There are a few mega names when it comes to weight in the gaming world. Those games so mainstream, so popular that their popularity transcends the genre and become these sort of cultural events all over the world. Halo used to be one, but now Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto hold the crown. People take days off work and call in sick. Major films delay their releases to avoid the bigger games in the world so they do not lose money. These things are a big deal.

Call of Duty has never really appealed to me though. The competitive first person landscape is not quite for me any more – especially the fast paced, high intensity balls to the wall nonsense of the Call of Duty franchise. Still, I recognise a well designed game when I see one. The series is obviously doing something right to pull in the numbers that it does.

Season passes are not new, nor are the idea of expansions. The former has been present for a number of years, while the latter had been around for almost 15 years worth of gaming, especially in the PC space. The Witcher 3, and its parent company CD Projekt, have strong roots in the PC space. With this in mind they have adopted an approach somewhere in between the season pass and the expansion.
The aptly named expansion pass will include a handful of larger content chunks than most season pass users are used to, but also the company has committed to releasing free downloadable content as well. Following the launch of the game the company released 15 pieces of free downloadable content ranging from costumes and minor additions all the way to the release of new game + for free. The company has always maintained a strong relationship with its fans and always, tends, to look out for their best interests.

Another thing that has spawned in the recent ages that gets my goat when it comes to gaming is YouTube, for two very different reasons. The first is the age of the internet, YouTube gaming celebrity. Some do some good work; uncovering gems and spreading them to the masses, giving a spotlight to usually invisible games. The other side of the coin is people with such a huge following who become lazy and spout uninformed opinions which their followers take as gospel. That’s not a problem of the viewer; they have to trust someone for information, but taking advantage of that trust is bad.
Also games are completely picked apart on YouTube now. Every achievement has a video telling you how to get it, every secret is filmed and studied by hundreds of people who share it online. Every tip and trick in multiplayer games that took people a long time to learn and perfect is there in easy to digest videos; taking the skill and understanding out of much of gaming.

One of the most difficult things that the modern world has introduced (I know, I know first world problems) is that there is just too much choice. There are too many things that we can potentially fill our time with, especially when it comes to technology. Gaming is not immune to this either; the sheer volume of games available across any number of devices is simply staggering, overwhelming and requires a different kind of mindset from the player.
You need patience and commitment, much like you would do in a relationship! Maybe you have a list of 40 games installed on your PC; maybe you have five or six that you fancy playing at any one time. I often find that while playing one I’m thinking about the others, but the trick is to commit. Pick one, shut out the outside world and really immerse yourself in the game you have chosen.

I try not to get hyped about games any more. I play them, I enjoy them and I move on. Many people, though, follow every single detail about a game in the run up to launch; devouring every screenshot, watching every video and reading every single preview in the hope to learn everything about the game (even before it comes out!) I like to think that this is a trait associated with those who are a little bit younger who can’t quite control their excitement, but many older people too go balls deep trying to learn about the game pre-release. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt is no exception; so many people are desperate to pick apart every single detail that it’s almost depressing.

The game is out in just a couple of days and I will be buying it. I won’t rush to a midnight launch, I won’t be charging to my nearest shop first thing in the morning either. I will take my time, go when I have time and play it when I have time. That’s the way to enjoy something; no disappointment at getting carried away or expecting too much.