After me and my then girlfriend finally got a place together the PES nights were less frequent but still a weekly thing. The numbers were dwindling as folks moved from Cumbernauld due to relationships/career changes, but the core, the old school that was Kenny, Gav, Stew and I made it our mission to make sure that we got together once a month to do what we did best: a couple of beers, some weed, some chat, and plenty, PLENTY of PES. We weren't even doing that much weed any longer and was reserved mostly for those occasions. Ever played PES with like minded competitive folks who just happened to be your best mates and while a little baked? It's a wonderfully competitive, intense but most of all fun experience. Your focus on the game increases four-fold. The atmosphere generated by the one's and zero's is heightened. The commentary team will say something and you will be like "Fuck! That is true, man. The game
is going down like that" before wondering if your console might be getting a hit.
I was 30 when PES5 was released and by then my girlfriend and my mates other halves were resigned to the fact that we needed that hit come new PES release, so they would plan a long weekend away together in order to allow us to get on with the serious business of PES. We'd take days off work so as to ensure we got maximum exposure for that first weekend. Lassies can get a hard time of it off us dudes at times but sometimes they can play a worldie and allow you to play a worldie... on Playstation.
In 2012 me and my long term girlfriend broke-up. Just a case of us knowing that while there was still undoubtedly love there, and that there always would be, enough of the spark had gone. Nothing ugly in the break-up and it was completely mutual, but inevitably it hit us both hard and was a very uncertain, often confusing time. Thankfully, I had WENB to keep me busy when not at work, and in early June 2012 I had my first opportunity to attend a playtest event at Konami's offices in London, for PES2013. I met
@romagnoli from these boards for the first and only time on that trip down south. Smashing lad whom I thought was very chilled, easy going, but had an excellent eye for detail and of course excellent in the written word. I actually wanted to ask him if he too ever got a bit stooned when playing PES, ha!
A few months later I wrote my review for PES2013 for WENB and it was the happiest I had felt with any of my reviews for games in the series. I just thought it was a little more grown-up, more mature, more grounded. I never put a score at the end of it and some of the regulars, as well as the trolls and haters in the comments section, were saying I chickened out of scoring it. I was starting to get a bit fed-up with the community side of things, and it wasn't just WENB. I will always be thankful for Adam approaching me and asking me if I wanted to make a contribution; for him fast-tracking me and getting me on the podcast I had always listened to and enjoyed. Yes, even as a dude in his mid-30's; that little opportunity to get involved like I did in the community felt... I dunno... like all those years playing had paid off a wee bit. I'm going to sound like a dick but I felt vindicated when people started to really love PES2013 and, to this day, I do take a bit of pleasure when I read people speaking of PES2013 in flowery prose. I mean, I didn't make the game, but for whatever reason it just makes me feel a wee bit proud, as my community involvement for the year prior to the release of the game was the most rewarding, yet my private life was a bit rudderless and uncertain (I lost my Grandmother in late 2011 too which didn't help) and eventually culminated in me splitting up with my very long term partner. I dunno, just things moving to another level regards my involvement and the opportunities given to me, along with the folks I met, has me look back at that time with great fondness.
Then 2013, the year, happened.
I'm going to stop it there, for now, but will come back to this. Pretty important I come back to this, when I think about it, as it is proving very cathartic.
