Maybe you don't use the post anymore, like some kind of future-residing sci-fi cyborg who does everything from the portable computer in your pocket. But for most of us, licking envelopes and lining up stamps just so in the top-right corner is still a regular part of life - especially when your siblings and in-laws couldn't keep it in their pants, so you now have a near-countless number of nephews and nieces.
If you're anything like me, buying stamps is actually something of a chore. You'll stop by the kiosk in your local little Tesco and oh, they're all sold out. The nearest post office has them, sure - but it also has a 45-minute queue. Maybe this is just the situation around GAMINGbible's London HQ, but I'm fairly certain that a majority of readers will agree with me when I say: stamps are functional, and necessary, but never fun.
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Well, here are some stamps to change that, if you're someone who loves games and, ideally, grew up with some of the classics to have come out of Britain during the 1980s and 1990s. Available from January 21st, the Royal Mail's first-ever* set of video game-themed stamps features a wealth of familiar titles, all of which were created in the UK.
The set of 12 includes four that are focused on Tomb Raider, one of Britain's most famous gaming exports. There's a stamp for 1996's Tomb Raider, and then three more covering releases in 1998, 2000, and then 2013's reboot.
As someone who really cut their teeth on the Spectrum and Amiga before moving over to the consoles of SEGA and Nintendo, it's a thrill to see 1984's Elite, 1987's Dizzy and 1991's Lemmings included. There's a stamp for the classic PlayStation racer Wipeout, one for Team17's explosive Worms, and the all-time greatest association football game Sensible Soccer (don't @ me with your FIFA or PES nonsense).
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Rounding out the dozen is a stamp for Bullfrog's precedent-setting god simulator of 1989, Populous, and another featuring Codemasters' terrifically addictive 1991 racer Micro Machines.
You can argue that it'd have been nice to see more landmark British games of the 21st century in this set, and I can't deny that subbing in Grand Theft Auto V, LittleBigPlanet and Arkham Asylum for three of those Tomb Raider choices would have been a cool look. But hey, what we do have here represents a slice of British gaming history, and the games all command respect. Plus, they do look great.
The games featured on the stamps were chosen in collaboration with the trade body Ukie, and game journo Jaz Rignall and designer/publisher Sam Dyer. The full set of 12 stamps is available to pre-order online at the Royal Mail website, in a fancy collector pack with information on all the titles (limited to 2,500 copies), and can be picked up on general sale at post offices from January 21st.
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(*Generally available gaming stamps, that is, as there were some promotional/giveaway stamps made for Fallout 76 which could be used to send your Valentines cards, but let's be honest, you kept them in the case and love is dead.)
Featured Image Credit: Royal Mail / variousTopics: Tomb Raider, Retro Games