When I got back from Koh Samui earlier in the year I arrived home to a parcel from Ubisoft containing a copy of “The Division” in my mailbox (read my original review of the game here).

I’ve been pretty much hooked on it since then and I’ve truly clocked the game with well over 1000 hours, 4 characters and 7 min-maxed gear sets. It’s a loot based game, but I spend my time helping others get loot these days… game aside, yesterday I had a mate come over to check up on me. He’d noticed I’ve been a bit MIA lately (he’s not the only one who’s concerned!).

Robbie was outside pressing the doorbell, calling my phone, sending messages, he even got into my backyard and knocked on the back door too. Where was I? In gaming land of-course. Noise cancelling headphones on, they just shut the whole outside world off.

Not the first wake-up call. I’ve lost a lot of balance this year, on purpose btw. It’s been an interesting experience trying to re-define my values on guilt, balance and what truly makes me happy and what I want to continue doing for the rest of my life. What I do know, for sure, is that there’s only one reason for me to be on this planet; and that’s to inspire others, which is something I’ve not been doing much of lately as gaming is grinding, and there’s really not much to show at the end of 1000+ gaming hours.

Might sound a little drastic, but Robbie took the PC gaming rig (it’s Veds machine not mine, I was just borrowing it) from me right then and there and packed it into his car. It’s gone!!!

PS: I’m really going to miss the guys I’ve been conversing and playing with in the game a lot, especially the friendly European guys in the early mornings and Aussies and New Zealanders in the afternoons who I’ve grown to love over the past 5 months. The guys I’ve been playing with are mostly my age (40’s), they’ve got families, and they’re professionals; one is a photographer, one is a chef, one was a director of a large photography agency which focused on war photography and is now a curator… whilst we’re playing the game and shooting shit we’re actually talking about life at the same time, it’s a serious hook and one I’ll miss a lot.

/rant.