Hard to believe it's been a decade since the first game released. Time really flies, I suppose.
Five Nights at Freddy's is something that I hold very dear to my heart, and I think it's safe to say it has changed my life. I really did grow up with these games, and seeing them grow alongside me has been wonderful. I still vividly remember how I got into FNAF. Back in 2015, I was looking for geometry dash on the appstore. I checked top paid, and FNAF 3 was at the top. Of course, I had seen the first and second games, but never really paid much attention to them. But the third one piqued my interest, so I researched it online. I was hooked instantly, and the rest is history.
These stories and characters have inspired me in my own creative endeavors, and being a part of this community and seeing what fans of this series can create has been a phenomenal experience. Trying to understand the lore, making fanart of the characters, watching animations, learning game mechanics and max mode strats, listening to fan songs, it's all been so much fun over the years. I've been around for all of the unbelievable highs and staggering lows of this series, and I have to say it's been an absolutely incredible journey; watching this franchise grow over the years has really been something special. Just this past week, realizing that there are now teams of people, game devs and artists and writers and actors, all working on not just games, but books and movies too is just amazing to me, especially when you consider how all of this started.
Earlier today, I was looking at some of the things that other people were making for the anniversary. One of them was a compilation of old fnaf videos, animations mainly, and it was really touching. Seeing all of those old videos, some of which I hadn't watched in years, all together really brought me back to the first year or two of this series. There really was a kind of magic back in the early days of this franchise, and being able to relive that on this tenth anniversary was really special. That being said, the future of the franchise is looking brighter than ever. The fanverse games are picking up steam again, Steel Wool has a new title coming up, the second movie is in production, there's a collab with Dead by Daylight, a racing game is in development; there's so much to look forward to in the future of this franchise. All this to say, I will always have fond memories of the early days of FNAF, but I couldn't be more excited and hopeful for what's to come.
I wish there was a better way for me to express my love for this franchise, but I feel like whatever I write won't do what I feel justice. I'll just say this anyways: I'm so glad Scott Cawthon decided to make just one more game. To think that all of this was the result of one single decision, one final attempt at game development, is truly incredible. The effect that this decision has had on my life and the memories I've made as a result are truly beautiful, and for that, I am thankful.
Happy 10 Years.