MO SADEK
Staff Writer
Dating is the like the final boss of a videogame. In its early stages, a date seems harder than it is. Sure, you’ll get tossed around a bit, and lose a few times, but eventually something will click and it’ll work out.
Don’t get too comfortable though, this is only the beginning. Dating gets harder to deal with, constantly surprising you and exhausting your skill. Time and time again, you’ll find yourself becoming frustrated with the vicious cycle of fail and repeat, to the point it appears that you’re only destined for failure.
And then, something works.
At first, you won’t know what it was, instinct or fate, but by some miracle you’ve made it to the final boss. Yeah, it’ll be just as unpredictable and ferocious as its prior forms, but that’s what you signed up for. Although dating isn’t literally an epic battle, dating a gamer may actually be more similar to fighting a giant, digital monster. For some people, it’s easy, but for others, it is an impossible task.
In a discussion with a student who prefers to remain anonymous, it was clear that there are some people who would never consider dating a gamer.
“I would never date a guy who identifies as a gamer,” the student said. “I think it’s a huge turnoff. Personally, I see gaming as a waste of time, and it’s childish. I would rather date a man who makes good use out of his time, doing things that are productive.”
However, this stereotype is something that gamers face daily. For some people, gaming is simply a hobby — play for an hour or two and then go do something else. On the contrary, many gamers see it as productive, even academic.
Nicholas Reed, a senior computer science major, sees his future as being in the game industry.
“As someone who wants to go into creative design or be a design analyst for a game company, videogames are a really important part of my life … Playing videogames ranges from a hobby to a lifestyle, and anyone who isn’t going to respect your interests isn’t worth dating.”
Reed’s words could not be truer. Respect is a crucial aspect of any relationship. In the relationship of Sarah Fuller and Sam Simpson, respect for each other’s individuality and interests helps them surmount the challenge gaming presents in their relationship.
“Ever since I can remember, I’ve been playing videogames,” said Simpson, a junior computer science major. As a big Counter Strike and League of Legends player, Simpson is gaming most of the time on his PC.
“Right from the time we are done making dinner, for the rest of the night, he will be on the computer,” said Fuller, a junior journalism major. “We’ll go to the gym somewhere in there, but besides the gym, [the] big activity is playing games.”
Fuller, on the other hand, is not a gamer by her standards. “If I do play any games, it’s just apps … Right now it’s ‘Soda Crush’ from the ‘Candy Crush Saga.’” The couple does engage in Mario Kart matches together, but Fuller finds that her competitive personality drives Simpson off the track. In some ways, gaming separates the two.
“I feel like [gaming] is his number one favorite thing to do … it’s the most important thing in his life and I can’t do it with him,” said Fuller.
Despite this, the couple finds their differences beneficial to the relationship.
“If you date the same type of person you are, it would just end up being boring — you’ve already seen everything they have to show you. But if you date someone different, you get a whole different perspective on things,” said Simpson. “Any hobby that you have that defers from each other is going to affect [the relationship] in some way. You have to spend time with each other and also time doing what you want. You have to find a balance that works.”
“And that’s something we’re still trying to find after two years.” said Fuller.
You don’t need to be a gamer to appreciate your partner, nor do you have to play games to show them you’re interested. Emily Annesley, a junior English and music performance major, is currently in a healthy relationship with a gamer despite having no skill in gaming. “I’ll play Mario Kart or Mario Party with him sometimes, but nothing too intense, because I’m really bad at it.”
For other couples, it doesn’t hurt for both individuals to love videogames. For Molly Waters and Jim Drake, gaming is the extra that makes their relationship extraordinary.
Both Waters and Drake are senior BFA acting majors. They’re both also avid gamers. From taking turns at playing Kingdom Hearts to arguing over Mario Party results, the couple couldn’t be happier with how things are going now.
“With her, there are times where we’re just like ‘I’m about to go keelhaul something, wanna watch?’ and I’ll say ‘Sure! I’ll go keelhaul something on my game too,’” said Drake.
Though gaming is a big part of their relationship, the couple doesn’t see it as the only thing keeping them together.
Waters says that it allows for their “true colors” to show and allows them to “take each other as is.”
“Honestly, I think that it has added [to] something that’s already there,” said Drake. “It has only made us a lot closer.”