Loading the Next Level: A Producer’s Reflection on Gaming, Family, and Community | Janine Tompkins

My entry into gaming began with pure jealousy. I watched my older brother enviously,

playing along on his Commodore 64- where starting a game meant loading a

cassette, carefully tracking the tape counter to hit the exact start number, and

gambling on whether it would load or crash. After endless begging, I finally got my

own Atari 2600, gripping the joysticks to smash buildings in Rampage. From there, I

graduated through a Super Nintendo, Gameboys, Xboxes and multiple PlayStations,

diving into everything from Mario to Unirally, and Crash Bandicoot to Metal Gear

Solid.

While gaming wasn't a constant presence in my adult life, it kept pulling me back at

pivotal moments. It was there during middle of the night feeds with my baby son,

tapping away at Nintendo DS puzzles just to stay awake. During the COVID

lockdowns, it became a lifeline when my partner and I picked up Call of Duty- this

was much less about unwinding and much more about connecting with other people

and playing as a team with people across the world when the physical world was on

pause.

Today, that dynamic still is front and centre in my home as I have watched my kids

grow from button-mashing on the Wii U to strategising on the Xbox as teenagers and

young adults. While it’s easy to worry when they get lost in virtual worlds, I see how

well it supports their creativity, problem solving and social lives. That connection

doesn't stay trapped behind a screen - it seamlessly extends into real life as they

team up, debrief and hang out with their school friends.

Now, stepping into my role producing Playable Worlds, I see the medium with fresh

eyes. Gaming has evolved far beyond tape reels and simple joysticks, but its core

power remains unchanged: it connects us, challenges us and builds community

across generations.

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Janine is an Essex-based Events Producer and the founder of JTL Events, with over a decade of experience in the events industry.