How To Get Into Gaming: What You Need To Start Gaming
Video games have come a long way since their inception, and that’s not just in terms of technology. Today, gaming is a massive part of our culture, complete with diverse subcultures and different types of gamers.
While 67 percent of Americans aged 18 and older play video games, it can be a bit intimidating if you’re just getting started.
Thanks to the incredible popularity of gaming, there are also many options to wade through, from the major gaming systems to dozens of smaller ones.
Even once you’ve narrowed down which system you’d like to play on, there are thousands and thousands of games to choose from. How can you possibly know where to start?
Fear not! Today’s WTFast guide is about making the introductory process a little easier. We’re breaking it down from what system you should choose to what kind of games you should try and potential ways to dive even deeper into the culture.
Read on if you’re ready to get into gaming today!
Finding Your Motivation: Competitive or Casual
In order to find the best starting point for you, we need to identify what motivates you to start gaming. In other words, what are you looking to get out of this experience?
Perhaps the biggest question to ask is whether you expect to be a competitive gamer or a casual one.
This can make a big difference in the types of games you want to play and which system is best for you. It can even influence whether you should focus on online gaming or offline.
Are You a Competitive Gamer?
Do you find satisfaction in competing, either against other humans or against artificial challengers? Gaming offers competitive outlets that are unlike any other medium.
Of course, there are the ever-popular first-person shooters like Halo, where you test your reflexes and wits against other players or AI enemies. Still, competitive gaming is much more than that.
There are racing games, competitive tactical multiplayer games (similar to strategy board games), and even competitive party games (such as the hugely popular game Among Us).
There are also games where you challenge yourself against leaderboards or your personal records.
Popular competitive games range from fast-paced action games like League of Legends, Fortnite, and Rainbow Six: Siege to innovative sports games like Rocket League and games drawing on tabletop influences, such as Hearthstone. There are also classic Nintendo games like Mario Kart or Mario Party that can be a fun way for the whole family to compete.
If this sounds appealing, you may be a competitive gamer. If it doesn’t, casual gaming may be better for you!
Are You a Casual Gamer?
Casual games place less emphasis on challenge and competition and more on creativity, exploration, and artistic experiences.
If you’re less concerned with win conditions and more concerned with finding inspiration or just relaxing, casual games are likely for you. Whether it's a role-playing game like Blizzard's World of Warcraft or a game where you build a civilization like Minecraft or The Sims, you can find something you love.
Casual games can still offer great depth as well. There are deep strategy, adventure, sandbox, and RPG games that can provide a rewarding immersive experience without stress. The possibilities are nearly endless!
Examples of popular casual games include sandbox games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons or Grand Theft Auto, platformers like Super Mario, and story games like the Elder Scrolls series, Final Fantasy, or DOOM.
Ways To Play: Online or Offline
It’s important to think ahead about whether playing online is important to you. This will likely be a must if you’re interested in competitive gaming. However, it’s still possible to find satisfying challenges inside single-player games offline, such as through an RPG like Dark Souls.
Even if you’re not feeling competitive, you may want to participate in cooperative online play with your friends. Many casual games benefit from an internet connection even when you’re not directly playing with anyone else, such as games where users can share their designs with the community.
In general, it’s recommended to keep your options open by setting up online play capabilities, but if you’re on a budget or just want to keep things simple, you can definitely enjoy gaming 100% offline as well.
Choosing Your System: Console, PC, or Something Else?
Choosing your system is one of the biggest steps towards becoming a gamer. After all, you can’t game without one.
The biggest divide amongst gaming systems is between PC and consoles. This is an infamous, age-old debate, but we’re not here to discuss ultimate superiority one way or another.
The real answer lies in evaluating your own needs, wants, and budget.
Consoles
The main draw with consoles is accessibility. Not only are consoles generally more affordable than a gaming PC, they’re also plug and play, while gaming PCs require some knowledge and assembly ability.
Further, the communities playing games via console, especially Playstation and Xbox, are massive. If you’re interested in online play, console is likely the way to go depending on your game of choice.
Another draw for consoles is couch co-op. For example, playing on a Nintendo Switch locally with your friends is super easy with consoles. Simply connect more controllers and have at it! On the other hand, PCs and laptops aren’t built for local co-op.
Nintendo systems are especially well known for their couch co-op, and many of the games for Nintendo are designed with it in mind. Meanwhile, Sony and Microsoft may be more suited to gaming with an online community.
The biggest downside of consoles is the lack of performance potential. For more serious gaming, budget permitting, you’ll want the upgrade capabilities of a PC to maximize your graphical capabilities and competitive edge.
If you want to play games on a console, consider Playstation or Xbox if you’re more into competitive and online gaming, or Nintendo if local co-op and casual gaming sound right for you. Look through the exclusives for each system as well before making your choice! Next-gen hardware like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles might be well worth the investment.
PCs
PCs offer much greater versatility and ceiling for quality than consoles. While some Apple products running on a macOS may be workable, you can build a gaming PC to provide the best in graphics, gameplay quality, and speed.
You can add a specialized keyboard or gaming mouse or upgrade hardware like your graphics card (GPU), RAM, or processor (CPU). Choose between an HDD (hard drive disc) or an SSD (solid state drive) for internal storage, or even install an external GPN to help your frames run a little faster.
The game library available to a PC is also massive compared to consoles or even a Mac. PC games will generally remain playable for much longer than console games. Consoles move on to a new generation every few years, leaving old games behind in most cases. PC games, on the other hand, remain playable for decades.
Consoles also have a shorter lifetime, on average. If a console has any sort of issue and stops working, it may not even be replaceable after a certain time. PCs are easier to fix, replace, or upgrade.
Another draw to PC gaming is the ability to mod your games. Most consoles have very little or no ability to allow you to add mods to the games you play. With a PC, players can modify almost every game with ease.
Mods can be as simple as gameplay or interface tweaks to improve quality of life. They can also comprise entire expansions that add hours of content for you to experience.
You won’t need special technical knowledge to start modding in most cases. There are lots of resources and easy-to-install systems to help, and some platforms, like Steam, have modding built in, so you can mod with the click of a button.
Mobile Devices
Generally, the more serious side of gamer culture doesn’t consider mobile gaming a valid type of “gamer” culture. However, popular opinion shouldn’t be a deciding factor in what kind of games you want to play!
Gaming on a phone or tablet is deeper than ever, as technological innovations bring more powerful and impressive titles to mobile devices on iOS and Android.
The main downside of mobile gaming is that most titles are plagued with microtransactions, which can seriously detract from your gaming experience and, in some cases, form or encourage dangerous and harmful habits.
If you’re looking for the easiest barrier of entry into gaming, mobile gaming may be the way to go! Take some time to research the best mobile games and avoid in-app purchases for the best experience.
Starting Games
Once you’ve figured out your motivation for gaming and decided on a system, it’s time to choose a game to start playing!
This is the fun part, so don’t be afraid to explore. You shouldn’t limit yourself to the big name, “Triple AAA” titles. In the modern age, indie developers release tons of high-quality games that can appeal to a wide array of niches. Whatever kind of game you are looking for, something likely exists to meet your needs!
Try some platformers, racing games, arcade games, or party games for an easy starting point. Familiar frameworks such as these classic game genres can help you ease into things.
First-person shooters, strategy games, RPGs, and action-adventure games are popular genres to try once you feel comfortable expanding your horizons. Simulation and sandbox games also offer nearly infinite possibilities for the explorer in you!
Next Steps for Gaming
With this guide, you should be ready to get into gaming. Whatever system and type of games you choose, there are a few ways you can take your gaming experience to the next level once you hit your stride.
Upgrading to a better monitor or TV is a popular option, as is picking up some high-quality gaming headphones and a mic for online play. You might even choose to live stream your games on a streaming service like YouTube or Twitch to really get the most out of your gaming community.
One of the best and most innovative ways to upgrade your experience is with a GPN, or Gamer’s Private Network. Much like a VPN, a GPN alters the way you connect to the internet, but in this case, it does so by maximizing your connection speed and stability.
With a WTFast GPN, your online games will run faster and smoother than ever before. Say goodbye to lag, thanks to your new secret weapon!
Sources:
2021 Essential Facts About the Video Game Industry | Entertainment Software Association
