Today, around half of us are gamers. In the last few years, it’s gone from being a hobby for men under 30 to a form of entertainment that we can all enjoy. Smartphones and the internet have helped to get millions more access to gaming content and the casual free-to-play format of many modern titles has got them interested in trying them out.
Some have even turned gaming into a career by competing in esports competitions.
But if half of us are gamers, that means half of us still aren’t. If you fall into this latter category, then you might be wondering how to find your feet in the world of gaming. Well, fear not, if you follow some simple steps, you’ll go from a n00b to a seasoned player in no time.
Finding a Game
If you haven’t yet settled on which game you want to play, then this will be your first step. Which title (or titles) you choose will depend on several different factors, including which device you want to use, how much time you intend to spend gaming, whether you want to play alone or with others, and what interests you.
If you’re unsure about what you’d like, consider your other interests and see which games overlap. For example, if you like cars, then a racing game might be something that is up your street.
The length of time that you intend to play games for will influence what titles you choose because some require you to commit to quite a long session while others can be enjoyed in short bursts of just a couple of minutes. For example, a match in Fortnite can last as much as half an hour (provided you’re not killed early on), while a round of Pac-Man could be over in less than a minute.
Even if you’d prefer to play online against other people, if you are a complete beginner, you may find that it helps to pick up some basic skills on a single-player title first.
If you don’t currently own a gaming PC or console, then you might want to start with some mobile games to see how you find it and then consider investing in a new device later on.
Getting to Grips with Your New Game
When building a piece of new furniture, some people prefer to dive straight in and just experiment with what pieces go where, while others spend a little bit of time reading the instructions first.
The same goes for gaming. You can just jump in and try to find your feet, but if you fall into the second category then you’ll find plenty of help online. Reading up on some of this first will give you a better understanding of the theory and strategy behind whichever title you choose.
For example, if you’re new to playing Minecraft, you might want to read about key things like how to mine, farm, craft, and build different objects in your virtual world. Those that are just starting out with video slots may also find it beneficial to brush up on the dos and don’ts of these popular games according to PokerStars Casino, such as checking the RTP and choosing a theme that you enjoy.
Choose The Right Settings
Once you find the right game to play, one thing is sure – you’ll be spending hours doing it. That’s the best part of any game. But, to avoid any hiccups down the road you need to do a few things first.
Let’s start with adjusting all the right settings that the game has. If you do this your entire gaming experience will be on another level. If you leave something to change or adjust later, it will be like playing a new game all over again, without the valuable lessons learned.
If you don’t have any idea how to do this, don’t worry too much. For some popular games, someone already did this for you. All you need is to find some help online as someone already has dealt with his issue for you. For most new players the primary issue is going to be setting up a mouse, keyboard, or joystick and the sensitivity of these devices.
These specs all come down to the game of your choice, so have this in mind when you choose the right settings. If you’re playing a shooting game such as Call of Duty is better to have a lower sensitivity setup in place. If you’re going to be using weapons such as sniper rifles this will be ideal. For some other games where you’ll be striking opponents with your sword, more sensitivity would be welcomed.
While this doesn’t sound like a detail you’ll be handling first when it comes to the new game, trust us, the earlier you do it, the better.
Pick The Right Gear
This is where it all starts. Once you have the chosen game in place, you also need to have the right gear. We’re going to assume you have a powerful console or PC in place, so we’re going to talk about the additional equipment. In today’s times, most games are played online, with friends and various other unknown opponents. What this means is that you need to have a good internet connection.
This has no direct connection with the game you play or the console or computer you possess, but it’s vital. A poor internet connection can take most of the pleasure from playing a game. So, to avoid any unpleasantries pay for a solid internet connection and avoid Wi-Fi. This is easier said than done as today many people rely on wireless appliances.
So, if you want the best gaming experience chose a mouse, keyboard, and controllers that are all wired. All of this combined will ensure that you have the best gaming experience possible, if you don’t pay attention to this you might experience more interruptions than you’d like when the gaming becomes fun.
The final advice would be that you also opt for gaming headphones. Sound is what makes some of the games more enjoyable, and you don’t want to lose a step in this department.
Practice and Adjust
If you’re completely new to playing games, then you may find it a little alien at first since you’ll be in control of what is happening on the screen in a way that might feel unfamiliar. If you like gambling, you can check NineCasino.
Practice is the only way you can overcome this but, thankfully, this isn’t going to feel like a chore if you enjoy it. Just like any other skill, the more you play, the better you will become and you’ll get a lot of satisfaction from being able to see this progress.
However, if you do notice that you are not enjoying that particular game, that doesn’t mean you won’t like any – just try something different instead. Like movies, music, and books, we all have our own personal gaming preferences, so, by experimenting a bit, you’ll be sure to find some that you love.
After following these few simple steps, you’ll be up to speed with gaming in no time.
