Big things are happening in the video game industry these days. Big, possibly problematic things, but interesting nonetheless.
Before we start though, let's break down how console games are made and who makes them.

I've been a newspaper reporter for quite some time now. As such, I attend a lot of meetings.
Really. A lot. Nary a week goes bye for me without attending at least one city council or school board meeting from any of the numerous territories I have covered over the years. It would not be outlandish to suggest that I have sat through more of such meetings than any elected official currently serving on them.

It's been two weeks since my first symptoms of COVID-19 manifested and nobody has seen my face, at least in public, since then.
All-in-all, my quarantine has gone relatively smoothly. As noted last week, I'm fortunate enough that the bulk of my work can be done from home. Granted, newsgathering by phone is limiting, but with a little bit of help it works in a pinch.

Whelp, it was bound to happen eventually I suppose.
After two years of reporting on COVID-19 statistics, I've now become one.

I've been meaning to write this column for a while and now seems the right time to talk about Non-Fungible Tokens, or NFTs.
They are all the rage these days, even though most people seem to be only vaguely aware of what they are or how they work.
So let's get into it.
To first understand what NFTs are, it helps to understand what cryptocurrency is.

As is tradition, in the wake of last week's review of things I enjoyed in 2021, we now take a look forward into the New Year with a list of upcoming projects that I am anticipating in 2022.
You've been here before. You know the deal. So let's get to it.
Star Trek: Picard (season 2)

It's that time of year again. Time to reflect on all that has happened and make lists because lists are easy content and the holidays are not a time for columns that require a lot of extra effort.
So, as is tradition, here are five things I really liked this year.
WandaVision

It was the week before Christmas and all through the house the windows were shaking because tornados were ripping their way across the state in the middle of December.
Yep. That's a thing that happens now, apparently.
Wednesday was an unseasonably warm day. I almost instantly regretted my decision of going out with my heavier coat and spent a fair amount of the day sweltering under my Santa hat.

As noted last week, The Game Awards happened on Thursday.
It was a nice celebration of the game industry and it was great seeing deserving developers get recognition for all their hard work.
But mostly though, like The Super Bowl, The Game Awards are mostly there as a vehicle for commercials. Or, in this case, trailers and announcements for new games coming down the line.

It's that time of year again. The time where we all start looking back at the past 12 months to try to figure out what the high points were.

After a year of COVID canceling everything, last week saw the return of the most American of holidays in all its glory. The one holiday that truly celebrates the American way of life and defines us as a culture.
I am, of, course, talking about Black Friday shopping.

Is it just me, or have the last few weeks been a really great time for genre entertainment?
This weekend I enjoyed the 1,000th episode of "One Piece." It was a lovely tribute to the long running anime series, which has grown into a global phenomenon over the last 20-plus years.
It was also just one of at least three major pop-culture releases last weekend.

While it may seem like Washington D.C. is doomed to perpetual gridlock, there are a few issues left in the world that haven't yet become partisan battlegrounds.
One of them, and I say this without hyperbole, may just be one of the most important pieces of legislation in our generation.
And, of course, it involves TikTik.
Not just TikTok, but every major social media platform out there.

So last week I based this column about how great it was going to be to finally go into a MCU movie without already having any preconceived notions about the characters based on their comic book counterparts.

Another month, another Marvel movie.
With the second half of 2021 being loaded with "Black Widow," "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," and "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" (it technically counts) it really feels like the MCU is making up for lost time.