With Erica still out on the road with Diana, I’m having to keep myself entertained. So, tonight I thought it would be fun to have a modernized, psudo-LAN party with a friend that I haven’t seen in quite some time. And while setting up our laptops side-by-side on a wireless network it isn’t quite the same as the LAN parties of old, it was a blast. Travel and gaming go hand in hand.
Some of my fondest memories revolve around playing video games with friends. This probably has something to do with why I’ve been working in the video game industry for the last five years (when not traveling). Whether it was going over to a friend’s house for some SNES action or staying up for 3 days playing a World of Warcraft expansion, great times were had and friendships were forged. Not to mention, many of these friendships are some of the strongest I have.
To a ‘normal’ person, the idea of spending copious amounts of time talking to strangers and attempting to entertain yourself or accomplish goals can seem a bit odd (hmm, that sounds more like social media than gaming…). After all, the internet is full of weirdos. >_>
On the same token, many people view gaming as an anti-social activity when in most cases that couldn’t be any less true. Playing online games and meeting people from all over the world was one of the things that fanned my smoldering travel dreams. And even single player games can be group activities, like so many so many of the console games I grew up with. Hell, Erica and I even sometimes take turns playing Minesweeper while trash-talking (though, she is waaaaaay better than me).
But once you’re on the road, gaming isn’t an option. Right? Quite the opposite. Gaming is part of every culture. And with technology becoming much more affordable, video games are prevalent all over the world as well. It isn’t always as ingrained into the culture as something like StarCraft 2 in South Korea, but even in tiny Guatemalan mountain towns I came across internet cafes like this one:
If you’re traveling, why would you want to sit behind a computer (or other gaming device)? Well, we all need down days, even in the most incredible locations. Not to mention, it’s an easy and fun way to stay connected with friends while abroad.
Although, if you’ve ever traveled to a lesser-developed country you’re probably thinking that there is no point to even attempting to play online games while dealing with connection speeds reminiscent of dial-up. Sometimes, there isn’t. And when those times occur, switch to offline mode. Besides, you can always take screenshots and brag to your buddies later.
No matter what your gaming platform of choice is, there is almost assuredly a travel option for you. Mobile devices have a ridiculous number of options and many of them are free. I personally love the old-school approach and never leave home without my handheld gaming consoles (usually my older DS that also plays GBA games). And let’s not forget the most diverse gaming system- laptops. It doesn’t matter if you’re rockin’ a Macbook or a Digital Storm gaming laptop, bring your favorite games and your favorite people with you around the world.
I haven’t played many online games (just addicted to Skyrim) but I did go to a professional Starcraft II tournament here in South Korea! It was awesome.
@Rachel – Damn, I’m sooooooo jealous! One day I’ll see a tourney in Korea… and hopefully soon!
I can’t decide if I am happy that there are other gamers out there traveling, or sad that this post reminded me that Half Life 3 is still un-announced.
I am not much into gaming let alone online gaming!!
Nice read though.
We travel with a DS and Mario keeps us company when waiting to board flights or traveling long hours. As much as it is important to “disconnect” and do new stuff, it is also very enjoyable to do the stuff you love doing back home, even while on the road!
Gaming is my one and only past time at home. From console games to MMO, as long as I have friends that I can share the fun I can’t think that I’ll ever stop playing.