As the amount of exciting gaming possibilities continues to increase, and the number of people regularly playing games is also booming, the gaming culture is becoming mainstream. Whether you are new to the world of gaming or you are simply looking to get more involved in the culture, this guide is here to help. This guide will break down some of the key aspects of gaming culture to help you learn everything you need to know.
Where Did Gaming Culture Come From?
Gaming culture started in 1970 with classic arcade games like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. These games would exist in shared spaces, which meant that having the highest score on a console became an important part of the culture. Later, technology evolved to a point where personal computers and consoles provided a superior gaming experience. This evolution meant that gaming was possible in the personal sphere. Over time, gaming innovations meant that it evolved from being a typical pastime for young males to being a mainstream solution.
Competitive Gaming
While gaming has evolved a great deal, as is noticeable in every form from graphics to storylines, the competitive nature of gaming is still very much present. In fact, gaming competitive gaming has now been formalized thanks to companies like Esports. Organised gaming competitions have been a large part of the gaming culture for some time, but until the late 2000s, gaming competitions were usually between armatures. Now gaming competitions are being fought between professional individuals and teams. Combative gaming is now a legitimate career choice, with big winnings to be gained from tournaments and lucrative sponsorships schemes.
The Physical Going Digital
Innovation has constantly transformed the gaming community and made ever more opportunities. One of the biggest ways in which innovation has impacted the gaming culture over the last decade is by taking the physical virtual. Traditionally, there was a split divide between physical and digital games. However, this line is no longer as clear-cut. An example of this is cafecasino.lv, which offers online keno games that you would otherwise only be able to play by visiting a physical casino. Through this website, they can now be played online. This increase in gaming opportunities has diversified the gaming culture and community.
The Gaming Community
The gaming community is one of the most interesting aspects of the gaming culture as a whole, simply because of how diverse the community is. There are many ways in which gamers can connect with one another. For example, playing an online multiplayer game often means that players can meet and form relationships with one another. While communities of play have existed for a long time, online multiplayer games allow people from across the world to connect in a manner unprecedented.
Gaming communities can become hugely advanced, as can be seen in examples of massively-multiplayer online gaming, where tens of thousands of players will be engaged at one time. Both League of Legends and World of Warcraft, both of which regularly records millions of players, the community develops currency systems and virtual economies. In fact, in some games, the value of economies become so high that people engage in real market trading. This is the exchange of real-world currencies for assets within the game.
It is not only through the online multiplayer games that the gaming culture is connecting. Forms offer a platform for gamers to connect and share ideas with one another. Platforms like Twitch allow people to easily stream content of other individuals’ gameplay, while also connecting and communicating with like-minded fans.
The gaming community is not only important because it enhances connections between players, but due to the link between the gaming community itself and game developers. Many game developers use social media outlets or forums to connect and communicate directly with players to learn invaluable feedback. In fact, the majority of established gaming companies will have a set player lesion, whose job it is to listen to critical feedback and suggestions from fans. In fact, it is the communication between fans and developers that have solved some critical bugs and glitches in the past.
Identity Tourism
Some researchers have suggested that one of the appeals of massively multiplayer role-playing games is their ability to provide an escape to the fantasy world. This concept is born from the phenomenon of identity tourism, which is the practice of adopting a “more desirable” image in the phantasy world. This practice can be used by people who take on the character of a different gender or create characters with overtry, stereotypically attractively qualities.
