Learning to Play Video Games as a “Non-gamer”

News of the current pandemic has led to panic-buying, the creation of Zoom University memes, and stay-at-home orders. People across the globe are now starting to get used to working from home, students are taking online classes, and people are starting to pick up old or new hobbies. Once the pandemic started, I found myself watching my friends play different types of games on the Nintendo Switch, from Mario Kart to NBA 2K. Fascinated by the stunning visuals, the ability to transform into a new character, and the pure enjoyment from my friends as they played the games, I slowly learned how to play them. 

Growing up, I didn’t have a console or even a handheld device to play these games. It was not that my parents didn’t have the funds to purchase them or prohibited my sister and me from playing them. We just never expressed a strong interest. We were both happy with what we had. Instead of video games, I spent my time in front of my father’s desktop when he was at work, writing short stories and Harry Potter fanfiction on Microsoft Word and using Mavis Beacon to learn typing. On occasion, my sister and I would play online games like Club Penguin, Balloon Tower Defense, and the entertaining games featured on the Disney Channel website. Other than that, we were strangers to the Xbox, Playstation, and the Nintendo games growing up and this had some embarrassing implications for us during the holidays when we met with our cousins. 

On Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, my relatives would meet at someone’s home to celebrate the holiday. One cousin always brought their console so they could play a host of games. During elementary and middle school, I remember the popularity of the Nintendo Wii. My cousins played Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Wipeout, and the other classic games like Mario Kart and Wii Sports Resort. Even though the games looked like so much fun, I didn’t want to pick up the controller and join in. On the other hand, my sister boarded the video game train quickly. Starting off, she struggled to get the hang of the controls and our younger cousins laughed as she failed to make a turn successfully on Mario Kart and was stuck in one spot. I feared the same ridicule and humiliation because of our unfamiliarity with the controls, the special tips to succeed in the game, and the shortcuts. For years I would watch them play the games and this admittedly created a strain between my cousins and myself. 

In retrospect, I wish I had been more adventurous and joined in. I knew that video games would be the perfect opportunity to get closer to my family members, but I just couldn’t handle the complexity behind the controls and the buttons. I had different priorities and interests, and for that reason I am not a gamer. However, with the shelter-in-place orders and the growing popularity of video games as a fun, collaborative bonding experience, I recently decided to pick up the controller and play a couple of games. I still don’t perform as well as my friends who have been playing for years. It can get frustrating at times, but that is the true beauty of learning something new. Just like learning an instrument or riding a bike, it takes practice to eventually become adequate and perhaps even an expert at a new skill or hobby. I am looking forward to playing more games, learning how to use different controllers and following specific tips on how to succeed, and much more.

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