Gaming today is not just a joystick

The world of gaming has changed, gone are the dark days where only acne covered teenagers who tended to scream loudly when exposed to sunlight. In these times a gaming console or a PC catered for the person sat in front of it and no-one else, sure a fellow gamer could be tempted to stop for a moment and watch over your shoulder as you attempted the impossible on screen but otherwise interaction was minimalistic to say the least. As PC’s became more powerful the software could cope with executing the game programme as well as chat to other computers wired to it, this was the birth of the LAN (Local Area Network). The games tried but usually failed to give an immersive and engaging game for multiple players. Then they worked out that many, mainly men, liked to shoot their friends virtually so then the attention of the programmers turned to networking and using the new invention of the internet. At this point in history the consoles started to acknowledge that the future was in multiple player games. The advent of Multiple Online Role Playing Games sealed the deal.

In this 21st century and digitally enlightened time the world of gaming is coveted from cradle to the grave. There are platforms out there specifically designed to entice portions of the populous who just a few years ago would have scoffed at the very notion.

Couple this with the fact that as every day passes even more households gain access to high speed digital internet access and we have the modern gaming world. Millions of people log onto games across the globe every day often spending more time in the company of their digital friends than their real life ones. The gaming industry as a whole now challenges the income potential of film and cinema. World championship competitions are now common, million pound prizes often up for grabs if you are indeed the best of the best.

All this development and emergence of new playing styles and formats has led to an explosion in the peripherals market. To give you an edge in battle, to speed up the process of data entry or just to be able to communicate swiftly with your digital friends. As anyone who has tried to use the chat on a PS3 will know, the recipient will have aged by the time you have typed your message using their built in letter selection box. One of the first peripherals I bought was a clip on bluetooth keypad that just clicks onto the handset; it was a vast improvement to what I had. Next thing that came was the headset allowing me to talk to the rest of the team I was with as we set off to save the universe… again. Now, I am planning on getting a new controller, something much more ergonomic which will allow me to play in comfort for longer. I like GC-1 pad made by Gioteck. It is ergonomically designed with anti-slip rubber grips and it looks cool too!

These are just some of an almost infinite number of things you can buy now to enhance your gaming experience. It is a golden time for birthday presents and Xmas gifts with so many options there is always something for someone.

Currently I play Final Fantasy XIV. It is a beautiful and well design game which “sucks” you in for hours at the time… but it is the way I / we like to spend our free time so do not judge us to quick.

Are you a fan of online gaming?

If so, what are yours must have peripherals these days?

* Post written in collaboration with Gioteck.