[05/17/2006]   Happy Birthday! Points of View is now six years old! Whelp, I guess that means we aught to do our usual super update. First of all, you may or may not have noticed that I've tweaked (and hopefully improved) our archives. Also, at the request of several people, mythril has been renamed silver. Mythril is more valuable than platinum, so that makes sense I suppose. Let me know if you see any bugs or have any suggestions for the archives, though it's not complete yet. There's a lot more I'd like to do with it when I get the chance.

   Next, let's hear some blurbs from some of the staff members you don't hear from quite as often. Well, not counting all their reviews:

   CactuarJoe: Six years is a long time, no matter how you look at it. Looking back at how many people have contributed to Points of View over the course of it’s half-decade plus history, it really is amazing the amount of discourse this site has generated. And that’s what makes Points of View special - it gives gamers, a group already given to very vocal disagreement, a place to voice their opinions. So here’s to everyone who has added their voice to the site in the past six years!

   Paws: Six years...it would have been hard to imagine when Points of View first began how strong a section it would become. I'm sure this is going to sound like a hokey awards speech, but I do want to say a sincere thank you to everyone who's submitted a review past and present, as well as to all the readers, both occasional and loyal. As a reviewer myself who's shooting for 50+ reviews, I like to think I understand the challenge and satisfaction of seeing a review posted for others to enjoy reading. I know I'm going to keep writing, and I'll be proud to see my work in future Points of View updates. Happy birthday to my baby ;)

   In addition to the reviews and blurbs above, we also have our annual PoV awards and statistics:

• Most Reviews Printed by an Author: Otterland - 166 Reviews
     2nd: Roku - 107 Reviews
     3rd: Simon Seamann - 63 Reviews
     4th: Michael Beckett - 60 Reviews
     5th: Jake Alley - 54 Reviews
• Most Reviewed Game: Xenogears - 19 Reviews
     2nd/3rd/4th: Final Fantasy X - 18 Reviews
     2nd/3rd/4th: Final Fantasy IX - 18 Reviews
     2nd/3rd/4th: Final Fantasy VIII - 18 Reviews
     5th: Final Fantasy VII - 17 Reviews
• Game with Highest Average Score (5 Review minimum): Chrono Trigger - 4.62 with 12 Reviews
     2nd: Final Fantasy VI - 4.43 with 15 Reviews
     3rd/4th: Final Fantasy X - 4.33 with 18 Reviews
     3rd/4th: Diablo II - 4.33 with 9 Reviews
     5th: Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne Maniacs - 4.25 with 6 Reviews
• Game with Lowest Average Score (5 Review minimum): Final Fantasy Mystic Quest - 1.93 with 8 Reviews
     2nd: Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure - 2.00 with 5 Reviews
     3rd: Final Fantasy Legend - 2.33 with 6 Reviews
     4th/5th: Growlanser III - 2.40 with 5 Reviews
     4th/5th: Dragon Warrior II - 2.40 with 5 Reviews

   Whelp, that just about wraps things up. Another year gone by. Once again I'd like to thank you for all your support and making this section great. Let's make next year even better!