“Kill the monotony before it murders your enthusiasm.” ~ Hrithik Roshan

Hey everyone, it’s been a while.

Coffee here and you’re reading Games with Coffee – the first post of 2023 and the first in 15 months. I’ll be honest: I haven’t had much inspiration to post since the full publication of Mobius VII Book 1 and the sparse blog posts that closed off in 2021. In fact, I unofficially semi-retired from the blog last year and moved my focus toward other projects. At the same time, I took all of last year to think about what I wanted for this blog and why I’m doing this.

Blogging has changed from when I started back in 2017. It went from personable and memorable stories written by talented individuals to algorithm-based hit pieces designed for maximum clicks. TikTok and other short video platforms have also pushed traditional written posts by the wayside. Social media emphasized the toxicity that exists within any sort of fandom – gaming, movies and otherwise. It also highlighted divisions between people while sectioning them into camps for and against things without any middle ground to compromise on. Gatekeeping, threats, insults and exclusion have run rampant in recent years. Journalistic integrity has dropped to an all-time low. Last but not least, a global pandemic upended the status quo and made us question both what is important in life and who in your life matters most.

There’s a lot that’s been icky in the last half-decade. But, the best part of the last five years was meeting and working with a ton of interesting people, some of which have become my closest and cherished friends. And those same friends changed and evolved as those years passed. Some started podcasts, some reinvented their websites and their brands, and some even pivoted away from writing and started new and inclusive communities on Discord. Still, many continued to put out great written content, which was sadly buried amongst the internet negativity.

At the end of 2022, I read an article on The Verge about the return of personal blogging. It was eye-opening. I felt inspired to revisit the blog. But, after going through my recent content, it made me realize that Games with Coffee – as a website and as a brand – has stagnated. My content is monotonous and it feels like it lacks substance and focus. Part of this is caused by my focus on Mobius VII and fanfiction. Part of it is also due to low self-confidence in my topics. Does anybody really care what I have to say about games, being respectful, courteous and inclusive, and empowering others to be Mature, Distinguished Gamers?

The better question is, do I even care if anyone cares?

I’ve taken the year to reflect. And I’m ready to show you all the answers I came to.

The New and Improved Games with Coffee

Over the course of the next few weeks, leading into the 6th year anniversary of the first post on Games with Coffee, you’ll see a lot of changes. I’m working on a new, more dynamic homepage, and updating my banner and logo images. I’m adding a recent archives section. I’ll also be deleting old and irrelevant content. Admittedly, it’s not a lot of posts, but it’s good to do a bit of housekeeping.

In terms of content, I will be touching on more serious topics within gaming. Things like gatekeeping, accessibility, inclusiveness and lessons learned through this wonderful medium will be some of the many topics up for discussion. That doesn’t mean the silly stuff within the blog is going away – I’ll still strive to put out fun and creative content, reviews, guides, and life updates, and I’ll even shamelessly plug my external content from time to time, haha. Things like Twitch, my work on The Pixels, and yes, Mobius VII.

Speaking of Mobius VII, the most important part of this new transition is that I’m separating the fanfiction aspect of my writing from Games with Coffee itself. Mobius VII needs a home away from the main site where it can thrive on its own without muddling the messages I want to put out for the blog. Henceforth, I’m currently building a brand-new site dedicated to the Mobius VII project, which I anticipate to go live by April 2023. The greatest positive about moving the story to its own site is that now, I can focus on providing content specifically tailored to the blog’s new mission statement.

Enriching the Stewards of Gaming, One Cup at a Time

Stewardship, as a concept, is something I’ve been thinking of for the last few years. I didn’t know that was the correct term for it until recently. I’ll go over this more in my next post, but the idea is that, instead of gatekeeping, why not act as ambassadors and stewards of gaming? Why not be more inclusive? More welcoming? More fair and just? And finally, are kinder to one another?

Fans of all systems and genres can and should be allowed to play whatever they want without being harassed for it. Fans of specific IPs and characters from those IPs should be allowed to express their fandom of those things without receiving death threats or insults. And new players and fans should be comfortable asking questions about these amazing games and series without fear of reprisal or condemnation.

Gatekeepers shut people out, but stewards bring an ethical and responsible way of sharing what they love with the masses. I personally love to share my passion for gaming and I try to inspire others to give it a shot. I firmly believe there’s a game out there for everyone, and that all games are valid and have their own merits. It’s my hope that through this mentality of stewardship, we can accomplish three things. To welcome new gamers into the fold, create a cadence where positive discussions about video games are the norm and not the exception, and champion constructive voices within gaming. Call me naive, but I think we can make this happen!

And that’s all for this edition of Games with Coffee. Be sure to tune in next time as we start our journey to becoming the stewards that the gaming industry needs. Consider joining the Brew Crew by subscribing via email, or hitting that Follow button on WordPress. That way, you get access to the latest content as it goes up.

To prep for our next edition, what do you think stewardship means in a gaming context? How can we better bridge the chasms that prevent people from enjoying their games? Finally, what actions can we do right now to make everyone feel included? Think about this and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Until next time, readers! Remember to live with no regrets, believe in yourself and chase after the impossible.

~Coffee