Gamers have always been a thing, but in recent years, gamer culture has taken off exponentially, with people making entire careers out of gaming online, writing tutorials, and creating entire personas off of their own love of gaming (think Dan TDM, who has built an entire gaming and literary career, and incredible wealth off of his fun-loving gamer persona). As any kid under 12 what they want to be when they grow up and dollars to donuts, they’ll say “A Youtuber”. 90% of the time, the content they plan to create on YouTube is likely to be gaming content.
None of this would be possible with the use of cross-platform. It’s hard to believe that just a few short years ago, games existed solely on the consoles for which they were created, and there was little, if any, cross-over. There were games solely for the Nintendo, games solely for the Xbox, online games that only worked for PC, and so on. Everybody had their favorite console and pretty much stuck to that arsenal, with very little overlap.
These days, it could not be more different. Games like Fortnite, Kingdom Hearts, Minecraft and the Sims exist for PC, PS5, the Switch, and more. No matter what console you’ve got, you can play these games – many of them are even available for download on your phone, for those who don’t wish to play on a console or don’t have one. Games are more accessible than ever, and the majority of these consoles and games are adapted to be played online, allowing users to friend each other, to comment and compete with each other within the game, to share screenshots and accolades on social media, to integrate their own data into the games and even create their own levels. Basically, anything is possible. And because of this, it has opened up the gaming world into a new online space that has truly broken down every barrier possible. Online game play isn’t just possible now; it’s the norm.
Of course, companies like Nintendo are still producing content that is Nintendo-specific, and that might not ever change (though they’ve made some pretty big strides by creating their own phone apps over the past few years). But largely, these days games are accessible to anyone regardless of their console of choice or preferred method of gaming. With online integration people can get together to play and discuss gaming no matter what part of the world they’re in. Entire personalities are created every day based on games, and there are even online dating sites and apps devoted to various gamers and their personas. We are truly in unchartered territory!
There’s never been a better time to be a gamer. The world is at your fingertips, literally and figuratively. No matter your location, you’re in touch with the people who share your passions and interests and the technology only gets more advanced every single day. There’s always some new innovation to look forward to. Gaming has never been more fun or more accessible.
Categories: Geeks and Nerds Stuff
