At a certain time in our life, most of us wished we could escape into a world that has nothing to do with reality or the annoyance of everyday life. A very small percentage of the population, while in this state of mind, goes on to engage in some rather detrimental hobbies, most of us however reached for a controller or a keyboard and traveled to imaginary worlds created by people who probably dreamed of the same thing.
The gaming industry has seen some considerable changes over the years and the debate continues as to whether the changes have provided positive or negative influences on gamers and society at large, but one thing is certain: regardless of where they live, where they work or what their favorite color is, people like to play.
If you’re human, chances are you’ve engaged in some sort of game. From hide and seek to a game of cards, there are as many games out there as there are categories of people. But one concept in particular has seen a huge uprising in the past years, and that is P.C. games, whether we’re talking about free online games or paid video game.
But why do so many people love to play this precise kind of game? There are some aspects that may make you rethink everything when it comes to gaming.
First of all, people who play strategy games tend to be more collaborative as they have to communicate with their peers and find the best way to solve the presented quest or issue. This makes for hours of fun as well as exercises some abilities in the human brain that we might not even be aware of during the activity itself.
Critical thinking is also something we exercise on a regular basis when we have a healthy gaming regime. Just imagine a huge monster coming at you at full speed or all your ships sinking in the ocean. What do you do? There’s only one way to find out, by putting yourself in that situation. You might even find out things about your own character that you never knew, and a game is a perfectly safe environment full of possibilities to make anything happen.
When some people think of gamers, they associate them with antisocial individuals who lack people skills, but what if I were to tell you that it is precisely games that can give introverts a chance to shine? Think about it, when playing a team-based game, everyone has to work together and communicate productively, so if they want to win, players have to engage with one another and actually cooperate. It’s also been scientifically shown that positive reinforcement is much more constructive than its counterpart, so people in the gaming community tend to be nicer to each other in order to get better results.
There are people who consider P.C. games as a coping mechanism for all sorts of problems ranging from sadness to depression or anxiety. A game played alone or with a close friend or a team could very well provide the best escape for the sensitive type of person who just can’t handle the pressure.
Alternatively, there are some who don’t have that much time to do anything outside work. These people could become so pushed by their daily responsibilities that they simply crack down under pressure. There is however a solution many people turn to in such a situation. You guessed it, games. Stress reduction is the main reason people with demanding jobs take up gaming as a hobby and the majority can bring a balance into their life again thanks to these electronic platforms.
All in all, the effect that the gaming industry has on the bulk of the population can be summed up in one word: happiness. It brings enjoyment, laughter and peace of mind to people all over the world and from every walk of life. A well-chosen game has the potential to bring people together and even educate them on certain issues they may not have had the opportunity to confront themselves with in their everyday lives, develop their memory, teamwork and countless other useful skills, and thus improving the overall quality of their lives. So why not pull up a chair, unwind and see if you can find the game that works best for you? Relaxation is the best medicine.