Introducing our newest geek content contributor: Retroforge!

A new player has entered the geek's battle arena! What up Gamer Monkeys?

This is Retroforge, the one and only writer you will ever need to read to stay up to date and in the know for all things games, puzzles & geek sheik! Why should you read my crap? Well the answer is simple really, because my shit don’t stink. In a day and age FULL of media to watch, comics to read, games to play and worlds to explore, it can be very easy to get overwhelmed with all the choices. But that's why I’m here! *strikes a Superman pose*

With 20 years experience with Role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, Warhammer 40K and ShadowRun; 2 years as a (unrated) state chess champion; a degree in game design and entertainment business; More hours clocked on BattleNet than I care to admit, and a “shelfie” that would make most board game shops jelly, I think I’m qualified enough to say I know a thing about the zeitgeist. And if you don't know what that big fancy word means, its just a kinda snobby way of a saying I know the difference between what is hot and what is cool (and there is a difference, but that's a blog post for another time). Suffice it to say I have devoted my life to learning all there is to know about awesome geek shit. 

In the series of blog posts that follow, we will be exploring gaming and geek trends over that last few decades in an effort to predict where the industry is headed, and more importantly help you decide where and how to spend your hard earned moolah. Call it cracking the Konami code. Because despite what the marketing stiffs will try and sell you, all games are in fact NOT created equal. But it is only you, who has the power to decide which stand above the rest.

Which brings me to my first Victory Point, you don't have to like everything, AND (second victory point) you don't have to know everything about the stuff you do like. It is okay to not know that “Spock” is actually a last name, that en passant  is not a weird French pastry but rather a viable chess move, that a Parsec is a unit of distance not time. My point is, when it comes to the things we spend our time and money on, its important to remember that it shouldn’t be about how many obscure planets you can name, or whether or not you can quote every single line of dialogue from the character you are cosplaying. What IS important is that the thing you like brings you joy. Liking something shouldn't be work. And conversely but equally important, NOT liking something, shouldn't be a demerit.  As I have stated earlier, we live in a digital age full of an abundance of choice, and yet we often see geeks holding their fellow geeks hostage over the thing they are, or aren’t, into. It is okay to like My Little Pony and Metaloclypse, Fandoms shouldn't be mutually exclusive.

In conclusion: like the things you like, unapologetically.  But don't geek shame me bro. Don't be afraid to choose, or to change your mind about what you have chosen.  Being a geek is already a thankless endeavor, and often feels like an all-out-battle-royal-super-smash-brothers-style fighting game. But I will let you in on the first of many secrets that I am destined to share with you; its really a cooperative deck building game. Collectively, how we all choose to spend out time and money (an abstract idea that is sometimes called the zeitgeist) effects what content creators make. 

So even though the marketing guy just wants you to buy another Funko pop, don't be fooled, WE, the consumer, hold all the real power. So go forth my fellow Gamer Monkey, roll some dice, play some cards, wreck some noobs; just remember it is YOU who gets to choose. 

-This article was written by Retroforge, a geek and pop culture enthusiast and scholar. He lives in Las Vegas, where he keeps his finger on the pulse of all things geek and nostalgic. He writes about what excites him, and in his free time he often rolls twenty sided dice.

-To see more of his work check him out on instagram @retroforged

-To support his ever growing community of geek enthusiasts, buy something, or just drop a comment at http://www.lasvegastoyswap.com