Louis Michael: Videogames: friend or foe?

The modern world of gaming presents a chin-scratching paradox. On the one hand gaming is frowned upon as antisocial, unhealthy, and a waste of time. But on the other, it’s a multi-million pound industry with loyal, loving followers across the globe. So where is this misconception coming from? As a long time avid gamer myself I would argue that it’s simply a matter of misunderstanding and miscommunication.

My first experience of gaming was on the first ever Playstation, and I’ve been playing ever since. In that time I’ve wandered post-apocalyptic wastelands and famous scenes from the past, I’ve been an alien invading earth and I’ve defended earth against alien invaders, I’ve been the hero and the villain, I’ve mastered both magic and machines, and I’ve saved the world more times than I can count.

I’ve saved the world more times than I can count

However, while I’m busy embarking on all of these epic adventures, my body makes it look as if all I’m doing is sitting motionless in front of a screen. But if you were to swap out the screen for the pages of a book how much would really change? A game crafts a world for you to explore and enjoy, when we game we sit down and engage our minds rather than our bodies, and most gaming is done solitarily and indoors. These are all traits shared by literature. So how bad can games really be? (To ensure there is no misunderstanding I am in no way suggesting the abandonment of books in favour of a newer shinier model. In fact, on the contrary— I’m the proud owner of multiple books which are spin offs from games!)

Though the concerns about gaming are plentiful the answer is singular: moderation. Fears of addiction, unhealthiness, it being antisocial, and a waste of time can all be answered by a simple measure of willpower. Much the same as everything in life, overindulging is bad. Striking a balance is key.

As an RPG (Role Playing Game) fan myself, in my opinion gaming at its best functions as a technologically cutting edge storytelling device. When we acknowledge the storytelling capabilities of gaming devices we can appreciate them as incredibly potent tools for writers with powerful narratives. If we take this into consideration alongside the burgeoning technological revolution of virtual reality we see that gaming has the potential to transcend the casual leisure activity into realms of serious mental and spiritual applications. I doubt many people could find grounds to complain about a game that lets you see the world through a homeless person’s eyes.