Chances are that at some point in your life you have signed up to play an online video game, whether it was through your console, PC, smartphone or tablet. Of course, their appeal is wide-reaching, as not only do you get provided with a fun distraction, but you get to point your wits against others in the same community.
This being an experience that can lead to glorious victories, or help you to further hone your skills. Of course, just like anything in this world, online gaming isn’t all good, and there are some pitfalls that you need to be aware of that come interspersed with the pleasures. A topic you can read more on in the post below.
Security issues
The first issue that online gamers need to be made aware of is the issue of safety. In fact, the current trend towards doxxing illustrates this perfectly. For those that aren’t in the know doxxing is when your personal and private details are revealed online, usually as a form of retaliation for something that has happened in-game. This then leaves you vulnerable to hacking, harassment, and general embarrassment all because you beat someone that is a sore loser.
Happily, there are steps that you can take to protect yourself from such an issue. One is to try and remain as respectful online as possible, something that many folks that play in these type of communities would do well to bear in mind.
Additionally, boosting your personal security never hurt either. What I mean here is using a VPN to play games on. It’s also worth noting that you can discover your IP online easily. In fact, you can find out now what it is by just clicking in the link. Of course, that means if you can see it easily so can a whole wealth of others, including those that would dox you. Therefore, if you want to keep thing as secure as possible, it’s worth blocking your IP address, so those with nefarious intent can’t easily work out who, or whereabouts you are.
Community play
The other side to the safety risk that playing in online communities provides is the vast potential for making teammates, and even real friends from all over the world.
After all, you can hop on an MMO and find someone from the other side of the globe to team up with. Now, this may not sound like much for the uninitiated, but in today climate of increased social isolation the opportunity to be a part of something larger than ourselves, as well as to have a strong sense of belonging, and even identity that many of these games, and the relationship forged within them provide, can be hugely desirable.
In-game purchases
Next, when it comes to the negative side of online gaming, you will find that many people hate the culture of microtransactions and in-game purchases that is currently prevailing.
The critical issue here is that while you have already paid for access to the game itself, and invested many hours of toil in getting to where you need to be, it is often impossible to move any further forward without paying for additional accessories, weapons, clothing items and the like.
In fact, some developers are taking this to truly extreme levels and have begun to charge for features usually considered as a fundamental part of the main game. Something that can leave a decidedly bad taste in their player’s mouths, and even possible spoil the consumer – provider relationship in the future.
Then there is DLC or downloadable content, a development that is only made possible through the use of the internet. DLC for many is also a controversial issue because the costs for such additional stories or levels can be as much as the original game. Something that means consumers pay over and over to access what is invariable not a full tile, leaving them out of pocket and annoyed.
Customisation, depth, and immersion
Of course, there is a flip side to all this doom and gloom when it comes to in-game and additional purchases, and it’s that fresh, new, and unique content is being generated all the time.
This is something that there is absolutely a market for and that superfans of specific franchises particularly enjoy. Yes, it may cost them to buy such items, but no one is holding a gun to their head. Therefore as long as the offerings and prices remain reasonable, most people seem to believe that paying a little extra for bonus content, is a tradeoff worth making when it comes to the pleasure of e gaming online.