Nathan Thomas

Gaming has always been one of the cores that makes me who I am. The first game I remember playing was Darkwing Duck on a rented Nintendo Entertainment System. It was so cool and amazing that I could control Darkwing Duck, a character that I've only known from my favorite TV show at the time. It was mind blowing, and the possibilities about what gaming could be started to grow in my head. From that point on, I was a gamer. I would not own a console until I inherited my older brother's Nintendo 64, but the first console I purchased was a Sony PlayStation. Seeing the jump from what was possible with cartridges to what was possible with a disk again stunned me! I'll always remember playing Final Fantasy VII, seeing the cut-scenes and hearing the music, thinking "Wow! It will never get better than this!" Since then, however, I saw the boundaries of what was possible constantly get pushed further. My journey led me from PlayStation to PS2, GameCube, Xbox, Xbox 360, Wii, PS3, Xbox One, Wii U, PS4, and now to bringing my PC back up to speed to play even more great games! All throughout this journey, one thing was very clear: The possibilities are limitless. It's because of the limitless possibilities that gaming has that I got involved with Extra Life in 2013. The possibilities gaming affords is not limited in scope to polygons, frame-rates, or lighting; I realized I could also use my passion to make a difference in the lives of children at the Children's Hospital of Illinois. I've been an Extra Life participant since 2013 and have been able to raise thousands of dollars to help sick and injured kids, all by being a passionate gamer. Again, the possibilities of gaming truly are limitless! Now married, in my 30s, with two dogs and a full time career, I can't game as much as I used to, but I want the gaming that I am able to partake in to be meaningful. I'm not fond of games that have copious amounts of grinding, but I am fine with a compelling 100 hour narrative, even if it takes me a month to complete!