I have a job!

So what does this mean? Well in a few weeks I'll know my set schedule and I'll be able to stream on a consistent basis again. I'll also be able to fund streaming myself and won't require donations just to get my bills paid for the month. That's huge.

In my time off I have thought a lot about what I want to do with the stream and I think I've finally settled on a format I would enjoy. When I start back up you guys will see a lot more streams with friends and playing games you guys can play with me. So more co-op and competitive play such as Halo, Gears of War, CS:GO, Garry's Mod, and much more.

This isn't to say I won't be playing Triple A story games or indie games, but I want to limit spoilers for myself for games I would thoroughly enjoy. So instead of playing an initial playthrough, you guys may see more second playthroughs or trophy/achievement playthroughs.

There will be exceptions to this rule. Telltale games and other story driven decision based games such as Life is Strange will get first time playthroughs on stream. It'll basically be at my discretion on whether or not the game will be played on stream.

Halo? Gears? What?! So my wonderful cousin, Pengwin, ended up getting me an Xbox One for Christmas and wanted to give it to me early. This means I can game with all you Xbox guys and get legendary players in Fifa! I'm really excited to have one and bring it to the stream for you guys.

I also want to bring a little something different to the table. I'm trying to work out a way we can stream different types of gaming for you guys. I want to bring you guys a quality gaming/pop culture related podcast. I also want to stream some table top action, be it HeroClix or Dungeons and Dragons, so look forward to seeing something new and different on the channel.

All in all things are looking pretty great. The job has me working strange hours, and I can't guarantee a full 8 hour broadcast, but I can guarantee quality entertainment and everything you expected from me before. I'm looking to stream a solid 4-6 hours a day and I hope you guys are excited as I am.

Much love,
Derk

I really procrastinated in making this post. I felt like I was letting a lot of people down, including myself. I think there is no way around that though, and I just didn't want to face it.

I'm letting the stream dream go.

It's not a decision I made lightly. It's something that I've mulled over for months now and I think you all know that. My streams just weren't as entertaining as they were 8 months ago and that's really because my heart isn't in it.

I've come to realize that my goal of graduating college wasn't going to happen if I continued streaming. I'm $2000 of debt away from being able to finish one semester I need for a degree, and streaming isn't a way to achieve that. I also hate feeling the need to make money at streaming and not doing it for the love of gaming. This really made me lose sight of what I was doing. I was more worried if I had enough money to buy the new game that everyone wanted me to play, instead of just enjoying what I was playing in the moment. Streaming really took a lot away from this amazing hobby we all have.

I love you guys and gals that spent so many months hanging out with me on Twitch and I hope a lot of you realize we are friends. You weren't just a viewer or a number to me, you guys were friends hanging out with me on a daily basis. So if I'm on steam and you guys want to play a game or chat, just hit me up.

To sum it all up I just really need to be in a better spot in life and definitely a better spot financially. I hope you all understand that and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support and love you guys sent my way.

Yours truly,

ItsDerkan

As you guys have noticed, I haven't really been myself these past few weeks. I haven't streamed much, if I do I'm late, and I don't really keep you guys updated. I want to change that.

Recently life has really taken a toll on me. I was not enjoying streaming. I was so focused on not having the right games or equipment to give you all the cast you deserve. I couldn't see the fun in just streaming anymore, it had to be this way or that. For 214 days I streamed for at least an hour and it finally caught up with me. I just didn't have the drive anymore.

And for that reason I am stopping the challenge.

This isn't an end. This is just the next chapter for the Derk Side. I plan on streaming 5 days a week and taking 2 days off. Most likely in the beginning the days I take off will be Wednesday and Thursday. That way we all still have the weekend. We also will not be playing Destiny every single day. Destiny will have specific days such as Monday's and Tuesday's (when Matt [BigPengDaddy in chat] is off) and certain days where I don't feel like playing a taxing game.

I want you guys to know that I am not giving up on this. A lot of you have stuck with me through hard times and I don't want to lose that trust you have in me. Some of you have dedicated a lot of time (and money) to this stream and I will not fail you. I may stumble, but I'll keep going.

The next thing I want to tell you guys is that I will be looking for a part time job. It will take a while to find one so the schedule won't change for now. When I do apply I'll specifically say that I have another job (the stream) that I have to be at. So hopefully I can find something that works around my schedule.

As for the starting time of 10am CST, I think we can keep that for now, but if a job comes up and my hours are weird, it may have to change.

I just wanted to let you guys know where my head is at, and that I am not giving up on this. The new schedule will be in effect starting with the post of this announcement, so I'll see you guys on Friday for some Mass Effect 2. I hope you all still have faith in me, and if not, I beg you to give me a chance to earn that faith back. I love you guys and this community we've built. I hope we can all grow together for years to come.

Much love,

Derkan