Soapbox features allow our writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random things they’ve been thinking about. Today, Nathan looks at how his analytical mindset and love of data influence his leisure time…
I am the oldest of four brothers. For the past four years, we have used video games as a way to connect with each other. But not in the way you might expect. We don’t play games together. Instead, we have an annual tradition of holding weeks of discussion and debate about games, game music, and most recently, celebrating our shared favorite game of all time.
Our annual debates are a convenient way to connect. They also provide me with a unique learning experience. I see, more clearly than ever, how my personality is reflected in the way I experience gaming, a hobby I have maintained throughout my life.
30 Day Challenge
Our annual tradition started as a COVID lockdown activity. I came across a “30 Day Video Game Music Challenge” chart on the web and thought it would be fun to fill it out. The chart has 30 categories of video game music, one for each day, including “Title Screen Music,” “Credits Music,” and everything in between.
For me, raw data is not enough – I have to explore the stories behind the data.
As I filled it out, I wondered how my brothers would answer the same questions, and how their answers would differ from mine. After all, we grew up in the same house.
Everyone agreed to the challenge and it took us a week or two to prepare. I started a text message thread and every day at 8am we would answer the question of the day together. The answer would come in the form of a link to a YouTube video of the song we chose, along with a brief explanation.
Data processing
Of course, I recorded everything in a spreadsheet.
I say “naturally,” but this was the first sign that my approach to the game was different from my brothers’. The four of us enjoyed listening to each other’s song choices, but I was the only one looking for trends in our responses. I wanted to dissect and analyze. Raw data wasn’t enough for me—I had to uncover the stories behind the data.
Who among us is the most nostalgic? Which consoles come up most often? Which brands are overrepresented?
These are questions that require my attention and analysis. My brothers indulge me as I share my thoughts, but they are clearly not as “interested” as I am. My approach is different.
Guide
In round one, we relied on a pre-made “game music” challenge. The following year, in 2021, I decided to get creative and create my own 30-day challenge. This time, each question would be answered with the name of a game.
Categories include “First Video Game You Remember Playing,” “Underrated Games,” “Favorite or Memorable Boss Fight” (I’ll never forget the first time I killed Hitler in Bionic Commando!) and “A game that could make a great movie”. And so on.
Once again, I sent out daily surveys and compiled the results into my trusty spreadsheet. I was the ringleader, organizer, and driving force behind the second round of the Lockard Brothers challenge.
I continued this tradition in 2022 (Essential Movies) and again in 2023, when I created my magnum opus, the “Lockard Bros. Best. Game. Ever” bracket.
Bracket
This was our most complex challenge to date. Compiling the list of games for this bracket took hours, and that doesn’t even include the amount of work that went into building the bracket itself.
The entire bracket has 208 games spread across two smaller brackets (classic and modern), 189 head-to-head matches, 15 play-in brackets, and a top-eight knockout bracket to cap it all off. Maybe I’m overreacting. Apparently I’ve been thinking about video games more than I’ve been playing them.
This tournament takes a lot of work to prepare and running it is not easy.
Here’s a pro tip for anyone interested in running a bracket: make sure you have an odd number of voters. My three brothers and I have tied 2-2 36 times in our bracket. That’s roughly one out of every five games.
This brought out my second personality — I was a bit of a boss. I acted as the referee in these 2-2 votes. Maybe it was a consequence of being the oldest (birth order and all), but I made sure that every deadlock was resolved amicably. Every 2-2 became 2-plus-2. And somehow, we remained friends.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, Super Mario World has achieved success.
Personality type
My brothers and I haven’t done the 2024 edition yet. Honestly, crowning the best game ever would be a tough call. If you have any ideas, I’d love to hear them.
Even if last year’s challenge was the last, the damage had already been done: I’m now fully aware that my personality is reflected in my gaming habits.
I had as much fun planning and calculating the challenges involved in this game as I did actually playing it. Maybe even more fun.
I am a software architect by profession. Another byproduct of my structured, analytical personality. What can I say? I love to organize and analyze. And not just in my code repository. I love to make lists, inventory my collection, and hunt for best sellers.
So is it any wonder that I’m a tactical strategy gamer? Or is it that I try to 100% play every game I play? Hell, I probably spend as much time cataloguing and managing my physical and electronic game collections as I do playing them. Clearly, it’s my mindset (which has been exposed extensively in the annual challenges) that drives all of these behaviors and preferences.
At this point, you might be wondering what I’m talking about. Or you’re living out the DiCaprio meme, frantically pointing at the screen while shouting, “That’s me!” Either way, I hope you’re thinking about how your own personality and passions are reflected in your approach to gaming.
As Socrates said, “Knowing thyself is the beginning of wisdom.” I’m getting to know myself better thanks to a few 30-day challenges. Hopefully some wisdom will come to me.
Do you find that your personal or professional leanings influence the way you enjoy video games? Are the effects always positive? Let us know in the comments.
