Despite the fact that video games are one of the most common hobbies worldwide, it is easy to meet people who belittle them, considering them trivial games dedicated to children. In fact any games someone decides to play can be jeered at, whether they are computer games or online games like those you can find here at Conmeego. Perhaps it’s time we educated those who hate, rather than sit and listen to the following statements:
“You haven’t saved? It doesn’t matter, it’s just a game”;
“Why do you get so agitated? It’s just a game anyway”;
“How can you still play such games at your age?”
These are just some of the phrases that gamers usually hear from those who do not share their interest in the world of gaming. In response to this stereotype, here we will enounce several reasons why video games cannot be considered “just games”.
Online games now deliver jobs and diverse business opportunities
Video games are a source of work. As a matter of fact, online games are already a real professional outlet in the working environment. Many new job opportunities have arisen thanks to video games and emerging technologies in general. In this sense, we should not think of the videogame sector as a field related only to:
- programmers;
- graphic designers;
- developers and general computer technicians.
But also to an undergrowth formed by highly creative professional figures, who increasingly deal with the actual contents of the product:
- voice actors/character models;
- scriptwriters;
- art directors;
- producers;
- game testers!
- boosters – people who work for dota 2 booster and similar booster services;
- console repairers;
- merchandisers/marketers/advertisers.
For those interested in learning more about how to create a video game, merely knowing where to start can be a problem. The good news is that today you can learn online and on-site from the best experts in the gaming industry, like parimatch tech academy, the advanced methods of games creation or any other skill to join the swiftly growing gaming market.
Trivial games? So why do I run into a lot of emotions?
How can an online game be considered “just a game” when it makes me feel real emotions? Every time I pass the last level I suffer, every time I play a virtual soccer, I get angry and every time I visualize a well-constructed graphic world I marvel. If gaming is “just a game” how come my emotions are real? Because these games allow us to live through a real emotional experience, just like films or books, which is increasingly necessary nowadays. Venting anger, grieving, recognising emotions – all things that our society tends to take for granted or even repress, but which if poorly managed can even lead to psychological problems.
A world of virtual experiences
We have to consider the subjective definition of the video game artefact: for the player, it is not a trivial waste of time, but a real universe in which to have various kinds of experiences. Within it a user experiments, designs and learns. The learning that has taken place is then extended from the virtual to the real, i.e. from the video game to everyday reality. How many people have learned, or at least got the basics of, English through video games? The principle is exactly the same, but not exclusively limited to languages, but also to attitudes, behaviour and so on.
Many gamers also have also built very strong relationships online with other gamers they may have never met in real life. Servers now make gameplay fast enough to play with someone halfway across the world in real-time, meaning you can make new friends in places you never would have before. You can host your own Valheim server, for example, and be a Viking with your mate from Australia, or you could play Fortnite with your mate who moved to Canada five years ago. Virtual relationships are real relationships, and games can help to connect people no matter where they are.
Transmitting an important message
A change in perspective is provided directly by the World Health Organization (WHO), which through its #PlayApartTogether awareness campaign, emphasizes the therapeutic power of online games during quarantine and the possibility of practicing the necessary social distancing. Recognizing that video and online game companies have a global audience, the WHO hopes to reach millions of people with important information that will help prevent the spread of Covid-19, as well as convey messages of hope to support those particularly affected by this situation. In this sense, video games are recognized as powerful bonding tools that allow people to connect with others, entertain themselves and alleviate the potential stress caused by prolonged isolation.