It doesn’t take a gamer to know that gaming is currently one of the most popular forms of home entertainment. While it may once have been the domain of a certain demographic, in the 21st century, gaming is a massive global industry with a diverse and exciting array of games on offer. In fact, games are now well and truly embedded into popular culture.
We’ve seen games brought to the silver screen as feature-length films and titles have even been exhibited in world-class venues like the Museum of Modern Art. We’ve also seen the reverse too, where games have been created based on blockbuster movies and popular novels. And it’s likely we’ll continue to see these kinds of collaborations trending for some time.
That’s one reason why now is the perfect time to get involved in gaming, even if you’ve never picked up a controller before. Whether you are more of a casual gamer who plays on mobile now and again or a competitive gamer who likes to compete playing titles like Apex Legends, CS:GO or Rocket League, there is something for everyone.
You may not even think you’re good enough to be considered a gamer, and you don’t have to be one if you don’t want. You can just be a normal person who enjoys dabbling in computer games now and then. But if you are worried about not being good enough, here are a few ways that you can become a smarter gamer:
Play what you enjoy
It seems like stating the obvious, but the first trick to being a smarter gamer is to play the games that you enjoy, even if it’s not the most popular title going. Modern gaming is defined by its diverse genres, no matter what your interests are there’ll be several games that you’ll simply love playing.
The more you enjoy playing the longer you’ll want to keep playing, ensuring that you’ll get the most use out of any gaming hardware you purchase in the process. And as they say, practice makes perfect so the more you play something the better you will get at the game.
Play securely
One thing that you really can’t afford to comprise on is the security of your personal data. It’s the easiest thing in the world to jump online and start playing your favourite games, but in any of today’s titles, you’ll be encountering other players from all over the world. Unfortunately, hackers will look for even the slightest breach in security that can ruin your experience of playing.
Always practice good cybersecurity when you’re playing online. Simple things like using strong, random passwords will go a long way to securing your player accounts on cloud streaming platforms. You also want to ensure that the platforms you’re playing on are secure and display any required licenses. For instance, the best online casinos always secure their platforms with the latest data encryption technologies including Transport Layer Security (TLS) and display up-to-date gaming licenses on their sites.
Play strategically
After you’ve been playing an online game for a while you might start to wonder what else you can do. This is when it’s time to get strategic with how you play. Set yourself some long-term goals, whether that’s to impress your friends, launch your own streaming channel or even turn pro. By having something to work towards, you’ll develop a more focused and strategic approach to gaming.
Playing games strategically allows you to work in a much smarter way. Once you learn all the nuances that are unique to your game or games of choice, you’ll find that your skill level will increase substantially. When you reach this stage in your gamer journey you’ll likely start to play for longer hours. Playing strategically also involves having time away from the game, so plan ahead to take regular movement breaks and ensure that you’re getting the fuel and hydration that you need to keep playing.
Watch others play
You can find plenty of online resources that will help you approach gaming from a strategic mindset or that will uncover the top tips and tricks in games you may never have known if you hadn’t asked questions. One of the best ways to become a smarter gamer is to start following the Twitch channels of players you admire to mine tips and information or check out YouTube for similar content.
Just google some simple questions like “how do I craft a weapon in Minecraft?” or “who is the best character to pick in Overwatch?” and you’ll uncover a whole host of useful information. If we don’t ask questions, we can’t grow and improve and you’ll never be a smarter gamer by just being stuck in the dark all your life.
Play with friends
This is beneficial in a couple of ways. Playing with friends is great because you feel more comfortable and being relaxed can often help you perform better. Using chats as well can also make games like Apex Legends easier to play as you’re able to relay information more quickly and discuss in-game tactics to give you the advantage.
Playing with friends is also good because it helps you avoid toxic individuals if you play with random players. Many will call you out and say you’re rubbish, and this can knock confidence. But don’t listen to them. Quite often, they’ll be worse than you and they’re taking out the fact they’re not very good on other players to make themselves feel better. They’re nothing more than keyboard warriors, so just find their profile, report them, and enjoy knowing the fact they’ll likely get banned and you’ll have saved another poor soul from suffering their abuse.
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