I should start by saying, I’ve never learned to play Defense of the Ancients 2 (DotA2). I wish I had taken the time because, deep down, that game is a work of pure harmony.

Many years ago, at the peak of my time spent gaming, I longed to learn a competitive game.

At first, I began with StarCraft 2. It was the first game I played competitively online, and after months of grinding (and a lot of Day9), I managed to ascend from bronze to platinum league.

Competitive gaming had hooked me. StarCraft’s laddering system, mixed with their on-point match-making…

These days subscription services are a dime a dozen. I have a few and only a few. I have Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Medium, and Spotify on the bankroll. I’ve put myself on a subscription limit, and, to be honest, they’re not my favorite, to begin with.

Why?

I should start with a moment of honesty; the last generation of consoles were so great that I eventually purchased all three. I also have a mid-tier PC. Gaming has been an integral part of the coping mechanism that I’ve built for myself when dealing with life's harshness.

As a gamer who hasn’t loved sitting around and mindlessly debating which system is better, I’ve had many watercooler debates about which console ran quieter, faster, and which controller felt better in my hands. Most of the time, neither me nor my friends knew what we were talking about; we just liked…

Like many others, I waited for the entire trailer to hear the famous phrase. Scorpion’s spear throw and subsequent yell bring back years of memories starting with the original Game Boy.

“Get over here!”

That black and white fighter had a built-in secret. With the right combination of buttons, you could uppercut your opponent onto the spikes below. The result was shocking for its time, and Mortal Kombat established a name for having brutal, gory, and downright shocking finishers throughout the years. Each year the fatalities grew more and more intense in an attempt to stick with their brand.

Are the basic skulls even worth it? I questioned this very mechanic my first hour of gameplay, but first, a little backstory.

I took a break this weekend from big-name games and played something completely new, Skul: The Hero Slayer. SouthPAW Games developed the game and it officially released on January 21, 2021.

My son walked in as I loaded the game for the first time. He is four, and I’ve held out on him playing video games for now. I want a bit more time to cultivate his creativity before he sets foot into the beautiful world of gaming.

…

“Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.” — Robert Mckee.

I used to be a night owl. The chef’s life does that to you—night and day trade places with each other. The dark of night brought freedom, while I enjoyed sleep only when the sun's sharp rays penetrated the blinds. The glow of my computer replaced the glare of the sun, and the sun became the moon.

Two hours on weekends and zero games during the week was all I got. Most of us experienced similar restrictions on our favorite pastime growing up. In the ’90s, many parents saw this new hobby as an addictive, useless waste of time damaging children's brains. This lack of support produced feelings of insecurity and even embarrassment in me and many of my peers. Nerding out only took place discreetly and silently.

Very few saw the massive scope of the gaming industry beforehand.

“One way to forget about pain is to do something that you will be in completely.”

Danil “Dendi” Ishutin

One million dollars. Can you imagine? You win a massive international video game tournament, and you and your team walk away with one million dollars. Valve held the first-ever “International” on August 17–21st 2011, in Seattle, Washington.

The Ukrainian team Natus Vincere that won the tournament, walked away victorious in dramatic famous.

The prize pool combined with high-level tournament drama were the kindling esports that needed to explode in the west. …