By: Danielle Chua
Published January 3, 2022
Such reality manifests the diversity brought by playing online games. See to it that we are now able to entertain ourselves with these, no matter our location, proximity, timezone, age, and nationality.
In the midst of every turn of our joysticks, movement of our bodies, view of our device screens, and gist of our game strategies, little did we know that we can truly gain something from online games.
Online games have been a long-standing efficient platform for those who desire to play, complete missions, and spend time with teammates and friends virtually. According to Ray (2021), these commonly utilize electronics in order to operate. We can never deny the fact that from the word ‘online’ itself, these are rooted from the constant works of technology. Through the years, there have been various advancements and improvements here, all thanks to the ever industrious game developers, technology companies, scientists, researchers, and everyone related in the field. Smith (n.d.) also articulated that such growth in online games has been very rapid. One concrete example is the imposition of high-definition and well-improved graphics of multiplayer games like Roblox. Hence, it is entirely safe for me to say online games are indeed emerging and we have so much unknown left to discover.
IMPACTFUL QUOTES:
The reality is, playing these enhances our hand, eye, and arm movements. These body parts are consistently being exercised and trained in the strenuous game objectives.
I was one of the living proofs of how online games escalated how I think. This was where I improved my strategic thinking, as I soon learned how to predict enemies’ locations and to use my resources wisely.
Some of the examples of famous online multiplayer games are Call of Duty: Mobile, VALORANT, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, wherein these games vary from objectives, game-type, and device used. Such reality manifests the diversity brought by playing online games. See to it that we are now able to entertain ourselves with these, no matter our location, proximity, timezone, age, and nationality. I truly stand with the fact that online games connect everyone despite all the differences given. In addition, we can no longer be surprised that Call of Duty (CoD) used to be a mere video game franchise that can only be played on computers, desktops, and game consoles. Way back in 2019, it was redeveloped to be available to the mobile gaming market. People who only have phones or tablets can freely enjoy playing CoD. Diversity is seen as gamers of all kinds are catered to, as seen from CoD’s example.
Online games also became popular in various age groups because entertainment has been its main objective. In line with the statistics presented by Yanev (2022), more than 2.5 billion people play these all around the world. Let the data alone speak how widespread the emergence of online games is. I truly believe that its huge number is due to our accessibility to such resources. For instance, technology has brought us closer to these platforms. In just one snap of our devices, we can now easily download online games. All we need is actually an available storage for its megabytes.
Considering our extensive admiration for playing online games, we became immensely exposed to both its advantages and disadvantages. When it comes to its negative impacts, I believe that we will be able to complete the list. Its benefits, however, can also be completely listed and some people are not yet prepared for this conversation. Here’s the gist:
First, it is totally essential that we discuss the first gain in the social context. As I have articulated earlier, video games are like a connector between people with different beliefs, origins, cultures, and age groups. In online games particularly, the multiplayer modes there are multiple fellow players who soon become our friends. In a personal interview that I conducted, Lexi Yuri Baybayon, a Filipino CoDM player and a college freshman, stated, “I’ve been playing Call of Duty consistently for a year already and I made a lot of friends who became a huge part of my life in the midst of the pandemic.”
To support this matter, playing online games improves one’s socialization skills (Roomi, 2021). This is because of the undeniable interaction between players, most especially if it is a team-up win. Collaboration and teamwork also become strongly evident, as the players have a shared objective to either win and lose. I actually stand with the fact that even if one loses, what counts most is the team communication and bonding.
Second in line will be no other than physical gains. I know this really may sound impossible because of the current setup of online games: all virtual. On the other hand, it makes it even more significant for us to unleash new learnings about how these help us physically. The reality is, playing these enhances our hand, eye, and arm movements. These body parts are consistently being exercised and trained in the strenuous game objectives. According to Adhikari (2021), research has shown that online game players have an alleviated ability to discern shades of gray. Just like VALORANT and CoDM, the virtual gun fights involve one’s usage of good sight, fast reaction time, and good body reflexes.
As we become immersed to win the game, we tend to use all our capabilities to win. Aside from this, let me give a brief articulation to another physical benefit: source of living. Either in small and major game tournaments, we can never refute that there are non-monetary and monetary prizes. Players, specifically the professionally hired ones, are given the chance to use their abilities to use online games as a source of income.
As a matter of fact, these become a contributing factor to our emotional and mental state. According to The Emory Wheel (2020), being exposed to online games improves our cognitive abilities, most especially if a game involves problem-solving and mystery objectives. I am a firm believer that this actually increases our brain activity because of players’ developed game strategies, techniques, and critical tactics in game. Personally, I also have been playing CoDM, which really was a life-changing event in my life. I was one of the living proofs of how online games escalated how I think. This was where I improved my strategic thinking, as I soon learned how to predict enemies’ locations and to use my resources wisely. In pursuant with GEICO Living (2021), playing online games ease one’s stressful environment. I truly agree with this matter, given the fact that it aims to entertain people.
But let us always remember: everything is good but in moderation. Was this statement familiar? This was Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray’s memorable Q&A response when she was asked about the legalization of marijuana. Above all points given, here is my gentle reminder that playing online games can only be beneficial if we use it properly. Anything more than that will never cause us anything good, as it may lead us to game addiction, distraction of reality, and ignorance. We would never want to let it happen, would we?
Online games should only be part of our life, but never our life alone. By then, we can truly guarantee that these gains will be evidently effective on us. Nice game, nice game!
References:
Adhikari, I. (2021, March 7). 11 Advantages and Disadvantages of Video Games. Honest Pros and Cons. https://honestproscons.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-video-games/
GEICO Living. (2021, August 6). Benefits of Video Games For Kids & Adults. https://www.geico.com/living/home/technology/9-reasons-to-give-video-games-a-try/
Ray, M. (2021, October 29). online gaming. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/technology/online-gaming
Roomi, M. (2021, May 20). 5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Gaming | Drawbacks & Benefits of Online Gaming. HitechWhizz - The Ultimate Tech Experience. https://www.hitechwhizz.com/2021/05/5-advantages-and-disadvantages-drawbacks-benefits-of-online-gaming.html
Smith, K. (n.d.). THE HISTORY OF ONLINE GAMING AND ITS ADVANCEMENT TODAY. Thrive Global. https://thriveglobal.com/stories/the-history-of-online-gaming-and-its-advancement-today/
The Emory Wheel. (2020, July 23). How Online Games Help You Develop Solution-finding skills. https://emorywheel.com/how-online-games-help-you-develop-solution-finding-skills/#:%7E:text=Video%20games%20improve%20problem%2Dsolving,to%20figure%20out%20what%20works.
Yanev, V. (2022, January 4). Video Game Demographics – Who Plays Games in 2021. TechJury. https://techjury.net/blog/video-game-demographics/#gref