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Story of Seasons gets better and better. A lot of great things happened in Summer Year 1 which just added to my excitement for this game. I had new crops to plant, new routines to follow, and new traders available. Summer Year 1 was very successful for myself, and my farm did really well.

Playing games while your kids are sleeping is a delicate balance between having your game audio on and still being able to hear your children who may be sleeping way across the house. One thing I've realized is that you CANNOT do it wearing an over-the-ear headset; you can't hear if a child wakes up, cries, or even has coughing fits. There really isn't a great alternative on the PS4 (or the Xbox One / Wii U for that matter) that will give you chat functionality and game audio without drowning out the needs of your kids.

We have had a wonderful relationship with Nintendo for well over a year now. They are great at answering questions, inviting us to events, and providing us with copies of games for review. Certain games are either free-to-play, meaning we don't need to wait for a review copy, or Nintendo simply doesn't have copies available for certain things.

Fantasy Farming simulators isn't just about the economy. They have always been loaded with house upgrades and tool upgrades. Story of Seasons is no different. In this final diary entry for Spring, we will look at the improvements I've made around my farm.

Life off the farm is almost as important as life on the farm. Although I assume I'll do this less when I have tons of crops to deal with, I made sure to make daily dives in the three swimming areas currently available to me. Although I don't have a fishing pole yet, I cannot see Story of Seasons keeping me from my favorite past time; at least not for too long.

It is always hard to review lengthy games like the Harvest Moon franchise. By design, the pace is generally slow, everything is done on your own time, and unlike a sprawling AAA title, they are often directionless. So, I have instead decided to run a series of diary entries while I play Story of Seasons, chronicling each season I play.

The little plastic toy trade is going well for Activision, Disney and Nintendo, filling the coffers in a way that few franchises manage to do. Should Microsoft and Sony get in while they still can?

It is DOUBLE Games with Gold for April. While some may have thought Microsoft was pulling a big April Fools joke, the reality - according to 'E' on Major Nelson's Podcast - is that Games with Gold turns one this April, and this is how Microsoft is giving back.

The era of couch co-op with the Xbox One and PS4 is quickly dying. Sure, I'm obviously not stating that couch co-op is nonexistent. It is available in a few titles, but un-liked Nintendo, the other two companies know that their success, and the success of their games, relies on a solid, online network. Shiftlings appears to be built for multiplayer.

As anyone with a vested interest in video games knows full well, they have come quite a long way since then. And yes, that goes beyond the vast improvements in graphics, storytelling, and other aspects of games. Incentives have become an important part of the experience, especially as developers and companies fight to ensure that you keep playing their game, console, platform, etc.