Video games are a unique medium. While passive media like movies or TV shows can tell moving and impactful stories, there's something particularly special about interactive media. The difference between passive media and interactive media comes down to you: the player. To progress through something interactive, the player must participate to see what's next. And when guided by the right creator, a player can create a special bond between themselves and their favorite games.
One of my first memorable moments in gaming. What's your first impactful moment in a video game?Courtesy of Nintendo
These feelings can often come through a connection to the character we're controlling, whether it's an action hero like Lara Croft or Nathan Drake or someone a little more softspoken like Link or Samus, we can grow attached to these heroes overcoming our challenges together. Sometimes these hurdles are made up of taking down 99 other real-life players in a battle royale or climbing a mountain in Breath of the Wild. The hours-and-hours we wind up sinking into these games can leave us with fond memories that stick with us beyond the games we're playing.
Though playing games are often a solo event, there's plenty of fun to be had with friends.
My bonds to specific games are attached to certain times-and-places throughout my life. I remember bragging to my friends after Christmas break in Kindergarten that I'd beaten the first temple of Ocarina of Time. I remember staying up past midnight to play Halo on a tiny TV with four-elementary school friends. I remember downloading TV shows onto my PlayStation 3 and thinking how much I'd love to make one of those shows for a kid just like me -- a dream that I was fortunate enough to accomplish in 2018 as a part of the PlayStation Emerging Filmmakers Program. I remember playing my first horror game, Resident Evil 4, at the home of someone who would become my closest friend and how fortunate I am that the same friend and I are now attending college for video game design over 10 years later. And I remember getting the opportunity to write about video games nearly 4 years ago when I first started at Kidzworld, a journey that's coming to an end with this as my final article.
The live events of gaming do a great job of bringing everyone together to share the excitement.
We all enjoy games differently. Some players love overcoming clever puzzles, some enjoy taking down hordes of enemies either online or all alone, and some are driven by uncovering the next bit of story in the staggeringly deep worlds we've explored. It's easy to get sucked into the negativity we see all over the internet, but there's far more value in propping up the positivity surrounding the games, movies, and shows we love. And though we've seen plenty of amazing releases over the years, there's a lot of awesome gaming to be excited about on the horizon, especially with new consoles releasing at the end of the year. So though I won't be writing about gaming anymore, I promise you that I'll be making even more memories with the games releasing down the round and I'll still be sharing that passion to anyone within earshot.
Player 2
Share Your Thoughts!
What are your personal moments of gaming goodness that have stuck with you? Maybe it's a memorable Christmas morning? Or a certain story that struck a chord? Swing by the comments section below and let us know a game that stands out as special to you.
By: Max Cannon
