Origins and my passion for gaming

There was a time in the past where a trip to Origins would have been an experience of a lifetime -- something I could only dream about. Well, finally I get to live that said "dream", and it is still pretty good...but maybe not as much as it once could have been.

For all those who aren't part of the gaming community, Origins is an annual game fair that takes over the entire Columbus Convention Center. It's packed with thousands of nerdy guys (and amazingly enough, a significant female population) trying out new games as well as old standbys. For myself, I have intended to stay focused on Magic the Gathering -- mostly because of time commitments, but also for other reasons I will explain next.

First off, let me explain that the gaming phenomenon has exploded in my generation. For our own sake, we'll call it Gen Y, but it pretty much encompasses anyone 16 to 30, give or take a couple years. The folks of this generation have largely grown up and have steady incomes. Perhaps it's just me -- but I think the "gamer" demographic will continue to push upwards in age for the next couple decades. I could be completely wrong about this (I wasn't even part of the gaming scene until very recently).

Wait -- did I just say I entered the gaming scene just recently? Well, yeah...kinda. Growing up, I was usually on the outside looking in. Without pointing any fingers, I really didn't have much support as far as furthering my gaming aspirations. Maybe for the better, but I think it would have helped me as a person overall. Perhaps I would have chosen a career in programming or design over tech support? Or else I could have been a worldwide phenom? (yeah, right...I don't think I'd ever be able to sustain that with my personality) Or maybe...just maybe I would have had the motivation and connections to run my own business focused around games. People and their games. Kinda silly. Blargh!

OK -- let's say it is silly. Let's say gaming is a complete waste of time and immature and pointless. How is that any different AT ALL from anything else we do for fun? Lots of OLD people (many of them near and dear to me) really enjoy stuff like FISHING...maybe I should ask these people WTF is wrong with them wasting time like that. Especially if they just throw back the fish and don't actually eat it. Hmmm... I could easily think of a dozen other examples but it brings me back to the fact that this is a generational thing, and our kids and grandkids will probably make fun of us for the same reasons (and we'll look down upon them for something else stupid and pointless).

Back to my original point. Was there any? Oh yeah, my passion and stuff. It's still there...a little. I'm hanging onto Magic for the forseeable future, but that's about all I can handle for now. Perhaps I have refined my hobbies and realize I can have only a few. And a few is good enough for me. I always want more. It's a constant battle -- wanting to do more with less time. I can always be more efficient with my time, but I think I've pretty much optimized that as well. I've come to the realization that I need at least some time each week to completely "waste", either by sleep, meditation, staring at a computer screen, or cutting grass. We're getting pretty close...and once I get there I'll probably want to shake everything up again and again and again.

One thing I'm really happy about is the fact that I'm getting out of the house more. I really do get homesick rather quickly, and am not nearly as mentally comfortable outside of familiar surroundings. But the more people I come to know, it makes it much easier. I'd still venture to say that once "every 2 weeks" is about my limit (weekdays are pretty much out of the question at this point -- we need to take baby steps here), so we're making progress there. I realize that if I want to make a positive impact on others, I need to get involved more. Perhaps this will blossom into bigger and better down the road.

So as far as the PTQ went today, well, it just wasn't my day. I played 5 Color Bloodbraid once again, and went 1-3 after 4 rounds. I really still like the deck, however the metagame has shifted to a point where it is very difficult to pick up easy wins, and every game seems to be a struggle. With no PTQs going on within the next few weeks, I have enough time to retool (or even switch) decks. That said, my rigorous playtesting regimen (for me, anyway) will likely slow down just a bit.