i wish i couldve enjoyed more 2000s pc games in their prime but i was just too young to be able to play and really get into a lot of them. but going back and playing these titles posthumously creates a deep yearning inside of me for experiences i never really had. its really hard to overstate how crucial and innovative of a time it was for gaming and how much it shaped and continues to shape how games are designed in the modern era. i dont think there will be anything quite like it ever again. i grew up watching videos of people talking about these games with this immense sense of reverence and nostalgia that instilled this child-like awe in me as a kid where i felt deeply connected to games that i had never even played and wouldnt play until adulthood
i watched my dad play these games (he still does) and played some of them with him, which became some of my most fond memories from my childhood. ultimately it led up to me deciding What i Want To Do For a Living being within the gaming industry and contributing to this storytelling and art medium that has so deeply altered my life. Like. i dont want this to sound like peak brainrot but i think there is something truly special and worthy of recognition and renown to the process of creating a game, how difficult it is and how dedicated you have to be to do it, all in pursuit of creating an immersive and interactive experience that serves to either, a) make people happy, b) tell a story, or c) do both of these things*
anything that promotes entertainment and joy and happiness and being connected to other people is an amazing thing. THis started with me talking about 2000s pc games and now im here can you tell im studying game design?
this spirals into a bigger conversation about what art means i think if we decide to take the "games as art" approach, but thats for another post another time i think. I have far too many thoughts about that one and they will make me cry if i type them out rn
*with indie games, at least. of course triple A studios have so many horrific problems that are obviously disgusting and devaluing towards the final products
