Why am I a Gamer?

For people of a certain age, growing up with computer games was, and is now, normal, but to others, only a few years older, the habit is alien. Recently (on two separate occasions) I was asked, what the attraction is, and over the following weeks, whilst gaming, I tried to clear my thoughts and understand what I get out of gaming, and there are a number of things I think that keep me playing.

1 Meditation and craftsmanship.

Horizon Zero Dawn

The right game, at the right time can do a number of things that mindfulness can. There's an argument to suggest what you're hearing, seeing, and experiencing isn't real, and is somehow, less valid, but perhaps that's misguided? I have always been a visual person, and the creators of many games, for example, Horizon Zero Dawn, Skyrim and even Grand Theft Auto work incredibly hard creating gargantuan worlds, where every tree, rock, patch of grass or snow, path and animal has been painstakingly created to draw you in. Likewise, as in all the blockbuster movies, all of the sounds, have been crafted, along with the characters, their movements and some of the set pieces, explosions and effects. Usually these environments are revealed bit by bit, in order to see what's next. Appreciating the art is a big part of why I love 'open world' games and immersing myself in a (make believe) world where you can do anything, and pretty much get away with it. It's also been useful for me in the past, when I was suffering, in helping me focus on something less negative than I was experiencing in the real world. Anyone who's ever suffered workplace stress, or anxiety will totally understand the need for an escape. Gaming is, or should be, a guilt free mechanism for it.

2 Technological advances.

Anyone who knows me, knows I have a passion for cutting edge technology. Gaming is one such area where progress is swift and the creativity exciting. VR, Surround sound, HD, HDR, 4K, all of this plays a vital part in making a gaming experience more immersive. Loving the technology and the equipment that can bring these alternative worlds to life is fine by me.

3 Creativity and teamwork

Chester Minecraft team Emilia, Molly and Me. 

During my period of depression, as an agreed part of my therapy, I immersed myself in Minecraft. A result of this was that I ended up getting a bit carried away, and built Chester. This creation was supported by my two daughters and between us, we built a map, that has been downloaded on Android over 2 million times. Throughout this process, we stumbled with ideas, we built, we destroyed, we rebuilt and improved. We made walls meet, we created river beds and filled them with water, we made windows, porches, cathedrals, massive clocks and town hall squares and all in the correct relative positions to how they are in real life. The experience of working with others, online is not only therapeutic, but also useful in the real world. I now run Minecraft sessions in schools and have seen kids who usually fight in the real world, pull together, support one another and build unique and interesting digital creations that they can be proud of; not fake pride, but real pride. The creativity of some games and the reward of making something can't be denied.

4 Challenge, set back, and tenacity.

Fortnite - Player vs Player 

Some games follow unique storylines and in others the storyline is determined by your own choices within the game. But almost always (even in Minecraft survival mode) there will be challenges that vary in difficulty, that will require you to fail, reassess, try again, fail again, think laterally and eventually overcome in order to progress. And although difficulty in some games can be adjusted, it's the failing and trying again to overcome that's the most rewarding. No player sets the difficulty to something that makes the game a cinch, although I do have a game 'prey' that's sat on a shelf because even in easy, it's no fun (I'll probably return as I think I'm going about it the wrong way - you can't blast your way through it like you can others). Games like Splinter Cell, and Metal Gear Solid require you to think logically about problems and the skills you develop (assuming the learning curve is right) cause you to become a better player. This 'challenge' aspect of gameplay is also another attractive reason for encouraging kids to play the right sort of game. If you doubt this and think computer games are just for meaningless entertainment, there's a perfect and convenient example to disprove that. The hot game of the moment is without a doubt Fortnite. This is one of the most successful games of 2017/2018 with millions of kids doing the victory dances in schools up and down the country. Yet for every winner of every round, there are 99 losers. 99 people who didn't win, who will, try again, and again, and again. Playing better, developing new survival skills and altering their style every time they parachute into a new round. Addicted, yes, absolutely. Tenacious, yes, determined, yes, frustrated, no doubt, but still playing to win. This characteristic is surely something that should be applauded. Success in Fortnite isn't something that happens often or easily. People who know will respond differently to a gamer who announces that they won a round, than those who don't.

So if your child (or husband/wife) comes to you and announces they've won at Fortnite, finished Grand Theft Auto or built a life-size Pyramid in Minecraft, for goodness sake, do us gamers a favour and don't reply with "That's nice dear". We've worked hard for our win in the digital world!