People often blame video games for being addictive and claim that they are a waste of time. But for me, video games have given me two unforgettable memories that have since inspired me to pursue a career as a video game creator. When I was nine years old, our family had to be split apart since my mom got a job at a university in America.
At that time, I was depressed that I couldn’t live with my dad. However, thanks to online video games, I always felt as if I was with my dad and I could feel how much he loved me. After coming back to Korea, I had to go through a few lonely days since I didn’t have any friends. It was video games that saved me from this situation and made me friends. Because of the skills that I developed while playing games with my dad, my classmates often tagged along and wanted to be on my team. Soon, I gained a lot of friends and I began to love my school life.
From these experiences, I realized that video games are not merely a free time activity, but a culture, that through them, I can both create and share memories with the people around me. Therefore, my dream is to develop games for the upcoming generations to enjoy together, just as I have enjoyed them up to now. As a high school student, I am putting all my efforts to apply and get accepted to the Techno-Art division at Yonsei University’s Underwood International College. Once in school, I will be able to take courses in Creative Technology Management, as well as Information and Interaction Design, both of which are crucial for my career as a video game creator.
Even though I currently study liberal arts in high school, I also have a profound interest in the fields of science and technology. In Korea, however, we cannot choose whatever subject we prefer; we must follow the given curriculum. I would have loved to study IT or science, but teachers advise me that since I have to study several subject like literature, history, and philosophy, I shouldn’t try to go beyond the course of study established by the school. That is why I am longing to take university courses where I could choose subjects on science or engineering freely and gain the needed knowledge as a video game creator.
Other than my efforts to enter university, I have always analyzed the video game industry and market. For example, I have been keeping track of releases of new models and the users’ response to it, the reason behind the popularity of a bestselling game, and the stories behind each game. Recently, I even wrote a report on how the new U.S. president will affect the video game industry. This is a process that I have been doing to gain insights into the industry and analyze the trends of the market, as well as anticipate which direction the game manufacturers are likely to take. I often make predictions about new contents and upcoming updates.
To my surprise, my observations have often been accurate. My ultimate goal is to work for the company that inspired me to be interested in creating video games, namely, Blizzard Entertainment, the father of so many masterpieces such as Starcraft and Diablo. When playing these games, I am struck by the variety and intricacy of the characters, each with their own history and traits. The amazing graphics and the cinematic trailers in the games are also worth seeing. Blizzard laid the foundation for today’s Korean video game industry, making it possible for Korea to take a gigantic step forward in the global video game market.
Considering these contributions that Blizzard has made, I would love to work with them, and later use the skills that I learn to also develop games for the Korean video game industry. I aspire to become a video game creator and the games I make could become a playground for friends and family to spend time together. So, to make that dream come true, I am working hard every moment.