More Than a Game

My first game console was a Nintendo NES, I was around three or four years old, and I’d sit cross-legged on the carpeted floor in our living room with my grandmother. To this very day, I still remember the feel of that controller in my hands and the glee I felt watching Mario jump over those turtles, grow from those mushrooms, and get his beloved Princess Peach. It’s hard to believe that that was thirty years ago.

Fast-forward a bit to where I’m now in grade school, Sega and Sonic are big deal, and I’m trying to figure out this new console. I soon conquer it, and off I go into the world of Sonic and Tails. Even now I smile remember the familiar tune to that game.

Fast-forward again to about 2005, this is where I met and fell in love with my go to console, Xbox. The sleek design, the vibrating controller, and my favorite thing, I can play my music on it. The graphics were amazing to me back in that day. Looking back on everything today, I shake my head and laugh wondering how I even was able to play. Halo was the game of choice for me at that point in time and I got surprisingly good at it too.

Fast-forward to 2021, I’m approaching my mid-thirties and I am still an avid gamer. My console of choice for now is my Xbox One Halo edition. I’m currently using it to listen to Pandora because, well it’s early and my peeps aren’t on yet. I keep my circle of friends small, and it’s mostly guys. We cut up, push each other to do better and test out the updates together. My inner circle of friends is mostly from Xbox 360, while others are those I have known since I got my Xbox One back in 2017. Over the years, we have evolved from gaming buddies, to friends, to family. If one of us isn’t on for a day or two, we try to reach them via social media or phone to make sure they’re okay. We’ve been there for each other through hard times and good times.

I do not identify as a ‘girl gamer’ and that is the fastest way to just outright upset me. To me, a ‘girl gamer’ is a girl who is on her boyfriend’s console trying to pick up guys. To them it’s just a game and they like to mess around on it. I’ve seen a lot of my buddies fall prey to these girls and I warn them. These ‘girl gamers’ are also the once that will have a short Twitch career. Yes, I stream but I don’t have a cam on, and my mic is muted. You want to watch the game I’m playing, by all means go for it. I don’t really have any viewers save for my friends, but if someone did get on there and start asking questions about the game, then I’ll answer. I’m not going to give you any of my personal info because that’s privileged information that very few know. Like, I’m not going to put myself out there to get attention as a female gamer. I identify as a gamer that just so happens to be female. As of now, I hang out with one other female gamer and she is a blast to be with because we share the same mentality.

So, am I actually good at the games I play? Well, it depends on the games I play. Right now, in my pinned stuff is Red Dead Redemption 2, The Division 2, For Honor, COD: Cold War, Elder Scrolls Online, Need For Speed Rivals and Payday 2. Red Dead I’m getting the hang of it, but I mostly focus on getting the collector’s items for Madam Nazar. The Division I got really good at, but I believe it’s better to play with a team. For Honor is my unwind game, I go in do a few brawl rounds to warm up, then do dominion. Cold War I mostly play zombies and I believe there is a new map or mode out which my buddies and are going to try out sometime this weekend. Cold War is hard for me because there is just so much happening all at once, but I believe I’m slowly improving, or at least I’m better than I was. Elder Scrolls Online, or ESO because seriously that is a lot to type out, is one of the newer games I’ve started playing. So, no I honestly suck at that for now. Need For Speed Rivals is starting to be one of my favorites and another one of my unwind games. Am I good at it? Oh yeah, I can outrun the cops 4/5 times. Payday is another one of my newer games, and I can’t for the life of me play it by myself. I get confused easily with it too, but I’m going to keep trying it out until I get it.

Do I game constantly? No. I honestly don’t have the time to and after a while it does become boring to me.

Favorite game? Super Mario will always have a special place in my heart because it’s the game that started it all.

If I could contribute something to a game what would it be and why? I would love to write out a character and their background. I like to write, and it would be fun to see what the game creators would create with something that I’ve written.

Why do I game? For me, gaming is an escape, it’s a way to forget all the stress in my life and be whoever I want.

So, there you have it, a short-ish bio of a female gamer.