Video games finally destroyed my life

As the famous quote says “”Video Games ruined my life. Good thing I have two more” I still have more lives to live. PC/console games didn’t really destroyed me and my career, what’s there to destroy? I’m 19, I can’t speak about a career and I really prefer playing World of Warcraft and Call of Duty with my friends instead of playing football games or participating to freaking drinking contests. And that’s coming from someone who loves beer. After 3 years of playing World of Warcraft with the hardcore mode activated I realized that it was the best thing I did for my future and that I was learning something new with every second spent in the virtual world. What could you possibly learn from a huge fictional violent world? Nothing you say? Maybe. But there really are some important, life changing qualities you gain from them.

An eye for detail. This is and will remain the main reason for me to always play action games. You don’t just have to shoot infinite bullets (remember the Modern Warfare glitch?) or click like crazy until you’re disconnected from the server. No, you have to pay attention to every detail, because as in real life, in most modern games every pixel, image or animation counts. And you’ll go nuts if you don’t take into consideration every tiny detail.I can’t tell you how many things I’ve seen on the streets now, things which were for a long time there but never attracted my attention.

Friends will remain friends. There are times when your high school buddy picks another road or maybe your parents are moving to an eastern country (Russia). Instant messaging is boring and after a few minutes you just won’t have anything to share with your lost friend. But we have MMORPGs and, what can be more entertaining than drinking a mug of beer (no one says you can’t drink a real one while also drinking one in the virtual life), killing some allies or maybe a murloc? Yes, I’ll always play World of Warcraft with that friend who’s going to be a doctor and with the one who wants to be a silver statue.

Ambition is the last refuge of failure. Once in a while I crack a gamepad or a keyboard because I can’t finish a quest or a mission in a fictional world. But what I learn is that if I don’t keep trying again and again I won’t go too far. Nobody succeeds the first time and no one will; video games are made to remember you that. You won’t get the princess from Mario without trying as you won’t be a successful programmer/manager/football player/super hero without doing your best.

Now, you see, there is another thing with video games. How many times didn’t you want to be on a UEFA Champions League pitch, drive a fast car without being stopped after a car chase or maybe hit someone so hard in the balls that he’ll eventually die? I can say I’m in that situation almost every day and you are too. Sometimes video games are the only way to do those things without any repercussions. EA Sports games always revived my competitive side and made me realize everything is achievable; BioWare satisfied my desire for fantasy, made me captain of SSV Normandy or an important warrior in the fight against the dark side represented by the Darkspawn; Ubisoft and their Tom Clancy’s Series taught me how to be a fighter pilot for the US Navy and for private bad corporations. I don’t say a game is always  very entertaining, but video games will make you to feel sensations that in the real world are not possible for someone who has a day by day desk job.

Now tell me that I have to grow up and give up video games! I’m 19 and till I die I will always play PC/console games unless Bobby Kotick kills every game developer.

Blizzard tip: Take everything in Moderation