What If...?

What If…? 

… is a question that is most likely asked by someone who is curious, imaginative, and open to possibilities, often seeking to explore alternative scenarios and potential outcomes.

In 2021, Disney+ and Marvel Comics asked that exact question. Over and over in fact, creating the “What If…?” TV series. 

What If...? explores various alternate timelines across the multiverse in which major moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films occur differently. (If that just went over your head, it’s ok. Just keep reading. It will all make sense, I promise.)

If you’re a parent in today’s world, there’s a good chance you’ve had this thought at some point: “My kid is always playing video games. I can’t get them to do anything else!”

Maybe you’ve even uttered the classic, “Get off that game and do something productive!”

If you have, feel no shame. You are not alone. I thought the same thing and it nearly destroyed my relationship with our son. 

Just as Disney and Marvel Comics looked at some of their characters and their story lines, asking what if something different happened, we can do the same.

What if instead of fighting against video games, we use them to build a stronger bond within our family?

What if gaming could be a tool for connection rather than a source of frustration?

What if we flipped the script on isolation and used gaming to be unifying? 

Think back to when you were a kid. For some of us, this is easier said than done. 🧓

Anyhow, maybe you spent hours riding bikes, building forts, or playing board games with friends. Those moments were more than just entertainment. They were how you connected, learned, and made memories.

For our kids today, video games fill that same role. Gaming isn’t about pressing buttons on a controller and staring at a screen letting your brain go to mush. It’s about storytelling, strategy, teamwork, and yes, even socializing.

So instead of viewing video games as an isolating experience, What if you joined them?

You can start simple. Join us at our RAID events to ease into this family gaming thing by simply learning a game and playing with your kid. No strings attached. Just come and play - together. 

And What if playing video games became something your family consistently does together?

See, when you take the time to frequently engage with your child’s interests, especially if they seem foreign to you, you send a powerful message: “What matters to you matters to me.” 

There’s not a kid in the world who wouldn’t want to hear that. Not one.

When we view video games as more than a waste of time, they become opportunities to create laughter, build teamwork, and remove isolation.

And when you choose games that are easy for everyone to play like Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, or Minecraft, you will make memories that last a lifetime.

So, before you tell your kid to put down the controller, consider picking one up. 

You might just find that gaming isn’t taking them away from the real world—it’s giving you a new and intentional way to be a part of theirs.

And that is your super power. 

Make the connection:

• How can we use video games to remove isolation and create unity in our families?

We are #ForTheGamer and help players play with purpose and win for good.