I suppose many people feel the same way. Even after all of the promises and work to not end the year like we ended 2012, there are still plenty of things we regret not finishing or, even worse, not starting. It is typical of the current culture to try and publicly toss these things aside en masse and declare a fresh start at the beginning of a new year, but being who I am that something I could never quite accomplish it. Whether we like it or not, the short-comings of life are as defining as our victories mainly because you can't get anywhere without coming short a few times. The film Moneyball portrays this perfectly when Boston Red Sox's owner John W. Henry told Billy Beane that, 'The first one through the wall will always get bloody'. It is the reality of trying something different: you will fall short. But hopefully, whether it be a project you wanted to do or a feature I wanted to do, we have learned from our trips through the wall of life and will emerge in 2014 with a few less pints of life juice, but a little wiser.
That isn't to say 2013 for VNs Now was a let down: far from it. This has been an amazing year for this genre and I am humbled to have been here. We have grown in ways I didn't seem coming (thank you again Will and Cassie for what you do) and will continue to grow as this site opens up to other visual novel enthusiasts. The reviews and features will get better because the games are getting better. And, most importantly, in the coming days and months, I hope to announce projects and expansions to this very site that will entertain you as well shine a clearer light on everyone who plays a role in the development of these games: from the musicians to the writers and so much more.
And on the spats that happened this year that I found myself in the middle of...I will say if I could repeat it and choose my words a bit more careful, I probably wouldn't. Many days I wish I could put a camera behind my eyes so that many of you who spend weeks and months on end developing a visual novel could see what I see in you. All of that passion and determination is what the West has been longing for. It is why The Walking Dead game by Telltale has been such a phenomenal hit. It is why a visual novel, an ENGLISH visual novel at that, won an artistic competition in Europe: making history in it's wake. And it is why, and I believe this to my core, we will see a boom of talent next year that will not be tethered to this small corner of the Internet. So many of you are destined for greatness, a type of greatness you can barely imagine, and I am happy to be here chronicling your early days and doing what I can to prepare the way.
So as I get my Southern ass back to work and the final minutes of 2013 tick down, I want to say one more time, for the records: thank you. VNs Now is what it is because of your support and we will always be your source for honest reviews, in-depth features, unique voices, unabashed Christopher Nolan fanboyism, RWBY take downs, irreverent thoughts, funny walks and everything in between.
Thank you again and we'll see you in 2014,
JP