By Zach Walton

It is with a heavy heart that I must step down as gaming columnist for the Kentucky Kernel.

That’s a great opening, isn’t it? Full of drama and tension, makes it sound like I’m leaving for some kind of medical or personal reason.

The truth is that I’m graduating and will be moving on to greener pastures, or whatever the gamer equivalent is.

I just have a few ending thoughts that I would like to leave you all with. These thoughts really sum up what I tried to do here as the gaming columnist at a school that really needed one and probably won’t have another one after I leave.

First, love yourself and each other. While you’re probably thinking, “He’s gone bonkers,” Trust me, I know what I’m saying.

Love the games that you play, but love the games that others play as well. We’re all stuck in this swiftly changing environment that we call video games. We don’t need to make it worse with our incessant bickering as to what console is better or what game is better. Just let the fact that we love games shine through and beat back the negativity that the industry unfortunately thrives on.

Second, keep trying new things. I hope I have made some of my readers try new experiences or new games while I have been writing this column.

I love to see gamers go out of their comfort zone and try new things. While I have not been able to review a lot of indie games, I was so happy to get a “The Binding of Isaac” review out. I really do wish that I could have written more about indie games, but just know this, buy more indie games and love them!

Third, support your local indie game developers. While I was only made aware of their existence this year, show some love for Frogdice and their game, “Coin ‘n Carry.”

There are other indie developers in Lexington that need your support. Check out the first meeting of the UK indie game club at 5 p.m. on Friday at the Davis Marksbury Building. By supporting this club and the developers in Lexington, we can turn our fair city and university into a gaming town.

This is really sappy and I know it. I can’t help it. I do want everybody to know that I really loved being the gaming writer for the Kernel. I also sincerely hope that all two of my readers liked me too.

That being said, I would love it if somebody took up the torch after me to continue what I started. I want to see the game column expand at the Kernel to something even bigger than what I achieved. I want to see it covering all facets of the industry while sticking close to the ever growing community of gamers in Lexington.

Of course, I’m not completely done just yet. You still have a few reviews coming your way from yours truly in the coming days. Look forward to them at 50.63.25.108 as I think you will enjoy them!

Most importantly, just keep gaming. Keep playing those games and become invested in your hobby.

It’s great if you got there through the ever expanding audience of the Wii, “Call of Duty,” “Words with Friends” or any of the other many games out there that have helped to expand the audience of games. Keep playing them and keep yourself invested.

This industry is important even to us at the University of Kentucky.

Thank you.