Determination: Essays About Video Games and Us | Page 37

communication , and that endeared it to me . Grand Chase also featured its own virtual park , where players would meet and strengthen bonds by adding friends , joining groups of friends , and getting ‘ married ’ to another player they loved to fight alongside . These features kept me playing all throughout high school .
I eventually became so enamored with Grand Chase that I didn ’ t need to be a part of the exclusive boys ’ club . They had already moved onto other games I found uninteresting . I did manage to introduce other friends in my high school and community to Grand Chase . One of those friends was a boy named Javid . Javid would visit my house and talk to me about games and life . He ’ d bring his laptop to play games on . He regularly shared any pastries that his grandmother made , which was ( literally ) really sweet . I introduced Javid to Grand Chase , and we became closer by playing games together for hours . We eventually got ‘ married ’ on the game , after we started dating in the real world . Grand Chase became an integral part of my life , and many people I loved and cherished were my in-game comrades .
I moved to the United States to complete high school , and my love of Grand Chase came along with me . I would play with my friends to keep in touch with them , and to discuss what was happening back at home . However , I was forced to stop playing Grand Chase in April of
2015 . Unfortunately , the game ultimately fell due to gaming politics . KOG , a South Korean company , developed Grand Chase , but the game was published by Ntreev . After a while , Ntreev returned control of Grand Chase back to KOG . By the time Grand Chase had been returned to KOG , the company had already developed a new game , called Elsword . Elsword and Grand Chase were very similar MMO ’ s . Additionally , Grand Chase was losing popularity , and those that would log on to the game were seasoned veterans who had already developed a relationship with the game . So , KOG announced that they would be shutting down the Grand Chase servers .
The last time I played Grand Chase , I was sitting on the couch in the back of the student lounge at my in Miss Hall ’ s School in Massachusetts . When I couldn ’ t access my account a few days later , I broke down crying . The hours I had spent creating friendships and building my confidence on Grand Chase all disappeared . It was gone , and no one would even remember a niche game like Grand Chase . I want everyone to know that Grand Chase did exist . It was here in the world , and it made a huge impact on lady gamers , on gamers looking for innovation , and on gamers who loved community . I play Elsword intermittently , but it is just not the same . I can only rely on my memories , and on the nostalgic conversations with those friends I have made along the way . To quote the game ’ s own catchphrase : “ Long Live the Chase .”