PSX Extreme's "We're Thankful For..."

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The season of giving begins with the giving of thanks, and we at PSX Extreme are thankful for a number of different things. Of course, our family and friends top the list, as should be the case for all of us, but we be a video game site and hence, we've got a slightly different take on the "be thankful" list. :)

And so, here you go: I AM THANKFUL FOR...

...the games that call to us from across great distances

Picture your favorite titles; your most memorable gaming experiences. When you had to take a break from playing and go to school or work, the game would call to you...it would wonder why, with a plaintive cry, you've abandoned it for far less entertaining pursuits. You'd hear it and wish the day would end sooner; you'd forsake stopping for gas on the way home, dinner was nothing more than a hastily constructed sandwich, and you almost hoped it would be pouring outside. Lest we forget, this is perhaps the biggest reason why we all keep gaming today: the games that call to us, and will always call to us. You know, like FFT. Does it to me all the damn time.

...video game gals

This can apply to the gals within and the gals without. It may seem like a bizarre thing to be thankful for, but many of us grew up during a time when girls and gaming were like oil and water. They just had no business being together. Now, there are hot girls in games and - perhaps contrary to popular belief - hot girls who play games. And even if they're not hot, at least it's comforting to know that we men have allies in this hobby that was one predominantly ours. Sure, devs go a little overboard and we can see why women could get upset over the next impossibly designed female form in a game, but so what? We only had sprites! The only thing that would distinguish males from females back in the day was a few extra pixels! And chicks are playing Guitar Hero in GameStop! It's a brave new world.

...Hideo Kojima, Tim Schafer, David Jaffe, etc, etc, etc.

Essentially, we are thankful for the visionaries who have delivered some of the finest game productions in history, and feel free to add your own set of names. These are just three that sprang to mind, and there are many more. Without these guys; without their skill, ambition, and perhaps above all else, love of games, the industry would be a much darker place. Remember, not only do these people create wonderful games, they raise the bar of an entire entertainment venue. What they do is so remarkable that other developers use their work as a measuring stick, and this is exactly the way things progress.

...publishers who like us

Like all major gaming sites, we at PSX Extreme get stuff from publishers all the time, and the "givers" are typically the biggest publishers around. But there are a few who just ignore us, and for the most part, we don't care...to hell with you, anywho. But you gotta love it when the Fed-Ex guy drops off a package full of stuff; hell, I've gotten bookbags, action figures, collectible figurines, t-shirts, art books, even golf balls (HSG: OoB) and a mini survival kit (SOCOM for PSP). But hey, before you even make the implication, not a one of these little extras has ever made me say, "gee, this game sucks but I got cool stuff from the publisher so I'll score it higher." I do have some integrity left, and I'm not about to lie to the readers. Hellz no.

...pie

Just because. Pie rules. If you want it to fit better into this list, eat pie while playing a game, or something. Apple pie and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night? Yum.

...the PSXE readers

Because in all seriousness, without you guys, I'd be back doing high-profile interviews for celebrities for the obscene freelancer fee of $50. Didn't find out till later that if I had sold such interviews to certain magazines and not the damn newspapers, they would've been worth a looooot more. But I digress. We love our readers, 'cuz they comprise the single best community anyone could ever find at a gaming site. Granted, we work hard to keep out the riffraff, but our loyal visitors are smart, relatively laid-back, willing to contribute, and display their love of gaming at every turn. I've said it before and I'll say it again- you guys are the reason I get up in the morning. ;)

Happy Thanksgiving all!

11/27/2008 Ben Dutka

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