I first started Britton Video Games and blogging back in 2015, and continued to blog for around a year until I stopped in 2016. Eight years later, I decided to relaunch my blog because there is more than ever to discuss about gaming. However, eight years later, and I am now in my 30s. The gaming landscape has changed drastically during that time, along with my gaming habits, which got me thinking about what-might-have-been scenarios over the years and questions I ask myself after 25 years of gaming.
If I were younger, would I have pursued a gaming-related career?
Reflecting on the past, my teenage years growing up in the noughties were a time when online resources on gaming were limited. Pocket money was also saved for games, meaning buying gaming magazines, which could have potentially helped me understand more about how to make or write about games, was rare back then.
Discussing gaming as a career openly back then was also strangely met with doubt and scepticism, and opportunities in gaming journalism, video game development, or related fields were not as well heard of.
Considering the increased resources, opportunities, and wider acceptance of gaming today, I can’t help but wonder, if I were younger, would I have been drawn towards a gaming-related career?
Or, if I were younger, would gaming be my career?
Another ‘what if I were younger’ – could gaming actually be my career?
Since Call of Duty: Modern Warfare on the PlayStation 3, I have been familiar with competitive online gaming and Esports competitions hosted around the world. However, it was Fortnite taking the world by storm back in 2017 that really showed me that people can have a wealthy life by just gaming, with Ninja’s Fortnite fame being the most noteworthy. Sitting in the comfort of his own home, Ninja played Fortnite with his friends, streaming his gameplay on Twitch to millions of viewers and, as of 2024, has a net worth of over $40 million.
On top of this, Street Fighter, Call of Duty, Apex Legends, and Rocket League, to name just a few, are also well-established communities, making competitive online gaming the place to be for money and fame through gaming.
While I certainly jumped on the Fortnite battle bus and played quite substantially, work and other commitments meant I couldn’t play as much as I wanted to and couldn’t keep up with all the updates, which ultimately led me to go back to single player games. This makes me think, if I were younger with fewer commitments outside of gaming, would I have been gaming on Twitch or competing in Esports tournaments for a living?
If I was older, would I be more of a PC gamer?
I am saying PC gamers are old? No. However, with gaming PCs costing more than consoles, especially in the 90s and noughties when I was a child, it leans people to choose a console over a PC due to cost. This is especially true as a child since a parent is much more likely to buy you the much cheaper option of a PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo console for Christmas than a PC. This was true in my case, as my first console was the original PlayStation, which firmly set me down the PlayStation route. Twenty-five years later, it is still my console of choice, having owned all PlayStation consoles throughout the years.
Another common scenario growing up back then is that any PC you have in the family home is for the entire family, not just yourself, meaning less time to play. The family PC was also most likely for work/school and not for gaming, resulting in games either running at a lower capacity due to the PC lacking the recommended specifications or not being able to play at all.
These factors made growing up playing consoles more affordable and accessible. However, in the noughties, if I were older, working, and with more money in my pocket, one can’t help but wonder if I would have been more tempted to buy a gaming PC over consoles due to the enhanced graphics/performance, which were more prominent back then, and the rise of online and competitive play in the form of World of Warcraft, Team Fortress, etc., arriving in PC gaming before consoles.
Should I start collecting games and consoles?
After over 25 years of gaming, I have played more games than I can remember. Sometimes, being a keen Platinum trophy hunter on the PlayStation, I will look back on trophies I’ve earned since its launch in 2008, only to see a list of games I don’t even remember playing. However, I will always remember my favourite games, despite some of them coming from the PS1/PS2 era over 20 years ago, such as Final Fantasy 7-10, Metal Gear Solid 1-3, and Resident Evil. While all those games are available today in an improved remastered/remake form, they can’t recreate the nostalgia and memories of playing the original versions.
There are two types of gamers: those who kept all their games growing up and still own their favourite games over the years, and those who sell their games once finished. I fall into the latter category, selling any game I owned once finished with them so that I can buy new ones. While I saved a lot of money and played more games by doing so, I can’t help but miss those Final Fantasy and Resident Evil games that came on multiple discs in a bulky, yet fragile PS1 case, which are harder to come by today, with prices rising year after year. Now that I’m older, with more disposable income available, I can’t help but think if I should start buying back my favourite games and consoles over the years before prices go even higher.
Will I ever fall out of love with gaming?
The biggest worry in gaming: will I ever fall out of love with it? As stated above, some of my favourite games are from over 20 years ago. Is this because games just aren’t as good these days, dwindling my love for gaming as I get older? Not necessarily. A couple of reasons I believe older games are seen as better is that as a child, you were more likely to experience gaming for the first time, making for a more exhilarating experience, and, more importantly, you had more time to play them. Which makes the real question: will I ever have more time for gaming?
The older you are, the more likely you are to have less time for gaming, with work and other commitments taking your time instead. However, over the years, as technology has advanced, we now live in a world with more games and more access to them than ever, along with streaming/social media channels where you can watch and discuss gaming. Meaning, while it may feel like you are spending less time gaming the older you get, in reality, you may actually be spending more time than ever on video games through social media discussions and watching others play. The access we have to all of the above means that gaming is still a big part of my life, making these days the best time for gaming and making my love for gaming stronger for it.
