"Well, excuse me while I toot my own horn. Not like anyone else'll do it for me!"

So I am now the second person I know that has been featured on Google News. Unfortunately for me, I was not told of this until a few days later, so I have no visual evidence. But it happened, I tells ya! My Prey review for the Gateway was featured on the front page of Google News, for some undeserved reason. But I'll take any recognition I can get. It got me a bunch of hits on the Gateway site, so it's a good start.

Though, lately I've become very frustrated by the idea of being "in the know." Gaming is a harsh mistress to be taken seriously in, for the simple fact that you always have to be searching, reading, commenting, making sure your voice is heard. You make it your goal to have your questions be "Question of the Week" on whatever podcast/website/magazine you read/listen to. You can never sound stupid; you can never ask questions you don't already know the answer to. Message boards are key. If you don't sound smart, you're a "noob" and no one takes you seriously. I actually had someone say to me, "You don't read fucking Famitsu!?" like it's some sort of crime, or makes me any less credible a candidate for writing about the coveted industry that no one outside our circle really gives a shit about.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not so jaded/lazy as to stop keeping track, paying attention. My friend Jin, who's an aspiring music producer, said to me, "If it's truly your passion, it shouldn't feel like work." And for the most part, it doesn't. But I can't help feel out of my element. Maybe it's because I've only recently begun to take this whole thing seriously; to consider it a viable career path. I just don't like the idea that someone thinks their better than me because they have more entries on a message board; or that I feel less knowledgeable than the guy who has more entries on a message board than I do. But, hey, I guess I'm taking a step in the right direction.

Peace,
Ram