Gaming is a 21st century pastime. From the early days of Super Mario Brothers and Sonic the Hedgehog, to Bioshock Infinity, online poker, World of Warcraft and Red Dead Redemption, gaming never loses its allure. It’s addictive, educational (well, kind of…) and fun.
The best way to become better at gaming is to practice. It’s not rocket science. The more you practice shooting zombies, the better your aim will be. This might actually fall into the “educational” category if you are a crazy doomsday prepper type, but for the rest of us, having good hand-eye coordination is important. After all, it’s no fun being the first person to get eliminated in a group-play game. In fact, it’s kind of like being the last kid to get picked in Physical Ed. class.
Now that we have established the key to gaming superstardom is millions of hours of gameplay, let’s look at other tools you can use to perfect your gaming skills.
Gaming Forums
Gaming is a solitary pastime in many respects, but if you want to chat to your fellow gamers, find out hacks, or just brag about your achievements, you need to create a persona on some of the top gaming forums. NeoGAF is the biggest online forum for gamers, but there are others, including GameFAQs, IGN Boards and GameSpot Boards. Don’t forget about Reddit, either, which is a huge online community.
YouTube
YouTube is now officially the biggest social network on the planet; bigger even than Facebook. Video has become the most popular medium, and for gamers, YouTube is an important place to pick up tips, learn more about the latest game releases, and share screen grab action with your fellow gamers. PewDiePie is the most popular YouTube gamer and with 46 million followers, he exerts a lot of influence. If you love horror games like Dead Island, subscribe to PewDiePie’s channel.
Gaming Tips Websites
There are plenty of websites out there, purporting to offer tips to newbie gamers. Some are quite clearly junk websites, but others have been created by genuine people who want to share their knowledge with less experienced gamers. You can find out everything from cheat codes for the latest Grand Theft Auto game to how to play the different types of poker. Spend a bit of time searching for websites specific to your favourite game and you should find a few that contain tactics, tips and advice to help you level up.
Online Gaming Conventions
Playing in a group is an excellent way to improve your skills, as you learn so much more when you play with other people. There are plenty of online gaming conventions that you can attend without leaving your bedroom. Check online to see if there is an inline convention for your niche, and if there is, sign up.
Social Media
Social media makes it easy to connect with your fellow gamers. If you have Facebook, you can join the Facebook pages of gaming companies and find out when the next releases and patches are due. You can also use social media to find people who like the same games as you do.
Gaming Tech
The internet is awash with gaming tech and useful gadgets to help you improve your skills and level up quicker than your buddies. Recording software is incredibly useful. Use it to analyse your performance and post videos online. Gaming headsets are also well worth the extra money, since you can chat to your fellow gamers using the in-built microphone and block out irritating sounds from the rest of the house.
Use the internet to improve your skills and make friends, but never forget that there is a real world out there, just waiting to be explored!
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