You Know You're a Gamer When...
Gaming has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. From nights spent battling monsters in Legend of Zelda on my old Nintendo 64 to weekends lost in elaborate quests in World of Warcraft, I've spent countless hours honing my skills, leveling up character builds, and making gaming memories with friends both online and off. At this point, I think it's safe to say I've achieved "veteran gamer" status - but how can you really tell when gaming has taken over your life? Here are a few signs you might recognize that confirm you, too, are a true blue gamer at heart.
You start seeing games everywhere you look. Walking down the cereal aisle at the grocery store and deciding between Cocoa Puffs and Froot Loops based on whichever box art resembles a classic game character more. Driving down the highway and realizing the mile markers are perfectly spaced to form Mario power-up boxes. Catching yourself thinking of real-world architecture and landscapes like something out of The Legend of Zelda. The game influences are all around you - you just have to train your eye to spot them.
Conversation regularly turns to gaming. Whether you're catching up with friends over drinks or making small talk at a family function, gaming somehow always manages to come up. You've got strong opinions on the latest console exclusives, eagerly await new releases from your favorite indie developers, and love helping novices expand their gaming horizons. Keeping up with gaming news and discussion is as second nature as chatting about current events or pop culture trends.
You've memorized an encyclopedia's worth of stats, stories, mechanics. From Pokemon type matchups to Elder Scrolls lore to Fortnite loadout configs, games have rewired your brain for maximum information retention. You can spout gameplay factoids, stats, and trivia like it's your job. Some key strengths have also translated, like critical thinking skills, teamwork, and mastery of complex systems. All that time absorbed in virtual worlds has paid off, even if the real-world application isn't always obvious.
Life events are remembered through the games you were playing. Graduated college? You were dominating Super Smash Bros. tournaments with friends between all-night study sessions. Got married? Celebrated the bachelor/bachelorette party by pulling an all-nighter speedrunning your favorite game. Had your first kid? Tagged teaming them through simplified co-op levels of games like Overcooked helped develop hand-eye coordination. Gaming provides the soundtrack and backdrop to life's milestone moments.
You have strong opinions about platform wars. While diversity in gaming is great, we all have our loyalties - whether Nintendo 4 lyfe or swearing your next build will be a Skyrim-crushing PC. We navigate the relative merits of mods, exclusive games, online services, and meme-worthy console flame wars with expertise. And we enjoy poking gentle fun at “casual” gamers who only play mobile match-3’s over coffee breaks. At heart though, we appreciate different tastes and that more players means a healthier gaming community for all.
Those are just a few signs that indicate your true status as a lifelong gamer. While gaming may not always look the same as the years roll on - new consoles emerge, gaming shifts partially or fully online - the love of adventure, mechanics, and community gaming fosters will stay with you. You know deep down it will always be a huge part of who you are, no matter how "casual" others may think you've become!
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