- In arcade games, we can experience the thrill of crashing without any real-life consequences.
- In real life, the importance of safe driving is emphasized, and we strive to avoid accidents and maintain our safety and the safety of others on the road.
Car arcade games are all about driving wild and causing maximum damage. Real life driving is about driving safe and avoiding harm to ourselves and other. The first is exciting, the second mundane, and dare we say, rather boring. What is it about the constant crashing into things and deliberate mayhem of arcade games that gives us such a thrill? And what are the moral implications of finding pleasure in inflicting virtual harm on (virtual) others—what does this say about us as humans?
Most gamers who enjoy car arcade games don’t give a second thought as to why pretend wrongdoing is fun. Only an arcade game driver of the most philosophical bent will wonder whether it is normal to enjoy crashing into things. The bottom line is that car arcade games are a good time and a great way to let off steam.
Our enjoyment of car arcade games may not say anything about the state of our mental health. Still, it is interesting to look at why we find pleasure in our own reckless behavior. Why do we enjoy roleplaying the opposite of how we are supposed to drive? What is it about the daredevil antics of driving games that make us feel good? Is it the element of danger, the rush of adrenaline?
Adrenaline is certainly a factor in the enjoyment we take in game driving, but there’s more to it than that. In car arcade games, the driving is counterintuitive—the exact opposite of what we are supposed to do from behind the wheel. Acting contrary to what is expected of us is new and different. That makes it exciting, thus giving us a temporary escape, a respite from our everyday lives and daily routine.
Driving Skills, Quick Decisions
While car arcade driving is all about the thrill of doing the unexpected, real-life driving is all about taking the same precautions every time you drive. We do what we are expected to do, follow the law, and drive safely. Whereas in real life, driving badly can tragic repercussions, the only repercussion to driving badly in a game, is losing the game. Both types of driving involve skill and quick decisions. Here too, the choices you make in a game have no real impact on our lives.
- Risks and Consequences: While driving in an arcade game carries no real-life risk, real-life driving involves potential dangers and consequences. This includes the risk of accidents, injuries, and legal consequences for violating traffic laws.
- Developing Skills and Making Choices: Both arcade game driving and real-life driving require the development of various skills such as vehicle control, spatial awareness, and decision-making in real-time. These skills are necessary for survival. In car arcade driving, as well. But in real-time driving, safety is emphasized and accidents avoided, while in car arcade driving, accidents are a feature, as is inflicting maximum damage.
Car Arcade Games Have Benefits
If you’re a gamer, by now you may be getting defensive. Here’s where we’d like to point out that driving car arcade games is not all bad. Game driving can be beneficial in a few, important ways:
- Overcoming challenges boosts self-confidence: Breaking away from the norm and doing the unexpected involves a certain level of challenge. Overcoming this challenge can be both exhilarating and rewarding, boosting our confidence and lending us a sense of accomplishment.
- Deviating from the usual stimulates creativity: Going against the grain often requires creative thinking and problem-solving. By defying expectations, we tap into our creative potential and explore new possibilities, which can be at once, highly stimulating and satisfying.
- Doing the unexpected spurs growth: Stepping out of our comfort zone and doing the unexpected helps us grow as individuals. It expands our perspectives; broadens our horizons; and encourages personal development.
Car arcade games, in short, aren’t hurting anyone. In fact, such games are good for us not just as a leisure activity, but as a means of personal growth and development. All just by dint of being different from our regular driving. So knock yourself at the arcade—as long as you stay safe on the road.
