Life, Love, and Video Games

by Chris Bishop 

I'm noticing a disturbing trend; both in myself and the RPGamer community in general. People DON'T HAVE LIVES. Video Games aren't everything, you know.

I noticed this first about 2 months ago, a month after I dropped out of high school. (Yes, I am a dropout. I'm okay with that. Life goes on.) I found myself doing nothing, not going out anymore, not even looking for a job like I should have been. Instead, I played Final Fantasy VI and VII. All day. Stopping for food, cigarettes, and band practice. Until I beat them both. I was struck by an interesting dilemma then. 'Now what?', I asked myself, as I sat twiddling my thumbs and watching Mr. T reruns. 'This is boring. I need a new game. But which one?'

Here's where it gets interesting. I decided NOT to get one. (Insert screams of 'Why?' from RPGamers across the world here) Because I figured out that it really sucks to sit on my ass staring at a screen all day. Yes, RPGs are extremely entertaining; and yes, they have beautiful plots, graphics, and everything else that makes a game great. BUT they aren't everything. Too many people I know can say truthfully that their best friend is named Locke.

I sat down and read a book. three books, actually. I finally got around to reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I finished the same day I started, I enjoyed it so much. The next day, I cleaned my room. For the first time in about 3 years now, my floor isn't 3 feet deep in random dirty or sharp things to step on. Then I went out and applied for jobs all over the city of Boston. I play shows with my band, I exercise, (Yeah, you heard me: exercise) and I don't miss spending my days in front of my TV.

But don't get me wrong... I still love video games. I'm playing Chrono Trigger right now, but I only spend about 45 minutes a day at it. My basic point is that life doesn't have to revolve around the video games you play. Get out there and enjoy yourselves.