The internet is the greatest tool that has ever been invented, and it likely always will be. There’s just nothing that can compare with the sheer awesomeness of the web, which allows people to do the things that they love in new and exciting ways. We see this play out in just about every facet of life, including in the gaming world. While there was plenty of charm in the pre-internet gaming climate, there’s little doubt that the web-connected era of gaming is superior. Aside from all the other benefits, it simply allows players to perform at a higher level than ever before. Let’s take a look at how.
Variety of Games
A person who can perform well at a wide variety of games can consider themselves a solid gamer. The internet makes it possible for gamers to access a wider cross section of games than ever before, and not only can they access these games, but they can do so easily. Whether it’s downloading a title from Steam or playing an online arcade or poker game, the internet makes all online games highly accessible. Through the diversification of their gameplay, individuals naturally become more adept at the underlying critical skills required for gaming success. After all, many games develop transferable skills. For instance, the critical thinking capabilities that poker develops would be useful when playing a strategy game.
Easily Sourced Information
It’s always been possible to learn how to play games, but it wasn’t always possible to learn how to play games quickly. The speed at which newcomers can pick up the essential information they need to know has never been faster than it is today, and that’s all thanks to the web. The internet has been especially useful for the learning of complex games, such as poker or go, where it’s generally not possible to “learn by doing”; to play these types of games, you have to know the rules. In the old days, that would mean finding someone to teach you or buying a book.
Today, there are sites that outline how to play poker and other complex games, and accessing those sites involves little more than a few clicks of a button. With the basics so readily available, players can quickly get up and running, ensuring that they can work on improving their skills much faster than they could have in the past.
Community Help
If you were having difficulty with an aspect of your game in the pre-internet era, then, well, you’d have to hope that a friend could assist you. If they couldn’t, then you were on your own. One of the often overlooked components of modern gaming is the strong sense of community in the gaming world. If you come up against a challenge that you can’t complete, or you’re wondering where you’re going wrong with your chess performance, you’ll have a whole ocean of passionate fans to turn to.
Mods and Payments
Finally, the web makes it easier for gamers to play the game in their own preferred way. Many games, including the majority of the most popular titles, have mods that gently tweak the experience, often resulting in enhanced player performance. For one thing, mods typically have a new way to play old games, which encourages the player to think in new, more dexterous ways. That these mods typically make the game more challenging also encourages superior play.
Online micropayment technology also gives players the opportunity to get the attributes and tools that they need to succeed. In the old pre-online days of gaming, everyone’s playing experience was broadly the same, since there was little by way of customization. Now, thanks to the widely popular and extensive micropayment options, gamers are able to enjoy their favorite games in a highly personalized way.
No one’s saying the internet is perfect, but purely from a gaming perspective, it’s undoubtedly had a hugely beneficial impact, allowing players to reach heights that they could not have reached on their own.
