900 Hours
2013
900 hours played! I admit, I have a little guilt about that number. Guilt is probably the wrong word. It was more like shame. A grown woman spending that much time playing a *gasp* video game? Shame, shame.
Then I remembered why I started playing Skyrim in the first place and it was because of a desire to connect with Austin.
This past summer I committed to Austin- on his 11th birthday- I would make a real attempt to game with him since it is such a passion of his. Skyrim was picked for me since my knowledge of video games doesn't go beyond Super Mario Brothers and Plants vs. Zombies.
After getting the hang of how to play I immediately saw the appeal. The game is so challenging and so exciting and so much darn fun! The exploration! The adventure! The carnage! OK, I don't care for the carnage and turned the blood off on the game, don't kill any animals unless they are attacking me and generally play the good guy who gets all torn inside when a mission requires me to kill someone who isn't attacking me.
I found you simply can not zone out while playing, which, is something I had thought Austin was doing when watching from the sidelines. In order to play effectively you need to stay focused and engaged or you die and have to start over or end up lost and frustrated. I found collaboration in completing missions is much more fun that trying to do it alone. I even got to help Austin through some tough spots I had gone through first. Ah, the student becomes the teacher. My research skills improved dramatically because some missions just require it.
So much good came from playing. The dishes may have stayed dirty for longer, we may have eaten more pizza and sandwiches than we did before, and I let phone calls go unanswered more often than not, but we're closer as a family and the benefits to our relationship have been immeasurable.
Then I remembered why I started playing Skyrim in the first place and it was because of a desire to connect with Austin.
This past summer I committed to Austin- on his 11th birthday- I would make a real attempt to game with him since it is such a passion of his. Skyrim was picked for me since my knowledge of video games doesn't go beyond Super Mario Brothers and Plants vs. Zombies.
After getting the hang of how to play I immediately saw the appeal. The game is so challenging and so exciting and so much darn fun! The exploration! The adventure! The carnage! OK, I don't care for the carnage and turned the blood off on the game, don't kill any animals unless they are attacking me and generally play the good guy who gets all torn inside when a mission requires me to kill someone who isn't attacking me.
I found you simply can not zone out while playing, which, is something I had thought Austin was doing when watching from the sidelines. In order to play effectively you need to stay focused and engaged or you die and have to start over or end up lost and frustrated. I found collaboration in completing missions is much more fun that trying to do it alone. I even got to help Austin through some tough spots I had gone through first. Ah, the student becomes the teacher. My research skills improved dramatically because some missions just require it.
So much good came from playing. The dishes may have stayed dirty for longer, we may have eaten more pizza and sandwiches than we did before, and I let phone calls go unanswered more often than not, but we're closer as a family and the benefits to our relationship have been immeasurable.
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