Soapbox options allow our particular person writers and contributors to voice their opinions on scorching subjects and random stuff they have been chewing over. Right this moment, Nathan considers how his analytical thoughts and love of knowledge affect his recreation time…
I’m the oldest of 4 brothers. Over the previous 4 years we’ve used video video games as a way for connecting with one another. However not in the way in which you may anticipate. We have not been enjoying video games collectively. As an alternative, we have now an annual custom of holding a weeks-long dialogue and debate about video games, sport music, and most just lately, to crown our collective favourite sport ever.
Our yearly debates have been a handy strategy to join. They’ve additionally offered me with a novel studying expertise. I’ve observed, extra clearly than ever, how my character is mirrored in how I expertise gaming, the passion that I’ve maintained for mainly my complete life.
30-Day Challenges
Our annual custom started as a COVID lockdown exercise. I got here throughout a “30-Day Video Sport Music Problem” chart on the net and thought it might be enjoyable to fill it out. The chart has 30 online game music classes, one for every day, together with “Title Display screen Music”, “Credit Music”, and all the things in between.
The uncooked knowledge wasn’t sufficient for me – I needed to uncover the tales behind the information.
As I stuffed it out, I puzzled how my brothers would reply those self same questions, and the way their solutions would differ from my very own. We grew up in the identical home, in spite of everything.
Everybody agreed to the problem and we took every week or two to prep. I began a texting thread and at 8am every day we collectively answered that day’s query. Solutions got here within the type of a hyperlink to a YouTube video of our track selection, together with a quick rationalization.
Crunching the Numbers
Naturally, I captured all the things in a spreadsheet.
I say, “naturally” however this was the primary indication that my strategy to gaming differed from that of my brothers. All 4 of us loved listening to one another’s track selection, however I used to be the one one who seemed for developments in our solutions. I needed to dissect and analyze. The uncooked knowledge wasn’t sufficient for me – I needed to uncover the tales behind the information.
Which of us was essentially the most nostalgic? What console appeared essentially the most usually? Which franchises have been overrepresented?
These have been questions that demanded my consideration and required my evaluation. My brothers humored me as I shared my musings, however it was clear that they weren’t as “into it” as I used to be. My strategy was totally different.
Main the Means
Throughout spherical one, we relied on that pre-made “sport music” problem. The next yr, in 2021, I made a decision to get inventive by crafting my very own 30-day problem. This time, every query could be answered with the title of a sport.
The classes included “The primary online game you bear in mind enjoying”, “An underrated sport”, “Favourite or memorable boss battle” (I am going to always remember the primary time I killed Hitler in Bionic Commando!), and “A sport that may make an excellent film”. And so forth.
As soon as once more, I despatched out the each day survey and tallied up the ends in my trusty spreadsheet. I used to be the ringleader, the organizer, and the driving pressure behind this second spherical of the Lockard Brothers’ problem.
I stored the custom moving into 2022 (Important Motion pictures) and once more in 2023, after I solid my magnum opus, the “Lockard Bros. Finest. Sport. Ever” match bracket.
The Bracket
This was our most intricate problem but. Compiling a listing of video games for the bracket required hours upon hours, and that’s not even mentioning how a lot work went into the development of the bracket itself.
The complete bracket sported 208 video games unfold throughout two smaller brackets (retro and trendy), 189 head-to-head matchups, 15 play-in brackets, and a top-eight, double-elimination playoff bracket to cap all of it off. Perhaps I overdid it. Clearly, I used to be interested by video video games excess of I used to be enjoying them.
The tourney was a whole lot of work to arrange, and working it wasn’t a picnic both.
Right here’s a professional tip for anybody inquisitive about working a match bracket: ensure you have an odd variety of voters. My three brothers and I arrived at a 2-to-2 stalemate 36 instances in our bracket. That’s nearly one in each 5 matchups.
This uncovered my second character trait – I’m form of bossy. I acted because the arbiter in these 2-to-2 votes. Perhaps it’s a consequence of being the oldest (delivery order, and all that), however I made positive that every impasse was amicably resolved. Each 2-to-2 turned 2-plus-to-2. And by some means, we’re nonetheless buddies.
Oh, and in case you’re questioning, Tremendous Mario World got here out on high.
Character Varieties
My brothers and I haven’t held the 2024 version simply but. Frankly, crowning the most effective sport ever will likely be a tricky act to comply with. For those who’ve obtained any concepts, I’m all ears.
Even when final yr’s problem seems to be the ultimate one, the harm is completed: I’m now keenly conscious that my character is laid naked in my gaming habits.
I had as a lot enjoyable with the planning and quantity crunching of those gaming-related challenges as I’ve after I’m really enjoying video games. Perhaps extra.
I am a software program architect by commerce. One other consequence of my structured, analytical character. What can I say? I like to prepare and analyze. And never simply in my code repositories. I prefer to make lists, stock my collections, and hunt for the most effective gross sales.
Is it any surprise, then, that I’m a sucker for tactical technique video games? Or that I all the time attempt to 100% each sport I play? Heck, I in all probability spend as a lot time cataloging and curating my bodily and digital online game collections as I do enjoying them. Clearly, it’s my mindset (which has been abundantly uncovered within the annual challenges) that drives all of those behaviors and preferences.
At this level you is perhaps questioning the place I am going with this. Both that otherwise you’re dwelling out that DiCaprio meme, frantically pointing on the display screen whereas yelling, “That is me!” Both method, I hope you’re interested by how your individual character and passions are mirrored in your strategy to gaming.
As Socrates stated, “To know thyself is the start of knowledge.” I do know extra about myself due to a couple of 30-day challenges. Right here’s hoping that some knowledge is on its method.
Do you discover your private or skilled proclivities affecting the way in which you take pleasure in video video games? Is the impact all the time a constructive one? Tell us within the feedback.