2026 Media Goals update 3

I've been going super hard on my other hobbies, so my media backlog is barely touched, but I have made some new progress.

2026 Media Goals Update 2

Well, the good news is I've done a considerable amount more gaming.  The bad news is I'm still not really cracking into my backlog.

Books.  I'm behind on this.  I completely stopped reading on Kindle for a while.  I've been pushing myself really hard in other areas, so I need to take a step back from them and let myself sit and read more.  My Kindle might need a charge.

Why I changed my mind on Hello Kitty Island: City Town

Okay, hear me out.  I know I said I wasn't going to buy Hello Kitty Island's new expansion, City Town, because it costs more than Wheatflour Wonderland, until it went on sale, but I've done some serious thinking in the meantime, and I feel in the current cozy game market, Hello Kitty Island Adventure is still significantly more honest, upfront, and reasonably priced than other cozy games being pushed right now.  Sure, there are a lot of free to play games coming out, but listen, the games run on servers, and servers cost money, so they'll get the money out of you one way or another, and I feel that HKIA's competitors are doing so much more deviously.  I feel more comfortable giving my money to Sunblink for solid expansions full of content and costumes, then getting individual outfits sold to me in lucky boxes or whatever.  I still feel that Sunblink is being honest and fair, and they have yet to introduce gambling mechanics and predatory microtransactions.

Could they potentially turn around and introduce gambling mechanics and predatory microtransactions?  Of course, we're in the worst possible timeline.  Everything horrible that can happen, is happening.  But I don't feel that Sunblink has reached that point yet.  Yes, they said they were going to introduce smaller content packs this summer, but I'm not going to judge them until they're out.  I only have a few months to wait.  In the meantime, I'll check out City Town, and judge it on it's own merits.

2026 Media Goals update 1

I set some really lofty goals for this year, media wise.  I wanted to finish and review 1 book, 1 vn, and 1 cartridge game each month.  So far, every review I've posted this year is media I already played or read and finished last year or earlier.  I have a crazy amount of goals this year, between my writing, my art, my dolls, and my backlog, but I don't think I should give up just yet.

2026 Media Plans for the Year

I really wanted 2025 to be the year of backlog, and that really wasn't it.  So let's try again!  2026, a year of tackling backlog.  The backlog I want to focus on is my console games and Steam visual novels.  I have 40 DS/3DS game cartridges, 45 Switch game cartridges, and hundreds of VNs on Steam, so any progress I make will be a win.

Part of my process will be getting away from my PC, because I feel locked to it, so I'll work on console games, which I have handheld consoles for, and install my VNs on my Steam Deck.

RULES

1. I will try every game once.

2. I will DNF games I don't want to play or can't complete due to difficulty.

3. I will record my progress on my backlog lists.

4. I will review games and VNs I finish.

5. I will look up guides when I get stuck on games.  If they're too obscure and no guides exist, I will DNF.

So, yeah, that's my plan to play through my DS/3DS and Switch backlog next year, as well as working on my Steam VN backlog.  If I get 1 game and 1 VN done each month, I think I'll be satisfied.  I really hope this gets me more used to gaming on machines separate from my computer, so I am not always glued to my desk.

2025 December Recap for Media Consumed

Well, this wasn't the year of backlog for me, not by a stretch, but it certainly was the year of doll media.  I ended up watching 11 doll movies, mostly Barbie, but some Equestria Girls.  I also had a few stand out books and started rereading all of NekoPara.  Still wanna do that.  I think my art and doll hobbies ate up most of my attention span this year.

For live service games, I quit Palia entirely out of boredom, put 120 hours into Hello Kitty Island, and untold how many hours into Aura Kingdom.  In AK, I gained a few levels, and fortified a whole gear set!  I also 3-starred some easy eidolons.

Do I hope to do better next year?  Always, but this wasn't a bad year.  I'm only one person and can only handle so much stuff.  Besides, there was a TON of drama in the video game world, that took the wind out of my sails a few times.

Did I buy fewer video games this year?  Yes, I think so!  I did try to show more restraint during Steam sales, and Humble Bundle just didn't have much that I wanted this year.  I did go crazy on physical media tho, buying lots of DVDs, but I got them real cheap, so it's okay, I hope.

The Current Events of The Sims and the Life Sim Genre

 No pretty pictures this time.  In case you've been living under a rock, EA has been bought by some very rich, very unfriendly people.  Those unfriendly rich people are probably going to do bad things to The Sims 4, as well as everything Bioware is working on, and all the sports games they were buying too.

I've been following the Sims since the first one came out when I was in high school.  I haven't always agreed with every decision Maxis and EA made, but for my own mental health and well-being, I'm going to back away from the Sims 4 before they destroy it.  I already own the Sims 3.  I've reinstalled it and recreated my favorite Sims in the Sims 3.  Why the Sims 3?  Because I can run it without internet access or the EA app, which I will be uninstalling, when I'm ready.

Should I quit the entire Sims franchise and never play any of them again?  Maybe, but I grew up with this game series, and it means a lot to me.  So, for my own benefit, I've decided to keep the Sims 1, 2, and 3.  Could I just wait for Paralives to come out in December?  Yes, but Paralives is a small start up game, in early access, worked on by a very small indie team, and I don't want to put the pressure of a 25 year legacy on them.  That wouldn't be fair.  Is Inzoi a reasonable alternative?  Not in it's current state.  I did buy Inzoi at launch, but I regret it because of the heavy use of generative AI, and a total lack of gameplay.

So, for the time being, I'm playing the Sims 3, and watching streamers who play the Sims 1, 2, and 3.  I will uninstall the Sims 4 when I'm ready, and the EA app.   

2025 Media Goals Progress Report 4

I have 3 and a half months left of this year.  Is there anything I wanna try to do before it ends?  Also, we're getting into the holiday season, which is the busiest time of year.  What should I prioritize?  Let's see...

2025 Media Goals Progress Report 3

Okay, so Equestria Girls Summer didn't work.  I tried to do entirely too much, worked my ass off in the first month, and burned out in the second month.  I like what I did get done, but I need to slow the pace by double or something.  Since I feel lost and directionless now, I'm gonna recap my original goals for this year and see what can be salvaged for the last 5 months.

2025 Progress Report 2: Equestria Girls Summer!

It's been an emotional year, which has made it incredibly hard to get things done as I'd like, so I think I need to reassess my goals for the rest of the year.  New plan, Equestria Girl Summer!

2025 Progress Report 1

Since the world is, in fact, not ending, and my life is not falling apart at the seams like I thought it would, I've decided to get back on with my goals for the year.  I've done surprisingly good on my doll goals and I've been artistically productive, so I figured I'd review and possibly revise my media goals.

Plans for 2025

My overarching goal for next year, across all my hobbies, is to work on my massive backlog.  I have a backlog of games I'd like to play, books I'd like to read, visual novels I'd like to experience, and unfinished art to complete.  Since this blog is where I post my reviews of games, visual novels, and manga; I'm going to post reviews of books here too.  This is where I'll hold myself accountable for working on my media backlog over the course of next year.  I have hundreds of these things to experience, and I'm only setting my goals for one year, so I thought I'd narrow it down.