How to Keep Your Relationship and Still Play Video Games

I love video games. Ever since Mario and Luigi graced the old tube television in the 1980s, I have played video games in almost every mainstream avenue available from the Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, Nintendo Gameboy, Sega CD, Sega Saturn, Sony Playstation, Nintendo 64, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo GameCube, Sony Playstation 2, Sony Playstation Portable (PSP), and now the Microsoft XBOX 360. With those glory years of gaming have come good and bad systems and games. At my age now, most non-gamers would say that video games are for kids, not adults.

The reality is that video games are for the most part created for the adults who grew up on Super Mario Brothers and Contra from the 80s. Games like Grand Theft Auto and Gears of War are not meant for 10 year old kids to be playing, although for some odd reason many do get their hands on these mature rating games. I, like many gamers, have a significant other who dislikes me playing video games because of my foul language sometimes when I play and I sometimes play for a few hours more then I should have.

The key to having a harmonious relationship and still be able to enjoy this great pastime in my opinion is compromise. I believe that common ground can be found if the significant other also enjoys some kind of games. For example, my fiancée enjoys puzzle games such as Bejeweled, Tetris, and Hexic. She also enjoys other games such as Bomberman for the PSP and a racing game called Burnout Revenge for the XBOX 360. To alleviate the tension she has when I play video games, I bought a PSP which she thoroughly enjoys playing Bomberman and some other puzzle/adventure games on. Also, I try to play at times when she is asleep, so that we do not lose any of our time together. I also tried to explain to her that video games are in-depth stories that are presented visually with you as the gamer actually taking part in it.

It adds a level of interactivity that no book or movie can ever achieve. I believe that if your significant other detests video games completely, then the only solution would be to either curtail the time spent on video games to a reasonable amount that either of you can agree upon or to shift the hours of play to a time that is non-intrusive to the other party. I have many friends in similar circumstances and fortunately all have been able to incorporate their significant others into gaming and even their children. Gaming, like anything else is only harmful when it takes over your life, not as a hobby here and there to relieve stress of everyday life.