A lot of people ask me what is an almost 40-year-old guy still doing playing video games? Gaming as a hobby and entertainment form has become pretty mainstream and socially acceptable in this day and age. But back in the 80’s when I was first exposed to video games (SNES) it was still a pretty underground hobby and entertainment form. Right up there with pen and paper dungeons and dragons. Did I think I will still be playing games after picking up my first controller at the tender age of eight? Honestly no, but as the years passed and I progressed from playing games on the SNES, Sega Saturn and then the original Xbox and PlayStation it slowly started become part of my life. It started to become more than just video games and pixels on the screen for me, it became a form of escapism for me from the rough childhood I had.

I could just sit down even if it was for an hour and cut myself off from the real world and escape into the world of video games. I got to go places and experience things I would not have been able to imagine in my wildest dreams, from exploring ancient ruins and forests (Tomb Raider, Uncharted) to slaying demons and dragons (Dragon Age). And this has been the one constant thing for me, through the good times and the bad video games have been that constant for me. And 32 years later this has not changed, and I cannot see myself stopping anytime soon. It has been with me since my childhood, growing up and now I have included it in the lives of my wife and son. And I will most likely continue playing till I cannot hold a controller anymore.

And it is one of the reasons I am so vehemently against the SJW and gaming press launching their attacks and lies against the industry, it is like someone attacking and spreading lies against that one friend you have. The one who has always been there for you no matter what and who has done no wrong, and I will keep defending it as a medium and an entertainment form. It has been there for me for my entire life and I feel obliged to do the same. And unlike the media and the SJW would like you to believe, video games do not turn you into some sexist psychopath with a lust for killing. I am a loving husband and father of a 12-year-old, who works hard to provide for his family. The exact opposite of the basement dwelling neckbearded woman hater that the media portrays us as.

And I am living prove of this, and this goes for all of my friends who are gamer’s and pretty much everyone who is a gamer. Video games and gaming, in general, has taught me so much, more than anything else in life. From expanding my knowledge on historical events (Assassin’s Creed) to exposing me to new musical genres (Bioshock, Fallout3 &4) and even to new entertainment forms like Anime and Manga. Not to mention the countless friendships and bonds I have made both online and offline. I would not have started this blog or started writing and I would not have been involved in movements like #Gamergate. Gaming and video games have enriched my life in countless ways I cannot even put down in words. I will continue being a gamer and defending it from those who want to politize it and turn into a playground for their personal agendas and politics.