I’ve written a lot about my experiences as a gamer! That’s not to mention my video game reviews and news stories! I’ve been able to turn my hobby into a passion and into an experience. It has opened so many doors for me and it continues to do so every year but…
I still find myself explaining my hobby to people all the time!
Originally I wanted to write about competitive gaming and the need to win versus the thrill of the sport. I will write about that at some stage! Instead I want to take this time to address a scenario I keep finding myself in. I don’t believe it to be entirely uncommon one even with the assimilation of geek culture into pop culture. It’s not a generational matter either. Do you ever get tired of trying to explain your interests? Staring into that faceless expression, polite and utterly insincere! It’s the exact opposite face you see when you connect with someone who gets why you’d rather spend the 70euro on Breath of the Wild than half a night in a super loud nightclub!
Don’t get me wrong, I’d happily spend 35 of that on a second-hand game, 15 on a half decent bottle of Merlot and 20 on junk food! I try to balance my interests!
I digress!
As I left my teens and hit my twenties, there was a slight shift in how people perceived my hobby but it wasn’t that noticeable. In your twenties, you’re still finding yourself, still growing into the person you’ll be for the next 60 years! Now I’m in my early thirties, I notice it that bit more!
As if my time spent engaging with video games is at the lowest rung on the culture ladder. Why do people treat video games to a book, a movie or a show? Video games are a constant flow of creativity and ingenuity. The way we game today is very different to how we did 3 years ago, 5 years and 10 years. I’m not here to bash reading or going to the theatre! I’m not saying my interests are better the next persons! I just don’t see why what I do doesn’t seem to carry the same merit?
It’s not about having the latest toys, it’s not about the ‘man cave’, the latest graphics or anything else like that! Video games have brought me on long adventures, I’ve taken part in some amazing stories and come to understand an awful lot more about myself through the characters I’ve met. I’ve been exposed to new ideas not to forget new technologies and new cultures. How about the amazing relationships I’ve built or the fact it’s even helped my career prospects. That’s all besides the point!
You shouldn’t have to qualify or explain your reasons for liking it! I can rattle off a dozen benefits to gaming, economic, culture and sociological but I shouldn’t have to! I don’t get cars or gardening but do I think your decision to fork over for a scrapped classic car or attending a garden show in another country is a waste of money, time or energy? No! I recognise that it makes you happy and that gain something from it!
It’s not just a video game for me! It’s what makes me happy! Shouldn’t that be all that matters?
Editor-in-Chief, part-time super villain and hoarder of cats. If you can’t find me writing, I’m probably in the kitchen!
