Hi everyone! I'm Héctor Donís López, Fandom's Community Manager for Emerging Wikis and Special Projects, and part of Fandom's Community Experience Team.
This is probably my most favorite (and funniest!) picture from Community Connect!
This year has been really exciting, and we've been performing some different projects and events alongside all of you. 2022 is the first time we have been helping several emerging communities throughout a full year - almost 100! - and I'm very thrilled to learn from this experience and move forward in 2023!
In addition, 2022 has also been the first full year we have been supporting several DEI observances with established but also new initiatives and activities. I've learned and enjoyed a lot with them and I definitely want to continue and amplify our support and efforts to make Fandom (and the world) a better place.
Furthermore, we had a new edition of Community Connect. I was personally eager to meet with all of you, because I loved the experience in 2020 but we didn't have the chance again until now. This time I can ensure it was probably the best Connect event we had, both for the planning, activities and events we enjoyed, but also because of the amazing and different people we were from different communities and backgrounds.
My top products of 2022[]
I want to apologize in advance, because based on my most recent experience I'm not the most suitable person to recommend new topics I've been enjoying. The biggest reason - and excuse - for that is because this year I've been a father for the second time in 2 years, so you can imagine that having free time for my hobbies is an extravagance I don't currently have. :D Nevertheless, I will try my best:
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla[]
As a huge Assassin's Creed fan since the first game, I really loved this most recent game and what they offered us. I have to admit I personally prefer the original gameplay and genre, but at the same time I also understand the series needed a new refresh and stories to tell, so once I tried to accept Origins and Odyssey, Valhalla definitely closed this amazing trilogy and set the foundations for what's next in 2023.
Cyberpunk 2077[]
I know both games were released in 2020 but, honestly, this is when I could at least start to enjoy them. And talking about this one, I actually recommend playing it right now, 2 years later, once all the unsatisfied hype and expectations were compensated with hard work from CD Projekt RED to give the players the game they originally wanted to offer us.
God of War Ragnarök[]
God of War is also another franchise I really love since they started almost 20 years ago. Similar to Assassin's Creed, I totally understand some old franchises need new ideas and scenarios to move forward their setting, so after the masterpiece they released in 2018, I was really excited to have this sequel with me and enjoy it as soon as possible.
Euphoria[]
I love Zendaya, and in 2019 this TV series was a true sensation. The one and a half year wait was too much for me, but fortunately at the beginning of the year we could enjoy its second season. I have to admit I prefer the first season, but also this second story arc deserves more opportunities to be expanded, so I'm moving forward for the third season.
Lightyear[]
I am one of these kids who turned amazed for the magical movies Pixar started to create nearly 30 years ago. Since I heard about this new movie I was impatiently waiting for its release and I immediately went to the theater. I would like to say that on the one hand I really appreciate this new focus of the franchise, telling the origins of the "real" character who later inspired the famous toy. Nevertheless, on the other hand I felt the story and movie itself didn't rise to the challenge. Anyway, if you're a Toy Story fan, you can't miss it!
Elvis[]
You definitely know who Elvis Presley was. And after music biopics like Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, the King of Rock 'n' Roll also deserved his own movie. If you're interested in it, I can recommend it to you but only if you accept some conditions: it's not a pure objective biopic, it's a really long movie, it's sort of a musical experience (you can think about Moulin Rouge as example), you will see some "fantastic" elements… and Elvis Presley is not the main character. But Colonel Tom Parker is! (his manager, portrayed by Tom Hanks). As he directly warns the audience, "he's always been the 'villain' of this story, but the movie tells his own narration about it".
Products I'm looking forward to in 2023[]
Assassin's Creed: Mirage[]
I mean, you could guess it. I've enjoyed all the games Ubisoft have been releasing, but Mirage looks like exactly old-fashioned franchise players and fans like me definitely want. Altäir and Ezio (and their stories) are my favorite characters, so this is what I really want to enjoy as an Assassin's Creed fan. Ubisoft, please, don't ruin it!
The Expendables 4[]
I know there will be a lot of exciting new movies next year, including cinematic universes based on comics and unreal franchises like Fast & Furious, but I personally love each Expendables movie Sylvester Stallone starred in. He already announced this will be his last chance to play Barney Ross and Jason Statham will take over the helm, so only because of this reason you have to see the movie and grant Sly an amazing farewell!
The Last of Us[]
We recently got sad when we knew Henry Cavill was leaving The Witcher. So, right now, this is probably the only chance to have a new video game adaptation coming soon that would delight all of us! The games are masterpieces, and I definitely expect from the TV series producers to develop a show at the same level. Neil, Pedro, Bella... please do a good job!
What I look forward to doing for the community in 2023[]
For 2023 I want to extend my support to any emerging wiki we can identify and their people are suitable to collaborate with us. In addition, I want to put an extra focus in other communities about lifestyle or other niche topics, because after all the performance during this year we realized there are big opportunities to grow and these sites also have tremendous people I would love to meet.
I also want to expand my activity performing events with users, either moving forward from the established DEI initiatives, but also looking for new ideas that would interest all of you. In addition to all of this, being a Community Manager is definitely about being alongside all of you. Meet you, discuss with you, know about your life and hobbies, help or support you, find common interests... but at the end of the day it is about sharing time and having big memories together!
Happy 2023!
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