I am. And am I the only one who finds the fact that, aside from The Last of Us and Dishonoured, every new game announced there is a sequel is slightly depressing? Is the gaming industry really so stuck in a rut that we can only find original IPs with indie developers and that everything else has a subtitle or a 3 stuck behind its main title (and in the case of Call of Duty, ten jillionty-five)?

I've noticed the same thing in both the music and movie genres too, and agree heartily that there is a vast opening for anyone with a creative mind that can think up something totally new/different/unique that will break into ground that hasn't been walked to death and shake up the entertainment industry - a new sound, a new theme, new ideas - stimulate a creative boom. It is definitely needed.

I guess they think true art is angsty... or they don't feel like taking risks and straying from their moneymaking formula.

They don't have to stray from it, they could have the developers that always work on that franchise continue what they do. Hold an open contest for creative new game ideas and give the best one a bonus, sort of like Bethesda did with that "Jam" - it came out with some awesome ideas.

I believe that the problem is that the same capital sources that once brought us formulaic movies has moved to the game industry and applied the same logic there. You can have the bold new ideas, but they won't be funded.

Agreed.

Folks, Grits World has been hectic. I think I'm regaining the upper hand, though. Catch up shortly.

Aww, bless your heart, Grits, and I hope things settle down for you. Be here when you can. Your beautiful story and gracious support to other writers are well worth waiting for.

Yeah!! Wrestle it to the ground and then you beat that sucker till it begs for mercy!!... ...

...

...

No? ...

Hope you get back soon... ...

I can't say it any better than Acadian did here, so I'll just say "Ditto" to his comment. You are always missed and/or worried about, so if you don't tell us something we'll begin to imagine all kinds of things (dire or otherwise), lol. <333

We're pulling for you, Grits.

My best friend moved away today. She lived down the street for the last eleven years. There are hopeful things to say about visits and keeping in touch, but we both know what our lives are like. We’re going to lose each other.

I know there are folks I love all around me, and some who want more attention than I’ve been able to give. I’m not worried about loneliness. It’s just that there won’t be anyone new like her. No matter who comes along, those times have passed.

So, anyway.

Sad day Grits.

Been through this, but I was the one that moved. The result was the same, though. Best friends are hard to come by, and all the long distance calls or what infrequent visits we could muster between us could never bring us back to the time when we were able to just be. Miles between do make a difference, and it isn't like you can find another friendship as perfect as the one you lost. My sympathy to both of you.

Sorry to hear that, Grits. Hope you manage to keep in touch, but I know that it can be pretty hard to do so over a long distance, even with the Internet knocking about nowadays.

In other news, just sent a sample of a short story off to a publisher. I'm now very, very nervous about whether or not I'll hear back from them...

Thanks, folks.

Colonel Mustard, how exciting and nerve-wracking! I hope you soon have cause for celebration.

Good luck with that Mustard.

Just thought I'd stick my head in to say hi and sorry for the extended absence. I've been busy moving house, preparing to graduate tomorrow, going on holiday (which was brilliant) and don't have an internet connection (and won't until mid July by which time I may not be in the country). It's odd being without a connection, particularly in a flat which is a bit of a timewarp already...

But I'll be back at some point, and with more written I should imagine.

Thanks you two, and congratulation on graduating, Olen! Hope all goes well with your moving.

On a related note, my exams have finally come to a close; I had the rather alien experience of an entirely free day where I was obligated to do nothing yesterday, and so just pratted around playing Xbox and doing a bit of writing.

Wierd, wierd day indeed.

Sounds like a fantastic day to me, Colonel.

Congrats on graduating. I finished the new student conferences yesterday. I can't imagine what class registration was like before computers. It's overwhelming enough with a realtime attendance counter.

7 weeks of freedom before O-Week.

Hope to hear from you soon, Olen.