Happy Thanksgiving Editor's Letter: I'm Thankful For Video Games

It’s Thanksgiving here in the United States, and that’s a day that we give thanks (or at least draw a larger focus on the things we’re thankful for everyday). Of course there are all the usual platitudes that I could graciously offer, and I’d mean every single one of them. I’m thankful for my wife, my home, my cats, and my health. I’m grateful for the opportunities that have been afforded me and the experiences I’ve had in my thirty years. I give a ton of thanks for the staff here at PlayStation LifeStyle. But I’m also thankful for video games.

It’s a broad thanks, and one that has multifaceted purpose for me. Video games are at the very core of who I am. For nearly all of the thirty years I’ve been on this planet, games have played a role at some level. They’ve been entertainment, coping mechanisms, boredom killers, bonding experiences, and career starters. They’ve been challenges, achievements, and just plain fun. Through games I’ve met some of my absolute best friends. Games have allowed me to make memories, reconnect with those old memories, and helped me through recovering after physical trauma.

Games are a luxury, and I am thankful to be able to have them as a part of my life, good and bad. I’m thankful to the developers that put their hearts, souls, and time into these experiences. It may come as no surprise to those who know me, but I’m particularly grateful to Bungie and the work they do on the Destiny franchise. It’s been an amazing community to be a part of and brought me a ton of great experiences and friendships. But I’m also thankful to all the game developers that make games, even the ones I don’t like. I know that there are people out there who enjoy everything, and I give my thanks to those developers because they’re part of this greater video game industry.

It’s a great time to be a gamer. Games are more popular now than ever before, which grants amazing opportunities for diverse experiences across the spectrum, from the shared world shooter of Destiny to virtual reality rhythm games like Beat Saber. The industry has been around long enough that we’re getting remakes, remasters, and reimaginings of experiences that have come before. We’ve gotten some amazing things just in the last year of gaming, not to mention this entire console generation or even my entire lifetime of gaming. There’s a lot to be thankful for there.

For me personally, video games mean a lot. A Sackboy bride and groom sat atop my wedding cake. My friends know me as the guy that’s got PlayStation running through his veins. My career in writing is centered around video games and PlayStation. Of course I am grateful to my parents for raising me, but I’m also grateful that they helped me buy my first PlayStation and indulged my nerdiness as a kid. I’m thankful for my wife, and the fact that she is also a gamer and it’s something that we can connect over. I’m thankful to have a job that I love to do, writing about games and interacting with the spirited and passionate people in this industry. So much comes back to that one central thread.

I’m thankful for video games. Without them, my life would be vastly different, nearly unrecognizable. They will continue to be a core part of my life, and I’m grateful that the person I am today is due at least in part to video games.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Don’t miss what the PlayStation LifeStyle staff is thankful for in a special holiday Now Loading.