Since the very earliest days of video games, they have been a popular choice of leisure activity among players of all ages and with a variety of interests. The swift evolution of technology meant that the quality improved dramatically throughout the first few decades of gaming with games getting more and more complex and engaging.
Computers evolved from simplistic consoles, plugged into televisions and offering blocks of pixels to play with, to arcade games with a host of characters and animation that seemed stunningly detailed. Home computers became much more affordable, and games designers were using the latest technology to create games that appealed to a wider audience.
The popularity of online gaming has made it a hugely lucrative industry, with more than 2.5 billion gamers. It’s also estimated that the global market will be worth more than $250 billion by 2025. As technology improves, the games get more intricate and the number of players increases, so investing in better design and development has proved a strong tactic for the major players in the video game market.
The most popular types of online game
While the early games were very much aimed at individual players, it wasn’t long before the collaborative side of gaming came to the fore. The first computer gaming competition was actually held back in 1971 when university students competed against one another to win a game called ‘Spacewar’.
Soon, arcade games were becoming more popular. Not only were they were designed for players to compete against one another but they also encouraged spectators. Traditional games were digitised, taking classic pursuits such as mah-jongg, bingo and online slots, and allowing those that had already mastered them to enjoy their favourite games in a new format.
As the internet became more widely available and easier to access, more and more games were designed to bring together players from all over the globe to collaborate, compete and play together from wherever they happened to be. As technology evolved, so too did the style of games, for example as livestreaming became more viable, online gambling was able to incorporate live dealers.
The mental benefits of playing computer games
As well as opening up a whole new realm of entertainment, playing online games has also been found to have other benefits. These include:
Communication skills
By allowing players to message, use chat functions and talk to one another directly, many computer games have been found to improve players’ verbal and written communication skills. The nature of the shared experience of playing online fosters positive communication and social connections and children tend to discuss and write about video games more than they do about books.
Pain management
For those that suffer from chronic pain, playing video games provides a degree of distraction that can help them manage their pain more effectively. This is particularly true of virtual reality games and those with a significant immersive element as these are a hugely effective alternative to pharmacological solutions.
Perception of pain is one of the key components in managing it, and gaming engages people’s focus so effectively that some people report that their pain levels decreased by as much as 50 per cent. Trials have found that video gaming is hugely effective at reducing pain for a variety of different conditions, including:
- Burns
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Circulatory problems
- Inflammatory skin conditions
- Arthritis
- Cancer
- Neurological pain
Patients suffering from certain mental health conditions, such as PTSD and ADHD, have reported similar results as they were distracted from their symptoms by an engaging video game.
Stress relief
For those with busy lives, lots of responsibility or anything that leaves them feeling anxious, video gaming can be a great way to blow off steam and give your mental health a boost. Gaming is fun and engaging and releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is closely linked to our pleasure response.
Gaming also sets a challenge that you can achieve to get a reward and that increases feelings of competence and satisfaction. The more immersive video games get, the better the release gamers feel when they are able to detach from the stresses of their normal life and be completely distracted with an enjoyable activity.
Improving memory
Video gaming has been shown to improve memory and can be a valuable weapon in the battle against dementia. Scientists conducting research that aimed to find ways to tackle the problems caused by an ageing population have discovered that playing video games for thirty minutes a day could reduce their chances of getting dementia.
Participants played a variety of video games, from those with advanced graphics that immersed them in a three dimensional environment to simpler games such as Angry Birds and solitaire. When they played for between thirty and forty-five minutes a day, they were found to have improved cognitive skills and better memory.
These benefits, on top of the fun and enjoyment that people get out of video games, are some of the many reasons that the industry is growing so fast. As computers get more advanced, developers are creating games that make use of the latest technology to make games that feel more realistic and engaging than ever before.
