Video gamers still have a reputation from the past, with many people still believing that gaming is for children or lazy people without drive or motivation. Gamers, however, will tell you there’s much more to it than that. After all, gaming is essentially art. And like all art, gaming appeals to our emotions. Gamers will give you one example after another of how a particular character or cutscene made them feel.
These emotions can be enhanced even further in games designed specifically for adults, such as casino games. For example, online slots can be played with bonuses, such as those at Bonusfinder in Canada. These bonuses entice players to the casinos, where they can sample the extensive library of slots on offer. Many of these slots are based on classic video games that players will already be familiar with.
Video games also explore the human psyche, i.e. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice demonstrates the fragility of grief. There are numerous examples of gaming experiences that have given gamers happiness, sadness, peace, emotional turmoil, and all other emotions in between.
Competitive Benefits
Games are more than art, however. Some gamers restrict their playing to sports games, or such competitive titles as Call of Duty and League of Legends. These games clearly include a competitive aspect that provides significant beneficial. They’re shown to increase skill development and teamwork, as well as promote pro-social behaviour.
In addition to this, there are plenty of individuals who play video games as their primary source of income. Esports players, YouTubers, and streamers are all engaged in what have become recognised vocations, with the potential to bring in millions. While it isn’t easy to reach the level of popularity that brings in a liveable wage, it would be unwise to ignore the concept that earning a living from video games has become a sustainable possibility. Who knows what tech trends of the future could increase that possibility even further?
Nerd Culture Booming
It’s been interesting to see that the tastes of non-traditional gamers have transitioned from the edges of the gaming industry toward the centre. This occurred simultaneously with nerd tastes been given centre stage in other aspects of popular culture, such as comic book movies.
When nerd culture really made it big among the masses is open to debate. Some say it was in 1998 with the release of Blade, or Spiderman’s cinematic debut in 2002. A strong argument could certainly be made for the year 2008, when The Dark Knight, Hancock, Wanted, The Incredible Hulk, and Iron Man all hit the silver screen. Yet while geekdom continues to dominate at the box office, its influence is making way for the masses at home, with the stereotypical video gamer sharing the spotlight with their non-traditionalist counterparts. If you are a huge fan of Undertale then make sure you try out this fun quiz game here.
Mainstream Design
While traditional games continued to sell high, it was titles such as Guitar Hero that appealed to non-traditional gamers. When you walked into a Walmart or a Circuit City, the games you’d likely see were those designed to grab the attention of a non-nerd audience. That wasn’t an accident, as games were increasingly being made with such an audience in mind. In fact, some publishers created specialist divisions for those casual games. They got to the fun quickly, they were accessible, and they required a minimal amount of time to achieve success.
One franchise that benefitted from a focus on accessibility was Guitar Hero. While it was originally a hit with hardcore gamers, its level of accessibility allowed those core gamers to convince their casual gaming friends to give Guitar Hero a try, whether in office break rooms or at parties.
Recruiting Friends and Family
The success of Rock Band came later and was really a more accelerated version of the Guitar Hero phenomenon. As each original purchase required three additional bandmates for the full experience, a number of friends, family members, and roommates were recruited.
While diehard players expressed some resentment over the trend, an argument could be made that such games only result in new revenue sources and audiences that will lead better-realized and more expensive games for the hardcore gaming crowd. While that particular genre of game may have died out, it showed the power of gaming among the masses, and there have even been calls for both Guitar Hero and Rock Band to be revived.