My Favorite Videos of 2020 & My 2021 Plans

Happy New Year, patrons! 2020 was quite the year for everyone. Navigating through video production and graduate school during a global pandemic was challenging, but I made it work. Let's all hope 2021 is easier on everyone!

I thought I would take a look back at my three favorite videos I made during 2020 and talk about my plans for the future. Let's get started!

My Top 3 Favorite Videos of 2020

Awesome Possum: Tengen's Failed Mascot 

This topic started as a joke amongst friends. What was the deal with Awesome Possum? I connected with Richard Seaborne, the man behind the game, and had a great conversation with him via e-mail. I thought the backstory was fascinating, and learning there was a lawsuit was icing on the cake.

I think this video proved that even the lamest games could have great stories behind them.

The Story of Mario Paint 

My big video for the year was the one patrons voted on! When I first started my research, I felt defeated. There was little development history on Mario Paint. I struggled to figure out how to make the video. But one thing I kept stumbling on was how much people still enjoy Mario Paint! I shifted gears and interviewed three people whose lives were shaped by the game.

When I started graduate school, I took a class called "How-To History," which dives into the various types of historiography. When we jumped into social history, I thought back to the Mario Paint video. Without realizing it, I had created a social history of the game. I'm incredibly proud of it, and I think it will be one of my top five videos of all time.

What Facts Did I Get Wrong? 

I've never considered a video therapeutic until I made this one. Producing content on YouTube can make you anxious, especially if you make a mistake. I've gotten plenty of angry comments, e-mails, tweets, and messages. At first, I felt ashamed. But I decided to turn it into an opportunity to learn and grow. I went back and looked at some of my earlier work, trying to figure out what went wrong.

Making the video was a way for me to tell everyone that I'm not perfect and that I want to learn from my mistakes. This video also sparked the idea of going back to school. I applied to UMKC's graduate history program with my Super Mario Bros. 3 script in March and got accepted later that year.

My 2021 Plans

Scale Back on Graduate School

"But wait, didn't you just start graduate school?" Yep, and it was awesome! But I also learned how much work it is. Video production came to a screeching halt. The Mega Man DOS video was the only content I made during the semester. Making the video was extremely stressful, and the final product contained some minor issues.  I'm not in any rush to get my master's degree, so next semester I'm only taking one class.

Make More Videos

In 2020, I made a total of six videos. I think I can do better than that. I feel like every year, I tell myself I want to make more content. But the problem is, my production work scales up with every new video, so things take longer.

So how will I be able to make more content? Scaling back on graduate school will help, but I also plan to collaborate with some new writers this year. I've also got a new filming setup down in my basement! There is way more room, and I have much more flexibility with filming. Finally, I've got some smaller topics in mind to help keep pushing out content. YouTube does not like it when you take breaks!

Offload Other Business Stuff

Here at Gaming Historian HQ, my wife & I handle just about everything business-related. Merchandise, Patreon rewards, e-mails, social media, taxes, etc. It's a full-time job just dealing with non-video related stuff! My wife also runs her podcast (Let's Go To Court, check it out!), which takes up most of her time.

So in 2021, I'm hoping to offload some of this work. Did you know some companies do your taxes for you? Crazy! Doing this will free up research, writing, and production time.

What was your favorite Gaming Historian video of 2020? What are your plans for 2021? I'd love to hear about them in the comments below. Happy New Year! Be safe, happy, and healthy!

- Norman