Are My Gaming Days Over?

Some of you may argue this is off the topic of ManoaDNA music, but actually a little relevant…

For years, since I was a tiny boy, I have been interested in video games. Starting with my very first Nintendo Entertainment System, and “Duck Hunt,” I was hooked. I can actually remember the day that my Dad brought home my first NES. Needless to say, I was a giddy young lad.

Fast forward 20 wonderful years, featuring Nintendos, Sonys, Microsofts, Segas, and even NECs (can someone say Turbo Grafx 16?!), and we come to 2010 (specifically September and October). On a cool Manoa night, I sat down to challenge my baseball skills on my Sony Playstation 3. I hit the power button, and quickly realized that it was not reading the discs. A quick call to Sony revealed I probably had a dead disc drive, and would cost $150 to repair. No worries though, since I rarely used my PS3, and had an XBOX 360 anyway.

Sad but not deterred, I continued my gaming nights on my XBOX. Until last weekend, when my XBOX died as well. I was updating Madden, and POOF! FREEZE! DAT DAT! ZZZZZT! RED RING OF DEATH! And there it was, my gaming life, as I knew it, ended. Dead. Now forced to sit on my shelf like some sort of gaming graveyard, both consoles sit and collect dust.

Now, what does this have to do with ManoaDNA, and myself overall? In days past (pre-adult & pre-mortgage days) I wouldn’t even think twice about heading down to Walmart and picking up a replacement for both. In my life, video games were a daily routine, a way to escape the day, exercise the hand-eye coordination, and relax. Now, I second guess my desire to play video games. I find myself with less and less time to play games, less and less liquid assets to purchase them, and less desire to spend the time necessary to complete them. Even as I write those words, it is still a sad realization.

So now what? It has been one week without the consoles, and like most weeks before it, I did not have much time to play. However, the mere fact that I don’t have that luxury anymore, saddens me. Am I growing up finally? Have I come to a crossroad? Is this the universe’s way of telling me I need to concentrate on other things? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

In the meantime, I will try to live game-free. Read more? Write more music for ManoaDNA? Cook fancy meals? I don’t know. Any of you have ideas how I can spend my free nights now?