The Back Log, vol. 72 - Goodbye For Now

But not forever!

In case you missed my announcement in the Discord last Friday, this will be the last Back Log I write, as I leave Back Pocket and Lowkii at the end of this week for a new and exciting opportunity. So hopefully you'll allow me to indulge myself in this one moreso than usual - but I'll leave that mostly for the end of the post. For now, enjoy the picture of my wonderful son Atticus, fresh from a run at the beach ?️

Anyway, given all that, let's keep this preamble short!

PREVIOUSLY ON BACK POCKET

Back Pocket Tonight Of The Century ft. Nicrotex
For the whole ten of you who remember the show Sale of the Century, last week we debuted our own Pocket-ified version, fit with working buzzers(!) programmed by our guest for the evening, Nicrotex! And if you don't happen to know of the show, well it's still a bloody good trivia segment. The episode also saw the return of Challenging Times, this time featuring one of Astro Bot's bespoke speedrun levels! There was also an early bird's Game Plan for April, and of course, What We've Been Playing featuring, finally, Assassin's Creed Shadows, as well as Midnight Murder Club, Centum and the spectacularly titled So Fart Away.

AC: Shadows, Midnight Murder Club + 90's TV Gaming Trivia! w/ ‪@NickBelling‬ | Back Pocket Tonight

Post Show (link to locked post)

Playback
'Assassin's Creed Shadows' - History with Pete and Gus | Playback

Socials
Watch Where You Put Your Mines | R.E.P.O.

Not Your Average Day At Bunnings

The Worst Mario Ever

THIS WEEK ON BACK POCKET

It's gonna be a slightly different couple of weeks in Back Pocket land, with Pete away and the rest of the gang preparing for a 200th episode bonanza that you won't want to miss - keep your eye out for more announcements on that front.

But don't worry, that doesn't mean a lack of content. Josh will be back into Star Citizen this evening, and Thursday night will be a special Community Game Night stream, where you can join us in Supermarket Together - a free download on Steam!

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10 years ago, after a GG Pocket livestream and some subsequent games of Rocket League, I joined a Facebook chat with a group of people who all shared a passion for this weird, unique little Australian videogame web show in our tiny corner of the internet. Now, 10 years later, it's wild to reflect back on that, and think how such a small, and seemingly minor moment, would become irrevocably integral to the person I've become today. I was 16 at the time (yes, I know), and therefore spent the most formative years of my adolescent and adult life entrenched within this community. A community that, despite all odds, defied not just one, but multiple, cancellations of the very content it was formed around, and took on new life alongside Back Pocket. And you know, if I was to say that I spent some of my most formative years amidst any online community, I couldn't be happier that it was this one.

This may read like a goodbye post, and I guess, in all reality, it is one. But there's a reason I made this week's tagline 'but not forever'. Because it'd take more than simply leaving this job to remove me from this community, and it'd be silly to think that I'm not going to be a part of it, or extensions of it, for many years to come. I've made more lifelong friends in this community than I can count on fingers and toes, and I don't intend on losing those. I got to be in the wedding party last year for one of those very friends, that I met all the way back during that Rocket League session. And one of my closest best friends to this day is one I met through playing Destiny amidst the BP community. All that to say, it'll be harder than that to get rid of me.

So why, then, am I leaving? Despite all those wonderful words, you have to be honest with yourself sometimes and know when it's time for a change. If you're not having those conversations with yourself, you're not doing your due diligence, and I encourage each and every one of you to do so regularly. When I started this job, I was still at uni, and had zero experience in either community management or social media management. Yes, I'd been a moderator within this community for a while, but that was only a fraction of the skills I would need. Luckily, the guys were willing to take a chance on me, to learn and grow into that role. Almost four years later, I was approached about a fantastic career opportunity I would've never imagined being wanted for all those years back, and thanks to that chance being taken, had the tools and confidence to give it my best shot, and ultimately land the role. I would be silly to not have accepted it, even though it means saying goodbye to this position. Because after four years, the prospect of a new challenge is stronger than the pull of the familiar, and if you're not giving yourself those chances to grow, you'll always be looking back and asking what could've been.

Don't worry, I'm nearly done! But seeing as this is my last chance to do so, I feel like it would be remiss of me not to thank some people more specifically.

Firstly, of course, Pete and Gus, who took a chance on someone pitching them a job even though that person didn't really have too much of a clue how to do it. They showed the grace to bear with me while I learnt the ropes, and the firmness to pull me up when I made mistakes, and ultimately, the trust that I was the right person for the job. It's also a testament to them as people, that despite being the ones who gave me the opportunity to build myself up and grow into the role, that I never found them to be anything but supportive as I decided to move on.

Next up, naturally, is the rest of the Back Pocket team. I could write a whole paragraph on each of these people, but I probably shouldn't for the sake of all of you reading this. Will is not only a very great friend of mine, but also was a familiar, and reassuring, shoulder to lean on across both the good and bad days. From the moment I first worked with Josh (back when he was still with Order), I knew he was not only incredibly good at what he does, but also one of the kindest and most considerate souls I know. And of course, Ruby, whose love for videogames and, more importantly, the people that make them, is something I hope we continue to cherish and uplift within this industry. As I said, there's so much more to all three of them than I can say here, but it has been a joy to work with each of them and I can't wait to see what they cook up next.

And finally, but absolutely not least, a tremendous thank you has to go out to the team of Back Pocket moderators. Whether they're ones that I myself was a moderator alongside in the earliest days of BP, or those that were added to the team just in recent weeks - no matter where they came into the fold, each and every one of them does so much more for Back Pocket than you could possibly imagine. These people do it all out of the kindness of their own heart and in their own time, and yet the care they show on a daily basis about making Back Pocket the best it can be for both the community, and the team itself, is truly astonishing. There are few people I would trust more in the world at this point than this group of people, and I say that in all sincerity. While I may have been the face of this community for the past few years, they are, and will continue to be, the true lifeblood, and you can all rest assured that you remain in good hands going forward. So, to Kiara, Lis, Dolphin, Jshie, Gatt, Syntax, Kat, Phoenix, Silver, Shad, Bryce and Snail - from the bottom of my heart, thank you!

Phew... that's all, folks. I'm looking forward to watching alongside as Back Pocket continues on, especially with the little bit I know is coming around the corner. In terms of The Back Log (and some of my other duties), it'll go on a short hiatus, but don't worry, someone's in line to take the reins and make it their own. Until then (and because I've always wanted to say this), may all your games be good ones.

• Blair ?