There have been a lot of changes since the video games first started being commercially released in the early seventies. Console Canada and various computers have grown in capability, programming has become more sophisticated, and – of course – there’s the internet.

While video games developed steadily over their first thirty years, the last two decades have seen a complete gaming revolution. Online gaming, mobile devices, streaming, VR, motion sensors, and AI have changed the way video games are played completely.

Gamers can now play multiplayer, in real-time, with people from all across the world. This technology has opened up opportunities for strategy and action games, and has generated incredible possibilities for eSports.

Canadian Gaming

The transformation of video gaming has caused a boom in its popularity around the world, and Canada is no exception. Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto are some of the most important cities for video game development anywhere on the planet.

In 2020, the gaming industry represented over 20% of Canada’s GDP, turning over more than 5.5 billion USD annually. From eSports to exciting online casino games such as poker, the Great White North loves gaming.

But what is it about video games that causes Canadians, and people across the world, to love them so much?

Scientific Research

A few years ago, Scott Rigby applied his PhD in clinical and social psychology to exactly that question. After much research, Rigby theorised that gaming can be an excellent way of satisfying three basic human needs.

1.Competence

As humans, we have a desire to feel capable and successful. Gaming offers us a safe environment and endless options for us to find a task we can feel competent at.

2.Autonomy

Another craving most of us have is that of being independent and in control of our world. Even as adults, these things can often feel elusive in life, but games offer a place it can be recaptured.

3.Relatedness

While we are individuals, we need to feel like we matter to others and that we are contributing to society. Gaming can provide this, especially where teamwork is needed as it is in multiplayer strategy and battle games, or eSports.

Rigby also found that many of the physiological benefits we get from gaming are the same as those from working. What gaming has, however, is fewer downsides, like pressure, responsibility, or feeling trapped into involuntary hours and unpleasant tasks.

More Reasons

Scientifically determined psychological needs aren’t the only things which draw people into the world of video games. There are also a huge number of other appeals to this varied and exciting form of entertainment.

Novelty

No matter how interesting our lives are, it can be difficult to break out of routines and experience new things. Computer games open up new worlds for us, with novel tasks and experiences, and the variety of these is endless.

Freedom and exploration

This comes in two parts, the first is the virtual freedom presented to us within the gaming world. Many games have their own environments, which are becoming increasingly vast, and leave us free to explore as we choose.

We are also free to make choices, especially in sandbox games like Minecraft, or role-playing games like World of Warcraft. In the virtual world, we can make choices or take risks we may feel unable to in real life.

The freedom to make these new choices, when faced with reduced consequences, helps us explore our own personalities. By building characters or avatars, we are also given opportunities to experiment with our identities in ways real-life can prohibit.

The thrill of risk

Reduced consequences aren’t only useful in terms of personal discovery. Computer games provide a safe space for us to experience the thrill of taking risks.

This can occur in arcade sequences where we perform stunts or actions which may be damaging if not successful. We can enjoy the risk of a casino, or poker table, in a more protected environment than real life offers.

Competition

Not all of us are athletic, academic, or good quizzers, but most of us still have competitive urges. The desire to test our abilities against others is natural, and the satisfaction of succeeding can be incredible.

Gaming, whether eSports Canada or any multiplayer game, offers us a new place where we might find success through fair competition. Even when multiplayer games are not available, gaming allows us to compete against AI, or even against ourselves.

Companionship

The traditional image of a lone gamer playing in isolation in a dark basement is long gone. With the advent of the internet and streaming, video games are now a social activity.

The digital world can offer huge companionship to people who are separated from others by distance, availability, or mobility. Not everyone is able to socialise easily in the real world and online gaming can help to fill that gap.

Stress release, relaxation, and escapism

Of course, sometimes the appeal of video games is that they are simply a distraction. There will always be value in low-stress entertainment that takes us away from our daily lives for a while.

These are just a few of the things that draw people into the varied and exciting world of video games. With the increase in popularity of casino games, paid eSports, and streaming opportunities, there are now also potential financial rewards.

Of course, there is one fundamental appeal of video games that should never be ignored.

Gaming is fun, right?