Strategy & Competitive Video Games

These genres have been increasingly more popular in these past couple years. With games like Counter strike, League of legends, Call Of Duty. The competitive scene has even reached out to gain popularity by creating major tournaments were the best of the best compete live on the internet and sometimes live on TV. Though I am not as good as these players I still enjoy the grind of practicing and competing.
The strategy genre has began to be the biggest part of these competitive games. The biggest brand though for strategy would be Tom Clancy. These games focus on careful planning, timing, and teamwork. The newest instalment in the franchise is taking strategy to a whole new level. Instead of a slower paced first person shooter they are making a game that is an mmorpg, open world, 3rd person shooter, and has the strategy that all of the past games are famous for. The game takes place in a post apocalyptic New York where your number one goal is to survive. You are given limited supplies, but can team up with other players to take on any enemy in your path.


I will definitely be buying this game as it includes practically every good gaming genre in one. The gameplay released shows amazing graphics and a lot of potential. If you have played any of these genres and have enjoyed them you will definitely enjoy this game. The game is set to release some time this march and is in its early beta stages.

How to get better at a Video Game

The big craze in the Video Game industry is competitive gaming. This game type has spread to all genres and has become an almost sport. Some of the most popular games include Counter Strike: Global Offensive, League of legends, StarCraft 2, and the Call Of Duty franchise. With these games brings a whole new factor in gameplay, skill. Here are 5 steps you can incorporate to give you an edge against the competition.

Step 1.   Equipment

You may be thinking how would equipment change how I play? Well
it actually is one of the biggest effects of decreased skill. Certain gear, usually more expensive, can give advantages by allowing the user to click buttons quicker. If you are on a Computer this is extremely key due to everyone having different equipment and gaming system.

Step 2.  Performance

Once you have the gear you need the right settings. This mainly applies to computer users, but there are some options on consoles. If you are running off of a cheaper computer with minimal graphics you want to reduce the quality of the game and focus on running it on "performance mode" or low settings. This gives the user a clean and fast game that will allow you to not run into lag or graphical issues.






















Step 3. Study the game
"STUDY!" you may be thinking, but in reality it's not to far fetched. In theses competitive games or just games in general you are required to know how to play and some simple strategies you can perform to reach your goal. When you throw a competitive scene into the mix you will need to know a little bit more. Since most competitive games require cooperation and teamwork you need to have information to bring to the table. As simply as learning about a type of character and its strengths and weaknesses can completely change how you handle a given situation. Remember to still have fun or else what's the point.





Step 4. Practice
Now with the new skills you have gained our learned about you want to practice. Even simply spending 10 to 20 min practicing a new technique would drastically change how to act in those situations. In no it will move to muscle memory and become easier to perform.

 
With these steps you can drastically improve your game style and skill in a given game. Video games are a lot like any other activity as they all require time, practice, and a positive attitude. Just remember to have fun!

Why Video Games have become so popular?

To most people video games are seen as time wasting pointless activities, but for the gaming community and me myself videogames are a gateway to millions of stories that you can experience yourself (or at least through they eyes or a character). I myself have been playing video games since i was around 7 or 8 playing games on the Nintendo Gameboy Xbox (original), and the old family computer.

[A Cartoon drawing of a variety of consoles and portable devices from the present and past (Fan Art)]


Our generation has adapted and changed to incorporate these devices into everyday life. What has gone from 5 to 10 companies has expanded to thousands of companies that produce these devices. As of now a tend to favor computer gaming over any console available on the market, because of its easy access and          limitless amount of content and games. Instead of spending 400
    to even 500 dollars on a console that is limited to specific games made for it forcing you to have to buy another console to play other games, Xbox i'm looking at you, you can invest in a laptop or desktop that can play just about any game any only has to be upgraded every 4 and sometimes even up to 10 years based on its hardware and condition.


Video Games are one of the best ways of telling stories (besides books), because they add visual effects interactive elements as well as a story you can relate to and enjoy, while movies are limited at a 2 to 3 hour run time, have no interactivity, and are becoming less original. Video Games are free to be as long and detailed as they want, until they run out of money. People also say that Videogames are for the anti social, when really it's the exact opposite. It allows anyone to enjoy a game with someone anywhere in the world without being judged by others and lets you meet people like you who enjoy similar things. It adds a sense of community that other forms of entertainment lack in.

One of the newer additions to the gaming scene has been Youtube, Twitch etc. These websites make it possible for others to experience a game by watching others play them.They also have helped make Video Games more popular. At first you may think why would anyone watch someone play something you could play yourself."Well, its not about the game but more or less the humor and commentary of the person playing the game" and was said by Game Theorist Host MatPat Who discussed the reasons why people watch videogame youtubers. He also asked the question "Why do people watch sports?" Personally I agree with what he is saying. Since Video Games and Sports are both "Games" why is it wrong for people to watch VideoGames, but not sports like baseball or football?

These are just a few reasons why Video Games have and are so popular.

For more video game talk and news stay tuned for more entries soon.

Sources: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo_IB5145EVNcf8hw1Kku7w(The Game Theorist)