# The Spurring of Ideas – Memory Card #7 Hello. I just threw a birthday party for my two-year-old daughter. I think she and her tiny friends had fun. I am thoroughly wiped and will unwind amongst the stars in *Super Mario Galaxy*. I unlocked the second dome this morning. Before I go galaxy hopping, I wanted to write this letter. Lots of new ideas are swirling, spurred by the idea to put my essays on a second curated channel. I had a good talk with a friend yesterday that really helped me find some clarity in my creativity here. I thought I'd share some of the essay ideas that are taking shape and I think can fill in the time before the monstrous project this "Spirit of Galaxy Game" is becoming. #### The One About Trailers I probably rewatch the *Red Dead Redemption II* and *Breath of the Wild* trailers too often. I had this idea to talk about what I think makes a good trailer. I also like the silly idea of "trailer-ception" since most modern trailers today start with a rapid fire montage and declare "TRAILER X STARTS NOW." I feel like there is some meta-level fun to be had there. I could also see this being a lighter load, since capture requirements are almost non-existent for this one. #### The One About Accepting Fate I had this line in [my notes for *Outer Wilds*](https://maxfrequency.net/game-notes/outer-wilds) that's stuck with me... > Is there anything I can do to stop the sun from blowing up? It feels impossible and inevitable. How is accepting fate a game winning condition? That makes me think back to a couple other favorite games—*The Last of Us Part II* and *God of War: Ragnarök*. Given the structure of *TLOU*'s narrative, the audience knows certain fates. *Ragnarök* is ALL about fate and trying to subvert it. The threads between these three and this question is clear to me. I feel like I need to find the "Max" reason/lesson there. What is my personal tie and response? Figuring that out can unlock this essay for me, I think. Those are two recent ideas that are taking real shape. The Fate one is another bigger, time commit. I do have my entire Grounded run of *TLOUPII* recorded and *Outer Wilds*, so I'd just have to replay *Ragnarök*, but that is a looooong game. We shall see where it goes. That's for Future Max to figure out. Until then, I hope you all enjoy your weekend and unwind with a good game. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to explore the galaxies. > [!email]+ Memory Card Newsletter > This letter is one block from the newsletter **[Memory Card](https://buttondown.com/MaxFrequency)** by [Max Roberts](https://www.maxfrequency.net/about). Thoughts? Send *me* an email at [email protected]. > > Max is the writer and producer behind [Max Frequency](https://www.maxfrequency.net), a place where he cultivates and curates curiosity—both for himself and for others—by delighting in the details and growing greatness from small beginnings. > > He's written a [[Chasing the Stick - The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era|rich history and dive on the making of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II]], celebrated the [[MFP23 - “A Passion for Smash” – Celebrating 15 Years of Super Smash Bros. Brawl with Peter Spezia|15th anniversary of Super Smash Bros. Brawl with the voice behind its hype]], and examined how [Zelda "stole" Fortnite's best mechanic](https://youtu.be/kc2l_9Fdpek). > > **Memory Card** is a real-ish time, raw, drip feed newsletter of his creative process for telling these stories. It’s *how* The Thing™ gets made. You can sign up below. (Look down) > > It's all powered by [Max Frequency](https://www.maxfrequency.net) and [patrons](https://www.patreon.com/maxfrequency). > > Wanna see The Thing™? [Check it out on YouTube](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxCxW3Sbhy5ZzVOkvmfo4Rme41g6KzJOk). Read it on [The Blog](https://www.maxfrequency.net). > <iframe scrolling="no" style="width:100%!important;height:220px;border:1px #ccc solid !important" src="https://buttondown.com/MaxFrequency?as_embed=true"></iframe>