Caden's (Former) Marketing Class Blog

     “I AM NOT OK I AM A BROKEN PILE OF GLASS SHARDS AND ITS MY OWN DAMN FAULT”      This is the text I read, with a video of a glass figure skateboarding before shattering against a tipped-over pillar after jumping on a ramp with a very psychedelic but smooth soundtrack playing over it on Twitter. This was how I was introduced to the game and concept of Skate Story, created by Sam Eng, back in 2022. I finished this game when it came out around the start of December, and the game's artstyle and its soundtrack have held a near-constant place in my mind since then, so I wanted to write about it and share the love I have for this beautiful game because I think it’s gone underappreciated.      Skate Story is a skateboarding game that I’ve been waiting a while for, summarized and described on its store page as: “You are a demon in the Underworld, made out of glass and pain. The Devil has given you a skateboard with a simple deal: Skate to the Mo...

Written by Caden Granger Originally intended for the LBCC Commuter but unpublished, released for portfolio.      Retro Gaming Expo, Inc. is a Portland, Oregon-based 501(c)4 non-profit cooperative organization dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for classic video and arcade games through the presentation of events and conventions that celebrate the historic contribution video games have made and continue to make in popular culture.      The annual Portland Retro Gaming Expo has finally come around again this year to the Oregon Convention Center with plenty of things to draw people in, bringing big names such as Charles Martinet (the voice of Mario for many, many years), David Hayter (the iconic voice behind Solid Snake), Grant Kirkhope (Ivor Novello and World Soundtrack Award-winning, BAFTA-nominated Scottish composer with a very long list of credits), and Samantha Kelly (Princess Peach) to name a couple of people. The CTWC (Classic Tetris W...

The Culture and Community Impact of Esports - Counter-Strike by Caden Granger Originally intended for the LBCC Commuter, finished months ago, never greenlit, so I’m self-publishing it, full of all hyperlinks because I would've had to explain this to people not into any of this. Media access for DreamHack Dallas 2025 provided and organized by ESL DreamHack and Partners Huge thanks to Katarzyna Małecka, Sarah Alharbi, and Sean Morrison for being incredibly kind and helpful on-site and coordinating interviews. Press access for the BLAST.tv Austin Major provided by BLAST.tv and assisted on-site by various team members, including Ryan Chapman. Thank you to featured interviewees Mike “DarfMike” Winnick, Jason Lake, and Ayush 'mzinho' Batbold for their answers and time. Finally, thanks to Nardwuar and Richard Lewis for getting me interested in good journalism. Video games are played and watched around the world by millions of people every day, ranging from all different types of...