THEIMPORTANCEOFVIDEO GAMES

By Stamatios Alexios Baltos '25

Many people say it's just a game, “It's not going to benefit you It's not going to help you It shouldn't mean anything ” These are the people that have no idea what a video game actually means.

The amount of struggles and hardships that people find themselves in today’s society are impossible to measure, leading to sadness, depression, melancholy, loneliness, and countless others. Video games bring those people joy through various characteristics: The challenge some creators bring to their video games, be it completing a boss fight in “Elden Ring” or building a house in “Minecraft”; this accomplishment brings satisfaction and pride to any player.

A video game means so much to a multitude of people From the moment that when we were kids playing our first video game, whether it be “Pokemon,” “Tetris,” “Pacman,” “Crash Bandicoot,” “Ratchet and Clank,” “Doom,” “Legend of Zelda,” “Super Mario,” and so many more These were the games that established lives as gamers, and these are the games that gave and meant so much to some. Whether it be the soundtrack, the story, the characterisation, the environment, or even the excitement of the game itself Video games bring excitement, joy, happiness, a means of escape, or simply a great impact on an individual.

But accomplishment isn’t always necessarily achieved by a single player. A common form of gameplay today is multiplayer, found in games like, “Call of Duty,” “Overwatch,” “Apex Legends,” etc , in which players communicate and socialize with each other to defeat an enemy, complete a dungeon, or whatever their challenge may be. These interactions could be with complete strangers from around the world or with a friend right beside you, building a sense of community, as well as one of belonging in the player.

The excitement and joy video games give to someone can mean so much more than it seems To some, video games are a form of escapism, a diversion from unpleasant, depressing, or unsatisfying situations in their day-to-day lives. For most, these hardships are, to say the least, tough to face directly, meaning video games are one of their few ways of feeling adventure, excitement, and accomplishment. Immersing themselves, becoming their character, and leaving their real world to take a couple hours rest

Be it yelling the word ‘boy’ in “God of War,” to making absurd and foul statements in a “Call of Duty” lobby; all games bring people emotions of accomplishment, joy, and pride. And for some, these emotions can only be experienced in games due to the person’s necessity for escapism; whose origin of happiness can only be achieved by playing these games.