In the past few years, the number of online players has risen significantly. But what do these new players play and why? In this article, you are going to get some answers for that!
Players and their games – What are their favourites and why?
Online gaming has grown a lot in the last three decades. Back in the golden days, a LAN party of StarCraft or a crazy match on Quake was the most we had. After the online casinos opened their gates, an online gambling pennsylvania was a good way to spend some time and money. However, that was quite some time ago, and the whole industry has changed since then. In the following, you will find out what types of games people play these days, and in theory, why they choose those games.
Online games – the major types
In principle, there are two major types of games one could play online – free games and paid games. Some may debate this, but it’s a fact that there are games you can play without buying the game or a subscription, while there are online games you can access only if you paid for it in some way. Of course, there is a third type like online blackjack Australia that citizens likely enjoy quite much, and can play either in demo mode or after depositing some cold cash and risking that. Nonetheless, the thrill is there.
So, free games come in different forms. You have the chance to enjoy some pretty cool games over social media platforms like Facebook. Some you can play right from your browser – luckily, most of our favourites are now available in HTML-5, so there are no limitations on what device these games are compatible with. As you might have already found out, it is possible to play blackjack online Australia even if you don’t have a PC. Also, it’s important to mention that most free games have microtransactions, which you can use to buy some benefits for yourself using cash.
As for paid games, there are usually two ways to fully unlock them: either to buy the game (you can do so at the developers’ site or in stores like Steam or Epic Games) or to subscribe to the game (when you may not have to buy a copy, but to unlock the full features, you may need to pay a monthly subscription fee).
Why do people play online games?
It is a fundamental question to ask: why do people play games online? It is not like a live blackjack Australia citizens play is terrible, but why would they choose this game?
A recent study showed that there had been some key components that turned players from single-player games to multiplayer games. We think you may know the answer: it’s a COVID-related study. So, they found seven important reasons players chose online games rather than single-player games.
Mental Health
According to this research, players started to play more to help them with their moods. If we consider the first heavy lockdowns, it’s perfectly understandable. We had to work from and stay at home, with barely any personal contact. There is a recurring element here: people played games to change their mood and fight off anxiety.
Stress relief
It shouldn’t strike as a surprise, but gamers often play games to calm down, have fun, and feel a bit easier. In the past three years, the pandemic had a great impact on people’s stress levels, and we still have a long way to go if we want to go back to normal. In fact, humanity is in a bad place when it comes down to stress. So, we play a lot to escape reality, and many of us would rather worry about taming the newest dino in ARK: Survival Evolved than watching the news about how many people are gone today.
Escape
Escapism is one of the most important motivations in video games. It is the ability that helps us immerse ourselves in a totally different world, escaping from the reality of this one. It’s not exactly a pandemic-related idea, and escapism has been known for over 60 years in the field of psychology. Games distract us from the real world, and this has a positive impact on our well-being.
Cognitive stimulation
It’s a fact that games have to get us to focus. We need to solve riddles, manage our inventory, business or balances (even ammo), and plan. It doesn’t matter if we talk about a fast game like PUBG or a chill level of Minecraft. Actually, an online blackjack Australia casinos offer has something to do with cognitive stimulation: you have to know when to stop, when to hit when to double. In this, blackjack charts are your helpers to make it easier to decide.
Agency
It’s a bit sad, but you may feel the same – sometimes we all play games just to book a small win after a hard day. Playing games achieving something in them makes you feel like you have achieved something in life. Whether it’s an online game or a single-player game, there are always goals you go to reach. And this gives you the sense of productivity and purpose – what we really need in our life.
Normalisation
Many of us couldn’t imagine our life without video games. These games help not just to escape but to have a feeling of normality. The research says that most participants answered that playing games gave a sense of normalcy. Naturally, you have to choose carefully, but having a set time to play and having something actually to DO in the games makes up for the time you’ve spent in it. You can build up routines and have a structured piece of time in your life.
Socialisation
This theme doesn’t require introductions because everyone knows that online games give a sense of community. We can team up, solve quests together with strangers or friends, and plan and execute schemes in battles. Talking over the mic gave many players a good way to socialise and feel less alone.
Summarisation
As you can see, a lot is going on when it comes to choosing a game to play. One thing is sure though: you can, and you will find a good game which you can enjoy. Whether a free or paid one – they all are able to bring us some joy in our daily routine.
