Today, ten years ago, Erik Novak (Kire) started the RPG Maker Pavilion.
Technically, this wasnt the first console RPG Maker website. My own stupid little "RPG Maker FAQ" page was set up in June, and some other person from the Agetec boards had a little website set up too. But neither of those matter, because the RPG Maker Pavilion was the first real website for the series, with a serious design, an active forum, and a staff with real dedication.
Since then, there have been others. The RPG Maker Garden. the RPG Maker Club. The RPG Maker Magazine. The Domain of the Nado. Probably dozens more. Only one of the "competitor" sites survived and is still doing well. That's proof of how awesome this place is.
It's been five years without a new release in the console RPG Maker series, and we're still going strong. The series will continue, of course, but no one expected us to survive such a large gap between games. Even now, people are still picking up the old RPG Maker titles, either for the first time, or still chugging away, making their decade-in-the-making masterpiece, and we're still here to support them, and help them bring their stories to life. Those of us that have moved on from the console RPG Maker software, or RPG Maker software altogether, are still here because they love the community. That's something truly wonderful, and very rare on the internet, where people move on from online communities all the time.
We're also right around the same period as my sixth anniversary as webmaster of the site. I'm extremely proud of my time in charge here, and I hope I've served you well. I have no intention of ever leaving this place, much like the rest of you. We're stuck here, together, forever.
I'm happy with that.
Happy 10th Birthday, RPG Maker Pavilion.
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