I think I shall get back into a bit of gaming.
Gaming used be a huge thing for me; I’ve owned every iteration of the Playstation, and to the detriment of my parents’ wallet, built multiple gaming PCs. Gaming for me was a combination of obviously pure fun (that hand-eye coordination training!) and more importantly, escapism. Games were the greatest escape from reality possible for the kid. My family was decidedly lower-middle class so the housing situation wasn’t great; The Sims series allowed me to dream and build the abode I lusted after and model the life, however virtual, I selfishly craved.
Another example: I love cars, and the wait for aging to a certain maturity with the privileges of attaining a driver license was absolutely agonizing. Games like Gran Turismo gave me to opportunity to “drive” way before I ever could in real life. I remember fondly purchasing a Logitech Driving Force Pro steering wheel, constructing a stand for it out of Home Depot lumber, and pushing my task chair in front to from a driving simulation cockpit. I cannot tell you the sheer amount of virtual laps I did on the Nurburgring in GT4.
As I’ve “adult-ed” my way through my 20s I’ve lost touch with gaming because ironically now that I’ve got the means financially, I prefer more tangible entertainment and activities. Perhaps I didn’t need the escapism any longer? Whatever the case, I endeavor to rediscover the joy of gaming, probably not to the point of engrossment with indiscriminate amount of hours as I did in the pass, but just enough to satiate the fun meter every now and then.
Hello, copy of Final Fantasy 15, it’s finally time to tear off your plastic cover.