Codes to Play By

The thing about gaming is, it’s not always about just the games. Azul has a social network. When we first started going out I didn’t expect to become so heavily acquainted with his gaming community. But, in spite of a self-conscious attitude and no real know-how about their favorite hobby, I took to them quickly.

I suppose Quentin did too, in his own one-stop-from-a-Taco-Bell-mascot way. At least, I suspect he’s been comfortable with the voices coming out of his new daddy’s laptop judging by the way he’ll snuggle in close to it.

Azul’s friends – now my friends too, I think – are fantastic, fascinating people from all around globally speaking. Thankfully, I don’t have to speak to the gaming culture to reflect genuine interest in other ones.

Of course, there are those out there who hide in toxic gaming culture. Insensitive, rude, and utterly disrespectful to the games they play and their fans.

Apparently one of them lives about an hour away from us. He’s the type who asks for money via his YouTube channel to support his gaming habit, then uses it to buy a new girlfriend and a cat.

Azul and his friends burn off their frustration at this blight on the universe by watching and making reaction videos to this individual; dropping their jaws as he live streams while poorly playing the easier games, shouting out foul insults directed at both his console and his fans.

I’ve never quite understood the nature of that. I grew up having some gamers in the family, and it’s generally kept me in the opinion that if you don’t have the patience for an electronic machine, then you don’t have the patience for something that’s a bit more high maintenance. Like, say, another human being.

Maybe my lack of love for video games stems from this. I don’t know. But what I do know is that my distrust for gamers has been turned on its head.

Yes, my boyfriend swears a bit whenever his character suddenly dies. I have never seen him violently throw his controllers. I have never heard him accuse the game of “cheating” against him. And no game has ever been so important that my slightest interruption merited a verbal beat down

In fact, if I suggest after some time during a game that he take a break with me, my wish is granted within under five minutes. And even if he is talking to his best friend in the gaming community, he’ll hang up as soon as acceptably possible if I need some help. His friends never complain, and are always willing to assist in whatever function they can as well.

There will always be a bit of toxic waste mixed in with the gems of the gaming world.  But really, I’ve seen my share of toxic gaming. This is my first time seeing it with my gem of a boyfriend and his code-abiding comrades.

Til next time,

G.G.