Gaming! More than just a hobby

Growing up in a Ghana, gamers, usually boys, were seen as the notorious and unserious. They used all their allowances to play games and when their pockets dried up, they usually found unscrupulous ways to satisfy what was almost like an addiction. Gaming in the eyes of parents, was a bad habit.

Most of these boys were beaten whenever they got home but that never stop them- most of them at least. It was a repeated cycle of school, game, home and canes. i know a friend who used the money meant for their electricity bill to play games for a whole day. He got home and got questioned. He didn’t have any reasonable explanation for the darkness that the entire house was in. His father got so mad and the rest is history.The story today is a little different. We have come far from beating up kids for gaming to buying them tablets to play from the comfort of home. Yet, it is still seen as just a leisurely activity- a hobby.

What if it could be more? Imagine being a pro gamer? All the accolades and deals that could come with such a venture. For those in the traditional world, crazy enough about gaming, you may want to consider making it a side hustle. That way you do something you love and get paid for it.Some games require a lot of teamwork. Players depend on each other to watch their backs and win various quests together.

That’s a very important soft skill needed in the corporate world. These games help you, given the amount of planning and strategizing that goes into each mission. Situations that force a player to think on their feet and respond quickly and most often correctly help develop skills that are critical in the corporate world.As Ghanaians and even Africans, we have a long way to go in the Esports industry but today is an improvement on yesterday and that’s how we know that tomorrow will also be better.