"Investing Time" in Video Games

I have been spending a great deal of time lately trying to figure out the next step for me. I am approaching 25 and, in turn, feel it is about time for me to get into a career that really grabs my attention and instills passion for the work I do. What career could I begin that would keep me passionate, involved, and always interested? For the past two years, the answer to this question has eluded me. Some suggested management consulting, journalism, taking my father’s path in the energy industry, human resources, remaining in sales (0 for 2 here). Nothing that was suggested really caught my eye though, save riding my father’s coat tails. And to move from sales to another area of expertise most likely involves stepping back into an entry-level position. Yippee.

I recently discovered the answer to this question in the most unusual place: my dream job. For years, I have told anyone who wouldn’t laugh at me that my dream job was to be somehow, in any way I could, be involved in the video game industry. I reminded myself, every time I mentioned it to someone, that I had no competitive artistic ability or computer programming knowledge. In the end, my only real experience were the countless hours (years) I spend in front of a computer or TV playing my beloved video games.

I always discredited this experience, as I did not see it as a valid sell-point for a career in the video game industry. In other words, what the hell were all those hours playing games worth? It was my girlfriend who woke me up by asking me that exact question while I attempted to defend my precious one on one time with my 360 Wireless Controller:

“You waste your time playing video games everyday. What the hell is that time worth?”

“Nothing, but it is what I love to do!”

Only half of that statement is true, I realize now, since my experience playing games and passion for it opens a few more doors than I had originally thought. So I have industry nailed, but the question still remains: What career could I begin that would keep me passionate, involved, and always interested?

There are two possible avenues I can explore: Quality Assurance Testing and working to become an editor for a gaming review magazine or website. Both play on my strengths, since as a QA Tester you have to be good at playing a game over and over and problem solving and to work your way to editor, you have to be good at writing and evaluation of games. I must admit that I am partial to the latter, but with a major in Creative Writing I am a bit biased. These are both highly competitive positions that also tend to be located out west.

So now we come to the reason for this whole me me me entry on my blog: to introduce my entry into reviews on this blog. Though I plan to maintain the original idea here, I plan to release a few blog entries as gaming reviews as well. I have also toyed with the idea of launching a second blog purely for game reviews.

Though it isn’t life changing or will buy me a career in the industry, it is a step in the right direction. So when my girlfriend disapproves of my obsession with games, I will be able to say:

“Baby, I’m not wasting my time. I am investing it.”

Zing!


Quick Note:
My experience with video games began when my father bought our very first computer: the IBM 8088 (or IBM PC) running a cheetah-esque Intel 8088, 4.77 MHz and 2, count ‘em, 2 floppy drives. This piece of modern machinery set the Mahoney family back a cool three grand. Zing!