Whenever someone tries to drag me down for my love of games, I like to think back to those random juice bar guys in Pokemon Sun and Moon. One of the quotes they say is "Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." That quote is attributed to other people, but it was mind blowing when I first thought about it and i adhere to it. you're doing alright.

@pocket369

3 ай бұрын

Sun and Moon are such a vibe, i need to replay them

@stareanddream

3 ай бұрын

Thank you very much, friendo: that kind of positive thinking is still something i'm slowly, but surely getting used to. Also, i'm a fan of your work, please keep up the greatness!

No KZread video has made me want to cry, but this one did. What an absolutely incredible story. We all love games. They change us. They shape our lives, our loves, our emotions. They’re a part of us. They save us. Thank you for making this.

This is a truly beautiful video and I thank you personally for being so vulnerable and forthcoming with your story. Also just wanted to leave a comment here before the algorithm kicks in a blows up this video

@stareanddream

3 ай бұрын

Thank you for your very kind words, and for watching! The fun part about projects like this is that I, for a short while, forget that the a l g o r i t h m is a t h i n g. It has made for unbelievable amounts of support that I never thought I'd see over the past two days.

I Initially put this on to get to sleep, this kept me awake. The poignancy, the storytelling, the emotional resonance. I can feel those conversations about potential i can remember my own experiences with them. Halfway through the beginning i cried. Man this is one of the best pieces of content i can remember watching kudos and much love to you man.

Watched to completion because i felt compelled that not doing so would be disrespectful to someone sharing themselves. Some parts of your story overlapped with my own and I am glad to hear you are doing well for yourself. Hope you and your backlog have a great time. I renamed mine to a retirement plan lol.

@stareanddream

3 ай бұрын

I love and very much appreciate that respectful mindset. I spent the last 10 minutes trying to write something witty along the lines of "i hope you retire early so you can play more video games soon lol" but I remembered that "early retirement" has a WILDLY different connotation I will leave it at "May you play all the games you want"; thank you for watching!

You know, I started this video originally not knowing what to expect. I was initially hoping there was some strategy, some sort of methodology to properly combing through a backlog of old games while maintaining a normal lifestyle, but your story at the start... It hit home. I had a VERY similar experience, especially once out of highschool. Even after all the medications, the treatments, and moving on with my life, hearing someone so closely recreate an experience so similarly to my own... The memories of that day came flooding back. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I intend to finish the full thing after work today, but know that even with only forty-five minutes, you were able to reignite some things that I thought long repressed. In a good way.

Normally I hate these type of comments but there aren't any of those here and I like to hate myself so I guess I have to say it. This is one of the best videos I've ever seen.

@stareanddream

3 ай бұрын

Thank you for the very kind words; be kind to yourself, too, friend!

*truly slow clap that lasts at least a few decades*

I need to preface this with saying I rarely comment on KZread videos but i have to say this is one of the best videos on this platform ive ever seen and as someone who has a similar veiw on games as you and has tried to take his own life this video hit realy close even so much so i had to stop watching for a little bit but thank you this was truly an incredible watch and i hope more people get to watch this

Dam what a ride. Honestly the pacing at the beginning was a bit rough but it picked up a quarter in. Hope your doing well bud. Do what makes you happy, its all we can do in this short experience we call life.

thank you for making this

@stareanddream

3 ай бұрын

You're very welcome. Thank you for watching!

Thank you for this!

Here before this blows up

love you king

@stareanddream

3 ай бұрын

love you more

Yeah, while not a 1-to-1 comparison, my own life has met a similar trajectory. I'm 30...and I'm completely worthless. I spend everyday playing games, as well as engaging in some other entertainment media. It is literally the only thing keeping me going since I have close to nothing else. I was a decent student growing up, even graduating highschool with a GPA of 4.1 or 4.2. But despite that, I never had any plans for what to do after. So as a result, I essentially didn't develop any life skills. I went to a community college for two years and got my Associates...and that's pretty much it. That's where things started going downhill. I've always been an introvert with some rather low esteem. In fact, I even attempted suicide when I was younger. I was in a mental ward but was let out in 3-4 days for good behavior. So it's clear I have issues to sort out. After college though, I fell into such a deep depression that I was outright a recluse for 6 years. No job, no plans of any kind, just at home in my room everyday. Outside of the occasional invite by a friend, that was my entire reality. Thankfully, I did eventually get a job, but it was only a part time gig. Couldn't even manage full time. I've since quit that job to another one which I still work in, nearly 3 years now, though still only part time. I have been managing to gather up some savings, especially to spend on getting more games and what not but it's not stable. Especially now. See, I still live with my mom, who is single,...and she largely works to afford everything. I chip in when I can to help but I can't even support myself. As of 2 weeks ago, from the time of this post, her job of 27 years closed down and she's now unemployed. I'm completely unable to help her. I can offer a $1000 a month but that's nowhere near enough. My life is a ticking clock that is accelerating to the end. All I have are the many games in my memory and my ever growing backlog to look forward to. I'm a semi-completionist and trophy hunter so it takes me longer to get through a game than average...but it's just another thing to keep my mind busy and away from self destructing itself. Even worse, I play the wrong games. I play the niche stuff, the games barely anyone knows about. And if they are known by somebody, they usually are indifferent to outright disliked. I can't talk to anyone about them. So all I have are these games, that I keep playing, and just keep to myself. I've finished so many games in my lifetime. And they all mean nothing. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm not alive in a couple years time. I have no future.

@carlospolesso6649

3 ай бұрын

I'm in no position to ever give advice for someone in your situation, i just want to say that you're not worthless. Believe that you can be great.

@lonetechwolf1125

3 ай бұрын

I mean, you could just record your stuff you play and post them to KZread unedited no voice or anything if you really wanna not “have nothing to show for it” kinda deal. Record your list of games completed and probably do guides on how to do things in em. Even if its niche people love hearing how to beat games get achievements etc

@stareanddream

3 ай бұрын

You're not worthless. You truly aren't worthless. No one who's gone through that much turmoil, and done so much work to get past it all, is worthless. Thank you for helping your mother through some of it. It's always a challenge to recognize the hardships we and the people around us go through. Video games, like any art medium, are here to inspire us. To motivate us. To tell us stories. The connection between you and any game (niche, disliked, or otherwise) is unlike anything anyone else may have experienced. I'd say that's worth one more game. And another. And another. And another. I'd say you have a greater future ahead of you than some of us even realize! While i'm not going to say dive into my kind of delusion and claim you'll live forever...I am absolutely sure you have MUCH more than a couple years, my friend.