My name is Thomas Abel. I have been playing video games for as long as I can remember. I grew up with a C64 and SNES, which might explain my lasting preference for PC gaming and Nintendo consoles.
I am a great fan of the Legend of Zelda series, Super Mario jump’n’run games, and Super Smash Bros. In my teenage years, I spent many hours playing Age of Empires II and Battlefield 2. Today, my go to game is usually the newest grand strategy game by Paradox, like Europa Universalis IV.
For me, video games are the next step in exploring ideas and sharing experiences with each other, combining the powers of literature, music, and movies with the interactivity of traditional games. They can teach us about ourselves and the world. But while the problems of our world may often seem insurmountable, problems in video games are usually designed to be solvable. At the same time, in video games we can safely slip in the shoes of others and learn why they would commit horrific actions, when presented with impossible challenges.
I have always dreamt about joining the video game industry. It might not have been the best idea, but I started to study computer science for this reason. In 2018 my dream has come true, when I got a temporary part time job at Nintendo of Europe. In the following three years, I have finished my bachelor’s and master’s degrees, writing about artificial intelligence in video games.
During this time, I have discovered my fondness for writing. Since video games are my greatest passion, I have decided to start this blog, in which I want to shine a light on good and bad practices in video games. For players, I hope to create understanding of what makes some of the most famous games truly great and appreciation of often overlooked details. For developers, I would like to offer advice and inspirations for their current or future projects.
PLEASE NOTE: I had a part time job at Nintendo of Europe until the end of 2021. However, I have never received and do not receive any rewards or incentives of any kind from Nintendo in regards to this website. Anything I publish is my personal view and not necessarily that of Nintendo. I try to stay as objective in my writing as is humanly possible, but know about the psychological influence, that such a working relationship can have, even a former one. I believe it is for the best to be honest and transparent to you, my readers, and give you the power of decision in this regard.