To understand gaming, forget the technology and focus on the humanity. It's in our nature to join the fray, to learn the rules and master the system, to build things and for some of us, to blow them up , to gain and lose, to chill out and chalk up -— and even brag about our scores — to spin entire worlds from only our imaginations.
And like me and my daughter, we also like to win. No surprise that the tensions of the pandemic brought more people into the gaming fold. A survey by Deloitte, a professional services company, found that 34 percent of those surveyed had tried a new video gaming activity in Those activities range from playing a new game to subscribing to a game service to watching someone else play in the growing phenomenon called e-sports.
And industry analysts say a lot of those people are likely to remain engaged. Video games have evolved over time, and have become more interactive with improved visual displays. Want to pilot a commercial aircraft, step into the boots of an action hero or just create an alternative you in an alternative world? If you still think of video games as kid stuff, the equivalent of an electronic toy, you are missing out on the most sophisticated form of entertainment available.
Yes, it used to be that video games were about clearing the screen of objects — take your pick: asteroids, dots, centipedes, alien invaders — while evading death en route to the high score. But today, many modern games create immersive experiences, with varying goals.
Some play out like a movie, with you as the star. The choices you make determine how the story plays out. Still other games approach the existential, providing environments where players don't compete so much as build, explore and share.
AARP has games you can play for free — some for members only — including puzzle games, video versions of board and card games, and Atari arcade classics. Take the Civilization series of computer games. They were launched in by Sid Meier, 67, an industry rock star whose name still graces the box. Our sound wasn't as good as records. But we had a special thing. We knew that interactivity was cool. The Civilization franchise, which now has 13 games, is more popular than ever. The latest installment, Sid Meier's Civilization VI, came out in late and is still cited each quarter by publisher Take-Two Interactive Software as one of its top money-makers.
It's one of several games, including Final Fantasy, The Elder Scrolls and Doom, that have been around long enough to engage and entertain generations of players. Another is the SimCity series and its offshoot, The Sims. A game about city planning and the lives of artificial people might not sound like a rollicking good time, but both have captivated gamers for decades. In SimCity, released in , players managed zoning, infrastructure and municipal budgets. It was strangely compelling and launched a wave of simulation games.
I talked to designer Will Wright, 61, now a giant in the industry, about his inspiration. Turns out his revolution was based on chance. Think of it this way: In , people wondered if video games would ever match the visual fidelity of Pixar's Toy Story.
And the music has come a long way. The days of 8-bit ditties, like the familiar Mario Bros. And that led to symphonies that featured music from video games touring the country. Those have been part of the live performance landscape for 20 years now and have been broadcast on PBS. What better outlet would that have been than video games today? Do you think Beethoven would have been a film composer?
Do you think he would have wanted people talking over his music for two hours? Hell no! Mobile games are an ideal way to get into gaming. You likely have a smartphone or tablet.
The games are inexpensive or free but watch out for in-game charges. Three games to try:. Words with Friends.
It's like a long-distance game of Scrabble. It's a great way to connect with people. The allure of the video games lies in the possibility for the player to be and achieve whatever he wants, without being judged like it often happens in reality. Chasing that feeling of freedom keeps them coming back to video games, over and over. Feelings of control and achievement usually go hand in hand.
When we move into a bigger house or quit a dead-end job for a better one, it makes us feel like we have some kind of control of the circumstances in our lives. It also invokes the feeling of achievement, a sense that we actually accomplished to move forward. For more information about Warzone, boost check out this website. A sense of control often leads to a feeling of power, as opposed to a feeling of helplessness to make important changes in the real world. Independence is a basic human need.
The desire for freedom was a driving force behind many events that shaped our history. Feeling of control and autonomy in making decisions for ourselves will always pervade and is deeply rooted in human nature. This is one of the reasons why imprisonment is punishment in our society. This is why we have hackers and conspiracy theorists to pick on our brains to trigger some sort of independent action. Video games found a way to satisfy this need by giving us the freedom to do just about anything, giving us a wide range of choices.
From early childhood , people are seeking to fit in with others. In almost everything we do, there is a common theme that intertwines with every action we take — seeking approval from the rest of society.
This brings us closer to other people allowing us to relate to each other. In video games, getting to this point is so much easier. Games of the open map variety go into such insane detail that the player can literally find fun and enjoyment in running around aimlessly without a mission or stated challenge. While games of today are expected to have such immense detail, even older titles like Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption, and later installments in a series like Zelda or Super Mario also allow for such exploration.
Growing up, I wanted nothing more than to be a professional baseball player. When baseball video games were introduced, I was hooked. It was the best of both worlds I could play baseball as my favorite team or players, but I could also construct my own roster.
There were even games that, if you wanted to focus more on the general management side of things, provided a full-blown journey into player contacts, roster construction, salary caps, trades, ballpark concessions, and a number of other operation-based activities. Anyway, I bring it up because video games offer the chance to simulate a life you would otherwise never get to experience. Meaning, it could be a game that, even when you beat the campaign, offers the chance to go back and play it again under new circumstances like through the eyes of an alternative player.
Other examples include games that allow you to pass a level and move on, but offer multiple achievement levels within. Meaning, sure, you did the bare minimum to move on, but you can go back and strive for something more than clearing the lowest bar. Think back to Super Mario 64, where there were multiple stars to collect in a particular level. You could pass a level by collecting one of the stars, but could only obtain the last star by beating the level boss, etc. Did you know Mario's iconic mustache was put in place so players could see the character's nose?
Check out our other video game facts and gaming trivia questions. In other multiplayer FPS titles, though, the primary concept is a little different.
Competition, puzzles, and the ability to transport yourself to an entirely new world and place in time? Video games are fun for these reasons and a whole lot more. Many of us might at some point outgrow gasp! Ryan manages blog content at iD Tech, starting with the company in Connect on LinkedIn! We've bet our reputation on recruiting the top instructors in the country.
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