Why I Love Games: A Journey Through Strategy, Community, and Fantasy
Why I Love Games: A Journey Through Strategy, Community, and Fantasy
Updated (Sept 29, 2024)
Games have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. From the early days of chess and hopscotch to the thrill of playing Atari’s Pong and classics like Pac-Man, and Space Invaders, Defender, to SimCity, Marvel Avengers, to Plants vs. Zombies (I lived across from EA Games HQ in Burnaby, BC), or Age of Empires… my love for games has evolved with each new experience. What captivates me most about games is not just the challenge they present but the opportunities for connection, learning, and self-reflection that they offer. Whether it’s through strategic planning, aggression, camaraderie, community engagement, or diving into fantastical worlds, games provide a unique space for growth and enjoyment.
Strategy Games: A Mirror of the Mind and Child Development
My fondness for strategy games like chess and kingdom-building games stems from their ability to simulate life’s complexities. In these games, every decision counts. Chess, for instance, is not just a game of winning or losing but a profound exercise in self-reflection. It mirrors my mental state, revealing my tendencies towards aggression, collaboration, or patience. The emotions I experience while playing chess — whether it’s the intent to win with a killer move or the desire to collaborate towards a tie — offer insights into my personality. These games teach us about potential outcomes, resilience in the face of defeat, and the importance of learning from our choices. It’s a reminder that life, much like chess, is a series of moves where every choice shapes the next.
Chess is also about the subtleties of timing, momentum, surprise, aggression, and understanding the nuances that come with experience. Timing a move perfectly can lead to capturing an opponent off guard, while momentum can shift rapidly with a single misstep. The element of surprise — an unexpected gambit or a sudden attack — adds layers of psychological play. Aggression in chess isn’t just about attacking pieces; it’s about imposing your will on the board, dictating the flow, and forcing your opponent into defensive positions. At the same time, the game teaches humility by highlighting moments when a lack of experience leads to avoidable mistakes.
One of the most challenging aspects of chess is dealing with loss. Sometimes, losing can evoke anger or self-pity, making it difficult to shift from those emotions to a mindset of learning and improvement. However, this is where the true growth lies. Moving beyond frustration and choosing to learn from errors is not easy, but it’s a crucial part of becoming a better player — and a more resilient person. My own journey in chess began early; I was a junior chess champion in grade 9 for my high school. This experience taught me the importance of perseverance, patience, and the continuous pursuit of mastery.
For children and their development, games like chess play an equally critical role. They help develop cognitive skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and planning. Games encourage kids to understand the balance between competition and cooperation, teaching them to fight for what is right while also recognizing when to compromise. They serve as a microcosm of life’s larger battles — instilling values like empathy, fairness, and resilience that are essential for their growth and maturity.
Arcade Classics: The Thrill of Simplicity and Reflexes
Growing up, arcades were a big part of my gaming journey. I spent countless hours playing classic games like Defender, Galaga, and Space Invaders. These games were simple yet captivating, offering a different kind of thrill compared to more strategic games like chess. The challenge of dodging enemy fire, destroying incoming waves, and progressing to higher levels was exhilarating. The fast-paced action and reflex-based gameplay were both exciting and intense, testing my reaction times and hand-eye coordination. These games had a special way of pulling me into their world, where the focus was solely on survival, quick thinking, and honing reflexes. They were about pushing yourself to beat your own high score or challenging your friends, which fostered a sense of friendly competition and determination.
Marvel Heroes and Turn-Based Strategy: Combining Fantasy with Tactics
Another game that left a significant mark on me was the older Marvel Heroes turn-based online game, where Marvel heroes combat each other in teams of three. This game combined my love for strategy with the fantasy of superheroes. The turn-based combat allowed for deep strategic planning and team coordination, making every move crucial to victory. It wasn’t just about brute force; it was about knowing your team’s strengths, predicting opponents’ moves, and combining abilities in creative ways. The game provided a satisfying mix of tactical depth and comic book lore, creating a rich experience that went beyond typical button-mashing. This aspect of team strategy and character synergy resonates deeply with the values of teamwork, foresight, and adaptability, all of which are key in both games and life.
Community and Connection: The Heart of Gaming and Parenting
While the gameplay itself is enjoyable, what truly stands out to me is the vibrant and dynamic gaming community. I’ve played a variety of games, from fantasy adventures to strategic turn-based games like the older Marvel Heroes or team-based challenges in NFT Champions. What draws me in the most is the people. The gaming community is a tapestry of diverse personalities — loyal, fun, sometimes disgruntled — but always engaging. These social connections are crucial, especially in a world where genuine human interaction can often be scarce. In many ways, games provide a platform for people to express themselves, share their truths, and create a continuum of experiences that are both consumed and appreciated by others.
Games also offer a sense of belonging that can be missing in everyday life. Team-based games, for instance, can create strong bonds of loyalty, friendship, and love among players. Fighting for a team or protecting a buddy in the heat of battle can foster a sense of camaraderie that many players crave, especially if such connections are lacking in their personal lives. The virtual world becomes a crucial space for experiencing these intense emotions and building meaningful relationships.
There were also times when I would purposely lose because my friendship and community were more important than winning. I understood that sometimes, maintaining harmony and showing humility was more valuable than securing a victory. This approach taught me the importance of balancing competition with compassion, a lesson that extends beyond gaming into everyday life.
This sense of community is vital not only for gamers but also for parents raising children in today’s digital age. Games can serve as a bridge between generations, offering parents a chance to connect with their children, understand their world, and teach them values such as fighting for what is right and standing by friends. Through shared gaming experiences, families can bond over common goals, learn to solve problems together, and navigate the complexities of digital and real-world ethics.
Empowering the Next Generation of Gamers
The kids today are incredibly smart, capable, and driven. They are vicious in their pursuit of victory, caring in their friendships, and highly community-oriented, just like in their real lives. Gaming has become their training ground to develop themselves as they want to develop in the national, regional, and global community. It is where they learn to see themselves as they wish to be seen and to build the world they want to live in. As leaders, we should think about empowering that. We have an opportunity to guide them, to foster environments that encourage creativity, empathy, strategic thinking, and ethical decision-making. By understanding the power of gaming, we can help shape the future in ways that resonate with their values and ambitions.
NFT Champions: Merging Blockchain with Gaming
One of the most exciting developments in gaming today is the integration of blockchain technology with traditional gaming elements. NFT Champions is a prime example of this fusion, offering players an immersive experience where strategy, creativity, and digital ownership intersect. As reviewed in the game review video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rqWvGkkI8Q), NFT Champions allows players to collect, train, and battle with unique digital creatures represented as NFTs (non-fungible tokens).
The game combines a Pokémon-style adventure with the economic elements of blockchain, providing an added layer of ownership and investment for players. With each creature being unique and tradable, players can engage in a market-driven ecosystem that adds real-world value to their in-game achievements. The turn-based combat system is strategic and deep, requiring players to carefully consider their choices and build effective teams for different scenarios. What makes NFT Champions even more compelling is its global audience. You get to meet and interact with people worldwide from different or similar cultures, enriching the gaming experience with diverse perspectives and shared strategies. It’s a new frontier in gaming, where play-to-earn and digital asset ownership redefine what it means to be a gamer. NFT Champions captures the essence of both traditional gameplay and the innovative potential of Web3, making it a compelling game for both enthusiasts and crypto enthusiasts and investors alike. The game teaches financial, blockchain and economic literacy.
Fantasy and Violent Games: Exploring Complex Emotions and Ethics
Fantasy games hold a special place in the hearts of many, including older adults who find joy in escaping into imaginative worlds. For an older woman and her retired husband, for example, these games offer more than just entertainment — they provide an avenue for adventure, mental stimulation, and social interaction. In a world where physical adventures may become limited with age, fantasy games open up new possibilities for exploration and excitement.
On the other end of the spectrum, violent games like Mortal Kombat or intense war simulations delve into darker aspects of human behavior. Although I haven’t played many war games myself, I did have the experience of holding a real AR-15, and it was surprisingly fun and amusing. That hands-on experience gave me a different perspective on the intense feelings some players might seek in war games. These games often explore complex emotions like rage, revenge, and survival, and they can be controversial due to their extreme violence. However, they also offer a space for players to confront and process these emotions in a controlled environment. While some may see these games as promoting aggression, others argue that they provide a release valve for pent-up frustration or anger, a way to fight for what they believe is right, even if it’s in a fictional universe.
Violent and fantasy games alike challenge players to make moral choices, often blurring the lines between right and wrong. These experiences can be eye-opening, making players reflect on their actions and the consequences they entail. Games that feature difficult decisions, such as choosing between loyalty to a friend or duty to a mission, encourage empathy and critical thinking, helping players understand the weight of their choices in both virtual and real-world contexts.
Learning, Growth, and the Struggle for Balance in Society
While I’ve not yet encountered games that explicitly teach empathy, I’m eager to explore this area. Games have the potential to offer unique perspectives, allowing players to step into the shoes of different characters and experience life from their viewpoint. Titles that focus on storytelling, role-playing, or managing diverse communities can provide a deeper understanding of human behavior, culture, and the environment. This potential for learning is what makes games an ever-evolving medium.
Games can also serve as a tool to instill values of fighting for what’s right. Whether it’s standing up for a friend in a multiplayer game or choosing a morally sound path in a narrative-driven adventure, these choices reflect and reinforce real-life principles. Parents can use these scenarios to teach children about ethics, empathy, and the importance of standing up against injustice, both in games and in life.
A Balance Between Technology, Humanity, and the Realities of Violence
The intersection of gaming, technology, and human experience is a fascinating one. While games are often created and shaped by advanced technology, they also serve as a reflection of our humanity, including its darker sides. Games like Mortal Kombat explore the visceral and often brutal nature of conflict, presenting an exaggerated but meaningful exploration of violence, power, and survival instincts.
As we move forward, the challenge will be to maintain a balance between inhuman technological advancements and deeply humane experiences. Games are a unique medium that allows for this exploration — a blend of fantasy, strategy, social connection, and ethical dilemmas that mirror real life. They allow us to engage with both the light and dark sides of human nature, offering insights into how we can better understand ourselves and others.
Conclusion: The Future of Gaming in Society
Looking to the future, I believe games will continue to be a vital part of our lives, not just for entertainment but for education, personal growth, and societal impact. Games like SimCity that incorporate elements of community building and strategy, or combat games that force players to make difficult ethical choices, already offer a glimpse into this potential. By continuing to evolve, incorporating diverse narratives, and fostering empathy and understanding, games can help us navigate both our inner and outer worlds. Whether you’re strategizing your next chess move, building a virtual city, or fighting for your team in a combat game, each experience adds to the rich tapestry of what it means to play — and to live.
Games are more than just a pastime; they are a powerful tool for learning, connecting, and growing — for children, parents, and everyone in between. They offer a window into both the human spirit and the challenges of our society. Web3 gaming is the most advanced “Sandbox” for everyone to explore and experiment with life’s emotions, skills, strategies and challenges. And that’s why I love them.
