My So-Called Gaming Life

While I have my slumps of non-gaming, I've considered myself quite capable of fitting in an hour here and there during the week to devote to video games. Of course, this means I'm often playing catch-up with the stack of games I haven't even gotten out of the shrink wrap, but I get enough in to satisfy my gaming need. This all changed when I had the opportunity to game in a week more than I have any week since the end of my pre-motherhood days.

Where it all happened.

I had to go out of town to visit my parents. I had to travel solo (no child or spouse), so to keep me occupied, I stopped at my local Hastings on the way to the airport. I had originally been looking for a puzzle magazine to fiddle with when I couldn't use my DS (I'd brought Puzzler World) on the plane.

When I couldn't find the particular magazines I wanted (either Games Magazine or their World of Puzzles magazine), I started browsing the DS games section. In my cheapskate ways (especially since I was buying retail), I only paid attention to the used titles. I nearly picked up Pokemon White, but it wasn't in the original case, and if I'm paying $30 for a used game, I'd better damn well get the original case with it. Fortunately for me, I found Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for $19.99 (they tried to charge me $22.99, but an old price sticker left on the box saved the day).

Sure, eventually I'll get past this screen . . .

I have played various Zelda games over the years, but the only other one I actually own is Windwaker. Of course, I was soon to find out that Phantom Hourglass is the sequel to Windwaker, so it works out. Plus, I happen to have the strategy guide which I picked up at Goodwill for $.99 (their paperbacks are buy one get one free, so I also got Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov).

Normally, a game like this would take me months (if not a year) to complete. Over the course of flying and just having delectable hours a day to myself, I was able to get 3/4 of the way through the game by the time I got back home. And let's not speak about how much further I've gotten through since I've been home . . . cause it's not much, if anything, really.

And hopefully you believe that I ever actually made it this far.

These events have caused me to really and truly realize how much time is 'lost' to everyday issues. When you're a kid, you can run home after school and plop down in front of the tv to pick up where you had stopped the day before on whatever game you were playing. Hey, maybe you even left the system running overnight (because who could beat Super Mario Bros. 3 in one run anyway). And you probably even had to yell (or lie) to your parents that your homework was already done. Ahh, those were the days. No job, no errands, no taxes, no dishes or laundry. Sure, sometimes I wish I could go back to those days of blissfully wasting hours on a daily basis, but that daydream lasts but a few seconds. I lived through all that, and I'm an adult now. I'd rather just stay an adult. Life is worth the fewer hours with controller in hand.

(**This article was originally written December 2012. I have since beaten Phantom Hourglass.**)

A Case Against Gamerism

Sad to say, not only does the world at large continue to have prejudices, but so does the gaming world. I can't say that I haven't been guilty of it myself, and I'm certainly not trying to start any type of movement, but I thought I'd just discuss my feelings about what I call 'gamerism', or the disdain that 'hardcore' gamers may have for 'casual' gamers (admittedly, it goes the other way too).

JiGman!

'Casual gamer' means something different now than it did ten years ago. Back then, a casual gamer was just what the individual words mean: it's a gamer who plays occasionally and is not always up to date on gaming news. Nowadays with mobile and online gaming and consoles like the Wii and DS being marketed toward a family friendly gaming experience, there are a lot more opportunities to be a casual gamer, so there are more of them out there (myself included, in case I haven't mentioned my freelance writing job at JayisGames.com enough).

A 'hardcore gamer', on the other hand, is someone whose gaming is much more prominent in their day-to-day life. It has little to do with what genres they prefer (the same is true with a casual gamer) and more to do with . . . how they game, I suppose is an appropriate way of saying it.

As the title of this blog suggests, I am against this type of discrimination and don't understand the feelings behind it. Do hardcore gamers feel their images are threatened when casual gamers call themselves 'gamers'? Maybe despite the prejudices between gamers and non-gamers, hardcore gamers like the separation and don't want their way of life to enter mainstream society in any way.

Can't we all just be Friends?

Hmm . . . I think that last statement is where my theory stands. At least to me, casual gamers are a step between non-gamers and hardcore gamers. They still enjoy the entertainment proved by the electronic device of their choice without feeling like they need to spend much more of their free time gaming. Can't we all just share in the joy video games bring us? Can't we all just accept one another however many hours we devote to our common hobby? Can't we all just get . . . No, I'll just stop right there . . .

Please, if you're a hardcore gamer reading this, reach out to your casual brethren and accept them. I'm not expecting you to do so with open arms, just maybe a friendly wave. If not that, then at least keep your feelings to yourself from time to time. I'd be happy if I never heard a hardcore gamer look the other way at a casual game just because it's a casual game. Yeah, that's right, I'm scoffing at you! Psh!

[Disclaimer: Just my opinions, duh. I know I could've dug deeper into the issue and I didn't even try to define a 'gamer' in the first place, but I hate overly long blogs. So there ya go.]

The Cost of Doing Pleasure

The more I get into video games, the more I realize how cheap I am (okay, I've always realized this, it's just becoming more prevalent). It is an expensive hobby to have what with the consoles (you can't have just one), games, accessories, memberships, DLC (downloadable content), etc. Honestly, this is how I first got into casual gaming. Why buy games when there are hours of entertainment available for free on the internet? No, I'm not talking about porn. Sure this side-hobby landed me a great and convenient freelance writing job at JayisGames.com (my latest work can be seen here), but it hasn't tempered my desire for 'real' video games.

Literally all the coins out of my wallet.

My main solution to the problem is to just not buy video games. This pretty much sucks as I then feel left in the dust and have to do a lot of internet research and watch gameplay clips to make up for this. It doesn't help because watching someone play something is not nearly as much fun as doing it yourself. If someone says they don't mind watching you while you play, either they don't actually like video games or they're lying to you and indeed do want to participate.

The other solution that I've tended to follow is to lag behind the times. By this I mean to wait awhile (usually 1-2 years) before buying a game so you can get it for a lot cheaper than when it's a new release. I did this with my copy of Diablo II. I got the Battle Chest for $25 on Ebay, about two years after the release. Now, I did get to play this game closer to when it was brand new thanks to my brother borrowing it from a friend, but, of course, I had to own it cause it's just awesome. I plan on doing this same method for Rock Band 3, which on Amazon I'm finding is dropping slowly toward $45, about 1/3 the original cost. It's currently 1 1/2 years old and I've never actually played it (I don't think), but considering how many hours I've put into the first one, I know I'll love this as well. This method suffers from the same issues as the first one, except you eventually get to own the game.

Ooh, I can't wait!

The final solution is the one I hate the most. It's what I like to call 'Just Suck It Up'. This means just buying the game full price right when it's released. It makes me cringe and I hate it, but some games you just have to have. The last game I did this to was Green Day Rock Band since my husband's such a big fan of theirs. And the next game I may buy at release is Diablo III, but I'm still debating it. I'm not saying this way isn't worth the money you spend, it just makes the miser in me holler in pain.

I'm in no way trying to state that I do things the right way nor do I regret indulging my video gaming need the way I have when I have. I just wanted to lay out the way I see this hobby with my frugal eyes. I say your best bet may be to just have friends who enjoy video games as much as you and are generous enough to gift them to you for your birthday. I mean, why else do you have them? Your World of Warcraft guild doesn't count unless they send you real life gifts, then that's cool.

(Systems I own that I paid for: Xbox 360, SNES)
(Systems I own that I didn't pay for: DS, Wii, GameCube, Xbox)
(System I'm currently on the hunt for: PS2)