Now that E3 has wrapped up and we’ve gotten details on all the cool games we want to play for the next year, I thought I’d take a minute and share some tips on how to prepare for a big game release.
If you’re on your own, not all of these tips will apply to you, but when sharing a household with a hardcore gamer, I’ve found that a little preparation goes a long way to making sure you’re all happy.
Google Calendar
This one might seem a little anal retentive to some of you, but for Rick and I, including major game releases on our shared calendar is a great way for us to budget both our time and our monies. Rick and I both have separate calendars to keep track of personal stuff and a third shared calendar to keep track of events we’re both attending (family dinners, etc). We both have access to all three of these calendars so we always know what the other one is up to and I can deflect Rick’s questions of “are we doing anything on…” It works great for upcoming games because at a glance we can see when a game release is approaching so we can remember to pre-order it, add it to the budget for the appropriate week and plan that week accordingly.
Chores
When we both know exactly when a major release is upon us we can both make sure all of our chores are done before we bring the game home (because lord knows nothing is getting done the rest of the week if we don’t). It’s also easier to fully enjoy a game if you can see everything around you is spic and span.
Food
It took me a while to catch on to this one, but I’ve taken the extra step lately of planning more casual meals on game release nights. Something that can be eaten without utensils, like burgers or sandwiches are good choices. I also like to make sure we are stocked with healthy snack items like edamame and hummus to curb the Doritos cravings.
Busy Work
If it’s a game I know I won’t be playing myself, I usually like to have some crafts I can do while watching Rick play. For at least the first couple of playthroughs I like sit on the couch with Rick so I can get a feel for the game and see what he enjoys about it. This is a good time for me to do some knitting or create a craft for the blog so that I feel like I’m being productive while supporting Rick in his pass time of choice. It turns what could be an exercise in isolation into bonding time and helps to bring us closer together.
“Us” Time
While I pride myself in giving Rick lots of time and space to embrace gaming as a lifestyle, we both like to make sure we have some sort of activity planned for the weekend after a game is released. Whether it’s a nice dinner, or a day out and about, something that takes us out of the house, away from the TV and focused together goes a long way towards restrengthening our bond.
How do you prepare for a major video game release?
