Pressing the Button
Since before I was even able to read the instructions to various tabletop or video games, I knew how to play them. When I was too young to communicate with the people around me, and the dinner table conversations of politics and the economy constantly flew over my head, I would interact with the worlds that made perfect sense to me: the interactive worlds of a shared make-believe. Little did my parents know, and little did I know being as little as I was, what a large part of my life this would become. Listen, I could type a summary about how video games and tabletop role play games are just a great pass time, how it is simple mindless fun, and I could tell you that it is a hobby as simple as any other; but it is not that simple and matter-of-fact. This art form that is rarely taken seriously, these shared experiences among nerds across the world, they help shape their lives. Personally, I can respect a page turning novel, a thought-provoking film, or the passion behind a sport, but none of them struck the same chord with me the way the games did. At first, I was drawn into these games by their inspired settings, fantastic characters, and the artistic designs that brought them together; each game you could tell something about its message and audience just by watching their trailers online. What soundtrack did the artists create? What hero do the developers want me to play? Is this the next investment I want to make in my hobby? When I would walk into my local game store and purchase a game, I assumed that I was buying an interactive movie, but really I was helping crowdfund a community. But what makes these games so important to our community? What is it that takes this beyond being just a movie that has buttons attached to it?
