3 Reasons Why You Need Gaming for Team Building

Want to create better team building within your group or workplace? Incorporating gaming as a team bonding activity will help your team develop better communication skills, boost team morale, and assist team members with problem-solving and becoming more creative. How do you ask? Here are three ways gaming could help create efficient team building.

1.Gaming generates better communication and connection between team members.

Communication in the workplace is essential. To be able to create effective communication between team members, the work environment must be free of conflict, tension, and must have a natural connection between its people. Creating bonds is where gaming can be impactful in accomplishing a set relationship and communication between the group. Whether it’s setting time in a day where the team can unwind playing video games online such as Overwatch, or creating a monthly or annual trip, gaming could be used to help the team work better together and build stronger relationships. Corporations like Intel are experimenting with new apps that add a social networking and gaming element to their systems to facilitate company events and help team bonding. Though a bit of competitive spirit and camaraderie among coworkers is excellent, always keep a goal in mind to facilitate and better the team to become more productive and efficient.

2. Playing games gives a boost in motivation.

In a research project to find out the secret to creating the perfect team, Google found that the secret to building the best team isn’t about putting together people who mesh well, but by creating group norms and impacting the dynamics of a team to be more efficient. An idea brought up by Brian Sutton-Smith, a developmental psychologist of play, came up with the idea that the opposite of PLAY is not WORK, but DEPRESSION. Looking into the minds of gamers, his research as well as many others, found that when we play video games there are two regions of the brain which are hyperstimulated. One is most responsible for goal-orientation and motivation. When we play games, we are so focused to complete the goal (especially before our fellow team members), we feel a rush of accomplishment and self-confidence for completing a job and doing so feels as if it’s a reward in itself. This constant keeps the player focused on getting better until they can beat a level. It’s precisely this resilient behavior you can expect from a gamer whose brain is primed both to accomplish a goal and to gain confidence to learn and get better. The sort of behavior trait you want in the workplace.

3. Gaming stimulates the brain and helps get the mental and creative juices going.

Studies also show that gaming can help stimulate the brain and encourage the creativity. The other region of the brain that is constantly stimulated while a gamer is active is the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and learning. Studies show that skilled players mainly use their frontal cortex, which is an area of the brain for planning, attention, and multitasking. There is always a learning experience when it comes to games. Every time a game starts, the player must learn the rules and figure out different strategies to improve their skills to help them get past each level, which helps them with their problem-solving skills.

Need help in Creating Gaming Events?

So seeing how much gaming can help build teamwork, now is the time to start planning an event to increase your team’s collaboration. With our expert Game Coaches and state of the art equipment, Game Truck Richmond can create the perfect team event for you! Whether you want a Video Game Party, a LaserTag Arena, or a game of BubbleSoccer, GameTruck Richmond can find the right team event for you. Go to our website or call (804) 938-1337 for a free estimate or to book a reservation today!

Top 5 Character Makeovers In Video Game History

If you love playing video games, you likely have a favorite character. Whether a character is iconic or newly introduced, they’ve likely undergone some changes. Here are our top five character makeovers in video game history.

Lara Croft

When Lara Croft first debuted in Tomb Raider in 1996, the character looked nothing like the adventurer we know and love now. The original character had unrealistic proportions and looked more cartoony than human, while the current Lara is ridiculously lifelike.

Mario

Mario was introduced in 1985, and the character lacked definition because it debuted as an 8-bit character. You can’t fault the designers for not trying —the technology simply wasn’t there. Today, Mario is known for his red-and-blue getup and unforgettable mustache.

Link

When Link was introduced in The Legend Of Zelda, the character was playful and young looking, and he didn’t look much like today’s Link. While the outfit remained the same, the hero became more intense and intimidating.

Zelda

For more than 30 years, fans have loved Princess Zelda –– and she’s changed in major ways over the years. In the beginning, Zelda looks young and cartoony. Our current Zelda is a total warrior princess and looks much older.

Pikachu

Compared to our other character makeovers, Pikachu is much more subtle in its evolution. The original Pikachu was rounder and had slightly more detail than current versions. It makes sense that Nintendo has been hesitant to make any drastic changes to such a beloved character –– Pikachu’s yellow, slightly cuddly appearance is one of the most recognizable characters in the industry.

If you want to play games featuring your favorite characters, book an event with GameTruck Inland Empire. Whether you’re in Inland Empire or a surrounding city, we’ll come to you and make sure your party is unforgettable. Give us a call at 866-253-3191 or click here for a pricing quote.

Four Board Games That Are Actually Educational

Playing video games is a great way to improve your multitasking and problem-solving skills, but it’s normal to change up your entertainment routine every once in a while. Why not take it old-school and pull out some board games? While some of us ditched board games when we were kids, they’re actually a great way to enrich our lives while learning new things at the same time. They’ll also give you a chance to bond with the family members or friends who you’re playing with. At GameTruck Jacksonville, we love all kinds of games. Here are our top four board games that are actually educational.

1. Clue

When you’re playing Clue, you’re required to use your best detective skills.What you may not realize is that the game actually helps you with logic and reasoning. Because you form theories about what happened and who’s guilty, you’re learning how to better use deductive reasoning.

2. Monopoly

Depending on your patience levels, Monopoly may be your idea of a fun night or sound like a nightmare. Regardless of whether you love a game famous for feeling like it’ll never end, you’ll still benefit from playing. When you’re playing Monopoly, you’re using real-world skills, like knowing the value of money and investing it wisely.

3. Boggle

Boggle is similar to Scrabble because it involves vocabulary skills. However, Boggle also teaches you how to think quickly in stressful situations because you only have three minutes to come up with as many words as you can. Anyone who has held a high-pressure job can tell you the benefits of working well under stress.

4. Scrabble

Whether you’re a person of a few words or have an encyclopedic knowledge of the English language, Scrabble is a great game to play. No matter how many words you already know, you’ll leave the game with a larger vocabulary than you started with. Your fellow players might play obscure words in hopes of winning it all, but everyone benefits from the game.

We hope that you have fun digging out some old board games and becoming smarter in the process. You can host the ultimate game night by booking GameTruck Jacksonville for a mobile video gaming party. Our one-of-a-kind events allow everyone who attends to have an unforgettable time. Give us a call today at 866-253-3191 or click here for a free quote.