How War Games Have Become Apart of Our Culture as Early as Full Sized Arcade Games

Video games are often described as a form of escape. They are a vessel by which people can travel across time and space and inhabit new worlds with simple objectives. Games are also a means of socializing and having fun, which is why full sized arcade games became so popular in the 70s and 80s. If games are meant to be fun and diverting, why is it that there are so many that involve war? Many of us can agree that war, in its essence, isn’t fun.

There are many reasons that the concept of war has made its way into the gaming community. Like any form of entertainment, video games seek to tell a story and create some sort of tension for the player. War games emulate a cinematic experience along with a competitive spirit. It is the ultimate team sport where “good” goes against “evil” (in the simplest of terms).

All war games simulate the activity of war along with integrating game mechanics and war themes. However, this can manifest in many different styles. You might play as an active-shooter, completely immersed in the world as a soldier or you might play a turn-based strategy game that allows you to participate in a storybook style. Depending on the style of the game, the gameplay may also vary greatly. It could be about quick, button-pressing reflexes or making the right choices when it comes to attack strategies and resource rationing. More complicated RPGs might have all of the above.

War games can be intense and thrilling for players because they are distinctly game-like rather than war-like. The adrenaline that is produced from playing these types of games is temporary and safe, much like a rollercoaster. Actual war simulators, which are used for active military, are not considered war games because their purpose is not to entertain but to train and educate. If war games were this realistic, they would be incredibly hard, frustrating, and draining for most players.

Perhaps humans like to play at war because of the natural separation of players. In war, there are different sides battling against each other. This is not so different from different teams or players going against each other. One of the most basic card games that children learn is “war.” From full sized arcade games to MMOs, war has influenced quite a bit of the gaming community. Experts can trace the first video game about war to 1962. It was called Spacewar and it was developed on the PDP-1 computer. Then, in 1980, Computer Bismark was created. In this game, the players were either on the British or German side. There are dozens of other war games that have been created since then. Some of the most popular include Call of Duty, Battlefield, and World of WarCraft.

War is serious, which is why it can help up the stakes in a video game. Players are naturally motivated by a need to survive and beat the offending side. However, many people wonder if these violent games are having an impact on our psychological health. Studies are mixed when it comes to the answer. The truth is that war is a universal experience for humans, whether or not we are direct participants. These games can remind us of that shared knowledge and basic instinct as well as help us feel safe in the knowledge that pretend-war is just that: pretend.