It’s Not Just for Kids

I have spent my entire life doing thing’s that fall under the category of “creative”. Be it creating videos, streaming, writing articles, writing scripts; you name it.

However, for the last couple of months I have dealt with the worst writer’s block I have dealt with in my entire life.

I have struggled to find the words for the things that I am thinking and feeling, and frankly some of that stems from some personal stuff with work and stress. That’s not an excuse, heck, that’s just life. It is what it is, right?

Here’s the thing though:

I have worked very hard on some things lately that I can’’t even talk about yet. Things that I am extremely excited to bring to the light of day and can’t wait to share with you all! Things that directly involve and connect to the gaming industry. This wonderful, flawed industry. However, in the midst of the craziness, I have finally found the words for something I am passionate about.

I have always been passionate about the gaming industry, but the direction in which to point that passion is what matters the most. Direction gives inspiration and inspiration gives action and action gives meaning.

See, what I have realized is that in the midst of a struggle for words and direction, I was passively doing things without realizing it, and doing them because of my passion. This industry, as I have discussed before, can connect with any person of any age group, ethnicity, whatever. With that, comes the duty to ensure that it can continue that mission. Nowadays we see so much disruption of meaning in this industry and the idea for corporations to view it as “just a moneymaker” is ruining the goodness that this industry can foster. It’s on us, all of us, to ensure that our culture and society can be given the best possible chance to foster goodness, morality, hope, inspiration and meaning.

And bam, there it is.

Hope, inspiration and meaning.

So many people judge me for believing that video games can foster exactly that.

I was having a discussion with an older friend of mine recently who, whether he realized it or not, gave me something meaningful to chew on. This industry isn’t just for kids. Games are not a pointless past-time anymore. They’re not a “brain melter” or whatever ridiculously cliche term people who are out of touch cling to. I can tell you with certainty and experience that this industry can provide real opportunity and real wealth for young people growing in a career. In the same way you can get a degree to be a computer engineer or an accountant, you can go get a degree in game development. In the same way a talented basketball player can pursue the NCAA and the the NBA, a talented gamer can pursue a pro league in their game of choice.

Let me really challenge some people here: Parents — your kid may be really good at certain multiplayer video games. Foster it. Heck, if they’re good enough then they may just retire you.

This industry isn’t just for kids and when parents start to understand that and foster natural talents in esports and opportunities in this industry in the same way they do for traditional sports and other talents, those same parents will start to realize the possibilities that lie ahead. The barriers to entry aren’t as demanding, but just like everything else you have to put the work in.

I mean this: Thank God my parents understood that and allowed me to hone it and perfect it. They did that during a time where other parents called it “brain-rot” and sold their kids PlayStation’s and Xbox’s. I directly attribute where I am at in life to that time.

And if money is your concern, I’m currently watching the Esports World Cup where $70,000,000 are on the line. Yes, that is the correct amount of zeros. Money is there.

You can teach your kid the same valuable life lessons that exist everywhere else, but do it with video games. This isn’t your dads NES anymore, we’re in a whole new world.