Do What Comes Natural

by Cyrus Alavi

My day is far from your typical gamer’s, as it’s loaded with outdoor activities and the occasional road trip, but when I do get the chance to game, then I’m all in. I started with gaming when I first picked up Final Fantasy 7 for the PC at the age of just 11 years old! Back then, I wasn’t very computer savvy, so it’s funny to think back at the primitive technology that I had, including a basic mouse and a crusty yellow keyboard. Those were the days! Well, yes and no. It certainly was fun to play an RPG for the first time and be able to spend entire weeks carefree on my computer. On the other hand, the technology was absolutely horrible compared to now. I personally spent days of my life holding uncomfortable hunks of plastic, and I wish I could have those back with something like the Peregrine. Alas, hindsight is 20–20 and I am now an older and wiser gamer.

I currently attend a local college and work some odd jobs to help pay for basic food (ramen is out; I personally like making simple Mexican dishes) and my activities. I like to road trip a lot, visiting parks and other non silicon-based sites. You’d be amazed at how much gaming you can do in the back of a car heading 14 hours into the middle of nowhere. It’s equally amazing how much more comfortable those 14 hours can be when you’re not hunched over a laptop keyboard. When I was first given a Peregrine, I was a bit worried since I was in between road trips and I didn’t think I’d have the proper time to actually “test” it. It turned out to be a lot easier than I first suspected. Since the glove is light and portable, I kept it with me wherever I went. I found that my initial setup only took 10–15 minutes and I spent a little time each day figuring out a few functions and ways to use it. My friends were harsh at first. They gave me a hard time since I’d be reclining in the back seat and gaming with my Peregrine. I admit it was kind of a spectacle at first, but when I explained to them what I could do with the Peregrine they thought it was pretty wicked. I managed to get out of a few shifts of driving as well.

When I am finally settled in one spot, I like to compete in online gaming tournaments. With my Peregrine, I feel kind of sneaky at times – like I have an unfair advantage that no one can detect. While there’s absolutely nothing illegal about the Peregrine in competitive play, its speed and ease of use provides a considerable competitive advantage. I often wonder what people would say if they realized I was absolutely owning them at a PC game while only barely touching my keyboard. I find it kind of ironic that something so intuitive, simple, effective took so long to produce. That’s my favorite part of the Peregrine: just like with the outdoors, it’s easy to overlook and take for granted something amazing that’s been right in front of you all along.