I'd just like to make a testimonial here. Hear me out.
I grew up a gamer and have over 400 games owned on my Xbox live account totaling over $12,000 in cost. I grew up with arcade machines and every system as I got older. In the military Xbox helped me keep my sanity overseas on our off time and my first ever online game interaction was Tom Clancys Rainbow Six 3 multi-player on xbox. Every single year me and a group of guys got call of duty together and played from locations all over the world.
Fast forward to four years after my 12 year army stint. I lost my fiance and my home. Now living in my car. Depression was setting in. I wanted so badly to have an escape from reality and game again. I tried cod mobile and for this Christmas my best friend from childhood got me a mogo controller. Well turns out you can't use it with cod mobile. So I was getting depressed again. But then I heard of stadia.
I downloaded Stadia and was in awe of the fact I could play amazing games without downloading ANYTHING and play it all on my phone. I may be living in my car but I still work and got a Samsung galaxy s20 5g UW. The day I got stadia I was starstruck because CYBERPUNK 2077 WAS ON IT!!!
I Spent DAYS playing it. 7 playthroughs later I can tell you my depression is gone. The fact I can play as an assassin viking with Eivor or slap some gonks as V whenever and wherever I want has changed my life .
So thank you stadia. Seriously thank you. I love this system and idea and technology. Your app has changed my life and to everyone out here playing on stadia I hope you all have an amazing day/week/year!
It's great to read stories like this (aside from the living in a car part, sorry for that) because it reminds me of my gaming habits before becoming an adult and after. I was always on the cutting edge of gaming, pc, consoles, anything, but then I started working, less and less time to play, and having to manage my finance and with a family on the shoulder, my gaming was always less than the day before when I tried to play something my laptop was obsolete, or an hour of play quickly become 0 thanks to a surprise game update... but now I'm able to pick any game, and start play, I have 30 minutes I play 28 minutes!
It's all good man. Yeah I live in my car and that sucks, but before I owned this car I was sleeping in a tent behind a pretzel factory and waiting till they closed to find what pretzels they threw away in the trash just so I could eat. Trust me when I say the VA programs for homeless veterans are AWFUL IN PHILADELPHIA AREA. But life is full of challenges. I survived getting blown up in Afghanistan and shot and stabbed in Iraq. It all works to make me stronger in the end. At the end of each day I'm happy to be alive. Even happier now with stadia lol, God I feel like I'm being paid to advertise for them haha
@TheGrimm have you tried to see what VA programs are available in New Jersey? I used to live across the river from Philly (Mount Laurel) so am familiar with the area but unsure if NJ services for veterans would be better and able to offer you some support. Good luck and happy Stadia gaming!
Unfortunately because I reside in Pennsylvania and am assigned to the Horsham Clinic for my primary care provider and Philly as my overall location and main hospital I can't use NJ programs I was told. To be completely honest buddy I've given up trying. I've worked with 4 programs including Hope for Veterans and each and every one has taken all my information, time and at the end let me down. So I just try to stay positive. Yeah it sucks on days like Christmas where I see families driving all around me to go to their loved ones and eat holiday dinner meanwhile I sit alone and starving some days, but I try to keep a positive mind set and stadia has literally helped me do that. I get laughed at, harassed, made fun of, threatened and have people literally park in front of my car and put their high beams on in my face just because they can. It's just apparently not in my cards to get out of this. But again it is what it is. I do my best to stay positive and people like you and the super nice people in this stadia community have shown there are people who actually still care and I appreciate it.
I really hope that at some point you get a break from your situation and that you find the life that you’re looking for. Stay positive buddy and ignore the idiots that choose to pick on you just out of ignorance and their own anger, they’re really not worth anyone’s attention and hopefully they will eventually “blend with the background” and disappear...You’re clearly a survivor and I love the fact that as a member of this community you’re able to share your story openly and without judgements, thank you.
Well of course! Again yeah it sucks and I won't lie, some nights I do just put my seat all the way back and lay here and cry because I'm so lonely or depressed that I'm like this but I know if I stay positive I'll be ok. I know that won't carry me forever because you can't build a home on bricks of hopes and wishes but for the moment it helps lol.
But hey if you wanna help me out then feel free to add me on stadia. I actually have no friends on here and I'd love to find someone to play Outriders or anything else with and just talk. But seriously don't feel obligated to do so at all! But if you want to add me my name is TheGrimm#3612
And thank you for being so kind and understanding
We're so touched by this post! Thanks for being an amazing fan, and we hope to continue bringing you the best possible experience!
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Not playing much these days as my students are currently in the middle of their (pre-)exams and I have to do alot of correction work, but I'd like to add you and I do hope that you find many players here to get connected with ![]()
It might help with your depressions if you see other community members online.
Stay strong and survive - good things do always happen ![]()
I'm glad that gaming offers an entertaining break or relief from a very traumatic and stressful past and present time in your life. Thank you for sharing with us.
I am now 50 years old, and have found entertainment through electronic/computer/video games for possibly 42 years and I've seen platforms come and go. I get a little concerned when I see the fan boys on YouTube and blogs predicting Stadia demise also not ideal to have key members leave the Google Stadia team, but I got to cling on after investing so much time and cash into this and just trust that Google sees the future clearer than I and the bloggers.
I really hope that your real life stuff is more comfortable soon @TheGrimm but I may be rude and overstepping, but maybe I would game a little less and purely focus on establishing and maintaining a permanent address and more importantly ( for gaming ) a broadband connection. I know you have the ability to achieve this, the armed forces only employ and train THE BEST.
And my political pennies worth, pensions and healthcare for retired ex-service personnel is a test of a countries moral fibre. Maybe form a group and blockade the recruiting offices until veterans are better cared for.