Six gaming things I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the season where people can be thankful for all their blessings and hope that the next year will be as good as the one that preceded it. Since QJ is in the gaming business though, I’ve decided to note a couple of things that I’m thankful for, gaming-wise.

You probably have your own list of gaming-related things you’re thankful for having, so feel free to note them on the comments. That being said though, here’s a short list of things I’m thankful for, after the jump!

Thanksgiving is the season when people can be thankful for all of their blessings and hope that the next year will be as good as the one that preceded it. Since QJ.NET is in the gaming business though, I’ve decided to note a couple of things that I’m thankful for, gaming-wise.

You probably have your own list of gaming-related things you’re thankful for having, so feel free to note them in the comments section below. That being said though, here’s my short list of things to be thankful for.

I’m thankful for Final Fantasy VII:

While I did play Contra and Super Mario Bros. in my youth, it wasn’t until 1997 when I first really got into gaming.

The culprit: Final Fantasy VII. In its time, it was one of the most high-tech pieces of gaming software out there, and it was the first game I ever saw that required more than one disc.

Needless to say, when I first saw my cousin playing the game, I wanted to try it for myself. I fell in love with the massive scope of the game, the struggle to stop a worldly menace, and like some other folks out there, I had to stop and compose myself when the first disc ended and Aeris died.

Yes, I’m thankful for FFVII, not only for introducing me to gaming in general, but also for introducing me to the RPG genre (and meaningful storytelling in games).

I’m thankful for Game Saves:

Before the advent of game saving, I resigned myself to repeatedly playing through the same sequences repeatedly, only to lose at the same point, against the same boss (Rockman 3). It was an exercise in frustration, which wasn’t exactly a wonderful thing.

Enter the game save. It was a miracle of gaming that allowed people to finally continue their game from a specific point. It lessened frustration among gamers and opened up the possibility of making longer, more involving games that would give gamers good value for their money.

These days, game saves take different forms, and are even used as gameplay mechanics (Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter), but all in all, the game save is perhaps one of the most important technological advancements in gaming, and something that all gamers should be thankful for.

I’m thankful for Game Walkthroughs and their makers:

Whether you love them or hate them, game walkthroughs and cheats are now a staple of the gaming landscape. While cheating isn’t always advised since it ruins the experience, a good non-spoiler walkthrough for an RPG can save you precious hours of frustration and help you to attain any specific goals you have in mind – from finishing the game and seeing the whole story, to grabbing the ultimate weapon that’s inevitably found in most RPGs.

It also takes some pretty dedicated people to go out and make walkthroughs for games, especially since there’s very little reward, other than the recognition of a job well done. That being said though, I’ve been driven to try my own hand at making a game walkthrough during college, so I can honestly appreciate the time people put into making an informative piece of work.

Life can sometimes get busy, and you don’t always have the luxury of getting through the day without some help. So to those brave souls who spend their time helping others get through the games that are driving them crazy, I thank you.

I’m thankful for the Neverwinter Nights Series:

Neverwinter Nights has to be one of the most versatile games currently out in existence, and I’m thankful that the Neverwinter Nights series came to be, simply because you can do so much, courtesy of a healthy developer fanbase.

What am I talking about? Well, aside from the pre-packaged adventures that come with each game and expansion for the Neverwinter Nights series, the series also benefits from having a robust toolset that allows players and game developers to make new adventures.

That being said, so long as the fanbase is there to keep on making modules, you have an almost endless number of stories that can be made and adventures that can be taken. That’s the power of imagination and technical prowess right there, and I’m thankful for the many times that a game module has saved me from the throes of boredom!

I’m thankful for Portal:

“The cake is a lie.” On the internet, it’s spawned a minor phenomenon, with memes spreading the word of Portal’s fun, quirky gameplay.

Personally, I bought the game because I found out about the ending song before I learned about the game. Despite this reverse logic, I have fallen in love with the intricate spatial distortions made by my Portal Gun, and I dream of Weighted Companion Cubes.

More importantly, it tells the story of the world’s funniest Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System that is out there in the world. Better yet, she sings great too!

I’m thankful for Portal for many reasons, but the best reason of them all is that it’s a great game that comes with two other great games packed in. As a consumer, it’s a rare find, and one package that I don’t regret buying.

I’m thankful for Portable Game Consoles:

Regardless of whether you’re a Sony Fan or a Neo Geo fan or a Nintendo fan, there is one indisputable thing any good gamer can say: portable gaming consoles rock.

Why do they rock? Simple: the PSP, the DS, and their previous gaming equivalents made gaming a mobile experience. You could take your portable game console anywhere and play the game of your choice for as long as the batteries lasted.

On the PSP side, you have the awesome graphics and the myriad homebrew applications that have turned the PSP into a techie’s handheld of choice. On the DS side, you have a large selection of games that work for gamers of all ages. Yes folks, it’s good gaming for everyone, and I’m certainly thankful for the opportunity to enjoy these great gaming things.