Computer games have already carved out a place in always every individual’s life, especially in children. This fact may be linked to the why computer games operate in the first place—to provide entertainment to its target market. And with the upsurge of technological advancements and innovations, anyone can virtually play games, may it be at home with your personal computers, at school with your personal hand-held gadgets, or at arcades, anywhere electronic gadgets can operate. With the ease of access to which computer games can be used, one can undoubtedly say that playing computer games has become a widely accepted mainstream activity. However, the debate on whether computer games are helpful or not to one’s holistic improvement is still at large. Since individuals may have varying gaming cultures with the other gamers, one cannot form a clear, generalized conclusion to the effects of playing computer games; certain considerations are difficult to be kept distinct from other factors.
“Shake the earth, blast your enemies with fire and ice, summon otherworldly minions and much more as you wield the powers of your heroic birthright.”—Blizzard entertainment on Diablo III
Diablo is currently one of the most known role-playing games (RPGs) in the international arena. Produced by Blizzard Entertainment on December 31, 2012, the game quickly gained popularity because of its release as a high-profile game available for Macintosh and Windows which made it accessible to a more extensive community of players. By the year 1997, barely a year of its release, it was already hailed Game of the Year by a renowned computer magazine. Celebrating its fifteenth year after its first outset, Blizzard has opened to the public the latest addition to the Diablo series, Diablo III. Critical thinking, great tactical skills, and good hand-eye coordination are just some of the things one player must have in order to survive in the game. Presented with great cinematics and cool additions, Diablo III has definitely caught the public’s attention once again.
However, one must not take things at face-value alone; the ramifications of engaging in this type of gaming must be considered. Who, why, how much, and what effects form because of the game must be asked. Is it detrimental or not to the cognitive and emotional behavior of students? What are the age, gender, and race distribution of gamers of these massively multiplayer online games or MMOs?
A research from the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication found out that the average age of gamers in America is 33 years old, however a high rate of teens also enjoy this type of recreational activity. However, the gaming community is still dominated by males, especially those that have guilds and action-themed—a persistent virtual world. Because of this exposure in the “virtual reality”, it bears social impacts on the players. Less time with family, addiction, and aggression are some of the disadvantages that comes along with video games. And with the continuous sedentary lifestyle that comes with it, lack of care for one’s condition can also affect one’s health (obesity, video wrist, mental state). Although the type of religion does not bear any change in the number of hours played by gamers it has been found out that most players have little regard for faith. It is less likely for Christians to be regular players rather than Muslims or Buddhists, and a high number of them often states that they fall on the “No Religion” category. This may have been one factor why one race may have higher gaming rates than others. Gamers also have wealthier backgrounds than the average. This may be held accountable as to why countries in the West have more gamers than those in Asia and Middle East.
One must bear to mind that computer games are not equated with violence. People can gain knowledge and skills in technical aspect and be facilitated with critical thinking and fast analysis during crucial periods. They can equip an individual with higher-order intelligences such as plan formulation, strategic planning, and adaptation to rapid change (Summit on Educational Games, 2006). There is nothing wrong in playing computer games, but when it is played abusively, that is the time it becomes corruptive. Self-discipline is still the best solution no matter what economic environment you are in. So keep that in mind, esp. the noobs. 😀
mtedge 