Is Gaming Really A Good Hobby?
Do you like playing video games? If you’re not all that crazy about them, you’re not alone. Gaming has been around for thousands of years in some form or other, and in that time, there have also been thousands of people who’ve declared it’s a waste of time. And yet gaming is still so incredibly popular, and people play for thousands of hours on PC, mobile, and console.
Why? Because above all else, gaming is fun! But aside from that, there are many other benefits to having a gaming session every now and then. Indeed, some people even take it up as a serious hobby and start learning how to code and develop their own games – all of these skills can even look good on a CV! But is gaming truly a good hobby to have? Absolutely, and here are just a few choice reasons why.
Gaming is a Great Escape
A video game can be incredibly expansive. Open world games specifically can bring us to new heights rarely explored before and help us to see new perspectives through the virtual towns and characters we meet. And the fun we have through these worlds can help us to escape from our own lives.
If we’ve had a stressful day or something personally bad has happened recently, a game can help us to figuratively ‘get out’ if we can’t walk away physically. Which is an incredible benefit we often turn to hobbies to do. Taking time to yourself isn’t bad when you need it, and games help with that.
Also, there are so many different types of games out there, so you can always find one that suits how you’re feeling. If you just want to chill and think by yourself, even a simple game like solitaire can be great. It’s easy and kind of relaxing, but it also gets your brain working a bit. And the best part? You can play it on your phone or computer anytime you need a break. Whether it’s a big, exciting game or just a quick round of solitaire, gaming gives you your own little space to step back from everything else going on.
Video Games are a Step Up From Board Games
If you’ve loved playing board games for a long time, video games are the next step in the evolutionary chain. And you usually don’t need to get a whole gang of people together to play them, so they’re much easier to enjoy in your spare time. They’re simply more accessible and have innovative technology built in to help cater to all kinds of players.
So even if you’re not really a gamer, you can easily get into playing on your PC or console. You can even make good use of the skills you’ve gained through board games with video games. For example, if you’re a big chess fan and regularly use sites like Chessville, you’re much more likely to enjoy strategy games and achieve success through them. You’re already a good out-the-box thinker, and you can put that skill to good use while having fun.
You Can Support Small Time Developers with Big Ideas
Video game development is one of the most creative pursuits out there. Many one- or two-person teams have developed and published some of the most fun games off of their own back. For example, the recently released Midnight Fight Express was developed by just one guy and had some of the best reviews on platforms like Steam to date! So when you invest in gaming as a hobby, you can invest in people following their passion.
You get to play super fun games that took a lot of time and effort to produce, and you don’t have to pay much for the privilege either – most indie titles cost $20 or less. It’s a bit of cash that goes a long way to funding the next groundbreaking idea in the indie world that seems to be rapidly overtaking the AAA development world. In addition, your money is going to ethical, sustainable sources, and knowledge like that can make you feel great.
Hosting Game Nights Fosters Deeper Friendships
Gaming is a popular hobby, and you’re not the first to pick it up. Because of that, you can start hosting game nights for friends and even just basic acquaintances to come along to. In doing so, you give yourself a social platform through which to make deep and meaningful friendships. So clear a space in the living room, load up a console, and then stick on something like Mario Kart or Call of Duty for a group gaming session.
Games often mean a lot to people. The stories contained in these worlds, and the characters you meet through them, mirror our own lives. We can connect to these people we spend hours with, even if they’re not real, simply because we see ourselves or the qualities we admire in them. And that’s something you can really bond over. So get talking to your friends or people at work and see if you have a shared game you enjoyed playing.
Gaming is Relatively Inexpensive for the Experience You Get
As we briefly mentioned earlier, gaming isn’t all that expensive for the experience you get. If you avoid big title games by big, well-known studios, you don’t have to fork out much money to enjoy your hobby. Instead, you can pick and choose from indie or AA games and get hours of fun for anywhere between $0.99 and $40.
And seeing as you can load up a game whenever you want and play 15 minutes or more of it, that’s not a bad price to pay. In addition, games load faster than ever, meaning you can squeeze in playtime before going to work or heading to bed at night. Plus, there are regular sales in the gaming world; you can pick up a $60 title for $10 at least four times a year. So if you’ve got your eye on something you really want to play, you just have to wait a couple more months before putting it in your basket.
Picking up gaming as a hobby is a great thing. You can spend time doing something you love, explore new and rich worlds and spend some time away from your own, and even make a few friends along the way. Plus, you can always carve out some spare time for a game, even on a super packed schedule! Gaming as a hobby means you can blow off steam whenever you need to, and that’s a huge tick in our books.
