Including food and drink expenses, it seems that on average we burn about 15 thousand VND per hour in the virtual world. Modestly multiplying by 4 hours a day for half a month of playing and resting, it means we contribute nearly a million VND to games each month, not counting investments in in-game purchases or “keeping bears”. Over the years, many have sarcastically remarked: “I really don’t understand what value that virtual world brings, what its real value is to burn money on every day, every hour like that?”
Faced with that discriminatory question, most gamers either fall silent or can only respond with a few weak arguments. So this article will answer that question for the 500 brothers, that as gamers, we spend money in the virtual world to receive what in return.
A tool for killing time and undeniably entertaining
The value of a coin spent is not always about tangible benefits like a meal or a new outfit. Just like paying to listen to a concert or watch a movie, once you stand up, there’s no physical value that sticks with you, but all its value is retained through the senses, emotions, and in memories.
Games are similar; they are indeed a virtual world where players completely break free from the cramped limits of everyday life, where they can be themselves, do extraordinary things, and become anyone they wish. It is a literal entertainment tool, helping players stimulate their senses to the maximum through gameplay, instances, and each match. You can always find joy in any game, whether it’s light-hearted and casual like Mario, Splatoon, or heavier titles like Bioshock, Metal Gear Solid, and even hardcore games like Dark Souls, Ninja Gaiden, LoL, COD, PUBG… All of them contain a certain joy, a level of entertainment.
Games are a hidden world where you must explore, create, and sometimes… solve
Another interesting aspect of playing games is that some games help stimulate creativity, exploration, and are beneficial for the brain. This is exemplified by puzzle games that require you to find various solutions to overcome obstacles, such as Portal, Minecraft, or Limbo. Not to mention extremely brain-teasing strategy games like Civilization or Total War, which help us devise diverse plans and strategies to defeat opponents. Ultimately, we can realize that violence is not the only way to win (just ask those Civilization gamers, they understand better than anyone).
Expanding your “circle of friends” without limits
No one, no force can deny that the virtual game world can bring real social relationships. Friends or lovers are just two of them; there are countless other connections that can be formed in the gaming world, sometimes even without being able to specifically name them. In gaming, except for offline games, communication between people is a requirement, and the virtual game world is a tool, a bridge for real living beings – us – to know about each other’s existence.
No one is without friends in games, especially with the remarkable advancement in gaming technology, making it natural to befriend people across borders, chatting from Vietnam to Australia, Thailand, or Japan. Long-lasting friendships and weddings that transition from in-game to real life are abundant, providing the most compelling evidence for this argument.
Sometimes online games teach us valuable real-life lessons, expanding our worldview
It’s difficult to explain this, but nothing passes through our lives without leaving any value. It’s not random that people discriminate against gamers; it’s not random that they impose the harshest words on that virtual world, nor is it random that people believe a computer, a mouse, and a keyboard can ruin an entire life.
Millions of gamers represent millions of different stories of joy and sorrow. Some succeed, some stumble, some get too deep into it, and indeed, losses, pain, and destruction are real, but the lessons we learn from each other, from those individual stories are also real.
Even the games we play themselves harbor lessons embedded in the plot, each character’s life, every mission, and every scene. Through the gaming experience, each person’s worldview is significantly expanded regarding various professions, types of people, jobs, and events happening around the world, all with just a click of the mouse.
And many, many other benefits have been scientifically proven
Of course, if you play games in moderation. Teamwork, observation skills, problem-solving abilities, reflexes, pain reduction, and slowing the aging process… are some of the benefits of gaming that you can find on any online news site. In summary, everything has its pros and cons, and focusing only on one side, whether good or bad, will inevitably lead to debates. We can certainly view this life as a game, using our experiences and skills to win it.