncated, lasting only 2 years, and the jump to the Xbox 360 overwhelming, to say the least.� During the early ownership of my Xbox 360� to the end of my high school years (ages 14-17), the shooter remained king.� Squad based shooters became a personal favorite, with standout games including but not limited to: Rainbow Six: Vegas, Gears of War 1-3, and Chromehounds.� In between I sprinkled in experiences like Crackdown, GTA 4, Lost Planet, Halo 3 and Reach, Resident Evil 5, and many more.� At this point in my gaming career, it is easy to say that the shooter was king, but things would change.
���� Entering my adulthood (ages 18-present)� I was faced with an obstacle called "Life out of High school".� My college courses and then part-time job (now Full-time) consumed my life, and gaming time became a precious commodity.� My tastes evolved yet again, this time looking for ANY games with a good STORY. In the span of three years, I can honestly say that the last game that I thoroughly enjoyed for gameplay, music, and the now almighty plot, was Bioshock Infinite.� I felt like a kid again, immersed in the city crafted by Irrational Games known as Colombia. The use of skylines to travers the city is imaginative and effective.� Weapons feel "hefty" and inflict damage, but I believe that the Vigors are the stars of the show.� With Vigors, the environment becomes your weapon.� See oil on the floor?� Set it on fire for explosive results, toasting any enemies nearby. Taking on this new world as Booker Dewitt� was an amazing experience, and has since left me wanting more excellent plot lines in video games, regardless of genre.