Zach Wigal

XBOX REVEAL

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:17:00 -0400

I had the chance to play a small part in the recent reveal of the new Xbox console from Microsoft. The video is called “Xbox Anthem,” and is meant to be a celebration of the users, creators, and innovators who make Xbox what it is and help guide where its going. It’s a small taste of the more than 48 million users that comprise the Xbox community.

I have so much respect for the team of people at Xbox. Today’s reveal represented years of hard work and dedication to craft. Big congratulations to everyone who’s been involved! You guys should be very proud.

Cameos at :29, :58, and 1:21.

MY GAMING PC

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:22:00 -0400

I recently finished constructing a new gaming PC. Thankfully, the feeling I get from sleeping better at night knowing I can play all the latest and greatest video games outweighs the fact that Newegg.com now owns a small portion of my soul.

For PC gamers, building a computer is a rite of passage. As a Jedi constructs his lightsaber, so too a PC gamer must construct his own gaming rig (#nerdanalogies). Luckily, while constructing a computer on your own might sound complicated, there are plenty of resources and tutorials available on the internet nowadays to help walk you through the process! If you’re a first timer, Newegg has a great series of videos that will walk you through everything start to finish. Their videos cover everything from understanding what parts to select, to putting everything together and booting up for the first time. I’ve included a link at the end of this post if you’re someone who’s interested in undertaking the process for yourself.

For my fellow enthusiasts who enjoy swapping wish lists, below is the complete report of parts I ended up selecting for my rig. I made a couple of tiny compromises due to some of my first-choice parts not being available when I was ready to order, but overall I’m really happy with the build. The PC below can easily handle anything on the market right now, and should last another few years before I have to consider swapping things out. Feel free to use this as a reference for your build! All components were purchased from Newegg.com, minus the Astro headsets which were acquired from AstroGaming.com.

Case: NZXT Phantom Black
Blue-Ray Drive: LITEON
Keyboard: Logitech Washable Keyboard
Hard Drive: Western Digital 1 TB
Solid State Drive: Samsung 840 Pro Series
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 16 GB
CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K
Power Supply: Corsair 750W
Graphics Card: EVGA GTX 670 FTW
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth Z77
CPU Fan: Cooler Master V8
Mouse: steelseries Sensei
Audio: Astro A40 Audio System
Monitor: Asus 23” 5ms Widescreen

Here are a couple of shots from the build process - including right after I installed the CPU, and pre-testing the motherboard / CPU / GPU prior to plugging everything into my case…

And here’s the finished set up…

A few friends have asked about the odd choice of keyboard. I actually stumbled across Logitech’s washable keyboard on a design blog right as it was initially launched on the market. I was primarily attracted to its simplicity and modern aesthetic. To be honest, I don’t find a lot of the keyboards aimed at gamers to be all that comfortable or attractive. I also find a lot of the “extras” (USB ports on the keyboard, buttons for gaming macros, etc) to be cumbersome. But that’s just my opinion and I’m sure there are plenty who disagree. Also, this keyboard is washable! I can definitely admit to having accidentally tipped a few water glasses during the period of time I owned my laptop. Knowing that my parts are both safe and clean is a big plus!

If you’re in the process of building your own PC, I highly recommend checking out the tutorial videos Newegg has produced. They’ll walk you through every step of the build, and are a handy reference for those who need a refresher before diving into the process of building a computer!

GFG 2013 RESULTS

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 22:41:29 -0500

Following up on my previous blog post, across the board, Gamers for Giving 2013 was undeniably a success. Counting volunteers and spectators, we had between 550 - 600 total attendees throughout the course of the weekend. All of our headline activities sold out. The LANFest BYOC LAN party actually sold out twice - once with our initial accommodations for 150 attendees, and a second time after we added on 32 seats to our layout.

Thanks to our sponsors and the student government of Eastern Michigan University, the costs associated with producing the event were entirely covered. All event entry fees, raffle ticket sales, and donations received will be used to directly support Gamers Outreach initiatives throughout the course of the year. In total, our revenue exceeded our fundraising goal and raised just over $15,000.00 for the charity.

Our event was streamed this year by Shawn “Kona” Warbiany of Kona’s Korner Productions. Shawn and I have known each other for the past couple of years through work in the video game industry and similar social circles. I can’t give the man enough props for all his hard work over the weekend. The live stream generated a total of 340,000 views on the Twitch.tv/LANFest page. Our highest average number of concurrent viewers was 1,307. Both are numbers I’m very pleased with, especially given this was only the second time since 2011 Gamers for Giving has been streamed. Add the fact that the organization doesn’t stream regularly in tandem with our incredibly limited (borderline non-existent) promotional budget, and I don’t see how you can paint the stream as anything but a success.

We also had incredible support from our on-air talent. David “Walshy” Walsh, Mike “hastr0” Rufail, Frank “u4ix” Bowen, Alex “Axeltoss” Rodriguez, and Andreas “nexy” Pierson were able to hold down the fort and keep stream activity flowing throughout the entire weekend. Huge props go out to those guys for volunteering their time and talent to aid in the fundraising efforts of Gamers for Giving.

Although my identity is heavily associated with the event, Gamers for Giving isn’t a one man show. The event wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for the efforts of our crew of volunteers. There were a lot of people behind the scenes working around the clock to make sure attendees were having an incredible experience this year. In my eyes, they succeeded. Feedback we’ve received from attendees has been incredibly positive. The volunteers’ display of work ethic and selflessness was more than any event coordinator could even hope for. I was very proud of our team, and I hope to see the same faces again when 2014 rolls around!

We’ve posted a full recap of Gamers for Giving over on the Gamers Outreach website, which can be found here. Press coverage of the 2013 event can be found here, and a full album of photos can be found on the Gamers Outreach Facebook page here.

Going forward, Gamers Outreach will be using the funds to purchase additional GO Karts, and deliver video game care packages to troops overseas. News surrounding the initiatives will be posted on the Gamers Outreach website. We actually just delivered a GO Kart to the Children’s Hospital & Research Center of Oakland, California thanks to the crew from Astro Gaming. I’ll be in the Oakland area in a few weeks shortly after PAX East to dedicate the cart with the Astro crew.

Cheers to a great event!

GAMERS FOR GIVING 2013

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 18:32:00 -0500

Each year, the charity I manage (Gamers Outreach Foundation) hosts a competitive video game tournament / BYOC LAN* party called Gamers for Giving. It’s a weekend long marathon that gives video game enthusiasts the chance to come together and share their passion for gaming while raising money and awareness for a great cause. Sponsors from the industry help cover the costs of the event, while attendee entry fees are used to fund the initiatives of Gamers Outreach. Everything is put together by a crew of volunteers.

The event is taking place within the Eastern Michigan University Student Center. It begins on Saturday, February 16th and will go non-stop until Sunday evening, February 17th. Headline activities at this year’s event include a 150 person BYOC LAN, a Call of Duty Black Ops 2 tournament, a Halo 4 tournament, a StarCraft 2 tournament, and a League of Legends tournament. We’ll be giving out over $6,000 in cash prizes to the winners of our headline tournaments!

Our goal is to raise $15,000 to support Gamers Outreach initiatives in 2013. We plan on using a portion of the funds to support Eastern Michigan’s ROTC program in connection with our organization’s military initiatives. We’ll also be creating a general funding pool for the construction of new GO Karts!

If you’re in the area, swing out to the event and support the cause! If you’re unable to attend, we’ll also be streaming the event through Twitch.tv where you’ll be able to donate during the weekend!

Information and registration can be found at GamersforGiving.org. Hope to see you there!

*For those not familiar with the term “LAN Party,” LAN is an acronym for “Local Area Network.” As the organizers of the event, we set up tables, lay down electrical cords, and provide networking infrastructure that allows gamers to connect with one another to play video games.

POLITICS

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:37:00 -0400

I’m not that into sharing personal political views over the internet, BUT I do think participating in the voting process is really important. There’s a really cool website I’d recommend checking out called http://www.isidewith.com/. It’s basically a survey that matches you with the political candidates who are the strongest proponents of issues you care about. It’s definitely worth the time, even if you think you’re set in your ways!

FOUNDATION

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 21:05:00 -0400

If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, I HIGHLY recommend checking out the video series produced by Kevin Rose called FOUNDATION. In each video, Rose takes the time to sit down with influential people from the tech industry to discuss how they got started in their respective businesses. The passion these people have for their work is contagious. Their stories are incredible, and surprisingly diverse. I’m only up to episode 8, but I just finished off this discussion with Chris Sacca from episode 7. Chris runs a venture capital group, and was one of the early investors in Twitter. He got his start after accumulating nearly 2 million dollars of debt by the time he was 25. Aside from being an incredible comeback story, this talk has some great nuggets of insight that are applicable to everyone’s walk in life.

ASTRO PHYSICS

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 20:14:00 -0400

This is actually a slightly dated piece of content, but something I just happened to stumble across today. Astro Studios has a fantastic publication highlighting their industrial design process from 2011 available for download on their website. I love when companies produce these types of mini-portfolios with commentary. It’s one of the best ways to gain insight into the way products and ideas come to life. Equally impressive is the way companies are able to manage a complex creative process when multiple contributors are involved. Whatever your field of study, the industrial design process is, in the words of Astro, an expression of pure creative horsepower. If you’re in need of some inspiration, or just looking to kill some time, give the Astro Physics manual a read. Well worth it.

E3 2012

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 02:50:00 -0400

A few weeks back I was out in Los Angeles for the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). For those not familiar, E3 is an annual trade show for folks working within the video game industry. Each year, people that make video games, distribute video games, and help keep the wheels turning come together to conduct business related to the gaming industry. It’s at E3 that companies will reveal new games, and try to build up hype for products heading out for launch.

I was out at E3 this year alongside the Astro Gaming crew, who unveiled their newest wireless product, the Astro A50 headset (pictured later below). It was a fantastic week overall. Here are some of my personal highlights in no particular order…

I had the chance to sit down for some all you can eat Korean BBQ for the first time, and it was glorious. But before I continue talking about how great Korean BBQ was, I’d like to address the thought that’s probably going through the minds of most of my gamer friends reading this post. “Really, Zach? You’re starting out your E3 recap with a picture of dinner?” Yes. Yes I am. Don’t hate, I love food! Now back to what I was saying…

To summarize, Korean BBQ is kind of like a mini hibachi dinner. There’s a small community grill located in the center of the table. Your group orders a particular kind of meat (beef, chicken, pork, etc) and once you’re finished eating what you ordered, you order something else. You then continue this process until everyone’s had their fill. Definitely a recommended option if you’re looking for a solid dinner spot to accompany a great night out with friends.

To top off dinner, for dessert, we hopped over to this cupcake shop called Sprinkles in Beverly Hills. I found out about this place a few months ago when I came across an article (h/t Kdoohan) about a crazy cupcake dispenser that Sprinkles had installed in their storefront. I have to give credit to the people running this place for their clever business savvy and sense of humor. Attached to the store is a cupcake dispenser fashioned in the shape of an ATM machine. Yes, you read that right. This place has a cupcake ATM machine that dispenses boxes of delectable happiness.

Aside from the fact that yes, I am easily amused, the cupcakes were delicious, and the magical cupcake dispenser has created a cult following amongst the locals. We waited in line a pretty decent amount of time before we got our cupcakes, but they were worth it. Five out of five stars.

Ok – E3. I felt like this year’s E3 was relatively mellow compared to year’s past. I mean, let’s not kid ourselves here, we can all assume what’s cooking behind closed doors right now *cough* new consoles. Things I’m excited about that were on display:

+ The new Devil May Cry looks sweet. I didn’t get the chance to do much demo playing due to work / meetings, but I think the new artistic direction is a really interesting interpretation of Dante. Can’t wait for its release!

+ Halo 4. I am reserving all of my opinions until the game comes out and I’ve had a month or two to play it. From the perspective of someone who enjoys the competitive aspect of Halo, I think it shows promise, but my own initial reactions and the reactions of pros doesn’t really mean much yet for competitive gaming. What will make an impact is how the game is received by the community after it’s been played for a little while. The 343 team is an incredibly intelligent, capable group of people that can definitely take the Halo franchise to new heights. Whether or not that direction is something that the competitive community will particularly embrace has yet to be determined. If you’re interested in some really fantastic insight, Bravo has been posting YouTube videos on a daily basis. He’s got a ton of interviews with pro players up on his channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/BravoMLG?feature=watch.

+ Astro A50s. Oh sweet wireless beauty. Just look at these bad boys…

+ Ubisoft came out guns-a-blazing at E3. Assassins Creed looks phenomenal, and they’re also releasing a game called Shootmania that is very similar to the old Quake titles. It’ll be interesting to see if it’s embraced by the PC competitive community upon its release.

+ GREE had a HUGE footprint at E3, which was really fantastic to see. The mobile gaming scene hasn’t really been very strongly represented at trade shows despite its economic size in the market. GREE is a company from Japan that, for the sake of analogy and familiarity, one could compare to the Steam platform. Only instead of PC games, the company provides cross compatibility for mobile devices. They’ve only just recently begun their push into the US market, so there’s still a bit of unfamiliarity with their brand across the scene, but I expect these guys to be doing some big things as mobile gaming becomes more prevalent. Their presence at these events will really help pioneer the field for mobile developers.

I ended up staying a few days past E3 for a little west coast R&R. On Friday I crashed at this place called Hotel Erwin on Venice Beach. I’ve stayed there a couple times for some of the early Red Bull LANs, and it’s a gem of a spot. The hotel itself is great, but even more spectacular is the rooftop bar, “High,” which offers a fantastic view of the sunset and the Venice area. It’s a really great spot to close out a night with friends, or chill with that special someone ;).

On Saturday I drove out to Anaheim to swing by the MLG event taking place at the convention center. Anaheim was a different vibe than the MLGs I’ve attended in the past. There was no shooter presence, which made me feel a bit like the new kid at a high school. This event was heavy on League of Legends and Starcraft 2, both great games, but they carry a different energy than Halo. Hoping to see some more representation at future events, but the event was well produced and had a great turn out.

Sunday ended up being a bit of a deviation from my original plan to hang at MLG. I met up with a friend of mine named Mark McNabb, who’s going to get a blog post dedicated to his exploits one of these days. Mark was one of the original members of the Oakley team, and eventually went on to head up a lot of the early marketing efforts of the GUNNAR Eyewear brand. Mark gave me the full SoCal tour on Sunday. We went surfing, bummed out in Laguna / Huntington beach, and took in every ounce of California living we could with the time we had. It was a fantastic way to end the week, and I can’t give the guy enough props for his hospitality. Huge thanks again Mark if you’re reading this!

In other news, I’ve been getting a number of messages from people asking about the next Gamers for Giving event. Stay patient! I know I have a horrible habit of saying we’ll be announcing something soon, and that “soon” ends up being “later,” but it’ll be worth it. We’ve got some really exciting partners hopping on board with our next event, and I’d like to announce some of that at the get-go so people can have an idea of what to expect. Gamers Outreach will be announcing the dates for Gamers for Giving before the end of July, if not sooner. We’ll also be delivering two GO Karts to some hospitals on the west coast before the end of the year. More details on that will be posted over on the Gamers Outreach website alongside the announcement of Gamers for Giving. We recently had the chance to get some of the regular Gamers Outreach volunteers together for a little BBQ at my house. Shaun Fyall, our volunteer coordinator, and his girlfriend Maddie cooked a crazy amount of awesome food for everybody. They even made a cake in the shape of the Gamers Outreach logo! Serious noms. We’ve got pics from the BBQ posted up in the Gamers Outreach fan page on Facebook if you’d like to check them out. Props to all the volunteers for their dedication and work throughout the years. You guys are awesome!

Lastly, on a note totally unrelated to gaming, I decided to shave the good ol’ chinstrap a couple days ago. This usually only happens once every three years, and then I end up deciding to grow it back. But I’m thinking I might be rocking the clean shave / shadow look indefinitely. It is truly the dawn of a new age. Still feeling a little naked inside. RIP chinstrap!

I recently came across this video featuring a new installation...

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 16:52:41 -0400

I recently came across this video featuring a new installation called “Omicron” within Centennial Hall, located in Wroclaw, Poland. The creators were trying to capture a timeless sense of the future, and the piece is meant to reflect the idea of what “future” has meant throughout the 20th century. If the movies 2001: A Space Odyssey & Tron got together to create an art installation, this would be it. Couldn’t help but also think it would make a fantastic backdrop for an eSports event. Hmm…

SAYPER LAN 4.0

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:52:00 -0400

Every so often I open up the doors of my basement to local Michigan gamers for an entire day of gaming & eSports goodness. I call these events, ‘Sayper LANs.’ While they’ve mostly been centered around Halo, participants are welcome to bring whatever game they’d like. My next LAN is taking place on Saturday, May 19th and will be open to the first 32 individuals to sign up. Most all equipment is provided. The only thing you’ll need to bring is a controller, your hard drive, game discs, and your Astro headset if you’ve got one.

Sayper LAN 4.0 is entirely filled up. However, I’ve started a waiting list for those who’d like to attend. In the event that someone on the attendance list can’t make it, priority attendance will be given to those on the waiting list.

Here are the details for Sayper LAN 4…

When:
Saturday, May 19th
LAN will take place at my home from 2PM - 2AM (I’ll email you my address)

Fee:
Free Entry (first come, first serve). There is a $10 entry fee if you’d like to participate in the Halo Reach Free For All. All entries will go towards the prize pool.

Activities:
Halo Reach, primarily. There will be a cash prize FFA tournament in the evening for Halo ($10 entry fee). I will also have a limited number of seats for Starcraft 2. Drop me an email if you’d like to bring your computer.

Hat tips:
Major props to Red Bull for hooking us up with product during the day. Also to Astro Gaming for all the gear & support throughout the years.

RSVP:
Slots for the Sayper LAN fill up quick. If you’d like to come, shoot me an email with your full name and Xbox LIVE gamertag (click the envelope icon along the top of this site to email me). I’ll add you to the list below once you’re confirmed.

Attendee List:

1. Sayper
2. Prodigy_Paradox
3. OMG Furdeck
4. BulletFrmHell (PC)
5. CyReN_
6. xDysenteryGary
7. Brandclay (PC)
8. Name Is Scrub (PC)
9. Poseiidon
10. Icekiller
11. Uno
12. Brandonwho
13. Daaffyy
14. OMGoody
15. Clasicold
16. Eclipse (PC)
17. Jordman12 (PC)
18. Shulatech
19. Kaiss
20. Devon
21. Xrossfade
22. Furiest
23. Warbird
24. MainDiish
25. ActiveCamo
26. Fearsmith
27. Glick
28. Btrayal
29. Vox
30. Merkagge
31. Alkaline 3 gurl
32. Atax

Wait list:

1. oP Mafia
2. Fearsmith’s Friend
3. Luminosity
4. Casedude
5. Coutch
6. PnP Haywire
7. Tankbusta
8. Kyle

Lurkers:

1. Jordan
2. Mikwen
3. LxthuL

TEDx

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 02:26:00 -0400

A few weeks back I had the opportunity to speak at a TEDx event hosted by my college, Eastern Michigan University. The central theme of the talk was the ability video games have as a connecting platform to unite us behind charitable efforts. For me personally, they were a gateway to becoming involved with philanthropy. At large, the passion video game enthusiasts share makes it incredibly easy for us to rally around particular causes.

Over the past few years, video games have been blamed for psychologically damaging & negatively influencing the minds of youth. Yet as a long time gamer and young person who made decent grades and was involved in many “normal” extracurricular activities in school, I’ve never really seen the connection. I’ve always felt video games bring people together. I’ve always seen video games as a type of social connecting platform.

Prior to the founding of Gamers Outreach, I hadn’t personally been involved in much charity work. I don’t believe it was because I wasn’t interested in becoming involved with charity endeavors. In hindsight, I think the opportunity to be involved in charity work was never presented to me in a way I was able to easily connect with.

I’ve come to believe this is an important factor to consider when it comes to addressing the sense of apathy that is sometimes prevalent in our culture. Unless someone has a personal connection to a cause, or they’re able to make an initial leap of faith to become involved, it can sometimes be difficult to grasp the importance of taking an active role in serving others. For me, video games was the connecting point, and I think gaming can be a connecting point for a number of others who haven’t had the opportunity to be involved with charity work.

I also think as gamers, we sometimes suffer from a bit of an inferiority complex. When it comes to our involvement with charity, we often make it a point that we’re working to “make a better name for gamers,” or to “prove wrong the negative stereotypes associated with video games.”

While setting a positive example of the gaming community is all well and good, I also think it’s important we be critical of ourselves and examine our motives. It’s important that we aren’t simply setting out to make a better name for gamers in which charity happens to be an incidental part. I think coming to that realization and cultivating a true concern for the well-being of others is a part of the evolution of one’s involvement with charity.

For me, video games made that introduction possible. And while my original intentions may have been out of spite, (see founding story of Gamers Outreach below) my love for charity work has been something that’s grown and matured with time. I think video games have the potential to reach out to people in a similar way, and additionally, they’re one more way we can further rally behind causes we believe in.

Enter TEDx EMU: Video Games - Helping Others Level Up |

I had the chance to talk to Dana Marie from the Cyber Sports...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:18:00 -0400

I had the chance to talk to Dana Marie from the Cyber Sports Network a couple weeks back while attending MLG Columbus. Topics included Gamers Outreach, Walshy’s retirement, memorable MLGs, and EON Instinct.

REALITY CHECK

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:17:00 -0400

(Image Source)

Google recently posted a concept video of the augmented reality glasses they’re working on (see end of post).

In case you’re not familiar with the project or the phrase ‘augmented reality,’ here’s a quick crash course…

Augmented reality is the idea of combining a digital interface with our real world environment and interactions. In a nutshell, the intent of the concept is to enhance our experiences in some way through the use of digital technology.

For the sake of example, let’s say your local aquarium built augmented reality into the windowpanes of their fish tanks. As a visitor to the aquarium, you might be able to access various kinds of information and interact with the exhibit in a way never before possible thanks to the implementation of augmented reality technology. Imagine if you could reach out to the window and draw a circle around a particular fish with your finger. How cool would it be if a computer could recognize the fish, pull up additional information regarding its species, and also give you a recommendation for local restaurants that serve tasty dishes of said fish?

Not only would this tool be incredibly educational, but it also makes your experience as a visitor to the aquarium that much more personal and relevant. From behind the scenes, it would give the aquarium the ability to easily add or update information through software. From the perspective of your local sea food restaurant, there’s a whole new economic incentive for sponsorship (although in this case it may be slightly counterproductive to the mission of the aquarium)!

Our smart phones have practically become remote controls for life. And in a primitive kind of way, our phones provide us with various types of augmented reality already. The core emphasis of the much larger picture however, is the seamless integration between what is digital and what is reality.

Google has been working on a pair of augmented reality glasses that would be able to provide its user with a heads up display throughout his/her everyday life. Need directions somewhere? Your glasses could point you to your destination step by step. Are you at the grocery store and having trouble finding a particular food for a diet program? Your glasses could point you in the right direction, and display nutritional information from your favorite cookbook or exercise blog.

The benefit (in my opinion) also has a bit of a creepy side. See someone walking down the street that catches your eye? Use your augmented reality glasses to look them up instantly on Facebook or Google+. The idea of having information at our finger tips at all times has its good and evils. While anybody may be able to already look you up on Facebook or elsewhere on the internet, augmented reality might provide that pathway to total strangers, which could get kind of awkward.

There’s another idea out there floating around that takes augmented reality a step further called the singularity. The theory is that mankind will eventually merge with machine.

Imagine installing a chip inside your brain that could connect you to a wifi signal, granting instant access to information and communication outlets at any time. What if you had a panel installed in your arm that converted chemicals in your body to electricity? You could be an infinite battery source for your electronic devices. The idea isn’t entirely Sci Fi anymore, and there are groups of researchers and developers working on such technologies (PopSci reference).

I’m usually quick to embrace new tech, but I haven’t entirely made up my mind on the AR / singularity front. I see the obvious benefits, but the downsides make me hesitant. Then again, a lot of what this new tech seeks to accomplish isn’t really much different than what we already do with our phones. What are your thoughts?

INTRO

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:08:00 -0500

Ladies and gents – welcome to ZachWigal.com! A newly created personal blog to share stories of adventure, tales from the video game industry, thoughts on entrepreneurship, and recommendations for excellent hibachi grills.

Seeing as how this is the first post, I feel obligated to establish some context with a crash course biography. So without further ado…

My name is Zach Wigal. That last part is technically pronounced ‘why-gull,’ but close friends seem to enjoy saying ‘wiggle.’ I’ll answer to either. Some may also know me on the interwebs by my alias ‘Sayper,’ which is my Xbox LIVE gamertag. If your name is Walshy, you might just still think of me as random (inside joke).

I was born and raised in the Midwest. Aside from a stint of time spent out in the mountains of Colorado, I’ve been living in the area of Ann Arbor, Michigan since the second grade. It’s where I call home :).

I’m kind of obsessed with video games. I’ve always been involved in various sports and activities throughout high school, but video gaming was the consistent hobby.

When I was 17, I started a non-profit organization called Gamers Outreach Foundation. Originally I just wanted to host video game tournaments that raised money for charity. But things have grown a bit since our founding days. We’re now a full-fledged 501(c)(3) organization that builds portable gaming carts for patients in hospitals, sends games to troops overseas, and hosts fundraisers for all types of charity causes. Cool stuff, right?

My work within Gamers Outreach Foundation has led to a number of other projects which have usually also been related to video games in one way or another. From freelance consulting, to competitive gaming athlete management, to event production, to working as on-air talent, it’s been pretty amazing to see firsthand how things that start so small can grow with time and branch out to new opportunities.

Aside from video games, I have a pretty wide range of interests. I’ve been playing drums since the sixth grade, and I’ll gladly lay down the beats if there’s ever a set nearby or some musicians looking to jam. I’ve also fallen in love with traveling, though I haven’t been able to venture outside of the United States yet (excluding Canada). I’m hoping to change that in 2012. Otherwise I’m a fan of really good advertising, cutting edge architecture, learning as much as possible, and bro’ing out at the gym.

I took a break in between high school and college to pursue my interest in the video game industry. I’ve always known I wanted to be a part of the industry in some way, and it was important to me to take the time to figure out where I fit in. Along the way I’ve made a ton of incredible friends, and enjoyed hands on learning experiences that I may not have otherwise had.

Ultimately, I find fulfillment in creating experiences of happiness for others, from the simple to the extravagant. I enjoy working on projects that push boundaries and create progression. Whether it’s working at a company, or eventually starting one on my own, I’ve come to believe the field of marketing connects best to what I want to be doing. I’ve recently returned to the academic environment at Eastern Michigan University where I’m in the process of pursuing my bachelor’s degree in business with a focus in marketing.

Simultaneously, I’m still doing the gaming thing. It can be a tough balance, and occasionally I have to step back a bit to figure out how to juggle it all. But hey, we’re all busy right?

I’m looking forward to using this blog as a way to give you a bit of insight into my world, and I hope you’ll find bits of inspiration in my ramblings. We’ll laugh, we may cry, but most importantly, we’ll go forth and crush life.

Cheers to the beginning!

- Z