[05/17/2005]   Points of View is now five whole years old! You didn't think we'd let E3 get in the way of our annual celebration, did you? We have quite the update for you this year.

   So, another year has come and gone for this section...Happy Birthday PoV! With almost two hundred reviewers and over a thousand reviews, this section sure has taken off over the years. I've been hanging around a lot since I wrote my second reader review at the end of last February and it's certainly been fun working as a staff reviewer these last ~ten months and curator for nearly eight and a half months. I'm not really much for long speeches and you guys see me every week, (or more) so I'll give the other Review Crew Staff a chance to say some words starting with PoV's founder:

   Paws: 5 years...hard to believe sometimes. I'm sure this is going to sound like some second rate awards speech, but I want to thank everyone that made the section a success, either by writing a review (or many reviews) or by running it. I always beam with pride whenever I see one of my own works here and I know the feeling is shared by many. I hope to continue writing for many years yet, seeing Points of View going strong along with me, and I look forward to reviewers both new and veteran. Happy 5th birthday to my baby =^^=

   Red Raven: Five years, huh? It seems like just yesterday people were arguing about the merits of Final Fantasy 7 versus Final Fantasy 6 (oh, wait...), if Xenogears was a masterpiece or crap (...um...), or complaining that the latest Squaresoft release was worse than all the ones that came before it (...*cough*...). Okay, so maybe some things don't change over the years. But one thing I just cannot get over is how RPGamer ever thought of existing without Points of View. What good is a website devoted to RPGs and their fans without somewhere to post fan-based reviews? Five years ago today, RPGamer finally came to its senses and opened its doors to the digital flood of hundreds of game reviews from all over the world. In the process, I have not only found a calling of sorts, but also found some genuine friends among my fellow reviewers.

   So for that, and for providing endless hours of entertainment over the years, I wish Points of View a very happy birthday. And to everyone that has made Points of View what it is, I say thank you. Here's to five more years.

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

• Most Reviews Printed by an Author: Otterland - 116 Reviews
• Most Challenges Won May 17th 2004-May 17th 2005: Tie Between Otterland and Arcturus - 1 Challenge Won Each
• Game w/ Highest Average Score: Chrono Trigger - 4.41 w/ 12 Reviews
• Game w/ Lowest Average Score: Final Fantasy Mystic Quest - 1.85 w/ 7 Reviews
• Most Reviewed Game: Xenogears - 19 Reviews
• Most Reviews in an Update: July 20th, 2004 - 20 Reviews

   Since the Duke of Otterland won with 116 reviews and tied for most challenges won, we decided that he deserved a nice large blurb for all of his hard work:

   Wow. 116 reviews (did I count right?). A pretty great accomplishment considering that some of my closest competitors have had about a one or two year start ahead of me. Anyway, unless you've paid no attention whatsoever to the Points of View section, I was the first Reader Reviewer to reach Platinum status with fifty reviews, and the first to reach "Double Platinum" with a hundred. My writing streak continues today, and I do throw in an occasional re-review, re-retroview, or retroview to replace an original review once in a while, since I do wish to have a whole collection of work I can be proud of. I've also been trying to work on an editorial about writing reviews I hope to finish and submit one day to perhaps encourage new talent to this section.

   If you want to reach me, you can email me or find me lurking on #reviewhaven on the IRC channels. Just choose your words (very) carefully, and who knows, you could become an acquaintance. If you've ever considered writing reviews for RPGamer, please do so, and don't mind the occasional Message Board jerk or angry reader that has no appreciation whatsoever for our work; if you've written reviews for RPGamer in the past yet have quit, moreover, do consider resuming one day. As for my other work, I published my first fantasy novel, Org's Odyssey, a little over a year ago, and hope to have a gaiden coming out sometime later this year. You can also keep up with my writing interest at my homepage, the Duchy of Otterland. Finally, any praise or constructive criticism for my work is always welcome, that is, if you use the right words.

   -Jeremy, the Duke of Otterland

   Guess that just about wraps things up. Thank you for all your support. Let's make this year even better!

   Until next week...