Computer games

November 2022

A reader recently asked me for my views on of the latest version of a popular computer game, and I had to admit that I had no opinion.  I’m afraid that the appeal of computer-based video games has simply passed me by.

This is not just a peevish aspect of growing older; I have never enjoyed them.  I recall that long ago, in the 1970s, when I was young, those Space invaders games started appearing in pubs.  Perhaps you remember them, too.  They were undoubtedly an innovation and offered us a golden opportunity, for the first time, to feed 50p coins into a tabletop screen, press buttons to shoot at wave after wave of computerised aliens. 

I never enjoyed playing it. I was no good at it, it was expensive, and I badly missed the bar billiards tables that were removed to make more space for the invaders.  I must be lacking a computer game playing gene, because many of my friends became obsessed with this new gadget.

That Space Invaders game was, without doubt, very influential, and revolutionised the young computer games industry, demonstrating that people would pay handsomely to play them.

Perhaps you didn’t notice this revolution?  I must admit that I didn’t, at least not at first, but it’s hard to ignore now; modern computer games are not toys, they are very big business. In 2020, worldwide spending on gaming was estimated at about $136 billion, and it’s grown since then.

People play these games on tablets, smartphones, desktops and dedicated machines designed for the purpose (PlayStation, Xboxes and the like).  Not only that, they are increasingly played online, which allows friends to play together remotely.

This is good news.  Your image of a ‘gamer’ (as they are known) may be of a solitary soul hunched over a screen in miserable isolation. That certainly used to be the case, but not so much nowadays.

For example, my son lives in England; his two oldest friends live in Germany and Spain, respectively.  The three of them regularly get together online to play games; as well as allowing them the entertainment of the game itself, they can see each other and chat whilst they are playing it (like a Zoom call) just as they might have done twenty years ago if they had forgathered  to play Monopoly.

I see this as progress; it’s healthy and I thoroughly approve.  But what are they playing?

There are thousands of games, some of which are harmless and even wholesome, but I’m afraid that the most popular by far are know as Shoot 'em ups.   As a player, you are some sort of combatant, trying to destroy your enemies in increasingly difficult and challenging situations.  

To give you a flavour, one of the most popular is Grand Theft Auto, in which a player assumes the persona of a criminal trying to commit crimes in a corrupt, fictional American State; there is considerable violence and dangerous driving.  Perhaps it’s exciting; I wouldn’t know, I’ve never played it.  It certainly sounds distasteful, and I wonder how good it is for the player’s soul.

I am also mystified by the popularity of watching others play these games.  YouTube tells us that in 2020, over one hundred billion hours of people’s time was spent watching other people play video games on YouTube alone, and there are many other platforms showing them.

It’s not just an online phenomenon; people even pack into arenas to watch video games being played, with live commentary, cheering and chanting, just like a football match.   The difference is that their game-playing heroes are sitting motionless and expressionless in their armchairs, whilst their games are relayed to huge screens.

I can’t see the appeal; bring back bar billiards, please.