I Hate Video Games, Despise Consumerism, and I Bought a Nintendo Switch

If you’re reading this, you’re probably confused.

How could someone hate consumerism and make such a significant purchase for themselves? More specifically, how could someone hate video games and purchase A VIDEO GAME CONSOLE!? Let me explain.

I guess I don’t hate consumerism

What I hate is over-consumerism, especially when it appropriates Christmas, which should be a time focused on loving the needy. If I hate this, am I allowed to make a significant purchase around Christmas time? Let me use some of The Minimalist’s philosophy to help me explain.

Have you ever seen their minimalism documentary? It’s quite compelling.

I agree that we buy too much stuff. We over-accumulate. Black Friday creates bundles of shopping bags, far too many shopping bags in my opinion.

I wouldn’t call myself a “minimalist,” because, by some, the definition requires a tiny house and only two shirts to wear. However, I strongly resonate with this idea: Awareness of Acquisitions > Inadvertent Accumulation

Sometimes an expensive purchase can be warranted, hence my new Nintendo Switch. In fact, purchasing something expensive that will last a long time is preferable than purchasing cheap over and over and accumulating more and more.

So yeah, I bought the thing. I spent a chunk of a paycheck doing so, but in my opinion, it doesn’t breach my perception of minimalism (remember I’m not a tiny house minimalist). I purchased the console and one game, and don’t plan on expanding on that purchase too quickly.

Why? I don’t need more, not yet, not for a while, and any expansion purchases will be thoroughly thought out because I am strongly against over-accumulating.

I guess I don’t completely hate video games

I’m an extreme extrovert, and my beef with video games is when people prefer their video games over real-life social interactions. Nine times out of ten I would rather interact with people in person than participate in a “single player” activity.

Again though, why are you buying a game console if you aren’t interested in “single player” activities? Let me use some nostalgia to prove my point.

The year is 2003 and I’m playing Super Smash Bros. Melee on Gamecube with six other friends. The winner stays on and the losers switch off. This was a social event that was repeated on many-a Friday night for numerous years of my childhood.

Party games are my bread and butter. They’re fun and they bring people together socially. However, with the Gamecube disappearing and the Wii becoming a system more geared towards children, the party games seemed to stop.

The Switch, however, is bringing so many of those nostalgic party games back into the spotlight and available to all ages. These games bring can bring groups of people together no matter their gaming skill level. Anyone can pick up a controller and enjoy themselves.

That’s why I was convinced to buy it. For some reason the hearkening nostalgia makes me believe that there is hope for video games to be a fun-loving social event once again.

Maybe I’m misguided, but I feel like it is worth the risk.