Video Games will always hold a special place in my heart. I teach psychology of video games (it’s a useful vehicle to package psychological concepts) and I talk to friends about video games. I also spend a lot of time playing video games on my free time because I grew up in the Silver Age of video games (starting with the rise of Nintendo in 1986 in the US). I remembered my father and uncle taking over my original NES to play Super Mario Brothers and chatting while I watch on from the side.
I can also remember the time when I received Super Mario Brothers 3 and the movie (i.e., The Wizard with Fred Savage) that tied it all together. My parents had to fight their way into Toys’R’Us to grab the few slips of paper that reserved your game at the checkout. I also remembered the countless hours spent playing it and other games like Mario Kart with family.
When I entered college in the early 2000’s, every dormmate was playing something – be it Counterstrike or Street Fighter or Grand Theft Auto. It was a great way to bond and it gave us the chance to take time off of studying without having to go too far away.
Throughout graduate school, I played games that had social or cooperative aspects like World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Battlefield games, and Minecraft. It allowed me to connect with friends and family who had spread across the globe.
Now, as I watch as streaming and vlogging gamers generation emerge and mature, I can say that gaming is not going away and it will only evolve from this point on. I am excited to see more and more adopt VR systems and I hope that the future hold more portable and social gaming that will extend beyond our immediate reality.
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