Discover ten fun and important facts about computer games!

Computer games are definitely among the top 100 things that marked the last decades of the 20^th and first of the 21^st century.  We remember whining to our parents to let us play Resident Evil just a bit on their brand-new computer decades ago. We drove them crazy, but they had no choice but to let us play.  Oh boy, the excitement we felt killing zombies! 

The computer game industry developed so much over the years, that this kind of game seems too simple and somewhat ridiculous even.  Nowadays, computer game companies develop more challenging games such as Counter-Strike, Sims, etc.  Of course, we also have online games such as  money train slot. These games are becoming increasingly popular among the adult population, especially because they allow us to earn some money, besides just having fun.

While many people enjoy playing these games, some worry about the ways they affect us. That especially stands when we are talking about children and youth.  Since we are living in a highly technological world, today’s kids seem to be born with electronic devices in their hands.  You don’t have to be a parent to realize that. It is enough to take a look at kids in the bus, subways, etc., and you will see that they handle phones, tablets, and so on much better than us. 

We know that computer games are addictive!  We also know that we shouldn’t let our kids spend hours playing computer games online or offline.  But are they as problematic as some tend to say?  Is there more to them than just computer game addiction?  We talked with game developers and other experts to understand all the positives and the negatives of the computer game industry.  They revealed many exciting and important facts that we never heard before.  In this text, we are going to share what we learned about the computer game world.

Facts About Computer Games You Never Heard Before 

Develop Decision-Making Skills 

As we mentioned, everyone will tell you that computer games are addictive, that playing them is a waste of time, etc. But what no one will tell you is that people who enjoy playing them develop much better decision-making skills. Can you guess why? It is rather simple when you think about it! While playing, you will have to make different decisions that will affect the course of the game!  Over time, this helps you develop the ability to think quickly about various possibilities and make the right decisions in real life, too.  People who are good at playing may also look for computer game jobs! 

Adults Are Playing Games, Too

The idea that only kids and teens play video games is a total misconception.  Plenty of adults are enjoying them. The main reason is that video games help people relax and unwind. Apart from that, it is like going into a fantasy world, and we all know that sometimes it is good to escape the problems of reality! Research done by the Entertainment Software Association states the average gamer in the USA is around 36 years old.  The same research notes that over 72% of gamers are older than 18, and 45% are women. 

Playing Games Improves Learning 

You will hear plenty of people saying that kids shouldn’t play games because they adversely affect their learning capacities. This idea is very far from the truth.  Since games are interactive, they improve learning capacities in kids.  Children learn much better by participating and doing things than by reading about them!  Studies show that games improve academic results by two grade levels. Of course, it is essential to choose the right educational games. 

Action Games are Beneficial

We strongly oppose war and the type of conflict that involves weapons, and we don’t support the idea of watching action movies, etc. So when all those computer game shooters appeared, we were indeed against them. “They don’t have real war material! They need to invent games now, too! What a world!” But then, it became clear that this kind of game brings more than just the thrill of shooting and killing.  Studies show that this kind of game improves attention span and control. Plus, the computer game music is fantastic. 

Games Affect Behavior 

Since we are part of the society we live in, everything we see or do affects our behavior. Movies, series, books, music….- everything, including games.  If kids play games that address social issues, there is a high chance they will become pretty empathetic. Games also help kids learn a lot about computers, which can be useful if they are looking for computer game design jobs later in life.  They also improve dexterity.

There Are Millions of  Gamers in The World

To those of you who don’t like games or are indifferent, this may sound like some joke. But the reality is that the number of gamers increases year by year. Statistics from 2020 shows there are more than 2.7 billion gamers in the world.  The pandemic probably has something to do with it. Since many people were stuck at home without much to do, they started playing games more than before. 

Computer Games Became a Sport 

Okay, we said already that we, too, like playing games. But if someone told us that one day game playing will be a sport, we would laugh. But the reality is that nowadays it is considered a sport. More importantly, computer game events are followed by a remarkable number of spectators.

Tom Hanks Auditioned for the Role of Super Mario

There isn’t anyone who doesn’t know about a computer game online called Super Mario Bros. But did you know that there is a film based on the game? Tom Hanks wanted the role in it, he was considered but eventually dropped for Bob Hoskins. It is an all-time game, still played today, and you can easily find this computer game download option.

There Is a Game for Everyone

Do you know some people say that they don’t like computer games?  Well, we have to say that it is complicated to say something like that because there are a plethora of games of various genres.  Besides shooting, adventure, strategy, and so on, there are also programming games.  These types of games require that you use programming languages to progress through the levels. Playing them opens computer game opportunities for competitions.

Strong Female Characters

Computer game developers work to improve the equality between women and men. Hence, now we have more leading female characters in plenty of games. In Resident Evil, for example, there was a very strong lead character.  Streetfighter II also introduced a woman fighter, Chun Li.  The first female character appeared in Typhoon Gal in 1985.  The computer game ratings show that this greatly impacts girls’ decisions to start playing games for the first time. 

Conclusion

There are plenty of misconceptions and myths surrounding the computer game industry. Indeed, we need to limit the time our children spend using electronic devices and playing games. But this doesn’t mean that we need to demonize games. If played in controlled conditions, computer games bring a lot of benefits, as you can see! Do you like playing? What are your favorites? Do you know of other interesting facts? 

About the Author  Jeffrey Bishop is a journalist and gamer. The first games he ever played were Super Mario Bros and Tetris, and he was competing with his older brother. It became his passion, and as a student, he was working in various gaming summer camps. Also, Jeffrey plays online games in his spare time with pleasure.