Growing Older and Hopefully Wiser

When I was a little kid, I disliked many foods.  I hated cheese until I was 10 years old.  I didn't understand how people could possibly think it tasted good.  The thought of putting a slice of American on my sandwich sent me into tantrums.  I also used to hate mushrooms, but I now order them on everything I possibly can.  I don't know how it happened.  From burgers to omelets, cheese and mushrooms have become my new favorites.  Like this inexplicable change in physical taste, I have completely evolved in my gaming.

I am not a person who plays for the sake of nostalgia.  Just because I loved a game when I was a little kid, doesn't mean I have unrelenting loyalty to the franchise for the decades that followed.  While some series have taken dramatic nose dives in terms of quality, the ones that remain consistent seem to bore me. 

As a small child, I played the few games that were available like Zelda, Mario, and Sonic.  Through the years, I began leaving those behind and playing more sports games.  NBA Street, SSX, and even a little hockey filled my college years.  As the latest generation of consoles came out, I was inundated with new games.  While my preferences before may have come from lack of choices due to the young age of the industry, my adult gaming experiences were saturated in shooters.  I have spent years pouring myself in Call of Duty.  I joined a clan, played competitively, and obsessed over my statistics.

Now, even after spending the last four years dedicated to one genre, I find myself moving on again.  I can't get enough RPGs in my life.  I have always played RPGs here and there.  Growing up, Final Fantasy was a staple in my household.  But now more than ever, I want to set off on a great adventure.  I get the urge to explore caves and save the world.  My days of finding release from blasting people with an AK have morphed in my desire to loot treasure chests.  I would much rather do a dungeon run in search of a secret amulet than play Search and Destroy.

Everyone has changes in likes and dislikes as they grow older.  I like to think of my change as a sign of maturity.  Not necessarily that an adventure game or an RPG is more mature than a shooter, but that I'm mature enough to try something different.  I'm glad that I have been able to break away from the self-created pigeon hole and find something new within my hobby.  I encourage everyone else to try something new too.