Part 3 - Why we are Gamers

WHy we are gamers

Good day, my dear readers,

Thank you for continuing this journey through Why We Are Gamers. The first piece explored nostalgia, while the second focused on great worlds and stories.

(Somewhere before my 50th blog, I promise to find a more interesting opening line. Until then, bear with me.)

In this third and final column on Why We Are Gamers, we're looking at three "F"s.

And no, not those kinds of "F"s nor the "F"ing ones either

Just plain and simple : Friends, Family, and Fun.

Because if games cannot bring a family a little closer, if they cannot let friends share a moment of joy, and if they are not fun, then why play games at all?

If you read the first two columns, you would have noticed that many of my stories were shared journeys. Moments remembered together with people we care about, and the absolute mountain of fun we had while playing.

Thinking back to the fun of playing Crash Team Racing, finally getting that combo right in Tekken 3, or becoming the greatest Drow Ranger and Void Spirit player in Dota history.

Only to be hit by a rocket right at the finish line and come second.

To see your combo cancelled and Bryan Fury deliver a gut punch straight to your defeat.

And then, suddenly, some hook appearing from nowhere, dragging you to a gruesome death beneath a fountain of blood and vomit.

Thinking about it now, maybe, it wasn't always that much fun.

And the competitive swearing that followed probably didn't bring the family much closer either.

In fact, my chair really never smelled the same after my friend had that semi-heart attack.

So maybe we should forget about my three "F"s.

The other "F"s and "F"ing sounds better suddenly

But then...

Just the other day, I helped my sister through an area in Elden Ring. We were invaded, and the Greatsword of Ordovis promptly launched the poor soul back into the dark pit from whence they came.

Done with a perfectly timed timed hit, dodge and stagger from my sister, and myself ending it with a charged Ordovis Vortex to bring this problem to a climatic end.

Suddenly, all the fun comes rushing back. The swearing is forgotten, and a new memory is created.

And we get to talk about the more important things in life.

The "How are you today?" feels more sincere.

The "How was your week?" gets asked more often.

And the "Why the hell are you putting points into Intelligence on a Strength/Faith build?" can be asked without causing offence.

As we get older, life has a habit of getting in the way.

Work becomes busier. Families grow. Responsibilities pile up. Finding time to spend together becomes a little harder than it used to be.

Yet somehow, games still find a way to bring us together.

Sometimes a gaming session is about defeating a boss, conquering a dungeon, or winning a match.

Other times, the game is simply an excuse to catch up, share a laugh, complain about work, and make sure everyone is doing alright.

And perhaps that's worth more than any achievement, legendary weapon, or hard-earned victory.

Yes, maybe, just maybe, gaming has made us all a little closer.

Keeping us talking to each other.

Checking in on each other.

And maybe that is why we still play games.

Not just to relive old nostalgic moments.

Not just to explore a new world and experience a new story.

We play to stay connected to the people we care about.

To share one more adventure.

One more laugh.

One more memory together.

Because today's adventures become tomorrow's nostalgia.

And, of course, to have lots and lots of fun.