Video games have only been around for approximately 67 years, and they have already been cemented as a part of billions of people’s lives. Teenagers are the dominant group of gamers, so a couple of freshmen and 1 teacher were asked questions regarding gaming, and their answers ranged from basic to very interesting. Video games have a multitude of different genres, so it was asked what genres each person prefers. Freshman Jayden Jaggers said, “The genre I like are RPGs (role-playing Games) because I find them pretty immersive. I like exploring the world inside and uncovering all of its secrets. I also enjoy games where I can easily sink my time into.”
Some people can find themselves playing a bunch of genres, if not all. Freshman Yanni Herrera Valdez displayed this trait when he said, “The genres I like are horror, shooters, action, exploration, adventure, games with unique concepts and story games.”
Others can have more specific preferences. “I play games that are based on sports like FIFA. I love sports and the competitiveness. I even play soccer from time to time outside of school,” said freshman Henry Hernandez Rios.
What about people who aren’t as young? What preferences or thoughts do they have on games? Algebra teacher, Ms. Snively, said, “I enjoy fantasy role playing games because I love a good story and feeling more involved in it.”
What specific games do people like to play? “The exact games I like to play are FIFA, Fortnite, Call of Duty, Apex Legends, and Rainbow 6 Siege,” said Hernandez.
“Roblox, Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2, Day Z, Arma 3, Dying Light, Red Dead Redemption 2, some old gen games on PlayStation, Dark Souls, Block Blast, Drive Ahead, Frag, and Hell Divers 2,” said Yanni
Ms. Snively simply said, “Despite its age, I like Skyrim a lot. I also like Final Fantasy 14, The Sims 3, and Minecraft.”
Can games ever be educational? Some can be mainly for fun, but you can find other games that are both fun and meaningful towards your academic prowess. “Yes, I learned that hard work and dedication can contribute a lot to your goals and pay off,” said Jaggers.
Ms. Snively had a very positive outlook on the question when she said “I do, video games help a lot with creative problem solving, critical thinking skills, strategy depending on the game, you can learn a lot about circuits in Minecraft with Redstone, hand to eye coordination, if you modify games you can learn a lot about programming, navigating, you can also gain some social skills if you play social games too.”
Hernandez highlights what was said earlier when he said, “Some games can be educational, but others are definitely purely for fun like Call of Duty.”
Game prices have been going up recently, with Triple-A games costing around $70 alone. But is that too much? 3 out of the 4 people that were asked this question had the consensus that anything above $60 was, in fact, too much. “To me, too much for a video game really depends. If it is a really good game I enjoy, I can see myself spending around $60, but if it’s completely new to me, then I can only see myself spending $30,” Jaggers said.
The one person that said anything different was Ms. Snively who had a take that had an interesting idea in it. “I would say $90. Most games are $60, and their DLCs are a little more, but some games make it really expensive, which to me is not understandable. It depends on the game, though like, triple-A games are justified to have higher prices, but some smaller companies will release games at $60 then not be as high quality.”
In general, students of Osbourn have a pattern of enjoying competitive games and Roblox. They also believe that games can be educational and think that anything more than $60 to buy a game is too much.
What are your favorite video games? Tell us in the comments!
