Why The Lords Game and What It Means To Us

Recently, the Iron Lords hosted the “Play it Forward” Podathon. The Lords and well-known community member Ben Kenobi got together to celebrate the power of gaming and support the Gamers Outreach program. Many great people joined them from the community and even some big names showed their support as well. That inspired me to get some of our fellow Lords together and talk about why we game and what it means to us.

Mahmood Ghaffar, Editor-In-Chief for Lords of Gaming

For me, gaming is synonymous with escapism. To be transported away to another world in a video game. Games are about finding joy in that escapism, where you can unwind and just find entertainment. Some people need to travel to different countries/regions to feel a similar phenomenon, but with games, it’s much easier to accomplish that sentiment. There’s also the social aspect where to connect with family members or old friends. Video games provide that avenue to reconnect with someone who you perhaps haven’t interacted with in a long time.

Billy The Brewer, Associate Author for Lords of Gaming

Gaming, for me, began in elementary school. I lived in a small rural town in the foothills of Virginia. While I mostly spent my younger years outside in my yard or exploring the woods around my home, gaming was another outlet for boredom. As I grew into my middle school years, my dad got us dial-up internet. While online gaming was a pain with a 56.6K dialup, I discovered EverQuest, and it was my first real experience with the immersion that video gaming can provide.

Now, as an adult, I have faster internet and decades of friendships I have gained through my gaming outlet. Whether it be sailing the high seas in Sea of Thieves or exploring a raid in Destiny 2, I have a core group of friends I get to experience countless worlds. I can accomplish feats of greatness, challenge my brain with puzzles, or feel a sense of wonder by discovering what is just over that hill in the distance. I enjoy the escape that is gained from becoming immersed in a game.

Gaming can ease my bouts of anxiety, get me through the healing process of an injury, or help me continually set little goals for myself to feel a sense of accomplishment if my depression starts to rear its ugly head. Gaming will forever be a core part of who I am as a human being and will carry my sense of wonder and exploration from the digital world, to the real world.

LyricAiLove, Senior Author for Lords of Gaming

My journey with gaming began before I even started kindergarten. My earliest memories of having a controller in my hand are playing Sega Genesis with my older brother. Playing Mickey’s Castle of Illusion, Sonic The Hedgehog, and Power Rangers. So first and most importantly, gaming is my bond with my brother, because that’s where it started. It’s what my relationship with gaming was exclusively for a large part of my life. Then as I got older, gaming became a way to decompress, to relax.

I’d come home from school, turn my console on, and lose myself for a few hours. I’m lucky in that gaming also lends itself to my job. I get to write about gaming, about the characters that mean so much to me. I have grown even more in love with gaming as time has gone on. Gaming is not just fun for me, it’s an integral part of the puzzle. It’s one of the building blocks of making me who I am.

Cerebral Paul, Assistant Editor for Lords of Gaming and Interview Co-Host for 4GQTV

Gaming has always been an escape for me. Growing up I didn’t have many friends outside of school and I couldn’t go out and join people playing baseball, football, or baseball and other outside activities. Due to this, I spent a lot of time watching TV shows and movies. I also spent hundreds of hours playing games on the Atari 2600 and Commodore 64. Years later, the Xbox came with party chats and online gaming. 

Online gaming and the community have become my primary social outlet. It has led to many great friendships and not feeling so isolated. Something that hit hard during the pandemic and has had lasting effects. For me, it’s not the games that matter, but the hanging out with friends in parties. Even doing podcasts and just laughing means a lot to me. I can honestly say I don’t know where I would be without it. So to me, gaming means “survival”.

Robert Kellett, Assistant Editor for Lords of Gaming

Ever since I was a young kid, I’ve played video games. From the Game Boy Color playing Pokemon Silver to even playing the original Spyro the Dragon on the PlayStation, I’ve always loved the medium, even if I didn’t know what I was doing.

But with GameCube onward, along with games like Sonic Adventure 2: Battle and Kirby Air Ride, my passion for gaming truly began with that generation. Being able to enter magical worlds and have a positive escape was wonderful. Gaming as a medium, like music and film before it, helps us find joy in worlds not our own.

Chris Jones, Co-Community Manager and Senior Writer for Lords of Gaming

Escapism is a big reason why gaming is important to many people, even me. Growing up I was an angry kid. My biological parents were never together, so I was always fighting to go one place or another. One outlet was the Boys Club of America which is when I got into sports. Even if it was just for some brief moments during a game I could escape from the world. This only helped to a degree, because many times till I was older my anger did cause me to make some poor decisions. For example, one year I was playing baseball on a team through the Boys Club and I got a hit and ran to first base.

I think I thought I was going to be out, so as I was running to first base I swung and kicked my foot as hard as I could at the first baseman’s leg to make him miss the catch. I tried to hide that it was intentional. Thankfully, there were only a couple of these incidents. During these years I really started getting into video games and mellowed out dramatically. Even though my dad never understood why I could sit for hours and play a JRPG like Suikoden instead of a game like Game Day or any other sports game. It allowed me to escape into a world of fantasy and be somewhere else away from society and expectations.

As I got older my love for video games provided a safe place, so I didn’t need to be in a car with a drunk driver anymore. I could stay out of trouble and not cause a ruckus at times with friends. Among other reasons. In addition to all this, it has always been a major stress reliever and mind stimulator. I have also formed bonds with great people who are family such as the Lords, my buddy Oompa, and others. Video Games just have a way to allow people to escape and form bonds that could last a lifetime.

Closing Thoughts

I’m always finding something or someone different these days that inspires me to do something or strive to be a better version of myself. The Gamers Is doing amazing things in helping these hospitalized kids’ game and feel some sense of normalcy. I want to thank The Lords for hosting the Gamers Outreach Podathon with Ben Kenobi. Big shout out to everything and everyone they brought together for such an amazing moment. Also big thanks to my fellow Lords for participating in this piece to let you have a little look into our reasons. If you want to support the Gamers Outreach, you can do so here!