The Games We Play

Regardless of what some folks say, I do not have a gaming obsession. I prefer to call it a healthy appreciation of all things game related.

I may or may not be allowed in board game sections at Target and/or Barnes and Noble so I won’t add more to my collection. Still, I would not call that an obsession.

I've often wondered what It is about games that I enjoy so much. My response to myself is, first and foremost, because they're fun.

But why are they fun?

The only explanation I have is that games connect me to other humans. And not just other gamers. They've connected me to everyone in my life at one point or another.

I got to experience this human interaction vicariously as I shot the photos for this essay. I was so excited to start the project and had a mountain of ideas for the shots I'd take.

Mountain of ideas for the shots I wanted to take

Then I began shooting and quickly learned there aren't as many game-playing children running rampant throughout our towns as TV commercials would have us believe. Every hopscotch, double Dutch or freeze tag scenario I'd imagined promptly fizzled out.

For the last 22 years I'd been under the impression that kids were constantly everywhere. I guess that was just at my house.

Thankfully, gaming isn't merely child's play. I was able to capture plenty of play among adults like me.

There are even destinations specifically geared toward adults who want to play.

There are places like Cidercade (as seen in the slideshow) and Game Theory in Fort Worth (in the photo below).

Game Theory in Fort Worth is a bar AND a library of board games!

The only problem was that virtually everywhere adults played was indoors.

Lighting became an issue in many of the places I photographed. I found myself adjusting my camera settings from one shot to the next. The arcade was especially difficult because what resembled the lights of the Vegas strip one second diminished to a glow as luminescent as a bathroom night light in the next.

Good game. Bad lighting.

I finally had to set a minimum ISO speed of 1000 and shoot in auto ISO mode. I kept the aperture as wide open as possible and crossed my fingers as I held down the button to rapidly shoot 10 continuous pictures. Out of every 10, I knew at least one would be successful. I’m pretty sure this is why statistics is required for my degree. Thanks, stats.

So Statistics did come in handy...

The little time I did spend outside was enough to remind me why adults enjoy indoor activities. I wanted to stack all my games to see how tall a game tower I could make. This project took me roughly two hours.

The ginger beast

First, I had to drag all my games out a few at a time and keep our little ginger beast from toppling them.

Then, it was hot.

Like Texas hot.

Like building a castle on the surface of the sun hot.

It was also the most satisfying game of Tetris I’ve ever played.

I used games to play another game. So meta.

I think it is pretty obvious that games play a pretty major role in my life as they do with so many others. I know what purpose they serve in my world.

What purpose do they fill in yours?