Gamer Girlfriend Probs: Meet the Boyfriend

So I have talked about gaming on this blog a few times now and I have been talking about the boyfriend on here since the beginning. I never formally introduced him to the blog, although I've talked about him so many times. I figured that I would introduce him today, but mostly in the aspect of him as a gamer so you can get a feel for the type of gamer he is. & if you or your significant other play any of the games he plays too, comment or email me your gamertag so that he can connect with you/them! 
Without further ado, here's Darell, my boyfriend gamer talking about himself as a gamer! (Warning: He mentions tons of old school and new school games so if you don't know what it is, look it up! Don't worry there are 1 or 2 games where I have no idea what he's talking about either :)

My name is Darell. I'm 22, and I've been gaming since I was 5 or 6. 
I play a lot of games; back in high school I was really into Call of Duty/Halo I was an avid FPS player. (first person shooter). Now I play mostly strategy games like League of Legends. I do however play other genres which aren't as mainstream as others. I love city builder games like Cities: Skyline, episodic adventure games like Telltale Games/Life is Strange, and other tycoon games like Prison Architect/Roller Coaster Tycoon (I used to fight with my mom over playing RCT, we both would hog one computer back in the early 2000s). 
As far as getting how I got into video games, I don't know if "got into" is the right question to ask, video games felt like they were always there in my life. My dad bought me a Nintendo 64 when I was a kid, and my cousin bought me Starcraft Broodwar for the PC on my 7th birthday, so those were simple steps that brought me to where I'm at. I always remember hanging out with cousins and playing games, whether it was Super Mario World on the SNES or Super Smash Bros on the N64 as time moved on. During family parties once all of us kids were tired from playing hide-n-seek/tag (1990's) or when we it would get too cold outside we would all huddle inside a room and play games. There were usually around 8 of us rotating 4 controllers. We were always competitive, which still translates to how we play games today.
Of course, every gamer has their favorite games that they love and usually don't ever get tired of playing. This is a hard one for me as there are SOOO many games out there; it's like naming the best films. 
I'll have to name my top 5 favorite games in no particular order:  - League of Legends - which i've probably spent the most time on revolutionized eSports and put competitive PC gaming on the map  - Starcraft Broodwar - I believe this is the game that trailblazed eSports (electronic spots/competitive gaming) / PC gaming as a whole - Halo 3 - this game brings back major nostalgia for me and a lot of good memories.  - Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - oh man this game deserves all the hype it gets, this is the game of the decade for the N64, any fantasy/adventure player alive has/should have beaten this game at least once.  - I typed another game out but definitely had to delete it and put Super Smash Bros on this list, the ultimate party game, i've been playing this game with family for years.  - Some honorable mentions include: Grand Theft Auto 5, Skyrim, Goldeneye, Dynasty Warriors (the game Kriselle and I played together when we first started dating) :D
It sounds crazy and unconventional, but landing a job in the gaming industry is definitely a goal I'd love to achieve. They say if you have a job you love, then you never work a day in your life again. I am not sure what I would want to do; different companies excel in different things. I would love to work along the lines of eSports videography/photography whether that means I'll be camera operator, event photographer, live interviewer, something along the likes of that. There are many companies that do awesome projects like that; ESL (eSports League) and Riot Games are two examples. I wouldn't find working for myself or start up companies like Counter-Logic Gaming (CLG) or Team Solo Mid (TSM).
And since this series is called "Gamer Girlfriend Probs," gaming has obviously had an impact on my relationship with Kriselle. Gaming, like anything, has it's pros/cons on relationships. If the two don't share the love for gaming then it's mostly cons, but Kriselle has been stepping it up to see my side of the spectrum lately which I appreciate. Sometimes it's good that we don't share common interests so that I can show her what I love and explain a multitude of things that may not make sense at all for her. 
And the last thing that I want to say for anyone who might be in a similar situation as ours (especially if you don't game but your boyfriend does): My number one tip is, BE OPEN. 
Okay having a gamer bf may be annoying sometimes but there is A LOT to learn about gaming and A LOT of potential in this industry. The video game industry makes more money than Hollywood and the music industry combined. There are tons of things to do with video games, whether it's playing the video games themselves, going to conventions (PAX, E3, etc). eSports events (Riot LCS, The Internationals), LAN parties, viewing parties at bars, arenas, even Buffalo Wild Wings etc. There's always something buzzin' if you keep your eyes and ears open. 
Another tip is TRY. Just pick up a game and play, if you don't like what you're playing then try something else. Like movies there's seriously a game for everyone. 
I hope that you were able to learn something, anything about gaming and I hope that if you read Kriselle's blog a lot that now you have a better understanding of who I am and why I really love what I do. Like I said she is starting to get interested in it which I appreciate from her and I'm also not just being lazy and ignoring her (as much as I used to, hehe) for the game like when we were younger. Gaming may seem like a phase for some, but if the guy in your life is anything like me, that might not be the case. So just be open and check out video games, you never know you just might like it! 

Gamer Girlfriend Probs: Meeting a Professional Gaming Team

So your boyfriend may be a gamer. He may be into playing a variety of games, whether on his PC or his Xbox, and he probably dedicates a lot of time to it. Chances are, he also probably plays live with other gamers online. He probably talks to you about it a lot and you probably hate when the gaming interferes with your quality time (see gamer gf prob #1). 
However, I don't think it's all too bad until he takes you to meet a real professional gaming team. Yeah, I don't think you are truly addicted until your significant other is following gamers who make their living off of it and then take you to meet them.  A couple weeks ago, we did just that. 
As I've mentioned before, Darell is a huge fan of the game League of Legends. He has achieved a "gold" status in the game (which apparently is good but not that good), he has watched pro-gamer teams play in live matches (they are actual competitions like how cheer has championships), and I have even purchased a jersey of his favorite player on his favorite pro team. 
So of course, when his favorite team is in town doing a meet-and-greet, he has to take advantage! (I mean I have done the same when it came to meeting my favorite Youtubers in the past so I understand). 

Us with Counter Logic Gaming-Darell's favorite team! (His idol is the guy in the middle, 3rd from the right)

We went to the Microsoft store near my school and got to meet Counter Logic Gaming (or CLG for short) and take photos with them and get their autographs! We also got cool swag bags from Razer, a gaming accessories brand (none of which I kept because I'm not a gamer #gamergfprobs), and got to just hang out for a bit. 

I think my favorite part of the whole night was watching Darell meet his idol, Doublelift (that's his gamer name). He was so happy in a cute way! He was definitely fangirling but not outwardly freaking out as much as other people would. I love seeing him that way. 
If you ever get dragged to an event such as this for a game that you may or may not care for, I have this tip for you: Make the most out of it.
I don't necessarily hate the game like I used to because I understand it better. That makes it easier for me to watch Darell play and talk about the game because I understand it. The game is pretty cool, but still not my first choice of entertainment. When he took me to this, he and our other friends actually surprised me by telling me an hour before they were coming that they were coming to get me. Darell asked if I wanted to go and I said yes because why not? 
You may or may not have a choice like me but just stick it out and go for them. I'm sure that you appreciate when your boyfriend goes out of his way to do something you enjoy that he may not, so do the same for him. Sacrifice a little, and it will be worth it. 
The meet up wasn't so bad. I had fun watching how dedicated the League of Legends world is and seeing my boyfriend so happy from meeting his favorite player. It was worth ditching my homework for a few hours.
Oh, the life that I live as the girlfriend of a gamer. 
Any other gamer girlfriends/spouses out there? What are your gamer girlfriend problems? What do you want to see for this series? Tell me & I'll probably write about them!