Welcome to HeR News! Here you can find the latest hot topics and news–from all things Nancy Drew to updates in the gaming industry and any trending conversations we feel like Nancy and our team should contribute to. This post is all about gaming couples during Valentine’s Day.
Part of our aim with this new blog is to bring attention to women and diversity in the gaming space. We’ll be discussing topics such as Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and any other relevant events that happen throughout the year.
In addition, we’ll share the latest updates about HeR Interactive and work with bloggers across the industry to discuss upcoming shows, games, and books in the mystery-adventure and educational genres. If you have ideas for blogs that you’d like to contribute, please email them to us at marketing@herinteractive.com. Here are some thought starters to help you know what we’re looking for, but be creative!
The Top 5 Hardest Nancy Drew Puzzles, How Nancy Drew Inspired Me To Do…, 10 Things I Learned Playing Nancy Drew, Nancy Drew Games and Their Book Counterparts, How Playing as a Female Heroine Changed Me, How I Use Video Games in My Classroom, My Favorite Female Protagonists, etc…
*Please note that articles written by individuals do not necessarily reflect the view of the company, but that the company would like to share these for added perspective and discussion.
It’s that time of year again – groceries and boutiques are stocked to the brim with oversized teddy bears, heart boxes filled with delicious chocolates, entire aisles are decorated with beautifully crafted cards for your special someone, and stunning flower bouquets that illuminate the entire store.
Valentine’s Day for many couples has a somewhat predictable schedule – a candlelit dinner at home or at a restaurant safely of course, a gift exchange, and so on. However, Valentine’s Day can also look like a relaxing night curled up on the couch with our significant other, playing our PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, or our Xbox. Even if we are not together, many of us have leveled up our tech connections so that we can play games together with friends through video conferencing, laughing and strategizing as we Zoom through our favorite games. Video games bring so many people together, and they are a great bonding activity for those who are already close. Oftentimes, competition can really bring out a different persona that we didn’t even know we had, and what better way to show our competitive spirit than gaming with a loved one especially when you’re a gaming couple!
Love of video games, and people in love in video games are fun to celebrate during February for Valentine’s Day. Whether we are single or not, who doesn’t love a good video game couple? Can you guess the first ever “couple” that appeared in a video game? Continue reading to find out who holds a place in our hearts for being the first romantic milestone in the gaming world.
As a video game “stan” myself, I have heard countless stories of people forming friendships and romantic relationships over the mutual love of video games, and I even know a couple that met via Twitch! For so many, video games honestly give us our daily serotonin serving, so connecting with others who feel the same effects from gaming is such a positive experience.
While there is a myriad of great stories of gamers finding love via their consoles and computers, some gaming couples actually met through working on video games. Others get to work together making video games. HeR News got to see how a special video game couple got to work together first hand. When the new voice actress of Nancy Drew, Brittany Cox, was in the studio recording for the new game, Nancy Drew: Midnight in Salem, she shared about her husband, music composer, Ryan Ricks, and his work in music. Not only do they play video games together for fun, sometimes they even get the opportunity to work together in the video game industry, as was the case for Midnight in Salem.
Brittany met her now husband through her world of voice acting and his world of music. Recently her voice acting intersected with her husband’s work – creating the amazing music we hear in many films, series and video games. In Episode 65 of the Nancy Drew podcast, “Unlocked!” Brittany Cox explains how her husband Ryan’s work and passion for music composing for films was actually integrated into Midnight in Salem…
“For Midnight in Salem, I got to hear the vibes of what was going to be in the game, and I also got to help Ryan with ‘what this scene is kind of like’, and it was so cool because I’m usually not a part of that process in the video games. I feel like I got an extra sneak peek.”
Ryan actually surprised Brittany in the studio one day as she was recording. On Episode 70 of HeR’s “Unlocked!” podcast, Ryan shares how working together with Nancy Drew, well Brittany, on Midnight in Salem helped give another layer of understanding to the game to hear the dialogues between Nancy and the characters and add the emotions needed for the depth of relationships and story found in the game. Ryan also shares on the podcast how music is so critical for video games to draw the player in to get lost in the game play…
“It worked out so well – getting to collaborate with Brittany. It’s happened quite a few times over the years with me mentioning what Brittany does for work, and vice versa. And then, a really cool professional opportunity comes of it, so it works out pretty great. Brittany’s a pretty cool lady if I do say so myself.”
Brittany and Ryan’s heartwarming story is just one of the many gaming couples who have met, worked together, and bonded over video games.
Gaming couples are becoming much more popular, and we love to see it. And, who doesn’t love a couple within the video games we play? Here is a list from TheGamer of The 10 Most Iconic Couples in Video Games, including video game icons like Mario and Peach, Link and Zelda, and Kingdom Hearts’ Sora and Kairi.
Nintendo’s Mario and Peach; Photo by SVG.
Nintendo’s Sora and Kairi, Photo by DeviantArt
Nintendo’s Link and Zelda, Photo by TheGamer
There are so many great gaming couples to choose from. But one of the longest standing relationships that has now extended into video games has to be that of famed detective Nancy Drew and her boyfriend, Ned Nickerson.
Fun fact: Ned Nickerson first appeared in the 1932 Nancy Drew book, The Clue in the Diary, so Ned and Nancy are technically celebrating their 89th anniversary! I’d say love that lasts 89 years is worth writing about.
Nancy Drew’s The Clue in the Diary; Photo by Penguin Random House
Namco’s Mr. and Mrs. Pac-Man; Photo by VPForums
Tell us your favorite video game couple in the comment section below!
~ SB
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