Too Old for Games...

If someone were to ask the 11 year old me, "what would make you feel content?" I would've shared this silly dream I had back then. Back when I tried to spend every second of my free time playing games on my Pegasus; I just dreamt of a day when I'd have one hundred - no, no - two hundred video games stacked up in a personal library to choose from. If only I had the money, because back then buying a AED 35 game used to seem so darn expensive.

Perhaps, if I did have that many games, a few years from now I could've exhibited them at some art exhibition as a collector's item. But, as a kid, I would've never preserved them in mint condition -- I would've been too busy catching up to technology, the Nintendo, SUPER Nintendo, N64, PS2, Wii, PS3... 

I have only ever owned 4 game consoles my whole life, The Atari, The Pegasus, Super Nintendo, and The PS3. Something happened after the Super Nintendo, I think. It was around then that I found other things in life that piqued my interest, but, also, I started growing up and realising that this would never end. They will never create a gaming system that they will look at and say "this is it, we don't need to create anymore new consoles EVER!" 

Today, the PS3 my wife pushed me to buy back in 2011, is kind of being pushed out by it's successor, the PS4. They still sell it in the market and have games for it, but, all the games I was sort of waiting for in any of the series, such as uncharted and infamous, will only continue on PS4. That's a bit disappointing. But, I think I am secretly feeling a bit relieved. As I walked into a gaming store to kill some time today during my quarterly essential shopping (finally found boxers and socks), I noticed the push for PS4. I noticed 'Infamous the Second Son' on the shelf, but available exclusively on PS4. The same will happen for 'Uncharted 4.' 

I am upset when I think I may probably never get to play as Nathan Drake again. But I am a bit relieved that I won't have a game distracting me. I barely find any time in my day to add to my book, there seem to be enough distractions around in the few hours I get off from work. Well, 'distraction' is a harsh word for them, as I do love a lot of the things that take up my time. Nat Geo, basketball, new places for dinner, this blog, time with family and friends; but that's about it. I have been avoiding any urge to get into a new game. 

It is ironic, today when I can probably afford to gradually build my personal gaming library; when I can possibly afford to buy a lot of different consoles and games, I see them as distractions. It's strange how our perception of how we choose to spend our time changes as we grow up. Things we once loved can someday feel like distractions that we avoid. Or, perhaps they become a luxury we can no longer afford as far as time is concerned. 

One of my favourite quotes by Gautama Buddha was "learn to let go, that is the key to happiness." Clearly, as we grow older (and wiser?) in life, we do let go of a lot of things; things that perhaps become distractions we avoid... But, of course, for every passion we seem to let go and classify as a distraction, we really just seem to replace it with another passion. 

"A dream for a dream, and you will forever remain asleep..."