Games

Games of Yesteryear

Pacman

Pacman

I’m old enough to remember the first arcade games. Things like Pacman, Donkey Kong and Track and Field that first appeared in pubs, clubs and for me the Ice Rink in the 1980’s. You’d insert your money into the slot over and over again trying in vain to get the high score. They were always situated next to a couple of fruit machines. These however were supposed to be out of bounds due to the fact that as a general rule, the minimum legal age for gambling in the UK is 18. The fact that there could be a payout from the Fruit Machines meant it was gambling. The arcade games however took just as much money but as there was no chance of anything in return other than maybe your name in lights in the High Score tables it was fine for kids to spend their money on them.

Gaming has come a long way since then of course and there are now all sorts of games enticing you to part with your cash in return for the entertainment or winnings they offer.

Big Budget Games

Big budget games for consoles such as Final Fantasy, Grand Theft Auto and Assassin’s Creed are made on the scale of Hollywood movies and demand high prices for the game itself. Games that cost millions to make and have fans queuing for the latest release. They have a cult following and have to sell in the millions to make them profitable. Many games have subscription models to certain servers that open up game play and keep fans coming back for more. New versions are released every year or so and such games have a fanatical following.

Merchandising and events make even more money for the manufacturers and everything is on a huge scale. This is the realm of the hardcore gamer.

Casual Gaming

Not everyone is into gaming in quite such a fanatical way of course. Many more people play games on a much more casual basis. We probably fall into this category. Morgan of course plays non-stop on Minecraft and given half the chance would be classed as a ‘Gamer’. Anna plays quite a few casual games such as Candy Crush Saga and I occasionally dabble in them too. The models for the ‘casual games’ is quite different. Most are free to download and play on your devices and many of them are completely free to play for as long as you like. Some of them have adverts in them. The developers charge the advertisers, the gamers put up with and are exposed to the adverts and everyone is happy. Some have ‘freemium’ options where you can pay to remove the adverts.

Others have in-app-purchases where you can buy additional features. This might be more in-game currency or in game items that add to the experience of the game and help you progress through the levels. Often it isn’t essential that you buy such items but it can help. We often play the games as they are without spending any money but now and then if we are getting a fair bit of enjoyment from a game then we might buy some in app purchases. Last year we did buy Pokéballs within Pokémon Go, but considering the number of days we played it for we decided it was worth the odd purchase. It certainly gave us plenty of entertainment so a few pounds here and there was a small price to pay. That said, there are some ridiculous amounts that you can spend if you want and as you can keep buying more and more it would be easy to rack up quite a bill. As with the old style arcade games, it might not be gambling but it could certainly be a good way of spending plenty of your hard earned cash if you aren’t sensible about it.

Casual Gambling

William Hill Games

William Hill Games

The high street gambling names are getting in on the act with casual gaming now as well. Online game portals offer more casual games alongside their more serious gambling sites with offerings such as online slots at William Hill. In a way these are a mix-up between the original fruit machines, the arcade games and newer casual games. Many of the games are fruit machine like in gameplay, they all have an entry fee just like the arcade games and they are easy to get the hang of and welcoming to casual gamers who like to dip in and out of such things. It is of course gambling and should be approached responsibly, but the payouts are real, the stakes are generally low and they provide a certain amount of entertainment too. If you set sensible limits then I guess it’s a good form of entertainment with the added bonus of maybe, just maybe hitting that big jackpot payout.

Online Gambling

As with anything you can of course take this casual online gambling to a higher level with full on virtual casinos where big stakes and big payouts really up the ante. This is hardcore gambling and hardcore gaming rolled into one. Not my kind of thing as I don’t have the nerve or the cash for such pastimes. There are plenty that do and plenty of online casinos if that is your thing.

So, if it’s games you are after there’s something for everyone from free, casual games, to the hardcore gaming of the big budget blockbusters and everything in between. If you prefer your gaming to come with the thrill and chances of winning real money then there’s plenty for you too. Casual online slots with the chance of a real payout right up to the full-on virtual casinos. The choice is yours with plenty to choose from and risks, rewards, entertainment and enjoyment and every level.

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Alan Cole

Alan is a Freelance Website Designer, Sports & Exercise Science Lab Technician and full time Dad & husband with far too many hobbies: Triathlete, Swimming, Cycling, Running, MTBing, Surfing, Windsurfing, SUPing, Gardening, Photography.... The list goes on.