The just-released Call of Duty WWII has already made a half a billion dollars over the launch weekend. That is more than revenue from the movies Wonder Woman and Thor: Ragnarok combined. By most any metric that matters, gaming is serious business.
At times, however, it appears some gamers take it a little too seriously. The hardware and software can become an excessive part of the budget, It doesn’t take much searching to discover gamers acting out inappropriately online. Games have become more than a harmless diversion for many adults. Like a grownup who spends an inordinate amount of time watching children’s cartoons, one fears part of the gaming community is powered by a type of arrested development.
As with most things in life, balance is the key. There is a place between casual gaming and full-on crazy that can accommodate a lot of different kinds of gamers at a variety of levels. If you are ready to go beyond casual gaming, here are a few tips to help you take your gaming pastime to the next level:
Game-casting
The Rise of Twitch TV and Live Gaming
The internet providers NYC is served by having the ability to turn any device into a TV. That is because those services can stream to your mobile devices as easily as they can stream to your TV. So navigating the concrete jungle does not require you to leave your entertainment behind.
Live streams work for more than delivering television. You can also use the same technology to stream your gameplay live to services like Youtube, Twitch, and Facebook. This type of game-casting is extremely popular. It turns out that people who can’t play games themselves often enjoy watching the gameplay of those who can.
So in addition to gaining an audience of fans, you will improve your play by teaching others the basics of the game. Newer game consoles have game-casting builtin as a feature. It is the surest way to take your gaming to the next level.
Multi-player
9 Best Multiplayer PC Games You Can Play Right Now
If you are going to up your game, you have to become a part of a gaming community. That way, you will be able to play against other people. In ways that are both obvious and subtle, competition makes you a better player regardless of the game. Grab the best multi-player games you can play right now and start reaping the benefit of challenging yourself against other people.
Multi-player gaming is not just about pitting yourself against your friends. There is also co-op gaming that allows you and your friends to play on the same team. At this level, gaming becomes a healthy social outlet. Things automatically get a lot more serious as soon as other people are involved.
Serious Gear
Gaming Hard On A Student Budget
It starts with a game controller. The first step is to graduate beyond the controller that came in the box. Whether you are a PC or console gamer, the controller eventually becomes a limiting factor. You are going to eventually have to go for the pro controller with more buttons and a better grip and action.
However, the controller is not your biggest limitation. At some point, you are going to require an upgrade to your graphics card. The integrated Intel graphics that came with your system is barely enough to run the game on minimal settings. Also, if your computer shipped with integrated graphics, you are also going to need a new computer.
The reason updating your computer is so important is that the high-end VR headsets won’t work on budget PCs. You need a pretty beefy gaming PC for them to work. But when they do, you will be experiencing the future of gaming, and perhaps the future of a lot of things.
If you are happy playing single-player campaigns by yourself, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But if you are ready to get serious about gaming, make sure your internet service and console can handle game-casting. Start playing the multi-player campaigns, and upgrade your gear. As Paul Thurrott and every Call of Duty fan already knows, WWII isn’t going to win itself.
