It's been awhile since my last post on the beloved Gamespot, and after the response I got from the fantastic community here for my last post, and with a little help from Brendan Sinclair, I have decided to give an update on my progress since my last post.

For those that haven't read it, my last post was about my attempts to get into the games industry, which failed miserably, and you can read it here. Well since then I have started trying once again, with mixed results, but my confidence has been boosted and I will hopefully achieve my dream before September 2011 which is when I turn 30. That is my new goal, it is just down to me to make it happen.

So first of all, let me say again a big thank you to everyone's comments on my previous post. Most were positive and some really helpful and I got a mention on the Hotspot with both Brendan and Kevin saying that I am not too old so I shouldn't give up. A special thanks goes out to user Drmikeready, who's information on an Open University course on games design really helped, and I took that course and passed with a quite a high mark. I believe the OU is a UK only thing (though I could be wrong) but if your interested in the course it is couse number T151 and does ask you to create a game at the end using Game Maker.

In other news, I have also started writting for a video games website called beefjack. It's a small site with a great staff and some really helpful editors and other writers, the biggest problem with that is that I don't have a degree in English, so my grammar can be a little off at times, but then thats what editors are for, I just hope I am not annoying them too much!

I have also downloaded Microsoft's XNA platform and have started trying to figure out how to create a game with it. I have quite a good idea (I think!) I just have to figure out how to actually code and implement it. Some level of artistic skill would be good too, though I figured a way around that, and potentially a way around my lack of musical skill too!

So in all, I am still not a part of the games industry proper. My writing is not a paid position because the site simply isn't big enough yet (though I am hoping some of the fine folks here will check it out), and I have actually made a small crappy platform game with a better one on the way assuming I get the time to sit down and figure XNA out.

There are several things to take away from this: 1) despite what I said previously, there can be time to change careers and do what you really want to do, you just have to have a little encouragement and be willing to put the effort in, 2) there is more than one way into the games industry, 3) you have to be willing to except your limitations and 4) the Gamespot community is awesome.

If I ever do end up with a proper job in the games industry, either writing about or creating games, I will let the Gamespot crew know, because, at least in part, I will have got there with your help! Thanks again!