Today marks my seventh year on Bungie.net. It seems a bit of a tradition around here for people to share their thoughts on their seventh "birthday," if you will, and I feel obliged to do so. Here is a bit of reflection on the past seven years, not only relating to Bungie, but to the gaming industry itself. Seven years ago I joined Bungie.net right in the middle of Halo 2's post launch time period. Not only was the [url=http://xbox.ign.com/articles/563/563920p1.html]site drastically different looking[/url], but each week we were eagerly anticipating Frankie's weekly what's up updates. Hell, the site even had updating leaderboards before cheating became incredibly rampant on Xbox Live. It really was a drastically different time for gaming and we've come a long way since. Halo 2 was the first of its kind for console gamers. It was the go-to-game for getting a look at the best Xbox Live features. In fact, Bungie's collaborative work with Microsoft really laid the groundwork for the Xbox 360's future Live interface. The friends list and party system have since become staples of nearly every game we play today. Furthermore, Halo 2 lacked competitors in those days. There were a few other good titles on Xbox Live (like Splinter Cell and Battlefront 2), but ultimately people were drawn in like moths to a flame to the one game everyone seemed to be playing on Xbox Live. Now, I'm glad we have a great deal of choice when it comes to gaming. The advent of the party chat system has also been welcomed as gamers can stay together across games. Halo 2 was also lauded for its risk-reward style of gameplay. You had to bet on your own chance at victory because if you lost, you would run the risk of losing your rank. Rank meant everything in those days to gamers and competition was at the heart of gaming. Since then, we've seen ranking structures change to allow for a more casual experience. We've moved away from hardcore competition and more toward simply enjoying the experience of gaming with others by having rank systems that reward play as opposed to game results. I have mixed feelings on this. Competition in games can create staying power, meaning that gamers will want to continue to play that game because they feel their time is invested wisely in that game. But, ultimately, this console generation has been all about opening the doors of gaming to a wider audience and that is truly amazing. With games themselves becoming more friendly to gamers of all skill, the advent of rising phone game popularity, and the Kinect, Move and Wii platforms, gaming is far more accessible and it is whittling down the negative social stigmas people hold against gamers. If you've never seen anything by[url=http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html] Jane Mcgonical[/url] or anything on [url=http://www.criticalpathproject.com/]Critical Path[/url], I suggest you check them out. Not only are these voices major players in improving the games we play (and slightly cheesey at times), but they offer insight on how the industry is shifting and how our relationship with games is growing and changing. Seven years ago I was just another high school kid on Xbox Live trash talking with the best of them. Today, I can happily say I've graduated college and entered the working world, but I still find time to game. In fact, I'm seeing games more frequently as a part of everyday life. Parents are playing games with their kids, Grandma and Grandpa are playing Wii fit, people are connecting on forums, PSN, and Live, and more of these people are even meeting in real life at conventions like PAX. Gaming is opening up more social networking opportunities and connecting us all a bit more. At the end of the day, games are all about fun and de-stressing us all. We could all use a bit more fun in our lives and the more people who game, the better in my opinion. No matter where the industry goes, or what games release, I'm just glad to see people having fun out there with gaming. Here's to the past seven years and hopefully to another seven years spent gaming and being a part of the Bungie community. I'd really like to thank everyone who I've come across in that time that has contributed to my love of gaming and I can't wait to see where I am and where this community is in seven years. EDIT: I hope this serves as more of a conversation starter to develop some natural conversation on what gaming means to you in the context of community and social interaction. As a part of a gaming forum, we have the unique ability to connect with other people, grow invested in the games we play, and share our experiences. Therefore, please share yours and how you view the industry and its expansion toward more casual games designed to simply bring people together. I find the gaming industry's transformation fascinating and I hope everyone else here does as well. See you Starside! [Edited on 08.04.2012 1:06 PM PDT]