The Birth of Heavyshelf: Celebrating the Weight of Games in 2015
2015 was a year that felt like gaming hit critical mass. Blockbuster releases like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Bloodborne, and Metal Gear Solid V stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Nintendo’s revival of Splatoon, while Fallout 4 lit up hype cycles across the world. It was also the year eSports began breaking into the mainstream with record-breaking events, streaming platforms like Twitch transformed how people played and connected, and VR finally felt within reach with the looming arrival of Oculus. Everywhere you looked, there was something worth debating, celebrating, or arguing over. For a group of friends caught up in this whirlwind of conversations, it was only natural to come together and start a podcast. From those late-night discussions, the first spark of what would become Heavyshelf was born.
The Origin of the Heavyshelf Name
The name Heavyshelf didn’t come easily. I spent days running through every possible name for a gaming site, only to find that most were already taken or sounded too familiar. Then, one night while lying on the couch, I glanced at an old, repurposed shelf across the room—a shelf that held a handful of my games. The shelf itself was bowed from years of use, weighed down by more than it was ever meant to hold. At that moment, it was carrying Metal Gear Solid V. It struck me how fitting it looked, as if the sheer weight of that one game alone was bending the shelf.
That’s when the idea hit me: what if you could actually measure the weight of all the creativity, effort, and artistry poured into these games, as if they exerted a real force in the physical world? One game already felt heavy, but 2015 was overflowing with unforgettable releases. Together, they piled onto the shelf of gaming history, bending it under their collective weight. That shelf, in spirit, was a Heavyshelf.
A Mission Beyond Headlines
From the very beginning, Heavyshelf wasn’t meant to be just another gaming site chasing headlines and trends. The bowed shelf I saw that night became more than a funny metaphor—it became a reminder that games carry weight beyond sales numbers and hype cycles. They’re the result of countless hours of design, storytelling, coding, art, and music. Every release isn’t just a product on the shelf; it’s the work of people who poured themselves into creating a world for others to step into. That’s what I wanted Heavyshelf to celebrate: the artistry, the creativity, and the human effort behind the games we love.
Honoring the Craft of Games
While plenty of sites focus on what’s popular, what’s profitable, or what’s next, Heavyshelf was founded on the belief that games deserve to be appreciated as works of craft. To honor the people who make them, not just the trends they create. To look at a game and see not only how fun it is to play, but also the skill, imagination, and passion it took to bring it into existence. That, more than anything else, is what sets Heavyshelf apart.
A Place for Games and Their Creators
At its core, Heavyshelf is about giving games the respect they deserve. This is a place to celebrate the creativity behind them, to recognize the people who craft these worlds, and to share in the wonder of what they create. We aim to look beyond the trends and headlines to appreciate the artistry, the ideas, and the effort that make each game unique. Whether it’s a groundbreaking release or a quiet indie gem, Heavyshelf is dedicated to honoring the weight each game carries and the people who make them possible.
The Team
David A. Richards | Founder
Gaming for 30+ years since 1991, specializing in sports sims, fighting games, platformers, and racing across all platforms. My approach focuses on the craft behind games: sound design, visual storytelling, and technical precision that make experiences memorable.
I evaluate games like boxing weight classes, comparing indies to indies and AAA to AAA based on budget and scope. I maintain editorial independence whether reviewing blockbusters or hidden gems.
Created Heavyshelf to share honest analysis that respects gaming as both art and technical achievement.
Daniel Eisenhardt | Tech Consultant & Systems Analyst
With 30+ years in gaming and programming since 1993, I specialize in deep systems analysis of strategy, RPG, and survival-crafting games, primarily in the PC gaming space. My programming background allows me to dissect complex game mechanics, optimize strategies, and understand the technical architecture behind gameplay systems.
I focus on games that reward strategic thinking and systems mastery, analyzing everything from economic models in 4X games to crafting chains in survival titles. My expertise lies in breaking down intricate game systems and finding optimal strategies that most players miss.
Indie games particularly interest me because they often push mechanical boundaries and experiment with innovative systems design. As both a programmer and systems gamer, I bring a unique technical perspective to game analysis.
Built the technical infrastructure for Heavyshelf, handling software and platform engineering to ensure our reviews and analysis reach readers efficiently.
Connect With Us
Join our community across multiple platforms:
Discord - Daily discussions and community events
YouTube - Video content and reviews
Podcast - Weekly gaming discussions
Patreon - Support independent gaming journalism
Established 2015