I'm back

Not exactly the one-liner I’d thought to open with while I wrote this opening piece, but there you have it. I’m back. Some of you know me as Royta, Raeng, or even Ephraelstern to others.

It was in 2009 that I started this blog under the banner hasker on everything. I was twenty years of age and surrounded by all sorts of reviewers and wanted a piece of the action. As a youngster I had a strong opinion on all that surrounded. In came this blog. I had seen Gametrailers and Kotaku, surely I could do that too? Maybe also for comics and not just games? What followed was a streak of articles about games, comics and sometimes even a review of an episode of a tv-show like Merlin which I was watching at the time. Some had 20 views, others were read by more than 500 people. A number that blew my mind then and still surprises me while writing this.

Now it is 2017. Gametrailers is dead and Kotaku a shadow of its former self. It is a time where the Youtuber reigns and the small blogs rule.
As a person I have also changed. For years now I have worked in the business of Explainer Animations. Focusing on writing and visualizing stories that need to clearly explain a new product or vision to a target audience. One rule I learned there was: don’t tell, explain. So this blog will not contain conclusions, but more reasons and arguments. Hard to explain or give examples, but you'll notice it throughout the future articles.
I have also found my genre of gaming, had a Youtube channel dedicated to its gems such as Dark Souls and Metal Gear Rising and even got that coveted world-first when it came to a few challenge runs in games. So much has changed, but my strong opinion still remains and my urge to share it is just as strong if not stronger. Thus the blog is reborn as Stinger Magazine; in reference to the signature move pioneered in the original Devil May Cry, which has been a staple in the genre.
What will this blog contain? First I will focus on just analysis of gameplay mechanics of games. Not a genre but of one singular game. How do the combat mechanics of Killer is Dead fair for instance when analyzed? Story and design will also be covered to some extent, but will not be the main focus. The first article is already finished; an analysis of Devil’s Third on the Wii U.

I will not do weekly updates. The emphasis will be on high quality articles for the connoisseur of the action-genre. I am looking forward to writing them and I wish you a lot of enjoyment by reading them.

- Hasker -