reading00: video games and board games

What is the relationship between traditional board games and modern video games?

One of my favorite parts about college is those lazy days. The types of days where you and your buddies hang out all day and for the most part, do absolutely nothing productive. That doesn’t mean nothing is done though, because the lack of productivity is just the result of being engulfed into a day of gaming. Whether or not it’s playing Fortnite for hours, playing Risk until everyone quits, or tossing the controllers across the room so everyone can get in on some FIFA, those days have been some of the most enjoyable days of my college experience. No responsibilities, just enjoyment. I think this is where we can see the true relationship between traditional board games and modern video games: they are both fun and provide an escape.

If you look around the app stores nowadays, you might notice that a lot of games there are just phone versions of games that people have been playing forever. Tic-tac-toe, Checkers, Chess, Spades, Hearts, Euchre, Monopoly. It’s endless and it helps show us even deeper these two entertainment platforms are connected. See, it all started with board games. Strategy, skill, the ability to play over and over again are traits of both and the way that technology has created a giant culture of modern video gaming displays that it is there to enhance. Instead of having to carry around cards or owning the actual boxes, people can nowadays pay a few dollars for an app that gives them tons of games. Or, you can pay a few hundred dollars for an entertainment system that gives you seemingly infinite choices. Today, it’s just easier to lose days to the fun of video games. I don’t have to sit across the table from my friend to challenge him in a game of strategy or even be in the same room to go gun down some kids on Xbox. Access to games is cheap and everywhere.