If you think there’s any chance of gaming ever shedding any of its popularity, best think again. Gaming is as huge as it’s ever been. According to consumer and market data company Statista, in 2020 alone, Sony shifted more than 112 million units of the PlayStation 4, the best seller amongst current generation consoles.
But if you think gaming is something people just do to relax, again you may wish to review that belief. There are some highly competitive people out there who make their living from gaming and will look for any ethical way to become a better gamer.
Perhaps you’re one of the many that wants to go further in your gaming. You’ve picked the right post, as below we give you a few pointers on how to become a better gamer.
Be patient
First thing is seriously first: Rome wasn’t built in a day, so you’ve got to be patient. It doesn’t matter what the genre is: patience is key, so if you’re praying for someone to wave a magic wand and suddenly bless you with everything you need to know, realize right now this isn’t happening. Even if you did suddenly miraculously become aware of everything you had to, you’d still have to perfect your skills.
Choose good equipment
Latency, the time between the action taking place and you seeing it take place, is important. If any of your equipment is slow in this regard, it will become mightily frustrating and hinder your gaming. If you’re playing a game like Call of Duty, other players will gain the edge if you’re a split second behind, and you’ll lose because the delays will prevent you from reacting to the action of the game as quickly as your opponents do.
Internet connection speed is one aspect you can focus on for better latency. If it’s slow, upgrade it. You could also reduce delays by using wired controllers, mouses or keyboards.
Play in a team
When you’re playing games like FIFA, playing in a team is a superb way to enhance your coordination and communication skills, as well as to learn more about the game and try different playing styles. You’ll receive constructive criticism, if you ask for it, and, generally, learn to play better when you join a team.
Focus on games you love
If you truly love a game, you’ll find it much easier to find the time to practice playing it. You’ve got to be fully invested in it to get better. The money or the prestige of winning won’t be enough to get better if you’re heart’s not in the game.
How would rate the game on a scale of 1 to 10? Are you playing for fun, or professionally? Will you stream yourself playing the game? Ask yourself these questions to determine whether you should focus on it
Set goals
Goal setting is powerful, but to do this, you must know where you are first, which you can do by checking where you are in the rankings. Don’t feel discouraged if you’re sitting in the lower levels. Follow the SMART approach of making goals specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and bound within a timeframe, to start pursuing improvement.
Improving your fantasy football
It’s not only console gaming that gets highly competitive, however. The world of fantasy football gaming can also see competition heat up, so here are some tips to make more progress on that front, too. The key is all in the drafting strategy:
Don’t become too mesmerized by rookies
Rookies are one of the most exciting things about football, especially if you follow them through to the NFL from their college football days and have seen them morph into outstanding young players.
Wait until the second or third round before drafting a rookie player, if you wish to draft one. They may start the season, but sooner or later they’ll run out of steam because they’re used to playing fewer games than they do in the NFL. Give them time to prove themselves before drafting them.
Remove emotional ties to teams or players
You might be a big Chiefs fan and have a grudge against the Buccaneers for defeating them in the last Super Bowl. That’s fair enough, but don’t let this emotional connection cloud your judgement and make decisions that aren’t the best for your team.
If, for instance, other owners know you love the Chiefs, they might put a premium on players from this team. You might bid well over your budget when it’s not necessary.
Have a plan C
Hey, this is sport, and things can go wrong despite your best laid plans, so always prepare a backup plan for drafting players… plus a backup plan for your backup plan! Circumstances change a lot in fantasy football, and you’ll have to adapt your draft strategy accordingly.
Not having a plan B and C to fall back upon could destroy your whole draft. A lot of drafts select the draft order beforehand, so you should be able to form a rough idea of who will be available and make your draft picks in line with this order.
Gaming is as competitive as it is enjoyable, and there are a lot of others out there to beat, so you might wish to improve your gaming, whether it’s just to enjoy the glory of being the best or to make a serious living from it. With the tips above you can perform better whether you’re on a console or strategizing in the fantasy league. Enjoy the game!