Games aren’t all violence and abuse

Gaming largely depicts violence but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Gaming in today‘s world can often be seen as depicting violence and online abuse. While this can be true to a certain degree, there are gamers simply looking for games which provide an escape. These escapes emulate a real experience that might be only slightly out of reach. Through the pandemic these simulators have grown in popularity and even changed lives.

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Farm Simulator

Farm Simulator

Farm Simulator is a game which can take any city dweller into the world of agriculture without leaving their nest. Their latest release explores all elements of farming and all types. Start your own vineyard, olive plantation or grow acres of wheat. Or maybe a horse ranch, cow pasture or flock of sheep is more of interest. Farm Simulator 22 allows you to navigate a pool of money and some bare paddock and live on the land. With the doom and gloom in the news or the burden of a lockdown, zoning in on this world that many live is quite the escape. I spent an hour or so multiple times a week engaged in our farm building up to the great experience when harvest rolls in. Playing Farming Simulator slows you down mentally and provides a moment to decompress. Feeding the cows or ploughing a field is not fast work, it won’t provide an adrenaline rush, and that’s just what this busy world needs. This game gives you with an appreciation for our agriculture sector and inspires people to make changes to their lives. Personally, a combination of this game and binge watching Clarksons Farm on Amazon Prime added some fuel to our drive to sell our 450 sqm residence and move to a 15 acre property. Farming in the real world is no doubt tougher than the game but we wouldn’t have been able to know a Header from a Tedder 12 months ago. The escape gaming provides cannot only be educational but one that is potentially inspirational.

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Flight Simulator

Flight Simulator

When travel restrictions were in place the frequent flyers of the world had withdrawals. For real world pilots and those with an appreciation for flying, Flight Simulator was the next best thing. While most passengers don’t get involved with the flying of a Boeing 787, the experience of flying one is amazing. Taxiing down the runway at Kingsford Smith in Sydney and flying across our country is a celebration of the miracle of flight but it’s amazing how peaceful life is at 20,000 feet. Flight Simulator lets us see the great landmarks of the world with incredible visuals without needing our passport. Sitting on the couch with a large screen television, a bag of nuts and a glass of wine I could travel to all parts of the world in different types of aircraft. Take off and landing is relatively heart racing but once you’re at a safe altitude and in control, you quickly look for paths to explore. During the pandemic grounded pilots began using Flight Simulator to keep themselves refreshed of flying with advanced controls to truly simulate flying from home. Aircraft training centres reported an increase in flight lessons as more gamers looked to experience the real thing, using knowledge gained from Flight Simulator.

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Forza Motorsport

Forza Motorsport

Transitioning gaming into the real world has also been evident in motorsport. Children are able to drive vehicles, race and compete in a game well before they could legally do so. Motorsport games like Forza Motorsport have seen some gamers to transition into real world racing. Motorsport drivers regularly switch to games to practice a particular racetrack for preparation or test improvements in a simulation before it becomes reality. As gaming technology and its interfaces continue to improve and evolve, the lines between the two will further blur. Every racing team is always on the lookout for new talent, and their next star could be sitting behind a gaming controller.

Geoff Quattromani is the host of the Technology Uncorked podcast and contributor to The Australian. Continue the conversation with Geoff on Twitter at @GQuattromani