Why Do Video Games Keep Growing?
07:13
By: Ryan Cunningham
If there was going to be one motto
for the past decade, it would be “out with the old, in with the new.” Netflix
has almost entirely replaced physical movie renters, print newspapers are experiencing
an all-time low in readership, and even popular radio broadcasts are steadily losing business to Pandora and Spotify. Across the board, the classic forms
of entertainment and luxury are being replaced by their new counterparts–that
is, except for video games.
Despite numerous technological
advancements that should have sent video games the way of the dinosaurs and
Cher’s original face, these bastions of merriment just keep pumping out hits
and drawing in a bigger crowd than ever. In 2015, the Entertainment Software
Association found that 155 million Americans play video games, and 44% of Americans do so for three or more hours every
week.
What’s shocking about these numbers
is that contemporary players aren’t just riding the wave of a fad. Video game
studios are releasing retro-style products like Coffee Crisis to appeal to the classic, fundamental features that made
games great. Instead of relying on new technology, the core features of video
games have proven timeless and allowed for them to keep their integral values
while adapting enough to stay relevant. Good luck finding another industry
where using older styles makes the product more
popular.
If almost every other industry is
being swept away by new technologies, then why are video games the only ones
that continue to thrive?
Relaxing
If you get home from work every day
and are struck with an inescapable feeling of exhaustion, you aren’t alone.
Modern workers are stressed out of their minds with the anxiety of paying bills and working long hours,
and this kind of pressure can drain the life out of a person. Luckily, video
games are a reliable and convenient way to get some of that juice back in your
system.
Video games can help you chill out
because, unlike your supervisor, they’re designed to keep you motivated. People
work jobs all day long where they never get any recognition, and it can be nice
to come home, relax, and be thanked by thousands of NPCs for saving them from
impending doom. It’s more satisfying than filing a budget report, anyway.
Maybe that’s why
video games have repeatedly
been found to lower stress levels in players. When everyone is so wound up from grinding away
at thankless and stressful jobs, video games can give them the satisfaction and
enjoyment to keep them chugging alone. Sure, they might not be as “useful” as
spending that time doing chores or putting in extra hours at the office, but
since when did everything have to be useful? What ever happened to fun for the
sake of it?
50 percent of Americans say they aren’t having enough fun, and there’s a reason for that. The culture has become so shifted toward working 24/7 that just relaxing has gotten a bad rap, but that shouldn’t
be the case. There’s nothing wrong with taking some time for yourself, and most
health experts agree that more relaxation could even increase your happiness and longevity. Video games are popular not only because you get to relax,
but you get to do it by bashing in some zombie heads.
Good luck beating that one, future technology!
Developing Creativity
According to recent research, Americans are creatively starved; while children are getting smarter with each passing
generation, their creativity scores continue to decline. This trend may be
disturbing, it isn’t that shocking. Children are exposed to more facts and
knowledge than ever before thanks to the advent of the information age, but they’re also losing creative outlets left and right.
As arts and music programs in
schools continue to be cut around the country, children are losing the few creative outlets that are left
to them. While information is easier to attain than ever (did you know that Charles Strite invented the toaster?), Americans continue to lose opportunities to think
analytically and learn to find alternative solutions to problems. And, God I’ve
always wanted to say this, video games can save the day.
Even at a glance, this idea seems to
make sense. There are plenty of puzzle games out there that force you to think
non-linearly, so it isn’t that shocking that they could increase a child’s
ability to think creative. According to a study conducted by Michigan State
University, however, video games are increasing creativity across the board, regardless of genre. Even reading can’t boast those kinds of results!
American children are working harder than ever in schools and are having their creativity smothered. Video
games are staying relevant because they’re still offering that creative outlet
to children. It’s unfortunate but, until the authorities start to understand how vital creativity is, the youth of America will have to keep placing their faith
in Arceus.
Building a Community
Despite what your grandpa tells you
whenever he sees you pull out your Nintendo DS, video games aren’t actually
tearing people apart. In fact, unless you’ve been vacationing at the bottom of
the ocean, you’ve probably already heard about the most recent instance of a
game bringing people together: Pokémon
Go.
Yes,
Pokémon Go has gotten people more
active and it has led to unprecedented amounts of bonding within the Pokémon’s fan base. People have been getting
active within their communities, chatting up strangers, and making real friends
because of a free game on their phone. “But most games don’t make you leave the
house,” the mysterious voice in my head is telling me, and that’s true. While
most video games do tend to keep you seated on the couch, they still present
plenty of opportunities to interact with other gamers.
Even before the advent of AR
technology, video games have always been about bringing people together. Couch
co-op is an art form that, while it has classic roots, is still being created today. While many critique video games for being distracting or
isolating, I challenge anyone to find a better bonding tool than forming a Viking party
with your friends and saving the world.
No matter how many video game
magazines you subscribe to, there will always be amazing indie games that you’d
never hear about without real life connections. Every longtime gamer has a
group of friends that they can chat with to figure out what games are worth
buying and to get the latest gossip in the industry, and that’s part of the fun
of being a gamer. If everyone with an Xbox was a reclusive shut-in, there’d be
no way to organize massive conventions like E3 or Gen Con. Video games have
been bringing people together for decades, and that’s why they’ll continue to
stand the test of time.
Fun Is Simple
You don’t need to be a “nerd” to
enjoy video games. You don’t even need to have particularly impressive hand-eye
coordination. All that you need is an hour or two of free time, a console, and
the desire to enjoy yourself.
1 Comments
Great post!
ReplyDeleteI know that video games can have a bad reputation but as a psychology student I completely agree about what you said in terms of developing creativity and increasing productivity in schools!
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