Until the past few years, I never thought of myself as a gamer. I loved games, but always thought of “gamers” as people who played console/computer games for days on end.
True, people matching this description are gamers, but I realize now there are all different levels of gamers. Gaming isn’t just playing console games. Gaming can be hopscotch, tic-tac-toe, puzzles, crosswords, dominoes, poker, Monopoly, Solitaire, Rummy and any other game you can think of. Gaming is not confined to computers and consoles. Instead, computers have just given games another level of enjoyment.
I’ve been a gamer since way back in the day, before computers were readily available and common in homes. As a kid, I loved playing games. We’d play traveling games on long road trips, board games on bad weather days, and of course that jigsaw puzzle that stayed on the card table for weeks until it was done (then maybe a week afterwards because I hated to take it apart). As I got older, the enjoyment I received from playing those games didn’t change, just the way I played them.
Before I met my husband, I never had a computer, so I can thank him for showing me the light. He loved playing PC games and being the smart boy that he is, he knew that if I had my own computer and games to play, I would happily let him play his. So anything he thought I might be interested in, or if I mentioned I thought a certain game looked neat, he’d purchase it and load it on my computer. He started out with computer versions of the card and board games that he knew I loved to play and then moved to adventure games. Slowly but surely, we were enjoying ourselves on the PC playing our own games, but content to be in each others’ company. Even if we weren’t playing the same game, at least we were together. While he played Neverwinter Nights or Command and Conquer, I would play The Longest Journey or Rollercoaster Tycoon.
But then Halo came out and my husband got us an Xbox for Christmas. It didn’t take long for my husband and brothers to get me hooked on that. We spent nearly all of our Christmas holiday playing and after those long weeks, I was addicted. By the time Halo 2 was released, I was just as excited and eager to play on Live as my husband was. I must admit, when we first got our Live memberships I was a little scared to play by myself. I had never interacted with anyone over the computer and it was a bit intimidating for me. Eventually, I got the nerve up and began to play alone. At the time it wasn’t as bad as it is now with the foul mouth children and cheaters. Sure there was trash talk, but that was about it. I can’t really comment on what it’s like to be a “female gamer” because I’ve never really had an issue with it. I may have been hit on every now and then, but other than that I haven’t ever noticed any gender specific attacks or comments. However, I have only played with 2old2play members for the past year, so that has a lot to do with it.
Needless to say, we felt right at home at 2old2play, and were readily welcomed by the members. Thanks to codemonkey, who I met through the forums, I found a game that I normally would not have tried, Guild Wars. Now my husband and I both play Guild Wars, which is the first PC game we have played together and online. Of course I am now addicted, but I guess that’s all part of being a gamer. Not all people are gamers, so any of you out there wanting to convert a significant other should keep this in mind. It’s not impossible to do, but going about it the right way helps. However, some folks will never want to play and will want you to stop playing as well. Just like anything else in life you have to learn to compromise and use moderation to deal with it. I am fortunate that I have a spouse that shares a love of gaming with me. It’s actually all to his credit that I play games at all. He took an active interest in finding something that I would enjoy, and he was patient with me until I found what I liked. I’ve always enjoyed playing games; he just helped me to broaden my gaming horizons. Now you can do the same.
I’ve been a gamer since way back in the day, before computers were readily available and common in homes. As a kid, I loved playing games. We’d play traveling games on long road trips, board games on bad weather days, and of course that jigsaw puzzle that stayed on the card table for weeks until it was done (then maybe a week afterwards because I hated to take it apart). As I got older, the enjoyment I received from playing those games didn’t change, just the way I played them.
Before I met my husband, I never had a computer, so I can thank him for showing me the light. He loved playing PC games and being the smart boy that he is, he knew that if I had my own computer and games to play, I would happily let him play his. So anything he thought I might be interested in, or if I mentioned I thought a certain game looked neat, he’d purchase it and load it on my computer. He started out with computer versions of the card and board games that he knew I loved to play and then moved to adventure games. Slowly but surely, we were enjoying ourselves on the PC playing our own games, but content to be in each others’ company. Even if we weren’t playing the same game, at least we were together. While he played Neverwinter Nights or Command and Conquer, I would play The Longest Journey or Rollercoaster Tycoon.
But then Halo came out and my husband got us an Xbox for Christmas. It didn’t take long for my husband and brothers to get me hooked on that. We spent nearly all of our Christmas holiday playing and after those long weeks, I was addicted. By the time Halo 2 was released, I was just as excited and eager to play on Live as my husband was. I must admit, when we first got our Live memberships I was a little scared to play by myself. I had never interacted with anyone over the computer and it was a bit intimidating for me. Eventually, I got the nerve up and began to play alone. At the time it wasn’t as bad as it is now with the foul mouth children and cheaters. Sure there was trash talk, but that was about it. I can’t really comment on what it’s like to be a “female gamer” because I’ve never really had an issue with it. I may have been hit on every now and then, but other than that I haven’t ever noticed any gender specific attacks or comments. However, I have only played with 2old2play members for the past year, so that has a lot to do with it.
Needless to say, we felt right at home at 2old2play, and were readily welcomed by the members. Thanks to codemonkey, who I met through the forums, I found a game that I normally would not have tried, Guild Wars. Now my husband and I both play Guild Wars, which is the first PC game we have played together and online. Of course I am now addicted, but I guess that’s all part of being a gamer. Not all people are gamers, so any of you out there wanting to convert a significant other should keep this in mind. It’s not impossible to do, but going about it the right way helps. However, some folks will never want to play and will want you to stop playing as well. Just like anything else in life you have to learn to compromise and use moderation to deal with it. I am fortunate that I have a spouse that shares a love of gaming with me. It’s actually all to his credit that I play games at all. He took an active interest in finding something that I would enjoy, and he was patient with me until I found what I liked. I’ve always enjoyed playing games; he just helped me to broaden my gaming horizons. Now you can do the same.
