Imagine this; you're creeping slowly and silently through the brush, unseen by your enemy. You crouch at the edge, peering out as she creeps ever closer, butchering minions, unaware of the true danger that lurks as she steps ever closer. Your ears twitch, your legs bunch, and, in a soundless surge, you launch yourself from the thicket at your hapless opponent. She only has time to turn away, another arrow not even yet drawn to her bow, as you dash around her, eliminating her in mere milliseconds. Your team cheers from the battlefield, and they group up around you to make the final push against the villains that dare stand against you.
Can you feel that? That thrill racing through you at the thought of you, standing victorious, your enemies laid at your feet?
Worldwide, we are putting literally billions of hours in to gaming. As of January last year, Riot Games stated that 27 million people logged in daily to play their multiplayer online battle arena game League of Legends, which is my game of choice. I can say honestly that I log in nearly every day to play at least one match, if not more. I follow League of Legend's eSports avidly, and hope one day to work side by side this community of gamers that I so respect and admire.
There's nothing more satisfying than having an in depth conversation with someone about something you're passionate about, and for me, there's nothing more exciting than the world of LoL eSports. Last year at the world finals, 40,000 fans sold out Seoul's World Cup Stadium, and millions watched online as Samsung White took on Star Horn Royal Club for the Summoner's Cup and the right to claim the title of World Champions. There were clutch escapes, battles for vision, and massively cinematic battles across the whole of Summoner's Rift.
I feel like a common misconception of gamers and people who socialize online is that they are incapable of socializing in the 'real world,' and thus they resort to the virtual world. In reality, however, there are so many people interacting virtually now that it's hardly the ragtag group of social misfits that so many people seem to believe.
I game and socialize online because I enjoy my interactions in game (for the most part). It's not that I can't or won't talk to people normally, but I find it so much more satisfying to connect with people that I know definitively share an interest with me.
I game because in the virtual world, no one judges me by the standards of reality, but by the standards of the game and the competition as our teams clash on the Rift.
It's not just League of Legends, though; it's all video games. I can travel across time and space, into alternate realities. I get to be the hero and the villain; the warrior victorious and the damsel in distress. I can battle an oncoming horde, face off with dragons, lead armies, or steal the ancient relic from the enemy stronghold.
I spend time online, not because I don't want to live my life or associate with people, but because I want to live many lives, and connect with people worldwide that share my passions.
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