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Connection Strength

An Essay on the Importance of Video Games and Their Communities

By Jakob RussellPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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Any last words?

I’ve struggled to try and summarize just how much playing video games helps me and genuinely adds to my life when asked about it. There are very few examples of games that I truly find myself gravitating towards and feeling at home in their expansive, ever-growing universes. I'll be talking about two of my favourites, though.

Bungie’s Destiny series and Digital Extreme’s free-to-play giant Warframe are two games that I love deeply right now—the stories, the character development, the experiences, and most importantly LORE of it all.

I still remember when the first Destiny game came out. My best friends and I talked about it for years leading up to the launch, dissecting every single piece of media available for us which, I'll be honest, wasn't very much.

I'll never forget my first midnight release experience at the local EB Games: standing outside on a cool September evening after work, waiting patiently just to be let in, and finally getting our hands on the game we'd so patiently waited for.

It's introduced me to some individuals I'll consider lifelong friends, even if we've lost contact. I'll never forget the first time I cleared the first raid in Destiny, Vault of Glass. It was an experience; it challenged you harder than anything in the game to date; and it was well worth the trouble.

If you're a gamer, you get it. You understand what it's like to come back on a weekly basis and slowly grind your way to the top. It keeps you entertained; it gives you something to do and look forward to each and every week at a chance at climbing your way up the proverbial power ladder.

Games help me in so many ways; they provide a distraction from my mental health, they encourage me to push through tough challenges, and improve the way I see things. I simply explain they're integral to my life because they really define who I am as an individual: someone who thirsts for amazing stories; and trying to figure out how those stories will affect me in my life and leave lasting memories.

Gaming is a cornerstone in many people's lives and even the source of their livelihood, much to people's disbelief. It's really not that difficult to comprehend, however, as most of the stigma surrounding video games has dissipated over the years, with some exceptions of course (looking at you, Fortnite).

I went three months without games this past summer; and I legitimately lost my mind. When something has become so important to you and been a big part of your life for so long, you would, too. Sure, there are many who would look at me and think I'm insane for thinking such things, but it was a genuine struggle for me.

In short, gaming is important, not just to me, but to millions of people around the world, and, at least to us, it does a world of good. I hope I strike a chord with some of you who read this. If I have, feel free to sound off, and let me know some of your favourite games and how they've affected and played an important part in your life as well; I'm always up for a chat.

first person shooter
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About the Creator

Jakob Russell

27 year old aspiring writer, hoping to make a name for myself one word at a time.

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