5 Ways to Embrace Your Inner Geek In 2018

With technology advancing at an incredible rate, there’s never been a better time to embrace your inner geek. Sure, the term has some negative connotations, but those are quickly being shunned as more and more people realize there is no shame in getting enjoyment out of something they enjoy, whether it’s gaming, watching movies or painting war figurines. All of us have so-called guilty pleasures or interests that might not be considered “cool” to others, which is why the term “geek” is rapidly losing its credibility.

Regardless of whether or not you like the label, being considered a geek is a lot more socially acceptable than it used to be, and why shouldn’t it be? From cosplay to gaming, “geeky” hobbies are not only fun, they can also be creative, mentally stimulating and immersive. Even playing video games has some surprising benefits.

So, without further ado, here are five ways to get your geek on in 2018.

Create a Gaming Bucket List

For most gamers, the adventure takes place on a screen or through a headset rather than in real life. Like reading, playing video games offers you the chance to suspend your disbelief and get lost in another world, but what if you could combine this with real-life action? Creating a gaming bucket list allows you and your friends to do just that.

Check out this ultimate gamer bucket list for inspiration, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box on this one.

If you’re willing to travel, global gaming attractions include a 36-hour long gaming marathon at a London arcade, taking part in a real-life escape game in San Francisco, and eating dinner in a game-themed bar in Tokyo. If you don’t have the budget or freedom to go abroad, you could research more local gaming events instead.

Embrace Cosplay

Cosplay is on the lips of geeks everywhere, but for those who aren’t familiar with the term, it is a contraction of the words “costume” and “play.” Engaging in cosplay means dressing up and portraying a fictional character. The creative past time originated in the early 1990s at comic book conventions in Japan. Since then, it has made its way into popular culture and has won the hearts of movie buffs and comic lovers all over the world.

It might sound strange if you haven’t tried it before, but cosplay is essentially a form of performance art. It harks back to your childhood days of dressing up and acting like your favorite movie character or gaming hero. Cosplay also invites you to mix with a creative community of like-minded individuals. More than anything else, it’s fun, and we could all do with a little more fun in our lives, right?

2018 is officially set to be the year of cosplay, but you don’t have to wait until January; Halloween is the perfect opportunity to experiment with playing a much-loved character, so why not host a cosplay party this year?

Buy a Retro Console

Remember your old SEGA Megadrive or SNES, or sitting on your bed with your controller in hand, waiting for your PlayStation 1 to recognize your disk? For most gamers, these retro consoles were the start of it all; the moment they felt their passion for gaming ignite. Despite the number of advancements in the gaming industry over recent years, there is still nothing more exciting than seeing one of these old consoles in action. Perhaps it’s the nostalgia that accompanies these artifacts, or maybe it’s because they were bigger, and more thrilling than modern consoles. Either way, vintage consoles are back.

If you’re thinking of buying a retro console, you might need to downgrade your TV or use a separate screen that is compatible with the old model. If you’re buying a console that predates the year 2000, the visuals will probably look better on a traditional CRT television rather than a new flat screen. Make sure you have a SCART cable, too, as this will give you the best quality image. If you buy a console without the wires you need, or you recover your old one from the attic and the cables don’t work, Retro Gaming Cables have got you covered.

Get Lost In Virtual Reality

For the self-professing gaming geek, there are few things more exciting than escaping to a three-dimensional, virtual world. As well as experiencing your surroundings (prehistoric times, fantasy worlds and outer space, to name a few), you will be able to interact with your environment through bio-sensing technology. For example, if you’re playing a virtual reality driving game, you may wear special bio-sensitive gloves that pick up on your hand movements as if you were turning the wheel. You can also communicate with other players online, which is enough socializing for introverted games.  

If you haven’t tried VR gaming yet, now is the time to start, as 2018 is set to be the year that this kind of gaming kicks off. Sony’s PlayStation VR, smartphone-powered headsets, and Google Cardboard will soon be part of the mainstream gamer’s kit. Hundreds of VR games and apps and even films are currently in development, and Facebook and YouTube have also jumped on the bandwagon and started creating 360-degree videos. The world of advertising is said to change dramatically in the coming years, with consumers using their smartphones to “link” real life products to online information in real time, so watch this space.

Have a Cult Film Marathon

What better way to see in the New Year than with a movie marathon? The term “movie marathon” strictly refers to watching three or more films that are closely related, so you’ll need to get situated on the sofa with snacks to hand and be serious about the task. You could watch the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy (a whopping 558 minutes), binge a few sci-fi flicks, or work through the entire Marvel collection (currently at 746 minutes, so you will need to set aside a whole day). If you needed plans for New Year’s Eve, now you have some!