Recently I've had the pleasure of listening to the PAX 07 keynote address given by Wil Weaton. Parts of it sincerely brought tears to my eyes. It was one of the most beautifully spoken pro-gaming speech I have ever heard pass the lips of man, and it energized me into doing something with that tingly feeling of brotherhood, camaraderie, and other feelie-goodness.

Maybe I should back up. My name is Nick Richards, and I am a gamer.

I was raised by gamers in a very pro-gaming home. My parents both (!) played D&D and my dad took it a step further and was a fairly high-up in the RPGA. I played tabletop games and PC titles from a very young age and soon branched out to console titles, as any young man would.

My first game was Dr. Mario. My favorite game is probably Half-Life, even though I was 12 when I first played it.

This is where I came from. I am a gamer.

Somewhere during my high school career I found what I wanted to do with my life, and have pursued that ever since. I am currently attending a fairly reputable Bible College in the South East US, studying Preaching and Youth Ministry.

I know what you are thinking at this point, but do try your very best to not write me off just yet. I hate organized religion from the depths of my soul, and have a few major gripes with the "people" element of the Christian Church. I once remember reading an exposition of a person who really liked God, and thought this Jesus guy had some good ideas, but could not stand their fan club. I really relate to that writer.

So here I am. In an environment learning everything I can about something that is very close to my heart, surrounded by people that for the most part I can't stand, and proudly displaying my gaming heritage.

Which, I'm increasingly finding, some Christians just can't stand.

I finally got around to listening to the keynote address yesterday, which just happened to also be the same day on which I heard a scathing discourse on why "gaming" in any and every form is unhealthy and basically the wicked spawn of Satan. Alright, it wasn't that harsh, but the speaker gave examples of how "too much" can be too far. He gave examples of excuses people he knew had given him, and talked about how playing a video game "distances individuals from other people". Thankfully, and once again in my life, I heard more truth (and logical rationale) in a "secular" speech than from someone supposedly delivering to us interested listeners the word of God.

Wil spoke on how beneficial playing a game can actually be. He revealed through narrative and popular example the surprising social profit and even the personal advances he made with his own children through the shared experience of playing a game.

I have yet to have someone throw a bible at me, or tell me that I will BURN because that "damn machine" is just too violent. Sometimes stereotypes aren't all they're cracked up to be. Occasionally we will still have Halo 2 on the school's network, and though the CS servers have been down since about the time "Fehl" graduated, you can still occasionally find someone sitting in a lonely LAN map and play a few rounds.

Gaming is blossoming here as much as anywhere else, though gamers on this side of the "enemy lines" still find opposition from time to time.

So brothers (and sisters) in gaming, keep fighting the good fight! Fight for your rights to DS in public and play Manhunt 2 in it's original Wii glory!

As for us on the inside, we will always fight, from the inside of the church to you, for increased awareness that a game is a game. Not a weapon. Not a training tool for terrorists. Not a violence enhancer or an anti-social device from the devil.

They are games.

Until next time, folks.

Play on.