10 Things Non-Gamers Don't Understand About Gaming

Anyone who has been gaming long enough will eventually be asked by a parent or significant other, "Can't you just pause the game?", presuming that all games can be frozen in place with the press of a button when your presence is required elsewhere.

In the good 'ol days, most video games didn't even allow players to pause cutscenes, and though this has been widely remedied in the last decade-or-so, the uptick in always-online games means that the pause button still has its sure limitations.

Trying to explain this to non-gamers can be a frequent source of frustration, because it typically requires giving them a long-winded explanation about the other players being actual people, how the infrastructure of online play actually operates, and how you'll likely be kicked or punished for just leaving the game idle while connected.

And even if you're patient enough to calmly explain all this, there's a fair chance you'll be met with a response along the likes of, "So? It's just a game." Boo.