IAfrica Dot Com Game Editor, Gideon Nieuwoudt - The Why? of Gaming
AROUND THE BEND
Why I play games
Gideon Nieuwoudt
Yes, it is entertainment and, yes, it might not contribute to world peace (well, not directly, at any rate), so trying to explain to a non-gamer why I enjoy gaming so much is as difficult as trying to explain colour to the blind. But one can try.
The general impression among the non-gamer population of our little corner of the universe seems to be that gamers are (a) lazy, (b) nerds, and (c) rather weird, among other things.
Although I must admit that there is certainly enough supporting evidence for this impression, I’ve got a different picture that I’d like to show: generally speaking, gamers are (a) highly intelligent, (b) have active imaginations, and (c) are actually quite sociable in our own way.
To fully understand why I say this, you need to do some exploring of the gaming world yourself. It’s one of those onion things: the more layers you peel away, the more you discover beneath. But no, it won’t bring you to tears.
A little known fact is that the global gaming industry rivals the movie industry in annual revenue. And everybody watches movies, right? So if you don’t play games, then you might even be in the minority.
Some play games as a form of escapism, sure enough, and yes, there is a lot that can be said against this. But so is reading books or watching movies. In fact, reading books is deemed an intelligent way to spend your leisure time.
In a lot of ways, games have a lot more to add to a person’s skill-development and even intellect, than books.
Reading a good book opens up fountains of emotion and unlocks one’s imagination, true enough. But a very good game can do this as well, while also adding skills like analytical thinking, deductive reasoning, increased reflexes and general heightened brain activity.
Fair enough, not all games do this, but neither do all books or movies. For the sake of this article, I’m focussing on those that do.
Personally, the biggest reason why I play games, however, is imagination. When faced with an imaginary world that is so rich in detail, brilliantly executed and heart-achingly beautiful to look at, my imagination explodes. And when the gameplay is creative and the storyline engrossing, it’s like being bombarded by visual, aural and brain stimulation all rolled into one.
And then there’s the human element. Computer gaming has become an increasingly social and interactive experience, where playing against your friends and developing new friendships around games is a very common occurrence. This is even more so with multiplayer events where people come together to play games against each other and socialise. It’s the same as hanging out with your mates for any other reason.
In fact, playing a good game is actually the best way to spend your leisure time, because it supplies entertainment, while also stimulating your brain and imagination and improving your people skills (believe it or not).
So the next time that “special” person in your life invites you to a join them in a gaming session, why not take them up on the offer?
You might just discover a world that will blow your mind.
