When I was younger, I didn’t really game very much. I preferred to watch my brother play over actually playing myself. I think that’s probably because I wasn’t very good at gaming. I died constantly, and my brother still swears that, if there’s a ledge to fall off of, I will most certainly find a way to do so.
What changed?
Well, I slowly began to realize that I could have fun while dying and falling off of things. I mean, sure, it took me longer to beat a game than a lot of other people, but I enjoyed it and laughed a lot more while playing. I got better at gaming as I gained more experience. Now, I’m still not very good, but I love it.
Gaming, for me, is comparable to reading a novel. (As a literary studies major, this is a huge compliment.) It’s an escape from the stress and hassle of real life. For a few hours, I can explore a world that is entirely different from my own. I can be someone who’s destined to have incredible adventures. I can become a Pokemon Master, save Hyrule, or defeat GLaDOS.
It’s an amazing feeling. That’s why having a good story is, in my opinion, vital to video games. I need that connection to the characters, settings, and events in order to fully immerse myself in a game.
C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia and many other books, once said “We read to know that we are not alone.” I think the same holds true for gaming. With such an interactive community, gaming is not a pastime of solitude. It’s something that we can share with others as well as experience on our own. And that’s pretty incredible.
Why do you game? What does gaming mean to you?
Published: Aug 28, 2013 01:29 pm