Gaming was always considered an activity for nerds. This statement had heavy reasons. First of all, the old computers had more terminals than versatile machines. They were extremely expensive. By Moore’s law, the progress of the transistors and other electronic details was so grand. Today you can buy a decent PC for several hundred bucks. All recent jobs today need a PC.
But wait. What is the matter with games and progress? Well, people have played games since the beginning of the calculating machines. The very first so-called “gaming’ console was an oscilloscope with a classic Pong. That’s why we have all the stereotypes about technical geeks today.
The modern gaming community is pretty glamorous. PewDiePie literally made his career from scratch, and even now, he makes many successful videos. Recent years are the Twitch era. Streamers are becoming the most rapidly growing branch of entertainment. You couldn’t be an eager gamer to this day, but you obviously have seen some memes and cultural icons from this sphere.
On the other hand, gambling is a little bit different in our social life. They have never been marginal. The famous no deposit bonus casino Australia works through the years. It is considered a respectful chilling activity. The aristocratic legacy in gambling houses is strong even today. Though, online casinos are very democratic. No dress codes, not a single pompous luxury “for inner circle”. And, the most important thing – there will never be a money limit just for the entrance. You can start gambling only with a couple of dollars and make a fascinating career.
- Social aspect
Video games have plenty of instruments for making a strong community. The cooperative model is also popular. Many hits, like the Borderlands series, are adapted for this type of gaming. Also, Steam has an expanded category of achievements, especially for multiplayer activities. The badges are very prestigious sometimes. The hardcore tactical squad shooters like Rainbow Six: Siege demand a lot from the command work. You have to be real brothers-in-arms or successful in these ventures.
The opposite philosophy is represented by MOBA. The session online games, like World of Tanks, Dota 2, etc have a “war of clans” mode, the fight for a global map, the guild ladder with the trusted crew. But the first activity is online gaming with a single role. There are a lot of professional players that made successful solo careers.
The third way is a classic MMORPG. The grandeur games with rich lore and mighty bosses, where the tactic means success. The social impact in MMO is enormous. Today we have Facebook, Twitch, and other big platforms for communications. Through decades, we’ve got fascinating examples of real-life relations. People get married, make lifelong partnerships, find a lot of friends.
According to psychological studies, over 70% of gamers prefer to play with a fellow person in every genre. This is the best proof of the extreme usefulness of games for society.
- The healing factor
We will not talk about pure rivalry as about something not right. An adrenaline rush is a powerful thing when it is controlled. The team shooter is good medicine for evening relaxation on a hard day’s night. Release your anger on the computer dummies, not on the beloved ones. The Japanese stress mannequins work with the same principle.
In our stressful times, video games are a real asylum for escapists. Beautiful virtual worlds can help you to obtain new friends and a balance in your soul. The most fragile categories of gamers are:
- People with autistic disorders (including high-functioning ones. Generally, they are too shy in real life;
- People who have inner insecurity, therefore, have a lot of issues with a common offline community. The games are full of cyberbullying, indeed, but there is an opportunity to build an almost perfect safe space;
- People with love-shy and moderate depression can also have jolly cooperation online. The same thing is with social anxiety.
But even a bold, talkative person can learn a lot in these communities. This is one of the best opportunities to learn a lot about the world around us. Your team can have members of all races, nationalities, beliefs, political views. One goal and one vision help to cooperate. The most progressive alliances of gamers have existed through the years. It would be impossible without mutual respect and a lot of new knowledge.
The massive impact of the game socializing is for kids of these vulnerable categories. In puberty, all have a crucial moment, when the obtaining of friends can completely overturn life. A strong, joyful, and friendly team can help with that. Children are instantly learning how to manage communications and solve conflicts.
Of course, all these merits can be made only with a temperate time of gaming. The fun shouldn’t be permanent work. Even professional streamers need to periodically rest and relax.
