Gaming's Secret Word: Fun

Gaming's Secret Word: Fun

What are video games at the core?

Michelle McLean by Michelle McLean on Nov 02, 2014 @ 06:05 PM (Staff Bios)
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Lately, the video game world has grown... Dramatic.

There has been so much controversy over a variety of video game-related subjects, most notably in the scope of women. Of course, these arguments have exploded thanks to the Internet, but I think we all need to step and look back at the core of video games. I think that video games can be for everyone, even the most violent games. I rarely have perceived video games to be well... controversial and more for the male crowd than the female crowd. Instead, I feel as if games have always served to be fun stress-relievers.

Maybe it is my competitive behavior that makes the games fun, maybe not. But there are plenty of fun games that serve different purposes. Once, I have been told that video games can be very therapeutic, and I am inclined to agree. There are times when stress has taken its toll on me for the day, and the only way I could free myself of the stress is through the eye-pleasing interaction known as video games. Most video games have stress-relieving properties, as well as a variety of other benefits. I believe that sometimes people forget that video games can be stress-relieving and just generally fun, considering the controversy surrounding games.

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When I play video games, I generally do not make strong articulations and theories about how a video game is this or that. I play the game for the game itself. Depending on the mood, I play a variety of genres for video games. I enjoy JRPGs, racers (especially the extreme type), shooters, platformers, puzzle games, fighters, visual novels, survival horror, party games, and more. Basically, I just love most genres. I often find myself giggling when I flip my car off a road, or when I find the punchline to a joke in-game to be funny, no matter how corny.

As a child, I have always been an extreme fan of Final Fantasy. What I have loved most are how most of the stories in these games are relatable. Three of the Final Fantasy games I have fell in love with are Final Fantasy VI (III in the US), Final Fantasy VII, and Final Fantasy IX. Celes, Tifa, and Freya are three of the female protagonists that I have admired and wanted to be like when I have grown older. Playing through the game and having my feet set in the worlds really has enabled me to escape. The stories act as a stress-reliever for me. The humor has always tickled my funny bone, the gameplay has allowed me to think strategically, and the character interaction warms my heart. To this day, I still find these three games wonderful and captivating. Because they have been, to me, just fun. The gameplay, the characters, the story… all the elements have been engrossing and fun to me.

In the modern day, I have taken up plenty of other games to relieve stressful experiences I deal with in the real world. Final Fantasy XIV, which can be deemed stressful for some players, does not stress me out because I like to take my time and actually enjoy both the journey and the end. I enjoy learning with friends, no matter what my friends’ skill levels are. Destiny has also been a very useful tool for stress relief. Though we humans do not condone violence, it can also be stress-relieving to induce “painless” violence. Humans in general realize that video games are not real. Instead, we feel good when we are able to unleash violence after a hard day of work. It isn’t just violence we rely on, but other factors of gameplay. Even puzzles can be stress-relieving and relaxing. Take for example, Bejeweled. It is a simple, fun game that can cause you to think but does not tend to be too frustrating.

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Unfortunately, there are some introductions in the video game world that can induce more stress on the gamer. One being the introduction of extremely “hardcore” achievements. Though “hardcore” achievements extend game playability and more, it can force the person to focus too strongly on reaching that goal rather than enjoying the game itself. For some, it can be stress-relieving, but for others it becomes a stressful feat to accomplish, just to get 100% the achievements for a game and raise their gamer score. Some of the most hardcore achievements are: the “World Champion” in Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, “My Kung Fu is Stronger” in Mortal Kombat, “Beat Zico” in Wipeout HD, and “Committed ‘til the End” in Lost Planet 2. There are, of course, plenty more of these types of achievements.

Achievements that developers have declared can absolutely drive a player into stress. Though it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take these challenges, it will definitely induce stress on the gamer and possibly make the game that much less fun. Mulitplayer/co-op games can be very fun and stress-relieving, especially if you play with a group of friends with the mindset of just goofing off. I do enjoy playing with my friends more than playing solo, and it is fun to just goof off and laugh while on voice chat or in person. Video games can essentially be a good break from work or life, and help gamers wind down. Though I am not against the issues that has arisen in the past year or so, I do hope that gamers have realized or can realize that they are able to just have fun and chill around with this media form. It doesn’t matter if these gamers are male or female so much as they are having fun enjoying the hobby that is video gaming.

Whether it will be through fighters, shooters, racers, or even fun little card games, there are plenty of video games to keep everyone entertained and relaxed. People should keep in mind that gaming is not just simply an art or a culture with political standpoints, but it is also a fun way for people to escape a terrible afternoon or enjoy a rainy day.

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