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The Future of Work and How Gaming Can Impact Your Productivity

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It doesn’t take much observation to recognize that the way people work is changing drastically. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the telework phenomena and pushed many people who would have never left the office into work-from-home status. Even today as many believe the COVID pandemic is nearing its end and becoming endemic, work status remains forever altered. 

The pandemic has brought about several other changes in our lives. Notable for many Americans is an uptick in screen time. This is a product of multiple things such as having to work in front of a screen while teleworking and not being able to get out and do much else during lockdowns. One side effect of this is that many more people have taken up gaming as a hobby. 

The intersection of work and gaming can be an interesting one. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that those who game could be more apt to succeed in a remote workplace environment. Some experts even suggest that a gaming hobby could improve productivity in certain settings. Though many of these potential benefits are a boon for the gaming industry, they are only realized by the personality types that can strike a balance between work and play. 

The Future of Work

Today, many companies that were previously requiring employees to be in full telework status are reopening their doors and allowing employees back into the office. For some, going back to the office is a welcome change of pace and an opportunity to ditch the isolation of working from home. While for others, the idea of going back to work and not being able to work in pajamas to take care of small household chores on breaks sounds dreadful.  

Research suggests that the majority of employees with an option prefer some level of a hybrid work environment. This might involve going into the office a few days per week and teleworking the rest. Or it could be something like starting the day at home and going into the office after lunch. Or only going in for meetings. Or mostly being in the office, but having the flexibility to telework as needed. The options are really limitless. 

As many companies are inviting employees back to the office, there is a vibe that they are willing to be more flexible than they previously were. Likewise, many companies are considering adopting other policies that could improve productivity and work-life balance in the workplace. Some ideas include allowing employees more flexible working hours, creating areas for relaxation and de-stressing in the workplace, and finding opportunities to address health concerns.  

Gaming and Productivity

One example of this newfound flexibility is exploring options for improved breaks at work. For instance, some companies, having realized the benefits that gaming can provide, are putting gaming consoles in their break rooms and allowing employees to game during their lunch break. Some research suggests that a 45-minute gaming break can increase team productivity by up to 20%

Some even argue that gaming can prepare people for the workforce by helping them to better develop soft skills such as creative problem solving, communication under pressure, and emotional intelligence. In a remote environment, these skills can really shine. After all, gamers are accustomed to collaborating and achieving goals in an online setting. It is no wonder that many gamers thrived in a telework environment. 

Proponents of gaming are also quick to point out that online gaming is a profound way for even the most introverted among us to improve our social skills. Cooperative games have been shown to help young children learn how to work together and there is evidence to indicate that the learning doesn’t stop with children. In a workplace, gaming together could insinuate greater team bonding, which in turn could give another boost to overall productivity. 

Striking a Balance

All of this gaming can be a great means of increasing productivity and building a stronger team, whether in an in-person or remote working environment. However, there are some potential drawbacks. Of course, too much gaming can take away from actually getting work done and causes many other problems for the gamers themselves. 

For example, gaming at home during the pandemic hasn’t been all that beneficial for everyone. Those that are on the computer all day for work and then get online for gaming tend to get lost online. They may check out from normal day-to-day activities and develop a legitimate addiction to spending time on the Internet, whether that is playing online games or just browsing aimlessly until their phone dies. 

The situation has become so dire in many areas that the World Health Organization recognized gaming disorder as a mental health condition. To incorporate the positives of gaming into work, it is important to recognize the signs of gaming addiction and work towards resolving the problem. Perhaps the first step is to ensure that the games are kept to breaks and are not encroaching into actual working hours. 

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Our workplaces are changing at an unprecedented rate. In many instances, gamers can take advantage of these changes by applying the soft skills they’ve learned in games to becoming phenomenal teleworkers or by advocating for the benefits of a gaming console in the break room. Gaming can be a boon to employee productivity as long as it is managed within reason and employees are cognizant of how much their hobby is encroaching on their life. 

Gaming

Helldivers are angry at Arrowhead because the community manager was fired without due process

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Throughout history, it has become evident that, in the face of tyranny, those who cherish liberty and democracy will stop at nothing to defend them. They will fight relentlessly, using every last round of ammunition and shedding the final drop of blood. In a stunning turn of events, it appears that developer Arrowhead is facing a potential revolution, as previously loyal Helldivers 2 players who once supported the developer are now expressing their outrage. They passionately advocate for justice and the inclusion of the undemocratically dismissed community manager, who has affectionately been nicknamed “General” Spitz, into the official in-game lore.

In typical fashion, an overnight Change.org petition (courtesy of RPS) has garnered nearly 4,500 signatures at the time of writing. This is an attempt to make Arrowhead reevaluate their decision to let go of Spitz, a community manager who has been an integral part of the community since the game’s release. In the midst of the PC/PSN account linking debacle, Spitz, like a game critic sensing the winds of fate, rallied the community on Discord (as seen on Twitter) to express their discontent through reviews, refunds, and other means. It enhances our influence in the discussions with Sony. They completely disregard our discord.

After the chaos subsided the following day (yesterday), Spitz addressed the community, describing this action as “almost.” It hasn’t exactly resulted in their termination. Shortly after, a final transmission was confirmed where Spitz disclosed that they had been released, expressing their resilience by saying, “Every war has its casualties.”

On May 7, 2024, around 11:45 PST, the Helldivers Discord community made an interesting discovery. It seems that the community manager, Spitz, had been unexpectedly removed from his position, and any evidence of his previous involvement in the discord was completely wiped out. This incident seems to have ignited a revolution, with Helldivers demanding the immediate reinstatement of Spitz and his immortalization in the game for his self-sacrifice.

“We strongly advocate for the official canonization of General Spitz in Helldivers lore. Embracing the spirit of liberation. Supporting democracy. For the betterment of the game and its devoted community.

It’s interesting to see how this situation unfolds. Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt himself commends the determination of players in the Sony showdown, but there seems to be a hint of contradiction here. “General” Spitz provided us with some thought-provoking words to ponder: “I was well aware of the potential consequences when I made my statement about refunding and altering reviews; nevertheless, I remain steadfast in my position. I fulfilled my role as a representative of the community, just as I was expected to.

Spitz is no longer the Community Manager.
byu/Tabub inHelldivers

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Ciri from The Witcher expresses her hope that fans will give Liam Hemsworth a fair chance in his portrayal of Geralt

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Netflix’s The Witcher has been at the forefront of the recent trend of video game IP transitioning to TV, alongside HBO’s The Last of Us and Amazon’s Fallout adaptations. In 2022, it was announced that Henry Cavill would be stepping away from his role after Season 3, making way for Australian actor Liam Hemsworth to become The White Wolf in Season 4.

In an interview with Collider (courtesy of Eurogamer), Freya Allen, the actress who plays Ciri in the series, has reached out to fans who may find the change to be a challenge. Allen expressed his view of the situation, acknowledging that it may not be ideal and that fans can be quite critical. He mentioned that he doesn’t want to speak on behalf of Hemsworth, but based on his understanding, it seems like Hemsworth is aiming to inject some heartfelt elements into the project. I’m eagerly anticipating his performance after all that training. And he’s truly a delightful individual. I hope people give him a fair chance, you know?

It’s unclear why Henry Cavill decided to depart from the show, despite his previous commitment to stay for the entire seven seasons if needed. Netflix has announced that The Witcher has been renewed for a fifth season, which will be the final installment of the series.

 

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CEO of Helldivers 2 commends the remarkable determination displayed by the community during the intense Sony showdown

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The experience for Helldivers 2 players has been quite turbulent lately, and we’re referring to a community that is accustomed to leaping from great heights into the most intense and terrifying battlegrounds imaginable. In the midst of a highly debated PSN account requirement for PC players and facing intense backlash, Sony has made a surprising reversal, yielding to the overwhelming force of public opinion. The CEO of Arrowhead, Johan Pilestedt, has displayed an intriguing attitude throughout this challenging period. He has shown remarkable composure, actively engaging with community managers and experiencing the difficulties they face firsthand.

Pilestedt expressed his admiration for the community’s determination and praised their ability to work together on Twitter, following Sony’s reversal. He sarcastically expressed gratitude towards Sony for their “prompt and efficient choice to make PSN linking optional.”

In the future, Pilestedt expressed his vision of working closely with PlayStation and the players to establish a groundbreaking benchmark for the concept of a live game. The aim is to foster a strong partnership between developers and the community, ultimately resulting in an unparalleled gaming experience.

What are your thoughts on the commotion surrounding Helldivers 2? What are your thoughts on Sony’s involvement, Pilestedt’s attitude, and the community’s reaction? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

 

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