I really enjoy playing computer games much to the chagrin of my lovely girlfriend. I don’t think she had much of an opinion on them before I came along and then boom! The bane of her life. I could probably say the same about Bravo reality TV shows being the new bane of my life, but I actually will sit down and watch some of them, so I can’t say too much. I’m lucky enough to have a PS5 and a high spec gaming PC so am pretty much able to play any game I want. Next I’d love a VR system, but enough for now or she’ll threaten me with the duelling pistols again.
The reason I love playing them so is the way in which I get transported elsewhere. My head empties and the fury within my brain is tempered and I get whisked away to another place. The daily stresses that I accumulate get scrubbed away by this other world I find myself in, my thumbs forging a path for the avatar on the screen. I think the games I love the most are the ones where I get to build something. A city, a theme park, a galactic empire or a zoo. I get to create something fun, shape it in the image I want and just simply play. And I get soooooo involved. The other day my salt water crocodiles got loose and I HAD TO tell the lovely girlfriend as she was walking past… Bless her, she feigned interest, gave me a quick kiss and wandered on.
Weirdly enough, although gaming is a lonely pursuit most of the time, it can actually be quite social. I play online games with a few lads who are good mates from other aspects of my life. Over the last year, due to the pandemic, there have been periods of time that we all have been confined to barracks so it’s been good for my mental health to have a virtual sit down and a bit of friendly raillery. And yeah I’m sure we piss each other off at times or sometimes not a lot is said, but a little community is formed where we can go and just let other things fade away. Thank you gents. There’s a cool game we play where we smash stock cars into each other, trying to wreck each other’s vehicle. It’s good for the stress relief. Drive safely and responsibly please.
Ultimately like anything we experience and enjoy, endorphins play a big role in why I play. The buzz of completing a decent game, of winning a round online against over 100 other people or simply creating something so the little sims can enjoy looking at the pandas at the zoo, is one aspect of my life that creates happiness. It’s the reason I like board/card games as well. Although that can get ugly as my competitive side comes out and no-one needs that.