Punching a floating golden block, placing a claymore in the doorway, crafting a bed with three wool and wooden planks. All of these actions are typical to gamers who play Mario, Call of Duty and Minecraft. However, those games are just the tip of the iceberg.

According to Gaming Shift, there are about 1,181,019 estimated games in total. With the huge amount of options, gamers agree that there is a perfect pick for everyone to be entertained by.

“I would encourage others to try gaming,” freshman Richard Rodriguez said. “It has something for everyone with a huge variety of different games and genres. You will find something you enjoy playing.”

Gaming was not always this advanced and accessible to interested players. As reported by the History channel, the first ever game was created by a British professor back in 1952 named A.S. Douglas. OXO, or tic-tac-toe, was the name of the simple game. Whether you began on a DSI, a PlayStation Vita, or even the Wii U, every noob starts their adventure somewhere.

“I got into gaming when I was about six. My grandfather would come over to our house and hang out for a bit before he would take us to school,” sophomore Jackson Jordan said. “Every single day we would play Guitar Hero on the ps2. My favorite song to play was Ramblin Man and that is still one of my favorites to this day.”

From battling with loved ones in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to stealing planes in Grand Theft Auto 5 with online friends, gamers admit that they share fond memories and experiences that they will remember for a lifetime. 

“I’ve met some of my closest friends from playing games and I would’ve never met them if it weren’t for the game.” Jordan said.

Although there are parents out there who deem video games as unhealthy, players argue that it is actually beneficial and valuable to turn on their console and slide a disk in. Reasons for this belief range from a virtual escape of the chaotic real world and new ways to get creative.

“Video games always have something fun to do,” Rodriguez said. “They can let your imagination run wild or tell a great story. They also help me with stress by distracting me.”

With videogames acting as a stress reliever to most gamers, certain games appeal to specific people and they quickly make their way up to the favorites list.

“My favorite videogame to play is Madden. I love playing it because it has been a connection between me and my dad.” Jordan said.

Furthermore, with so many alternatives gamers have many contrasting preferences. Yet, it is almost assented among the community that no matter what you play, games bring everyone closer together.

“My favorite video game is Batman: Arkham Asylum. It is actually my favorite game series,” Rodriguez said. “I grew up playing this series with my dad and it is a special part of my childhood.”

Due to the extreme love of games and according to Statista, the number of games released to the public in the year 2019 was 8,290 on Stream, an online gaming platform, alone taking up a large percentage of the gaming world. There is much excitement for upcoming releases because of the announcement of so many games per year.

“I am really looking forward to the new Assassins Creed game called Valhalla,” Rodriguez said. “I loved their previous game, Odyssey, with its great combat and story. So, this one is surely going to be better.”

The popularity of gaming has grown over the years by a lot. As reported by TechJury, the video game market could be worth $90 billion by the end of this year. One thing is for sure as stated by gamers; gaming plays a part in various people’s day to day lives, creating long-term relationships between all kinds of people and acting as an unforgettable journey. 

“Gaming can bring people together by playing with friends or making new ones with all the different people you meet online,” Rodriguez said. “Or you can love the story of a game and want to talk about it with someone who shares your interests in that game.”