According to the report titled ‘Online Gaming is a Life Skill’ by the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), 81% of gamers in Kolkata played online games on mobile phones. Also, 52% in the city agreed that engaging in online games has helped them develop strong analytical skills as they have to regularly assess the best way to win a game.

The report was intended to understand which skills were considered ‘life skills’ by gamers, how gamers acquired such skills, whether the workplace effectively taught them such skills, and which of these skills could be learned through gaming. Overall, the report revealed that 76% of gamers believed that by regularly assessing the best way to win a game, they could develop strong analytical skills. More than half (57%) individuals felt that they could hone practical life skills through online games the same way they would through a whole day at their workplace — to which 57% men and 56% women agreed with this fact.

The report also explored the essential life skills that online gamers said were key to gaming, like reflexes (65%), and strategy and logic (68%), followed by determination (53%) and understanding risk/return (52%); 46% stated memory was crucial.

Interestingly, as per the report, gamers displayed a more favorable attitude towards their online gaming teammates in comparison to their real-life work relationships. 56% of gamers said they were more likely to be honest with their gaming teammates than with their work colleagues. The difference was more prominent among Gen Z (5%) versus those above the age of 45 (2%).

This corresponds to a study conducted by Norton, according to which 81% of respondents said that online multiplayer games had improved their teamwork skills, while 71% felt that gaming had helped improve their cognitive abilities.

Apart from these findings, about one in every four gamers thought that online gaming is a viable profession and can be adopted for the long run. Lockdowns and social distancing have prompted an increase in the number of people that have taken up their passion for gaming into a full-time career. Today, a professional gamer who has signed up with an esports company can earn anywhere around INR 5,000-45,000 per month. The 2019 India series of a popular mobile game saw the regional finalist team win INR 4,50,000.

According to Roland Landers, CEO, All India Gaming Federation, “Varied skills like critical thinking, creative thinking, decision making and problem-solving are essential for one’s growth in life. Through this research, we sought to understand whether consumers genuinely realize the value of mobile gaming. This study has helped us conclude that gaming is a way to collaborate, engage, and it is becoming a sector where people want to build their careers.”

The report also found that 51% of women believed that physical and mental skills like ‘memory’ and ‘reflexes’ were essential for online gamers (compared to 33% men). More than two-thirds of men (67%) felt that cognitive skills such as strategy, logic, understanding of risk and returns, and determination were prerequisites for online gamers (compared to 49% of women).

Credits: United News Of India (UNI)