Heavyshelf strives to be an inspiring community of creativity, artists, and appreciators of video games.
A fusion of many art forms such as illustration, sculpting, writing, animation, music, and programming can be found in the creation of video games to create an entirely new art form with seemingly endless possibilities of expression. This is why Heavyshelf will be exploring, celebrating, and discussing the creativity we find in video games. You can support us here.
David A. Richards — Founder
I’ve been playing games since the NES. Games like Tecmo Super Bowl, Punchout, and Super Mario would keep me hooked to the tv. It was always the music that would drag me in first. Get a knockout, score a touchdown, and unlock that cutscene with a new celebratory tune. However, it was Gran Turismo on the Playstation where I was gripped by video games to the point of never wanting to let go. Something about the intro music of Gran Turismo, paired with great visual cuts of cars sweeping through the track along with the music, widened my eyes and perked my ears. For its time, Gran Turismo was a game that went into incredible detail to simulate racing. It’s this level of detail that developers, artists, and programmers put into video games that makes me deeply respect the hard work, craft, and creativity of video games.
It’s been a long time since I’ve played the original Gran Turismo and I’ve broadened my tastes in video games to where I can safely say I can find something I can appreciate in almost every type of video game. I could go on and on in great detail about my appreciation for the incredible creativity we find in video games. So much so that I figured that the only way to fit all of what I’d have to say, I would need a website to do it. Thus, Heavyshelf was created.
Luca Sekanison — Editor, Writer, Artist
My experience with video games began when I was perhaps seven or so. It was around that age when I went to a summer camp which allowed the kids to bring their “electronic devices” on Fridays. This initially confused my ignorant little child mind, as I had no clue what kind of “electronic devices” they could be talking about, but then, the first Friday that rolled around, kids started pulling out DS and Game Boys. Little me immediately knew I needed to have one of these magical light boxes for myself, and soon enough I did indeed beg my mother into getting me one. Pretty much as soon as I got my little mitts on that red Game Boy Advance SP, I was hooked. I switched consoles a few times before making the transition to PC at twelve or so and never looking back.
I’ve played I wide scattershot of games over the years; never specializing in any specific genre nor avoiding any when given the chance. My current focus at Heavyshelf, aside from writing regarding specific games for review, is to address and explore common threads and themes I encounter throughout various games. The goal is to help both my audience and myself gain a better understanding of these often underappreciated elements which help make a game great.
Contributors
We’re also blessed to have a passionate team of contributors at hand to produce the excellent content you enjoy here. Fancy joining the team? We may be hiring right now so check on the community forum for announcements!