As the year comes to a close and winter's chill sets in, Rock Paper Shotgun, a cornerstone in the gaming community, has announced that they are taking a well-deserved holiday break. Their treehouse doors will be closed for the Christmas season, signaling a pause in the usual bustling activity associated with the site. The team, bracing for a cold holiday, believes it's too chilly to remain at their usual post. However, they made sure to arrange a bountiful spread of content for their loyal readers to enjoy in the interim.
The send-off before the break was punctuated with humor and warmth. The team joked about the inevitable lapses that await when they date articles and tweets in the upcoming new year, a relatable mistake we all tend to make after the turn of the year. They expressed heartfelt wishes for the season, hoping that readers, regardless of what they're celebrating, find joy and reprieve during the festive period.
Rock Paper Shotgun won’t be entirely silent during their hiatus. They have cleverly pre-scheduled a variety of content to keep readers entertained. This includes the tantalizing reveal of the Game Of The Year 2023. Despite hints already dropped within the community suggesting most fans have an inkling about the winner, the formal announcement has its own traditional charm and is set to occur on their Advent Calendar on the following Saturday at 1pm GMT. The game's identity is being kept under wraps until the official reveal, but given the magnitude of the title, the excitement remains unbridled.
For those who may have felt that the Advent Calendar was lacking or who simply crave more, the site plans to offer RPS Selection Boxes. These serve as personal recommendations from the staff for games that didn't make the cut or narrowly missed a spot on the calendar. It stands as a testimony to the team's diverse tastes and assurances that many great games, although not in the limelight, are still worth players' time.
The site also intends to keep readers grounded in the present day by reflecting on the past year with Year In Review roundups. This retrospective will include a compilation of the best reviews given, a collection of the year's best features, and a guides perspective that looks back at what defined 2023. These pieces are likely to stir up memories of the year's gaming achievements and milestones, reaffirming the community's shared passion for the evolution of gaming.
In an inclusive gesture, the team at Rock Paper Shotgun is releasing Supporter-funded posts for all readers, accessible via the Latest feed or by tracking the From The Archive tag. This move unlocks a treasure trove of content previously exclusive to supporters.
But that’s not all. The holiday content includes a quirky special dubbed “Christmas Crackers”, teasing what seems to be a series of cringe-worthy but endearing jokes destined to add a sprinkle of humor each day of the break. This suggests the unique whimsical flavor that Rock Paper Shotgun infuses into its community engagement, keeping the site's spirit alive even while on a pause.
The team's hard work doesn't end with simply pre-scheduling articles; a fleet of tweets has also been prepared to ensure the community remains up to date throughout the break. The team, crafting this announcement "from the past," sets an anticipatory mood for the content blast while they too, undoubtedly, take part in holiday traditions and reflect on the year ahead.
They encourage readers to stay engaged by heading to the comments section to share gaming-related resolutions for the forthcoming year. The writer shares their own goal: "play more weird stuff," suggesting a continued hunger for unique gaming experiences which feeds directly into the ethos of the site.
The closing message is one of thanks, appreciation, and camaraderie as Rock Paper Shotgun bids temporary farewell. The commitment they have to their readership is evident not just in their words but in their actions—ensuring there's enough digital nourishment to sustain their audience until their much-anticipated return on January 2, 2024. They leave with a final touch of humor, hoping that when they return, their readers won't be too worn out from the new year's celebrations.
