Vocabulary lessons from video games

Video games are often connected with the rotting of children's minds. Actually, one can learn quite a bit from video games. One thing, which may be surprising, is that one's vocabulary can expand by clocking in hours behind a controller. The following is a list of five words that I was exposed to by video games.

Strafe - game unknown
I don't recall what game it was but it was certainly a first-person-shooter of some kind. If I can't remember the game, what makes me so certain I learned the word from one? That's simple. I cannot recall ever hearing the word "strafe" mentioned outside a video game setting. Never. Who says "strafe" in real life?

Raze - Warcraft 2 on the PC

At first hearing, one could think the word "raise" was said. In this context, the two are, despite being homophones, opposites. Like strafe, does anyone use this in real life? This one however, I have heard outside of a video game setting. In the Judas Priest song Ram It Down, there is a line that says, "razing the place to the ground... ram it down!"

Quota - Shenmue on the Dreamcast

That's a good word to know. It wasn't until playing Shenmue up to the part where you get a job that I learned the word "quota." In the game you have to transport crates from one warehouse to another. If you go beyond your quota, you get extra money. For some reason, operating a forklift was surprisingly fun. I bet it sucks IRL. I'm so web savvy.

Plains - Super Mario World on the SNES

Plains seems like a pretty basic word and, yes, it is. It does have to be taken into consideration that I was pretty young when I first played this game. Seeing that there was a place in the game called Donut Plains I immediately thought of "planes." After finding out what a "plain" was, the mental image wasn't as cool.

Loom - Loom on the PC For me, the word "loom" will always have a kind of magical sound to it. I don't know if that has to do at all with the word itself or just with the game. When I hear the word "loom," this game is the first thing that comes to mind. Certainly not the weaving device. By the way, it is worth noting that Loom was the very first game I played that featured voice-overs. That was pretty impressive for 1992.