Why I love games - A 1UP classic from November 23, 2012

Sorry for the lateness of this entry. I had actually messaged this blog to the 1UP team for inclusion in their "Why I love" series. Unfortunately the message didn't go through and my story wasn't published with the rest of the community entries. Anyhow, here is my story.

Why I Love Games…

I have a very early memory of what made me fall in love with gaming, videogaming in particular. When I was in elementary school I didn't interact very much with with my classmates. I was just naturally shy. I didn't mind playing alone during recess. In fact I preferred it. I never liked playing with or against anybody in organized sports. I would always feel flustered when I felt like the world was staring at me. I was uncoordinated and afraid of embarrassing myself or my team. Because of that I tried to avoid confrontation at every opportunity. I remember once checking a basketball out of the PE locker and going to the far corner of the playground to toss the ball into the hoop. It was an overcast day, slightly chilly in Downtown Long Beach. After a few minutes a couple of younger kids joined me. They asked if I wanted to play basketball. I reluctantly agreed.

We took turns throwing the basketball at the hoop and chasing the rebound. Being slightly taller than my classmates gave me an advantage. I remember catching the ball and making a mad dash to the opposite side of the court. I was a good 20 feet ahead of my classmates when I stopped to shoot the ball. The excitement of the chase and feeling that overcame me when the ball went in was indescribable. I had scored my first points against real opponents. I turned around hoping to be met with congratulations. I was hoping that whey would be proud of me, that somehow they would be feeling the same sense of elation. Instead they were laughing at me, all of them. They told me that the shot didn't count. I had "travelled" the length of the court without dribbling the basketball. I told them that I didn't know the rules but it didn't stop them from laughing. They thought that everyone was born knowing the rules, especially someone older and taller than them. It made that cold day sting a little bit more.

A few months later my mom was shopping at the local Sears. I was hanging out in the appliances section when I saw an arcade game in the middle of an aisle. I thought it was very strange that the store would just place a solitary cabinet off to the side. I went to check it out. The cabinet art was bright, and highly detailed. I went over the buttons and throttle. This game was different than the other ones I had seen. There wasn't a joystick or steering wheel. It looked complicated, more like a simulator than game. I had to try it. I asked my mom for a quarter. I wish I could tell you that I was great at it but I wasn't. I was flying all over the screen trying to control the tiny lander before it ran out of fuel. I must have been six years old. I was big for my age but I barely came up to the middle of the screen. It took all my strength to push the throttle forward and slow the descent of the lander. Before long my game was over. I rejoined my mom and dared not to ask her for another quarter considering how short the game lasted. I just kept casting sideways glances at the cabinet the entire shopping trip.

I was smitten. The game did not judge me on how many points I got or whether I was any good at all. When it ended it did not laugh at me. It was fair and impartial, it gave me the same chance that it gave every player. I could actually feel myself getting better as I played. I knew that if I played it enough I could set the high score. The same couldn't be said of any sport I tried. The game was also appealing in the way it was presented. Thanks to the bight vinyl stickers I felt like I was staring at the controls of an actual spacecraft. My imagination went wild. I was certain that this was how astronauts were being trained. I began spending all my free time and allowance at the local arcade. I tried every game and returned to those that I enjoyed.

I began to master many titles, especially the racing games because to me those were also simulator experiences. The love that I felt for gaming never diminished, not over the next 30 years. I was on mission support during the Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity) landing at JPL earlier this year. This meant I worked over the weekend with a very dedicated group of employees. When I went on lunch break I fired up the MAME arcade emulator. There was only one game I could imagine playing during that momentous occasion, care to guess what it was?

As always if you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!