Gaming Life or No Life

Gaming Life or No Life B y T h u y P h u o n g T. L e

C o p y r i g h t © 2 0 2 1 b y T h u y P h u o n g T. L e .

A l l r i g hts re s e r ve d . N o p a r t o f t h i s p u b l i c at i o n m a y b e re p ro d u c e d , d i st r i b u te d , o r t ra n s m i t te d i n a n y fo r m o r b y a n y m e a n s , i n c l u d i n g p h oto c o p y i n g , re c o rd i n g , o r ot h e r e l e ct ro n i c o r m e c h a n i c a l m et h o d s , w i t h o u t t h e p r i o r w r i t t e n p e r m i s s i o n o f t h e p u b l i s h e r, e x c e p t i n t h e c a s e o f b r i e f q u otat i o n s e m b o d i e d i n c r i t i c a l rev i ew s a n d c e r ta i n o t h e r n o n c o m m e r c i a l u s e s p e r m i t t e d b y c o p y r i g h t l a w.

Published by BookBaby.

F i rst p r i nt i n g , 2 0 21 .

Dedications Mom and Dad Oanh Nguyen B ra n d o n Le Nam Nguyen Ke n n e y N g u y e n Alison Le Mason Le E t h a n S ta n i fe r B r a n d o n Tr i e u M i ke e O r b e t a

Table of Contents

8 16 24 32 40 Gamer

Gamer

Gamer

Gamer

Gamer

Phuong Le

M i ke e O r b e t a

E t h a n S ta n i fe r

Mason Le

Nam Nguyen

4 | Table of Contents

46 52 58 66 72 Gamer

Gamer

Gamer

Gamer

Gamer

Oanh Nguyen

Ke n n e y N g u y e n

B ra n d o n Le

B r a n d o n Tr i e u

Alison Le

Table of Contents | 5

Introduction

S o m a n y p e o p l e t h i n k t h a t g a m i n g i s a w a s te o f t i m e . I t i s n o t g o i n g to h e l p y o u w i t h a n y t h i n g i n l i fe a n d w i l l r u i n y o u r f u t u re , b u t t h ro u g h o u t t h e y e a rs t h a t I h a ve b e e n g a m i n g I l e a r n e d a l o t m o re t h a n I t h o u g h t I w o u l d . I l e a r n e d to m a ke f r i e n d s . I l e a r n e d to c o o p e ra te w i t h o t h e rs . I l e a r n e d to b e c o n f i d e n t w i t h m y s k i l l s . G a m i n g c a n ta ke y o u o u t o f re a l i t y a n d a l l o w y o u to b e w h o y o u w a n t to b e i n a fa n ta s y w o r l d . I l e a r n e d t h a t g a m i n g a l l o w s y o u to fe e l a c c o m p l i s h e d . B y a c c o m p l i s h i n g ta s ks , t h e g a m e g i ve s y o u re w a rd s fo r y o u r a c h i e ve m e n ts . I t m a ke s y o u fe e l p ro u d a b o u t y o u rs e l f. F o r e xa m p l e , M a p l e s to r y i s a n M M O R P G g a m e t h a t h a s y o u p l a y a s h e ro to s a ve t h e w o r l d o f M a p l e s to r y . I b e l i e ve g a m i n g h a s c h a n g e d a l o t o ve r t h e y e a rs . T h e re a re g a m e s o u t t h e re t h a t a re c re a te d to h e l p p e o p l e . T h e y a re c a l l e d p u b l i c s e r v i c e a d ve r t i s e m e n t ( P S A ) g a m e s . S c i e n t i s ts u s e t h e m to s t u d y h o w e f fe c t i ve t h e s e s c e n a r i o g a m e s c a n h e l p p e o p l e s to p t h e i r b a d h a b i ts l i ke s m o k i n g o r g a m b l i n g .

G a m i n g h a s b e c o m e m o re t h a n e n te r ta i n m e n t ; I b e l i e ve g a m e s c a n b e l i fe c h a n g i n g a n d i m p a c t f u l fo r o u r f u t u re .

6 | Introduction

Introduction | 7

Gamer Phuong Le 8 | Introduction

Introducing ScarletzHeart

I g rew u p k n ow i n g t h at I wa nte d to be an artist and games and anime h a s i n s p i re d m e to st u d y g ra p h i c d e s i g n a n d c o m p u te r ga m e d e s i g n . I n eve r h a d m y ow n c o m p u te r b e fo re a n d I h ave a l wa y s u s e d a l a pto p to p l a y ga m i n g a n d do my schoolwork.

Tw i t c h . t v / S c a r l e t z H e a r t

Phuong Le | 9

10 |

Phuong Le | 11

12 | Computer Specs

Phuong’s Computer Specs L a p t o p : A s u s Ze n B o o k U X 4 3 4 F L S i g n a t u r e E d i t i o n C P U : I nte l ® C o re ™ i 7 - 8 5 6 5 U C P U @ 1 . 8 0 G H z 1 . 9 9 G H z Memory: 16.0 GB M o n i to r 1 : L a pto p S c re e n 1 9 2 0 x 1 0 8 0 6 0 . 0 49 H z Monitor 2: ASUS VG278Q 27” Full HD 1920 x 1080 144Hz. Ke y b o a r d : Ra ze r H u nts m a n M i n i w i t h C l i c k y O pt i c a l sw i tc h e s M o u s e Pa d : Ra ze r G o l i at h u s C h ro m a G a m i n g M o u s e p a d W h i te M o u s e : Ra ze r V i p e r U l t i m ate B l a c k H e a d s e t : Lo g i te c h G 7 3 3 L i g hts p e e d W i re l e s s w/ L i g hts y n c R G B M i c : Raze r S e i re n X U S B S t re a m i n g M i c ro p h o n e : B u i l t - I n S h o c k M o u nt , S u p e rc a rd i o i d Patte r n , A n o d i ze d A l u m i n u m , B l a c k M i c A r m : TO N O R A d j u s t a b l e S u s p e n s i o n B o o m S c i s s o r M i c S t a n d W e b c a m : R A L E N O 1 0 8 0 P, D u a l M i c r o p h o n e s , F u l l H D V i d e o C a m e r a

Phuong Le | 13

Q &

A

14 | Q & A

1 2 What is your favorite part about your gaming pc build?

“

My favorite parts of my computer right now is my Logitech G733 headset, Razer huntsman mini keyboard, and Razer Goliathus mousepad.

They are all white and I hope to have my gaming PC all white someday.

Do you plan to change or upgrade anything on your gaming pc build?

“

I started my computer PC build recently and is very close to finishing now. All that is left is the GPU.

3 4 5 What games do you play on your gaming pc?

“

I play Genshin Impact, Valorant, Osu and Dungeon Defenders when I am not busy with schoolwork.

How has balancing your gaming life and school life before the pandemic?

“

I am a first-generation college student and I really worked hard in college. I only had my laptop that I did work on and played league back then. I spend most of my time on campus, so I was only doing schoolwork till I took the bus home. I was never procrastinated when I was able to just do my work in between classes and It was easy to keep my grades up.

How has balancing your gaming life and school life during the pandemic?

“

When the pandemic hit, I could not handle the stress. I moved to Blacksburg with my boyfriend so that I could focus on my classes. Then Valorant Beta was out, and I spend a lot of my time playing that game till school ended and most of my summer. Taking summer classes were hard, but I had to if I wanted to graduate on time.

But then I slumped when Fall 2020 semester when I started babysitting and working.

Phuong Le | 15

Gamer Mikee Orbeta 16 | Introduction

Introducing Calamitea

Hello! My name is Mikael Orbeta, but my friends just call me Mikee (pronounced my-key not mickey). I was born in D.C. but was raised in the suburbs of Falls Church VA. I am 22 years old and am the son of two Filipino immigrant parents. I have one younger brother named Gabriel who is 16 and a junior at Falls Church High School.

Mikee Orbeta | 17

18 | Computer Specs

Mikee’s Computer Specs C a s e : L i a n L i O 1 1 D y n a m i c M i d - towe r M o t h e r b o a r d : A s R o c k X 5 7 0 Ta i c h i C P U : Ry ze n 7 3 7 0 0 X M e m o r y : C o rs a i r Ve n ge n c e R G B P ro 3 2 G B ( 1 6 G B x 2 ) G P U : G i ga b y te G e F o rc e RT X 3 0 8 0 S to ra ge : S a m s u n g 970 E VO P l u s N V M e M . 2 Powe r S u p p l y : C o rs a i r R M 8 5 0 , 8 5 0 - Watt Monitor 1: MSI Optix G27 1 27” Full HD (1920 x 1080) 144Hz Backlit

L E D G a m i n g M o n i to r

Ke y b o a rd : Re d ra go n K 5 8 2 S U R A R A R G B w i t h H y p e r X P u d d i n g C a p s Mouse Pad: CyberPower Mouse Pad XL, Black M o u s e : C y b e r P we r P C E l i te P ro M 1 1 3 1 O pt i c a l G a m i n g M o u s e , B l a c k H e a d s e t : C o rs a i r V i r t u o s o

Mikee Orbeta | 19

20 |

Mikee Orbeta | 21

Q &

A

22 | O & A

1 2 What is your favorite part about your gaming pc build?

“

I like a lot of things about my gaming PC but without a doubt my favorite part of the build is my Gigabyte RTX 3080 Vision.

I was fortunate enough to buy one for retail price of $930, but it was a little more expensive than my initial budget. In the end, I think it was completely worth it despite it being a third of the cost of my PC build. The GPU allows me to play games that I have only dreamed about playing in the past. It also doesn’t hurt that the is white which fits the bright aesthetic that I was going for.

Do you plan to change or upgrade anything on your gaming pc build?

“

After only two months I have found that 1 terabyte is not nearly enough space to contain the number of games and media that I possess.

In addition to this being a gaming pc it is also used as an editing rig for my main hobby, photography. The first thing I would do to upgrade the pc is to utilize the two remaining m.2 ports and add more storage.

After my storage issue is taken care of, I would like to get two more Lian Li RGB Uni fans to match the six that I already have installed.

3 4 5 What games do you play on your gaming pc?

“

At the moment I mainly play first person shooters such as Battlefield, Call of Duty, Valorant, and Apex Legends. I originally played on console but recently transitioned to pc gaming. On console, I primarily played the older iterations of the Battlefield and Call of Duty series. So naturally when I switched platforms, I gravitated back to the FPS genre. On occasion I do play other types of genres such as survival horror, RPG/JRPG, and Adventure/fantasy.

How has balancing your gaming life and school life before the pandemic?

“

Before the pandemic, I was attending online classes, so I did not spend as much time gaming as I do now. Balancing two jobs, online classes, and my social life consumed most of my days. As a result, I would go extended periods of time without playing any games at all. For the most part that is generally a good thing, but I did miss unwinding at the end of the day with my favorite video game.

How has balancing your gaming life and school life during the pandemic?

“

Currently I do not attend any classes and instead I have decided to fill my schedule with more hours at my jobs. As far as balancing goes, I have generally been able to have more leisure time to myself which I use to game. As I have gotten older, I have realized that spending a lot of time behind a screen is not the best practice, so even though I may have more time to game than ever before I still try to limit myself.

Mikee Orbeta | 23

Gamer Ethan Stanifer 24 | Introduction

Introducing Wisescorpion

I a m 3 0 y e a rs o l d a n d g rew u p i n a ve r y s m a l l tow n i n I n d i a n a I g rew u p p l a y i n g m a n y s p o r ts a n d s p e n d i n g m o st of m y t i m e o u td o o rs , I wo u l d o c c a s i o n a l l y p l a y S u p e r M a r i o Wo r l d with my mom on a S u p e r N i nte n d o at a y o u n g a ge a n d t h at i s p ro b a b l y w h at sta r te d m y i nte re st i n ga m i n g . I m a j o re d i n B i o l o g y a n d E nv i ro n m e nta l S c i e n c e i n c o l l e ge .

Ethan Stanifer | 25

26 | Computer Specs

Ethan’s Computer Specs C a s e : T h e r m a l t a ke V i e w 7 1 Te m p e r e d G l a s s S n o w E d i t i o n 4 - S i d e d

Te m p e r e d G l a s s E - AT X V e r t i c a l G P U M o d u l a r G a m i n g F u l l To w e r

M o t h e r b o a r d : M S I M P G Z 49 0 G A M I N G E D G E W i - F i LG A 1 2 0 I nte l Z 49 0

S ATA 6 G B / s AT X I n t e l

C P U : I n t e l C o r e i 7 - 1 0 7 0 0 K C o m e t L a ke 8 - C o r e 3 . 8 G H z L G A 1 2 0 0 1 2 5 W C P U C o o l e r : T h e r m a l t a ke W a t e r 3 . 0 R G B S y n c E d i t i o n C L - W 2 3 4 P L 1 2 S W - B M e m o r y : C o rs a i r Ve n ge a n c e R G B P ro 3 2 G B ( 2 x 1 6 G B ) G P U : E V G A N v i d i a G e F o r c e GT X 1 0 8 0 - T i F E S to r a g e : We ste r n D i g i ta l W D B L AC K S N 7 5 0 N V M e M . 2 2 2 8 0 1 T B

P C I - E x p re s s 3 . 0 x 4 6 4 - l a y e r 3 D N A N D W D S 1 0 0 T 3 X 0 C

Power Supply: EVGA 750W M o n i to r 1 : LG 4 K 2 7 ” L E D M o n i to r M o n i to r 2 : M S I O pt i x 2 7 ” 2 K 1 4 4 hz c u r ve d M P G 2 7 C Q Ke y b o a rd : C o rs a i r K 6 8 M e c h a n i c a l G a m i n g Ke y b o a rd Re d M o u s e : Lo g i te c h G 5 0 2 H e ro H e a d s e t : S te e l S e r i e s A rct i s 7 w i re l e s s

Ethan Stanifer | 27

28 |

Ethan Stanifer | 29

Q &

A

30 | Q & A

1 2 What is your favorite part about your gaming pc build?

“

My favorite part about my gaming PC is that I built it and can easily modify or upgrade it because I know all of the dif ferent components inside.

Do you plan to change or upgrade anything on your gaming pc build?

“

I d o n ot h ave any i m m e d i ate p lans to upg rade m y P C , b u t I would consider re p l a c i n g m y G P U in t he f u t u re o n c e it is easier to p u rc h a s e graphics cards.

3 4 5 What games do you play on your gaming pc?

“

I own well over 100 games that I’ve acquired since I built my first gaming PC in high school. My favorites are Team Fortress 2, ARK Survival Evolved, RuneScape, Diablo, TARKOV, Valorant, and Call of Duty.

How has balancing your gaming life and school life before the pandemic?

“

Balancing my gaming life with my responsibilities was not an isle before the pandemic. Sometimes I would play games and procrastinate work that needs to be completed but I would always have the work done on time.

How has balancing your gaming life and school life during the pandemic?

“

During the pandemic procrastinating has been a little easier because I am home more often. Early during the pandemic, I did procrastinate more but I have procrastinated less as time went on. I have not had issues getting my work completed on time during the pandemic event with the increased procrastinating early on.

Ethan Stanifer | 31

Gamer Mason Le 32 | Introduction

Introducing Zcred

I ’ m c u r re nt l y 1 6 a n d I enjoy spending my f re e t i m e p l a y i n g games with friends.

Mason Le | 33

34 |

Mason Le | 35

36 | Computer Specs

Mason’s Computer Specs C a s e : N Z X T H 5 1 0 AT X M i d - To w e r C a s e M o t h e r b o a r d : A s u s R O G S T R I X B 4 5 0 - F G A M I N G AT X A M 4 C P U : A M D Ry ze n 5 3 6 0 0 3 . 6 G H z 6 - c o re P ro c e s s o r C P U C o o l e r : A M D W r a i t h S t e a l t h S o c ke t A M 4 4 - p i n C o n n e c t o r C P U

C o o l e r w i t h A l u m i n u m H e ats i n k & 3 . 9 3 - i n c h Fa n ( S l i m)

M e m o r y : C o rs a i r Ve n ge a n c e R G B P ro 1 6 G B ( 2 x 8 G B ) G P U : A s u s G e F o rc e RT X 2 0 6 0 6 G B ST R I X G A M I N G V i d e o C a rd S to ra ge : S a m s u n g 8 70 QVO 1 T B 2 . 5 ” SS D Powe r S u p p l y : C o rs a i r R M ( 2 01 9 ) 7 5 0 - Watt M o n i t o r 1 : A c e r X FA 24 0 b m j d p r 24 ” ( 1 9 2 0 x 1 0 8 0 ) 1 4 4 h z , B l a c k M o n i t o r 2 : A s u s V S 24 8 H - P 24 ” ( 1 9 2 0 x 1 0 8 0 ) F u l l H D L E D M o n i t o r K e y b o a r d : R K R O YA L K L U D G E R K 6 1 W i r e l e s s 6 0 % M o u s e Pa d : Pe c h a m 3 m m L a rge M o u s e Pa d X X L M o u s e : G l o r i o u s M o d e l O M i n u s M at te W h i te H e a d s e t : Lo g i te c h G P ro W i re d H e a d s et

Mason Le | 37

Q &

A

38 | Q & A

1 2 What is your favorite part about your gaming pc build?

“

My favorite part about my gaming pc is being able to handle high end games.

Do you plan to change or upgrade anything on your gaming pc build?

“

I d o n ot p lan on chang ing a n y t h i n g i n m y gam ing pc a n y t i m e s o o n.

3 4 5 What games do you play on your gaming pc?

“

I play a lot of games, but I mostly play First Person Shooter and rhythm games.

How has balancing your gaming life and school life before the pandemic?

“

I have done good with balancing my school life and gaming life before the pandemic because I make sure I completed my work before getting on any games.

How has balancing your gaming life and school life during the pandemic?

“

During the Pandemic I have a lot more time, so I can take small breaks during the session I’m doing schoolwork.

Mason Le | 39

Gamer Nam Nguyen 40 | Introduction

Introducing Rythm

I enjoy PC gaming and I am into 90s JDM cars.

I currently do not have a major because IT certifications are worth more and I have network administration experience.

Nam Nguyen | 41

42 | Computer Specs

Nam’s Computer Specs C a s e : L i a n - L i P C - O 1 1 D y n a m i c R a z e r AT X M i d To w e r M o t h e r b o a r d : A S U S Te k C O M P U T E R R O G S T R I X Z 4 9 0 - E ( L G A 1 2 0 0 ) C P U : I n t e l C o r e i 7 1 0 7 0 0 K @ 3 . 8 0 G H z C o m e t L a ke 1 4 n m Te c h n o l o g y C P U C o o l e r : C o rs a i r i C U E H 1 5 0 i E l i te C a p e l l i x L i q u i d C o o l e r M e m o r y : C o rs a i r Ve n ge a n c e R G B P ro 6 4 G B ( 4 x 1 6 G B ) G P U : N V I D I A A S U S G e F o rc e RT X 3 07 0 8 G B ( R O G - ST R I X - RT X 3 07 0 ) Storage: 953GB PCle SSD (Unknown (SSD))

476 G B P C l e SS D ( U n k n o w n ( SS D ) )

Power Supply: ROG Strix 750 gold M o n i t o r 1 : A S U S V G 24 9 Q M 24 . 5 ” F u l l H D ( 1 9 2 0 x 1 0 8 0 ) 2 8 0 H z Ke y b o a r d : G M M h ot swa p - a b l e w h i te i c e T K L M o u s e Pa d : Raze r G o l i at h u s C h ro m a G a m i n g M o u s e p a d B l a c k M o u s e : Ra ze r V i p e r U l t i m ate B l a c k Headset: HyperX Cloud Mix 2 Au d i o I n te r fa c e : Re a l te k H i g h - D e f i n i t i o n Au d i o Soundbar: Bose Solo 5

Nam Nguyen | 43

Q &

A

44 | Q & A

1 2 What is your favorite part about your gaming pc build?

“

My favorite part of my gaming PC is all the RGB bits.

Do you plan to change or upgrade anything on your gaming pc build?

“

I plan to later change my GPU and get a 3 Fan AIO cooler.

3 4 5 What games do you play on your gaming pc?

“

Va lorant, League of Legends, Apex, and Ge ns hi n Impact.

How has balancing your gaming life and school life before the pandemic?

“

I us ua lly o nly h ave t i m e to ga me o n we e ken d s d u r i n g m y ti me i n s e r vi ce i n t h e m i l i ta r y .

How has balancing your gaming life and school life during the pandemic?

“

I o n l y wo r k a n e i ght - h o u r s h i ft j o b c u r re nt l y , s o I h ave p l e nt y of t i m e afte r wo r k to ga m e .

Nam Nguyen | 45

Gamer Oanh Nguyen 46 | Introduction

Introducing SophiaSky

I am currently majoring in Information Technology at Northern Virginia Community College. In my free time I stream on twitch playing my favorite games.

Tw i t c h . t v / S o p h i a S k i Oanh Nguyen | 47

48 | Computer Specs

Oanh’s Computer Specs C a s e : L i a n - L i C a s e O 1 1 D M i n i - W M i d - To w e r W h i t e M o t h e r b o a r d : A S U S Te K C O M P U T E R I N C . P R I M E Z 2 7 0 - A R ( L G A 1 1 5 1 ) C P U : I n t e l C o r e i 7 6 7 0 0 K @ 4 G H z S k y l a ke 1 4 n m Te c h n o l o g y C P U C o o l e r : C o r s a i r H 1 0 0 i P l a t i n u m R G B 24 0 m m L i q u i d C o o l e r M e m o r y : C o rs a i r Ve n ge a n c e P ro R G B 1 6 G B ( 2 x 8 G B ) GPU: ASUS VG25V (1920 x 1080 @ 144Hz) 2 0 4 7 M B N V I D I A G e F o r c e GT X 1 6 6 0 S u p e r S t o r a g e : 1 8 6 3 G B TO S H I B A DT 0 1 A C A 2 0 0 ( S ATA )

2 2 3 G B K I N G S TO N S A 4 0 0 S 3 7 24 0 G ( S ATA - 2 ( S S D ) )

Power Supply: EVGA Super Nova 650 GM M o n i t o r 1 : A S U S T U F V G 24 V Q 2 3 . 6 ” F u l l H D C u r v e d L C D M o n i t o r,

(1920 x 1080), 144Hz

Ke y b o a r d : Ra ze r H u nts m a n E l i te R G B L i n e a r O pt i c a l Sw i tc h M o u s e Pa d : C u sto m E x te n d e d S i ze N o n - S l i p M o u s e : Raze r N a ga Headset: HyperX Cloud Alpha S We b c a m : C a n o n EO S 8 0 D

Oanh Nguyen | 49

Q &

A

50 | Q & A

1 2 What is your favorite part about your gaming pc build?

“

My favorite part is the curved monitor, the white case and my camera as my webcam.

Do you plan to change or upgrade anything on your gaming pc build?

“

I plan on upgrading the motherboard and CPU to help improve the quality of my stream.

3 4 5 What games do you play on your gaming pc?

“

I play League of Legends, Genshin Impact and Vindictus.

How has balancing your gaming life and school life before the pandemic?

“

I wa s n’ t go i n g to s c h o o l b efo re the p a n d e m i c s o i t ha s n’ t b e e n hard . I m o st l y wa s at ho me do i n g t h e cho re s a nd ga m i n g.

How has balancing your gaming life and school life during the pandemic?

“

I started school again and it hasn’t been hard. I was also working on the side for a month. I study and work more than I do game. Now, I just study and only game for about two hours a day.

Oanh Nguyen | 51

Gamer Kenney Nguyen 52 | Introduction

Introducing Traghic

I am currently a senior in high school. I work and play games whenever I can. I like playing on my PlayStation a lot but I do play on my PC.

Kenney Nguyen | 53

54 | Computer Specs

Kenney’s Computer Specs C a s e : R o s e w i l l S t r y ke r M AT X M i d To w e r C a s e M o t h e r b o a r d : G i g a b y t e G A - F 2 A 6 8 H M - H M i c r o AT X F M 2 + C P U : A M D At h l o n X 4 8 6 0 K 3 . 7 G H z Q u a d - C o re P ro c e s s o r C P U C o o l e r : I nte l S to c k C o o l e r E W Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR3-1333 CL9 G P U : G i g a b y t e G e F o r c e GT X 1 0 5 0 T i 4 G B W i n d f o r c e O C V i d e o C a r d S to r a g e : S e a gate B a r ra C u d a 1 T B 3 . 5 ” 7 2 0 0 R P M I nte r n a l H a rd D r i ve Powe r S u p p l y : E VG A B 3 6 5 0 W 8 0 + B ro nze C e r t i f i e d Fu l l y M o d u l a r

AT X P o w e r S u p p l y

M o n i to r 1 : AO C 1 8 . 5 ” ( 1 3 6 6 x 76 8 ) 6 0 H z L E D M o n i to r Ke y b o a rd : Raze r B l a c k w i d ow Mouse Pad: Black Mousepad XXL M o u s e : Lo g i te c h G 2 03 W i re d G a m i n g M o u s e H e a d s e t : Lo g i te c h G G 3 3 2 W i re d S te re o G a m i n g H e a d s et

Kenney Nguyen | 55

Q &

A

56 | Q & A

1 2 What is your favorite part about your gaming pc build?

“

M y favo r i te p a r t a b o u t m y P C i s h ow n e at i t i s .

Do you plan to change or upgrade anything on your gaming pc build?

“

I wo u l d l i ke to change m y C P U a n d M ot herboard.

3 4 5 What games do you play on your gaming pc?

“

I usually play Va lo ra nt o r Leag ue of Legen d s .

How has balancing your gaming life and school life before the pandemic?

“

I go to s cho o l 8 h o u rs a d a y a nd the n I st ra i ght h o m e a nd p la y ga mes .

How has balancing your gaming life and school life during the pandemic?

“

I p l a y wa y m o re ga m e s t h a n I n e e d to .

Kenney Nguyen | 57

Gamer Brandon Le 58 | Introduction

Introducing Raishiko

I just finished college at Virginia Tech and was able to find a full-time job in computer science. My current computer is my dream computer after working hard in school to be where I am right now.

Tw i t c h . t v / R a i s h i k o Brandon Le | 59

60 |

Brandon Le | 61

62 | Computer Specs

Brandon’s Computer Specs C a s e : L i a n - L i P C - O 1 1 D y n a m i c R a z e r AT X M i d To w e r M o t h e r b o a r d : A S U S R O G ST R I X B 5 5 0 - F C P U : Ry ze n 7 5 8 0 0 X C P U C o o l e r : N Z X T K r a ke n Z 6 3 2 8 0 m m L i q u i d C o o l e r w / R G B M e m o r y : G . S k i l l Tr i d e n t Z N e o S e r i e s 3 2 G B ( 2 x 1 6 G B ) G P U : E V G A G e F o r c e GT X 1 6 6 0 S u p e r S to ra ge : S a m s u n g 970 E VO SS D 1 T B Powe r S u p p l y : N Z X T C 7 5 0 M . 7 5 0 - Watt Monitors: 2 ASUS VG278Q 27” Full HD 1920 x 1080 144Hz M o n i to r M o u n t : E r G e a r 1 7 - 3 2 ” D u a l M o n i to r S ta n d M o nt Ke y b o a r d : Ra ze r H u nts m a n M i n i w i t h C l i c k y O pt i c a l sw i tc h e s M o u s e Pa d : Ra ze r G o l i at h u s E x te n d e d C h ro m a , B l a c k M o u s e : Ra ze r V i p e r U l t i m ate B l a c k H e a d s e t : Lo g i te c h G 7 3 3 W i re l e s s w i t h L i g hts y n c R G B Mic: HyperX QuadCast M i c A r m : TO N O R A d j u s t a b l e S u s p e n s i o n B o o m S c i s s o r M i c S t a n d W e b c a m : R A L E N O 1 0 8 0 P, D u a l M i c r o p h o n e s , F u l l H D V i d e o C a m e r a

Brandon Le | 63

Q &

A

64 | Q & A

1 2 What is your favorite part about your gaming pc build?

“

My favorite part about my computer build is my LCD screen on my CPU cooler that I can customize to be whatever I want.

Do you plan to change or upgrade anything on your gaming pc build?

“

I hope to soon be able to get a new graphics card. I want the ASUS GeForce RTX 3080 or 3070 with three fans and RGB lights on them.

3 4 5 What games do you play on your gaming pc?

“

I a m really into Va lo ra nt a nd Apex rig ht now.

How has balancing your gaming life and school life before the pandemic?

“

When I was in college, I was productive with my club activities as officer for two organizations and my classes.

I knew my priorities and I only played when I could.

When Valorant came out, the pandemic just started, and school was ending in a couple weeks; I spend most a lot of all-nighters playing Valorant with my friends.

How has balancing your gaming life and school life during the pandemic?

“

After school ended, I worked a full-time job from home. After work I hopped onto Valorant right away and that has been my daily routine now.

Brandon Le | 65

Gamer Brandon Trieu 66 | Introduction

Introducing King Trieu

I c u r re nt l y st u d y I n fo r m at i o n Te c h n o l o g y a t N o r t h e r n V i rg i n i a Community College.

Brandon Trieu | 67

68 | Computer Specs

Brandon’s Computer Specs L a pto p : Raze r B l a d e 1 5 C P U : I nte l ( R ) C o re ( T M ) i 7 - 8 7 5 0 H C P U @ 2 . 2 0 G H z Memory: 16.0 GB M o n i to r 1 : Raze r B l a d e 1 5 M o n i t o r 2 : Zo w i e X L 2 5 3 6 K 24 0 H z 24 . 5 ” Keyboard: Ducky Mini M o u s e Pa d : X - ra y p a d R O B S t rata Aq u a C o nt ro l P l u s G a m i n g M o u s e Pad M o u s e : Lo g i te c h G P ro W i re l e s s H e a d s e t : Lo g i te c h G 7 3 3

Brandon Trieu | 69

Q &

A

70 | Q & A

1 2 What is your favorite part about your gaming pc build?

“

M y favo r i te p a r ts of m y co m p u te r s et u p a re m y d u a l m o n i to rs .

Do you plan to change or upgrade anything on your gaming pc build?

“

I wo u l d m ost likely upg rade my mouse.

3 4 5 What games do you play on your gaming pc?

“

I play Va lorant a nd D e e p Rock Gala ct ic.

How has balancing your gaming life and school life before the pandemic?

“

Befo re the p a n d e m i c I mo stly p la y e d Le a gu e of Le ge nd s , w hi ch i s a t i m e co ns umi ng ga m e . Ea c h ga m e wo uld b e o n ave ra ge 2 0- 45 mi nute s , s o I wa s o n l y a b l e to p la y a few ga m e s a d a y e i the r b efo re co m m u t i n g to s cho o l o r afte r.

How has balancing your gaming life and school life during the pandemic?

“

During the pandemic I had a lot of free time to play games since I didn’t have to worry about commuting to school and all my courses were online, so I am usually on my computer 15 hours a day.

Brandon Trieu | 71

Gamer: Alison Le 72 | Introduction

Introducing Aloeson

My name is Alison; I am 20 studying information systems at VCU. I also stream on twitch playing games.

Tw i t c h . t v / A l o e s o n Alison Le | 73

74 | Computer Specs

Alison’s Computer Specs C a s e : C o r s a i r i C U E 2 2 0 T R G B A i r f l o w Te m p e r e d G l a s s M i d - To w e r, W h i t e M o t h e r b o a r d : A s u s R O G S t r i x B 4 5 0 - F G a m i n g M o t h e r b o a r d ( AT X ) C P U : A M D Ry ze n 7 3 7 0 0 X 8 - C o re , 1 6 - T h re a d w i t h Wra i t h P r i s m L E D C o o l e r C P U C o o l e r : I D - C O O L I N G P I N K F L O W 24 0 C P U W a t e r C o o l e r M e m o r y : C o rs a i r Ve n ge a n c e R G B P R O 3 2 G B ( 2 x 1 6 G B ) , W h i te G P U : A S U S D u a l N V I D I A G e F o rc e RT X 2 07 0 E VO V 2 O C Ed i t i o n S t o r a g e : S a m s u n g S S D 8 6 0 E V O 1 T B 2 . 5 I n c h S ATA I I I I n t e r n a l S S D ( M Z - 7 6 E 1 T 0 B / A M ) Powe r S u p p l y : C o rs a i r R M 7 5 0 7 5 0 - Watt M o n i t o r 1 : A c e r X FA 24 0 b m j d p r 24 ” G a m i n g G - S Y N C C o m p a t i b l e 1 9 2 0 x 1 0 8 0 , 1 4 4 h z B l a c k M o n i t o r 2 : A c e r R 24 0 H Y b i d x 2 3 . 8 ” ( 1 9 2 0 x 1 0 8 0 ) W i d e s c r e e n M o n i t o r, B l a c k Ke y b o a r d : Ra ze r H u nts m a n G a m i n g Ke y b o a rd - Q u a r t z P i n k M o u s e Pa d : Ra ze r G o l i at h s E x te n d e d C h ro m a G a m i n g M o u s e Pa d M o u s e : Ra ze r B a s i l i s k C h ro m a R G B L i g ht i n g C u sto m i za b l e - Q u a r t z P i n k Headset: HyperX Cloud II - Pink H e a d s e t S ta n d : Ra ze r B a s e S tat i o n w/ U S B H u b : C h ro m a R G B L i g ht i n g - Q u a r t z P i n k M i c : A u d i o - Te c h n i c a l AT 2 0 2 0 C a r d i o i d C o n d e n s e r S t u d i o X L R M i c r o p h o n e , B l a c k M i c A r m : S a m s o n M BA 3 8 - 3 8 ” M i c ro p h o n e B o o m A r m ( M BA 3 8 ) A u d i o I n t e r fa c e : P e rs o n i u s Au d i o B ox U S B 9 6 2 x 2 U S B Au d i o I nte r fa c e , B l u e We b c a m : Lo g i te c h C 9 2 0 H D P ro We b c a m Fu l l H D 1 0 8 0 p v i d e o c a l l s w i t h ste re o a u d i o

Alison Le | 75

Q &

A

76 | Q & A

1 2 What is your favorite part about your gaming pc build?

“

I l i ke t h at m y p c b u i l d i s a l l p i n k a n d w h i te .

Do you plan to change or upgrade anything on your gaming pc build?

“

I plan on upgrading in the future, my pc is brand new, so it is running well at the moment.

3 4 5 What games do you play on your gaming pc?

“

I play a va riety of ga me s , but at the mo me nt I have been playing a lot of Ge ns hi n Impact a nd Valo ra nt.

How has balancing your gaming life and school life before the pandemic?

“

Before the Pandemic I was really good at doing schoolwork before playing anything with my friends.

How has balancing your gaming life and school life during the pandemic?

“

During the Pandemic it has become much harder since I am on my pc a lot more.

Alison Le | 77

Copyright © 2020 by Thuy Phuong Le Ed i to r i a l a n d d e s i g n b y T h u y P h u o n g Le P h o t o g r a p h s t a ke n b y T h u y P h u o n g L e Ed i te d b y B ra n d o n Le C r i t i q u e b y J a m e s H i c ks

Gaming Life or No Life M a n y p e o p l e s a y t h at p l a y i n g ga m e s i s a wa ste of time. People say that playing games is not s o m e t h i n g y o u c a n m a k e a c a r e e r o u t o f. E v e r s i n c e t h e p a n d e m i c sta r te d , ga m e rs h ave re l i e d o n ga m i n g to b r i n g t h e m s e l ve s o u t o f t h i s re a l i t y t h a t w e a r e d e a l i n g w i t h r i g h t n o w. I t h e l p e d c r e a t e a c a r e e r a s a s t r e a m e r.

G a m i n g i s fo r e nte r ta i n m e nt . I t i s n ot s o m et h i n g t h at i s a w a ste o f t i m e . F o r s o m e g a m e rs i t ta ke s y o u to a wo r l d w h e re y o u c a n get awa y f ro m re a l i t y . I t i s a n i c e c h a n ge i n p a c e f ro m t h e re a l w o r l d w e a r e d e a l i n g r i g h t w i t h n o w. T h e p a n d e m i c h a s m a d e i t h a rd fo r a l l o f u s a n d fo r g a m e rs i t i s g i ve n u s a c h a n c e to d o s o m et h i n g we l ove a n d b e a b l e t o m a ke s o k i n d o f c a r e e r o u t o f i t .

About the Author T h u y P h u o n g i s a V i e t n a m e s e A m e r i c a n g r a p h i c d e s i g n e r.

I nte r n i n g fo r t h e Ka s h m i r Wo r l d F o u n d at i o n a n d t h e N at i o n a l A s s o c i at i o n o f A s i a n A m e r i c a n P ro fe s s i o n a l s h a s a d d e d u p to m a n y ex p e r i e n c e s a n d m a d e h e r c a p a b l e o f m u l t i - ta s k i n g . S h e i s a te a m p l a y e r a n d f r i e n d l y , w h i c h m a ke s h e r f u n t o w o r k w i t h a s w e l l a s b e a b l e t o h e l p ot h e rs fo r i n s p i rat i o n a l i d e a s .