Reasons Why I Play Video Games, Am a Sony Girl and Earned 30 Plats in Honour of Celebrating PlayStation’s 30th Anniversary

Happy 30th anniversary, PlayStation!

We practically grew up together.

I’m a Sony girl, in a Sony world.

Virtual life enthusiastic, it’s fantastic.

(Okay, I’m done ripping off Barbie Girl lyrics. Let’s get into it.)

In honour of 30 beautiful years, full of fun adventures, life lessons, a shoulder to lean on through depression, saving worlds and their many denizens, meeting and playing with new friends, competing, cooperating, crying and laughing… I am celebrating you and wrapping up this year with 30 platinum trophies.

Thank you, on behalf of our community, for your companionship throughout our good and bad times in life. I speak for many and acknowledge that video games, overall, make a huge difference in each of our individual lives.

Every person experiences challenges and rough periods across time. I’ve heard many sharing stories about video games helping them through their most difficult moments, including occasions where people felt like giving up.

Being one of those people, I am particularly grateful for video games becoming a sanctuary when my reality was unbearable.

Why do I play video games and what do they mean to me?

It’s not always about escaping reality. They started as jolly fun, in the beginning. Later, they became a bonding activity with others, a competition among peers, a source of achievement and satisfaction, creative outlet and educational tool. They also turned into appreciating a new art form in it’s creatively designed narrative and orchestrated splendour.

Once upon a time, during the 90s, I was a young lass living in Romania. I started playing video games at age four. It was around your exciting launch, PlayStation. We didn’t meet until I was eight or nine, however, so I initially played games using an old Commodore set and my father’s PC.

We first met at my godparents’ house, where I played the original Crash Bandicoot. I was under the impression Crash was a coyote, for several years, before realizing that bandicoots are real animals.

It was here games helped my godbrother Cristian and I practice taking turns and exercising childhood patience, over the course of our single-player title gameplay.

I was used to playing games using a joystick or keyboard, yet on that fateful night I held a controller for the first time. Gosh, it felt so right.

Playing co-op felt the same, regardless of platform.

Some of my dearest memories are playing Descent with my uncle Constantin, around the age of seven. We sat next to each other in front of a computer screen, sharing a keyboard and in-game responsibilities. My uncle piloted a starship, while I gunned down our enemies.

Completing missions together felt incredibly satisfying. Games taught me about the value of teamwork, working with others to combine our roles and efforts into achieving goals.

Around nine, I started competing against my cousins while playing Street Fighter on their Super Nintendo. Games equipped us with a drive to prove ourselves and succeed. We learned to win, lose and maintain good sportsmanship in the process.

My family moved to Canada when I was 10. Shortly afterward, I was infected with chickenpox. In order to keep my hands busy from scratching the itchy blisters, dear PlayStation, my parents finally brought you home.

I was ready… and thus began our journey.

We joined Crash Bandicoot again throughout his three adventures, followed a dragon named Spyro across his own quests and one splendid day… took our very first steps into the universe clusters of Final Fantasy.

The Final Fantasy series spoke to my soul and gave my life meaning. I favoured and was particularly fond of Final Fantasy IX.

Reading the abundant dialogue text helped me learn new words and enriched my vocabulary, taught me about interpersonal relationships, value systems, virtues, vices, right versus wrong and so much more that was invaluable for an 11-year-old.

I didn’t fit in at school and was bullied. I had a tough time making friends and rushed home to spend time with you. We spent hundreds of hours together.

We “reached puberty” around the same time and while I started getting pimples, your complexion became smoother and you stylized your name with a number. We started calling you PS2.

Both of us were making new friends and while my introverted self preferred hanging out in fewer numbers, you delightfully embraced your celebrity status and global fame.

My friend Brandi joined us for sleepovers during middle school. We stayed up late, marvelled at the sci-fi elements of Xenosaga, rode horses into battle while playing Dynasty Warriors 4 or dove underwater to engage in submarine warfare, replaying In The Hunt.

Day-to-day life in the real world felt empty and banal. People and circumstances I encountered appeared dull and lacking greater purpose. Burning with an earnest spirit, I wished to dedicate my life to something significant and yet… most others surrounding me were satisfied pursuing mediocrity, when they weren’t busy taking advantage of each other.

Where could I have the adventure of a lifetime? Become a hero and protect people? Save the world, in some capacity? Meet some fairy tale destiny?

Growing up was proving to be somewhat of a disappointment. Many people seemed generally satisfied with a disillusioned reality, but I wanted more. You did too, PlayStation.

Oh, that’s right. PS3. Your new nickname.

We both grew more curvy and started seeing the world in HD. I equipped glasses while you upgraded your resolution graphics. 20/20 and 1080p, baby! Let’s pick up the Sixaxis and go, we’ve got new tricks with that wireless flow!

Gotta’ be sneaky, tho,’

It’s about stealth, as far as assassins go,

You see, it’s a creed,

I don’t ‘keed,’

Watch me leap down below,

That first Assassin’s Creed game,

Was now out, that’s fo’ sho!’

I was cringy then, am occasionally cringy now, but that game was totally cool. Hardcore parkour, for real.

PS3, you introduced trophies for completing various game challenges. It seemed silly and I didn’t think much of it, at the time. I was also distracted by learning and practicing adulthood.

Long after everyone called you PS4, however, I caught the “trophy hunter” bug. I was surprised to learn it was a serious condition. My immunity, once resistant, was lowered by unfortunate life events. I may joke about it, but the trophy system and games, in general, honestly helped me, psychologically, bounce back from a place of darkness.

Far too many times when I applied myself, put all of my effort, time, resources and dedication IRL (in real life) it didn’t amount to anything, in the end. I had much to give both personally and professionally, gave it all and ultimately didn’t have anything to show for it. I couldn’t see a measure of my progress, lasting results of my hard work or a tiny shred of recognition. Feeling incredibly unlucky and like a failure, I drowned in depression.

Games bring me a sense of achievement.

Each time I dedicate myself in applying my time, effort, sweat and tears, in games, it leads to visible results. I can both see and measure my progress, receive virtual trophies for completing challenges – with varying difficulty levels – and also receive recognition from my peers.

It feels like my effort actually counts and matters.

Time for a ridiculous example. I once worked for a company where I got in trouble for doing a good job. Few things are more demoralizing than punishing someone for that reason.

A manager called me into his office and told me I worked too hard. As a result, this made other employees look bad. It was upsetting my coworkers. Instead of asking more of them, the manager asked less of me.

On a different and personal note, I gave everything to build a home with someone who actively tore it down… including me. To this present day, the aftermath of that separation impacted the stability of my entire life. There are additional personal and professional examples, but now is not the time for them.

I may not list my game trophies in a resume, but they do earn respect, recognition and congratulations from my gaming community. At the time of writing this, I have 1732 trophies.

30 Platinum. 193 Gold. 325 Silver. 1184 Bronze.

Yes, I’m proud of my trophies. I take my games seriously and I work hard for them, even when they stop feeling fun and turn into chores. They are the one constant source of success in my life adding to my self-worth. I realize that sounds crazy to some people, but I really don’t care. My puppy and video games are what keep me going. Not the people saying ‘no.’

As a matter of fact, game culture boasts highly competitive and rewarding ventures. I’m a small fish next to eSports competitors winning prizes, streamers influencing their followers, gamers participating in speed-runs for fundraisers… and hotshots like Eric Siu.

Eric Siu is a big fish, one who truly levelled up his game and achieved a lot for “the cause.” Indulge me and read his book, ‘LEVELING UP – How to Master the Game of Life,’ for an account of notable feats and transferable life skills.

Siu explains he wasn’t academically or socially successful, in his youth. He was another kid, like the rest of us. What set him apart was taking games very seriously, growing up. Young Siu stayed up late or woke up in the middle of the night to train, advance his skills and run raids with his guild in World of Warcraft. The effort paid off when Siu, alongside his team, ranked at the top of WoW leaderboards.

Many might think it sounds insane. Many also don’t realize, in actuality, the hero from our story began kindling the flames of an entrepreneurial soul.

Applying game logic to real life and tapping into his dedicated, competitive drive, enabled Siu, on his quest, to convert his habits into successful business strategies and practices.

Eric Siu levelled up as an investor, founder and advisor. He runs an ad agency called Single Grain. It helped companies such as Amazon, Airbnb, Uber and Salesforce.

Hosting not one, but two podcasts, namely Marketing School and Leveling Up, he talks about personal and business growth. Ever the team player, Siu enjoys running a support role in his mission to help others – and the world – level up.

Sign me up, Senpai!

Eric, if you ever read this, I’d love to interview you for my upcoming podcast; but first, I need to catch up on your episodes. Also, extra respect for playing a druid class!

I digress.

As we enter 2025, my beloved PS5, I have yet to gush over Red Dead Redemption 2, my favourite game of all time. It deserves its own post.

It’s been a busy year full of No Man’s Sky expeditions, Light No Fire questions, Baldur’s Gate 3 obsessions, yearning for Crimson Desert and new Wolverine intrigue.

We are barely getting started and already have a lengthy post. There’s much more to share on games, what they mean to me and why I play them. I guess it will all have to wait for next year and a new post.

Happy 30th Anniversary, PlayStation! And a Happy New Year!