Reasons Grown Ups Should Play Games More

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Gaming has often been as a past-time of teenagers or older children. Sometimes for adults is can be seen as a bit of a guilty pleasure and not something that we want to own up to. They are the recreational equivalent of consuming empty calories, or so it can be seen. But in reality, there are many benefits to gaming, and adults need to do it more, if they’re not already.

Video game design is getting better and better, and they can almost be movie-like in the stories that they tell. So as long as you’re able to control and limit the time that you’re on it, much like the livedealer.org site, then a little isn’t going to hurt. Here are some of the reasons why gaming could be good for you.

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Economical

Like you might do with an item of clothing, the price per use of games is pretty high. There is an upfront cost, similar to that of a concert ticket or a couple of movie theater tickets. But the game goes on and on, for as long as you want it to last. Even if it is a game that you can do until completion, you can do it again and again if you’d like. So the value for money with gaming is low, as far as a recreational activity goes.

 

Social

Back in the day gaming was seen as quite an isolated activity, with images of loners sitting alone in the dark playing games. But in fact, these days, it is a pretty social activity. Most games have a multiplayer function, so you can invite people round or have other family members join in the fun. There are even games like guitarhero.com that allow you to be a little more active, and interact with others. Those kinds of games are only going to be fun with other people around.

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The Future of Technology

The gaming industry is always changing, and it can give us an insight into technology and what is changing. If you’re a gamer, you’ll see just how much of an impact virtual reality is having on us, and you can look at the possible opportunities for using that in everyday life. Even games that are traditionally seen as games for children, like Minecraft, are being used in testing for AI Bots. The future of banking and retail could be going along the lines of chatbots, so gaming offers insight into those kinds of thing.

 

Escapism

After work or college, when your mind has been so focused on certain things, it can be nice to come home at the end of the day and relax. Gaming, like movies or television shows, can offer an element of escapism. It can be a way for some people to relax, while still using your brain in a different way. When you combine gaming as a hobby, alongside reading, exercise, and other things, it is important to remember that it is OK to play from time to time.

Easy Ways to Make Money from Gaming

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Do you love gaming? Then you’ll be glad to know that it is more than possible for you to make money from it! Gaming really does have so much to offer and when you are good at it, you can easily turn it into a money-making avenue. It doesn’t take long to get started and you can easily help others out at the same time as well. If you want to get some ideas then you can find out whatever you need to know below.

 

Streams

When you are able to stream, everyone can see your gameplay. You can have advertisements on your gaming stream and you can also ask your loyal audience to either donate or subscribe to your services as well. The problem here is that it can take you a while before you can build up your audience and you may spend a lot of time trying to work out why nobody is viewing your channel. The main thing that you have to remember here is that streams do take time but if you are able to invest then you can easily make money from it at a later date. Podcasts are another great option as well, if you have the time.


 

Writing Guides

New players love reading guides. If you are a gamer then there is a high chance that you have read a guide or two in the past. If you want to make money from gaming then writing guides is certainly a possibility. You can upload your guide to YouTube or you can even publish them as an EBook if you want. You can even get advertisements or you can sell your guides for a small profit every time. You will need to invest a ton of time in order to make the most out of your money-making adventure and the main reason for this is because you will need to provide way more insight when compared to other people.

 

Gambling

Gambling is also another way that you can make money from games. Bitcoin Rush casino is great here and you would be surprised at how easy it is for you to really feel satisfied when you take away a win. When you are able to learn and develop strategies for online games, you can sell them while also making money from the game itself.


 

Trading In

When you are done with your old games, do you keep them as a part of your collection? If you want to make money then why not sell your old copies? When you have completed the game, there isn’t much point in you keeping hold of your copy and this makes the whole idea of gaming much cheaper. Sure, it may be more efficient to buy your game as a digital copy but at the end of the day, if you are able to buy a hard copy you can then go on to sell it at a later date. You can even keep an eye on auction sites to try and get a good deal, before selling that but at a higher price.

3 Great Online Time Wasting Options

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There are moments in life when there just isn’t anything to do. You’re stuck waiting at a bus station; your friends are taking longer than normal to come over; you’re supposed to be working or studying but you’ve embraced procrastination into your life. Hey, we all do it. Don’t feel bad.

You find yourself with - for whatever reason - a spare slice of time. The internet is in front of you. The entire knowledge that humanity has ever amassed is at your fingertips; think of what the science and arts masters of old would have done with such a portal! And then think: yeah, but… I just want to do something fun instead.

Again: we all do it. Sometimes you don’t want to learn; you don’t want to use the time productively to catch up on your emails; you just want to waste some time and clear your head for awhile. If that sounds familiar, then here are a few ideas to keep you busy without you actually being very busy at all.

 

Online Games

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Flash as a whole might have died out in popularity (coming across a website built entirely from Flash is an immediate “back” button dealbreaker, for most of us) but it does still have a use: games.

They’re free - well, if you ignore the many ads that might be flashing across the screen. They’re not complicated and in-depth like your normal gaming choices might be. You can start, stop, forget they exist, or spend many hours going through the same repetitive motions. Or you can chance your hand if you’re feeling lucky, by tracking down the best online casino and seeing if your luck is going to bear out. Or if you just want something simple, it’s pretty hard to turn down a classic like Bubble Shooter when you just want something to distract you.

 

Help Solve Cold Cases

Think you might be a detective in the making? Then you could help solve cold cases, thanks to the Murder Accountability Project. For the moment it just features US crimes, but given that some of the most famous crimes of all time have happened in the States, that shouldn’t deter you. You can hunt for clues, read old files, and see if you can come up with a theory no one else has.

 

Citizen Science

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Citizen science seeks to harness the power of the internet for good. All sorts of scientific fields are involved, outsourcing the bulk work that would otherwise be done by overqualified researchers who are best turning their brains elsewhere. There are plenty of studies online; there’s a good overview here at the BBC for some ideas. Some of the most popular projects have helped identify galaxies in deep space images, understand the way we perceive age for psychology, or helped to map the neural connections in the human brain.

If that all sounds like you need a lot of time - you really don’t. This is the kind of activity you can pick up, do for awhile, then put down. And for once, your procrastination will have actually been useful - it’s hard to say fairer than that!

Understanding the Theory: The Games You Just Can't Quit

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Whether it’s a console game or just an app, every once in awhile, you find yourself immersed in a game that you just can’t let go of. No matter how much you play it, it sticks in your mind, keeping you coming back for more even when there are other games out there demanding your attention. Sometimes it happens on a national level - remember the crazes for Candy Crush or Flappy Bird? - or it can just be a gem of a game that only a few people dedicated to gaming innovations play, but those that do are devotees.

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Have you ever wondered how games manage to do this; turn normal people into those on the verge of a game addiction? If you fancy finding out how things work behind the curtain, then read on…

 

#1 - Games Aren’t Designed To Be Fun

Sound difficult to believe? It might, but think about it: fun is transitory. What we have a tendency to enjoy at one point might not be the same thing that makes us happy another day. We can get tired of fun; we can want to move on to something more exciting, something different.

If, however, a game developer can tap into something deeper in our psyche, then their game has the potential to be a fixture for years to come. It’s interesting to note that the driving purpose of a game is not for users to enjoy it, but for users to want to keep coming back to it. These might sound like the same thing, but they are actually activating different parts of our brains.

Some of the most popular games of all time aren’t particularly fun, but they are rewarding. Understanding how rewards work in game creation is essential to understanding the behavioral psychology that they manipulate.

 

#2 - At First, Games Are Highly Rewarding

The first, and perhaps most important, attraction factor to a game is that it rewards new players quickly and often. That’s why when you first begin to play a game, leveling up and obtaining rewards is incredibly simple. Perform one basic task? You level up and get a ton of XP points!

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Every time we level up or receive some form of reward from the game, our brains get a shot of dopamine - the happy hormone. Even if we don’t fully understand the game or haven’t decided to play it for long, we’re still delighted by this evidence we’re apparently good at it. As the game progresses, achieving the same rewards becomes harder and harder. With Facebook games, for example, it might only take 10 XP to get to level two, but it’ll take 7,000 XP to move from level 58 to level 59. Yet we still do it, because when we reach that level up number, we get the same shot of dopamine. If anything, it’s even sweeter when we have to wait and work towards something.

 

#3 - When You’re Hooked, You’re A Consumer

Many games like to ease you into them gently, especially those that don’t have a purchase cost like some app games. They get you in, leveling up, training you to enjoy that dopamine rush every time something goes right.

Then comes the next stage; transforming you from a gamer into a consumer. As you progress, learn the game, and what it takes to be good at it, you’ll then be offered some dangling temptations. An example would be something along the lines of: you could keep working to improve your armor, which will take time, effort, and skill… or you could just throw a couple of dollars at the problem and have your armor be perfect in an instant.

At first, going with the paid approach often seems valid. In many ways, that’s because it is. There’s no harm in spending money on virtual goods if they help us to enjoy the game more. It’s no different to spending on a cinema ticket or paying to download a movie; it’s all about enjoyment, so there’s no harm.

Of course, the problem comes when you are deeply immersed in a game and have been playing it for so long, it throws your judgment off. Then, the in-game purchases switch from being about enhancing your experience, to being necessary. There are many games where, effectively, you have to pay to win. Developers don’t throw this at you to begin with, of course! They ease you in with the leveling up rewards, the improvements for low cost, and then hit you with bigger and bigger requests for money.

This might sound like a harmless progression. It can be, if you manage it in moderation. However, the problem comes when people find themselves buying more and more because they’re trapped in a cycle of doing so, and feel they need it to continue enjoying the game. That’s when there’s risks of game addiction, people stretching their finances as they look for online payday loans and similar products that can allow them to keep buying.

 Again, there’s nothing wrong with this in theory if you genuinely enjoy a game! You’re paying for a form of entertainment; that’s legitimate. But it’s always worth asking if you truly enjoy the game, or if you’re just used to playing it now and want to continue.

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#4 - More Rewards

We’ve touched above on the importance of rewards to keeping you coming back to a game. This truly can’t be overstated.

Have you ever heard of the rat experiment, where a rat had to press a level in exchange for a morsel of food? This is a popular experiment on which game developers rely. We humans will keep pressing the lever (i.e. playing the game) if we think there’s a reward for it.

That’s why games give us trophies, buttons, badges - they’re rewards for pressing the lever over and over. Even basic games like Words With Friends will give you badges for starting a set number of games or playing a certain number of opponents.

Of course, when you press the lever enough to get your reward, you’re delighted by it. It’s this, perhaps more than anything, that keeps us going back to a game. If we have to work for something, we enjoy the rewards of it all the more. It makes us feel good; like we have achieved something… even if all we’ve done is level up, win a trophy, or suchlike on a game we enjoy.

Strange Businesses You've Never Heard Of

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For any business to be truly successful, it needs to be a little outside the box, and distinct from its competitors. However, there are some companies out there which have taken this to the extreme, and supply products or services which are just plain weird. Some are ingenious, some are ridiculous, and many straddle the line between the two. Here, we’ll look at some of the strange businesses that you never knew existed.

 

Prank Scented Candles

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Ever since they hit the shelves, scented candles have been exceptionally popular. The range of wonderful aromas you can get are wonderful for adding a little romance to an evening, or simply unwinding after a long day at work. Due to the sheer popularity of scented candles, it’s no surprise that some quirky entrepreneurs have turned the concept on its head. Brothers Mark and Tyler Ward are the evil geniuses behind the company WTF Prank Candles. These candles start off with a pleasant scent; pine or apple pie, for example, and slowly turn into something quite different, such as skunk spray, used diapers, and farts. If you’re planning to quit your job and pursue your own business ideas, then perhaps one of these would be a great way to thank your boss!

 

Games Developers from the Past

This is one for all of you who want to re-live those great days when you’d spend hours at the local arcade. If you can’t figure out how to get past the first mission on Grand Theft Auto, but you had the high score on Asteroids for years, then you may be interested in buying a console from Dream Arcades. This is a truly unique firm based in California, which recreates all the great arcade games from your childhood. Sure, they’re bespoke and not exactly cheap. Still, what could be better than having an (almost) genuine Ms. Pacman in your very own home? They supply both DIY kits and ready-made arcade machines, and seem to be growing strong. They’ve even delivered to the US research facility in Antarctica.

 

Designated Plate-Smashing Area

We’ve all had times in our lives where we’ve been so stressed and angry, that we need to take it out on something, anything. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something instantly satisfying about destroying an old cabinet with a hammer or beating the surface of your desk. Well, one entrepreneur caught onto this massive untapped market, and opened “The Smashing Place” in Tokyo. Here, you can go in, buy an inexpensive cup or plate, and then lob it at a concrete wall. Based in a bustling business district, this weird business has attracted countless stressed office workers who’d rather be chucking crockery at someone from work, but can’t do the jail time. Unfortunately, this hasn’t taken off anywhere outside of Japan. Still, it isn’t totally ridiculous to think that we’ll start seeing them in London or New York.

 

There you have just a few of the weird and wonderful businesses out there. If you thought your idea would never take off, I hope it’s given you a little faith!

Gaming and the Antisocial Myth, Debunked

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When you think of people playing games, what pictures does it bring to mind? For many people with no understanding of gaming, it’s still a stereotype. They will often imagine the social recluse, hiding away in a bedroom, tapping furiously on a keyboard or controller. It’s a narrative that has existed ever since home computers became popular - and it doesn’t seem like it is going away at times.

I find this odd, I must admit. I've gamed my entire life and love to play alongside or against other people. After all, way back in 2008 a study into gaming found that three-quarters of all gamers played with other people either online or in person. This is objectively about as far from antisocial as it can get. But, here were are, eight years down the line and it’s still a view that many people have of gaming. I thought I would pull together some ideas to prove that, far from being a lonely activity, the community is very much part of the gaming experience.

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The arcade

Back in the early days, most people only had the option of hitting their arcade if they wanted to play the latest games. And, while most games were only one or two players, it was still a social experience. In fact, arcades were home to all different kinds of groups, who often when on to form significant communities. There was a little too much competition at times, of course. But overall, ask anyone who remembers the early days and you will get a positive response.

 

Home PCs and consoles

It was only when home computers became widespread and consoles became popular that people started playing alone. Even then, that period didn’t last long. People would always look for multiplayer games, even before broadband made MMOGs possible. Now, of course, when you find the best games online, you'll tend to find  thousands of other people playing them, too. It's a chance to connect with people from all over the world, make new friends, and join a community of like-minded others.

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Board games

Don’t forget; gaming isn’t just about sitting in front of a screen and pushing some buttons. Board games are still relevant now as they have ever been. And these highly complex games are a lot of fun to play, and most rely on a group of people getting together. Even the mainstream success of games like Cards Against Humanity (which I personally love) could be used as evidence for the social benefits of gaming.

 

Roleplaying games

Another are to think about is role playing games. Again, the best RPGs involve a group of people coming together. RPGs rely on groups, and to think that makes players antisocial is pretty wide of the mark. In fact, the whole point of RPGs is that you come together as a group and try to solve a problem. It teaches you everything you need to know about teamwork - and a lot more besides.

 

The future...

Finally, let’s take a look at where games are going right now and into the future. A quick look at Pokemon Go’s success will reveal that social gaming is close to exploding. And I, for one, look forward to seeing what comes next.

Thanks for stopping by!