Published on July 2nd, 2021 | by Bibhuranjan

The Biggest Advantages to Online Multiplayer Gaming

With the video game industry having long surpassed the film industry in terms of profitability and size, it should come as no surprise that it has become very easy to share in the fun with other people. Thanks to the internet, they don’t have to be sitting on the couch beside you, either. Now there can be millions of people playing the same title at once, on racing teams and in massive battle royales.

There is no doubt that this is going to only become more popular as time goes on, and will become an integral way for people to socialize online, especially as the types of games multiply. Yes, since the beginning of online gaming with Doom in the early nineties, the main goal was always to kill your opponents. However with life simulator games like The Sims and Animal Crossing selling millions of copies, doing pleasant, non-violent activities are also possible.

Make New Friends

The difference between a video game controller and your cell phone is slowly shrinking. It is possible for some mobile games to turn your phone touch screen into a controller, after all. Just as you now have a device in your pocket that can connect you with all your friends immediately no matter where they are, video games are also making this possible. At first, it can seem quite unlikely that when you are playing a game like Fortnite or Rocket League you will have small talk with people on the same team, since your only goal is winning in the match. When it’s over, you are likely ‘broken up’ to be paired with others for the next game.

However, just like socializing at a party, you might get to talking with someone at a less interesting moment and hit it off, and many games make it easy to add someone to your friends list. Now you can see when they are also online and decide to team up regularly. While this can certainly be the start of a beautiful friendship, depending on your orientations at the time, it might turn into a beautiful relationship (one that started with something you both enjoy doing, and a lot more easy to explain to people than Sexchat).

Friendships and relationships are changing because of how easy it is to do many more social activities via the internet. Now you don’t have to share the same physical space as often. While talking on the phone, texting, and video chatting will always be the ‘go-to’, it’s great that video games can be an easy and exciting activity to help you socialize with others.

Strengthen Team-Building Skills

In the workplace, whether white collar or blue collar, there are occasionally times when a professional is brought in to help the employees with problem solving skills. Sometimes this takes place in a meeting room where you are broken up into teams, and sometimes it can take place outdoors at a park (if you have a slightly cooler company). The so-called famous example of this is closing your eyes and falling backward, trusting that your team will catch you.

To be honest, many of these attempts at cohesion will elicit some eye-rolls and mockery, so why not make the activity something a lot more exciting? If everyone is already on computers at their desk (or have phones that can run some pretty impressive games), why not have different teams try to take and hold a command post in Counter-Strike or Halo? Maybe if someone brings a Nintendo Switch console there could be rounds and rounds of Mario Party.

While this might seem more fun than functional, what will definitely improve is communication skills. Being able to explain in real time what you need your team to do, or how to strategize based on your supplies will be a very useful skill to develop, no matter what your actual job is. On top of that, succeeding (that is, winning), always makes you feel better, and nothing builds camaraderie and positivity than that.

Increase Your Video Game Literacy

There are many different genres and subgenres of video games out there, and diving in can be quite overwhelming. Of course everyone has heard of Mario and Minecraft, but that’s in part due to the simplicity of these two series. Jumping on turtles and stacking blocks on top of each other is a far cry from effortlessly understanding a complicated supply or skills menu in Far Cry 5. The more games you play online, the more help you will get from expert players who will give you pointers and tips (sometimes angrily, if you are dragging your team down for a bit).

The more you understand how video games work, the stronger your Video Game Literacy becomes. Since it is now considered academic research, this term is taken much more seriously than before.

The more open world games you play, the better you will be able to navigate their environments, even though there can be massive differences between a game from The Legend of Zelda series and one from Grand Theft Auto. However, recognizing certain colours and symbols and associating them with the correct buttons can make you become an expert at them much more quickly.

Just Plain Fun

While many video games revolve around the idea that you are the singular hero that has to go on a big adventure, there is no doubt that humans are social creatures, and that being able to go on adventure with friends across the globe will definitely put a smile on your face. Sometimes you’re working together to solve a puzzle and can talk to each other over headsets so it’s like you’re all together in the same room. In other instances, you’re competing against each other as you drive cars around a wild racetrack (and making fun of each other with ‘friendly’ insults). Video games have become the next great social activity for people, so better to jump in now than any later!

Photo by Sean Do on Unsplash

Tags: battle royale multiplayer, multiplayer gaming, online gaming, sex chat, team collaboration

About the Author

Bibhuranjan Editorial Officer, technofaq.org I'm an avid tech enthusiast at heart. I like to mug up on new and exciting developments on science and tech and have a deep love for PC gaming. Other hobbies include writing blog posts, music and DIY projects.