I had previously dabbled in other Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs or MMOs) such as MapleStory, but the first one I really put any real time into was World of Warcraft, thanks to my involvement in the MMO documentary, Second Skin.

Every so often, a media release comes along that doesn't necessarily redefine its genre, but does stand out from the crowd. Some examples are Star Trek: The Next Generation, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. While none of these were groundbreaking, they were diamonds in the rough. The Megami Tensei franchise is another such example. The Megami Tensei (commonly shortened to MegaTen) franchise of role-playing games (RPGs) has a deep and rich history. The first game was released in 1987 for Famicom (what we call the Nintendo Entertainment System, in North America), and the franchise has since come to be hailed as the third most popular RPG series in Japan, after Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.

I was born with Cerebral Palsy, a non-progressive condition that affects the part of the brain that handles the limbs and fine motor functions. The disease rendered me unable to talk and confined me to a wheelchair. In addition, I only have full use of my right arm. As a disabled gamer, I've always been a little concerned about what the future holds. As it is, controllers have undergone a massive evolution over the past 20 years. They've gone from as simple as the original Nintendo Entertainment System controller to as complex as the PlayStation 3 controller. Couple that with a genre like shooters, which use pretty much every button, and you run into a problem: The controls are too complicated for one-handed gaming. When you need to hold the controller a certain way, it inevitably leaves some buttons out of reach. That is my biggest complaint with the controllers for this generation, as well as the previous one: Disabled gamers can't use the shoulder buttons easily. Using the left analog stick and pressing the right trigger with one hand is pretty much impossible.

I was born with Cerebral Palsy, a non-progressive condition that affects the part of the brain that handles the limbs and fine motor functions. I'm unable to talk or walk, which confines me to a wheelchair. I only have full use of my right arm, but I can play one-handed. Playing certain games one-handed can be challenging, and there are some games that I cannot play, but I'm always up for a good challenge. It's part of what makes me, or anyone else, a gamer. I began to play video games at the age of 8, with Super Mario Brothers on the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), a game that I've yet to finish. Back then, it seemed endless (and apparently, to Nintendo, it is). I remember playing it for 4 hours each day for 2 weeks, hoping to beat it. Unfortunately, that never happened. Being young at the time, I simply put the game away for another title. I should probably go and pick it back up some day.