Today, Bucket List Games turns 1 year old which is cause for celebration!
This is the first of (hopefully) many more annual thoughts and updates articles to come celebrating this gaming passion project I crafted for myself and you, kind reader.
I would like to take a few minutes to look back and share behind-the-scenes notes with you about Bucket List Games’ past, present, and future.
Bucket List Games’ Story
I’ve played games since I was 3 years old.
My first gaming memory was of my mother playing Tertris on the NES with piles of laundry around her.
I was memorized by the falling blocks, colors, and cool tunes of what I experienced, and I became hooked by games ever since.
You can read more about me and Bucket List Games by checking out our about page.
Personal News
2020 and 2021 has been tough for everyone.
More so for some, less for others, but we are all in it together on this planet called Earth.
I’ve personally experienced many hardships over the past year and half, and I was also faced with making a few life-altering decisions.
I’ve Taken Time To Look After My Mental Health
I took the time to work on my mental health, which has been rocky since the loss of my father in 2009.
Furthermore, I spent a lot of time during the last 18 months evaluating my state-of-mind, as well as finding ways to have a healthier and more positive outlook on life.
And although it’s still a struggle, I can say that I have far better days than not.
Which put me in a proper state of mind to make a huge life decision.
I Made A Huge Life-Changing Decision
I chose to leave my job of 15 years to pursue creating Bucket List Games, which I hope will pan out with the help of a growing community and readers like you.
We’re just starting but I know with enough time, patience, and hard work, Bucket List Games can be what I envisioned it to be.
A video game community and database for all gamers no matter who they are, what they look like, and how much or little knowledge a person knows about this wonderful hobby.
Games are for everyone and there is no room for elitists, cynics, trolls, and mean spirited people making you feel bad for liking a certain game.
And I will endeavor for Bucket List Games to be a driving force in positive change in gaming by being inclusive, not exclusive.
Please join me on this journey, reader.
Now let’s take a look at the past, present, and future of Bucket List Games.
Bucket List Games Updates
I started Bucket List Games (Bucketlistgames.com) years ago as more-or-less a blog of my daily gaming habits.
And in 2020, I decided to create a full-blown website with helpful guides, questions and answers, tutorials, and so much more about games I love.
The Past
Bucket List Games (now BucketList.Games for the URL) began in August 2020.
I vowed to use my free time to see if I could build a proper site while also making a full time income from it (follow your dreams, and do what you love).
I succeeded in building Bucket List Games and am very slowly working on creating a livable income from it.
I love gaming sites and don’t mind ads, sponsors, and affiliate links (you may even see some on this page as that is how I’m funding this site).
People have to make income to provide quality content, and using these advertising methods helps fulfills so many internet content creators’ dreams.
But I also have seen some sites abuse the amount of ads placed on it.
Therefore, I am very careful about how this site looks, and I am constantly tweaking settings to put the reader first.
After all, my main goal from the start was to build a database of quality content and that will always come first.
Bucket List Games now has over 110 posts and 40+ news articles after a year. And I wrote all of it!
I’m very proud of the results, but I’ll be modifying my work load to keep a better work-life balance going forward. Writing nearly 200 articles in 12 months proved exhausting.
Present
I am currently focused on building pages for each of the main topics and games I cover.
Additionally, the primary game I have been focused on building articles about during August is Pokémon Unite.
It’s a great game you should check out, and it’s launching on mobile devices in September 2021. Plus it’s free.
These articles have been fun to do and will keep me busy for the next month or so until the launch of Pokémon Unite on mobile.
I’ve also work daily on the administrative side, from how the site looks and how fast it loads to adding new features like feedback forms and more.
Future
I plan on writing even more articles across various topics during the upcoming year.
- More articles and select news stories (85/15 split on output going forward)
- Potentially creating a Bucket List Games Twitter to share important gaming news
- And also hope to create and begin developing the Bucket List Games YouTube channel
The main focus of mine is simply building up a database of gaming content over the next year.
A Twitter account will be nice to have in order to share news stories that don’t necessarily warrant an article.
And finally, YouTube.
YouTube is a lot to take-on, as I have had a personal YouTube channel for over half a decade, and I know the extra burden video creation demands.
I’ll be using everything I learned to create a solid YouTube gaming hub for everyone interested. If time allows it.
I hope to find a balance of writing articles, creating videos, and living life throughout the next year.
It’s very much a challenge, but hardship is what spurs growth.
Bucket List Games is a result of hardships, but I truly enjoy crafting it (day-by-day) into what I know it can be.
Thank You!
Thank you for reading, and thank you for supporting me, Bucket List Games, and this growing community by checking out the ever expanding database of articles on this site.
I appreciate it and hope you will stick with me on this tireless but satisfying journey to create a better community for every gamer.
Let’s make this next year as fruitful as the first.
WallyGX
Creator of Bucket List Games
