

His homework was easy enough that he could complete it on the bus or in class, which allowed him to maximize the time he spent gaming. At school, he got along with just about everyone and maintained straight A’s. Ultima Online, World of Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls - he would spend as much as 12 hours a day in these imaginary realms, building cities and fortifications, fighting in epic battles and hunting for treasure.ĭuring his childhood, Bracke’s passion for video games, like that of most young Americans, didn’t cause him any serious problems. In his teenage years, he became obsessed with more sophisticated shooters and a new generation of online games that allowed thousands of players to inhabit sprawling fantasy worlds. When he was 5, he loved playing Wolfenstein 3D, a crude, cartoonish computer game in which a player tries to escape a Nazi prison by navigating virtual labyrinths while mowing down enemies. Charlie Bracke can’t remember a time when he wasn’t into video games.
