good titles for essays about video games

110 Video Game Topic Ideas for Essays & Examples

🔝 top 10 video game topics for 2024, 🏆 best video game topic ideas & essay examples, 🎮 good video game research topics, 🕹️ interesting gaming topics to write about, ❓ video game research questions, ✅ simple & easy video game essay topics.

Looking for video game topics for your project? Look no further! Here, we’ve collected excellent essay topics for true gaming enthusiasts. Whether you’re looking for argumentative essay ideas on video games, research topics, or questions for debate, you will find them here.

• History of Video Game Consoles
• Myths of Video Game Violence
• The Global Phenomenon of Esports
• VR Gaming and Its Future Possibilities
• How Video Games Influence Cognitive Skills
• Therapeutic Mental Health Benefits of Video Games
• Diversity and Gender Representation in Video Games
• How Multiplayer Games Impact Social Interaction
• Healthy Gaming Habits Against Video Game Addiction
• Aesthetic and Narrative Qualities of Artistic Video Games
• Product Life Cycle & Marketing of Video Game Industry One of the most important advantages of the concept of life cycle can be seen in the sphere of marketing, where if used as a tool it allows adjusting the strategies, including marketing, based on […]
• Video Game Industry Analysis In 1950, Yamauchi assumed the position of the president in the firm and got on a variety of strategies with the purpose of rationalizing and modernizing the way the firm was controlled.
• Video Game Effects: Good or Bad? Given the fact that there is indeed a logically sound rationale to such a suggestion, throughout the course of conducting my study, I remained thoroughly observant of the article’s classification-related suggestions, in regards to the […]
• The Monopoly Tycoon Video Game Review The game is stylistically similar to the board game Monopoly, and it can be played both online and offline. It is important to note that the game has a multiplayer feature, which can be played […]
• The Video Game Industry Evolution The first mention of the creation of such games dates back to the 1940s, but it was in 1952 that Alexander Shafto “Sandy” Douglas officially presented his dissertation at the University of Cambridge. One of […]
• The NASCAR Video Game Project Management Plan The plan attempts to draw the features and gameplay mechanics by replicating the thought process of a potential player. At this stage, the game should be well-advertised and ready for release.
• The Motivation of the Video Game Player For instance, the project gave its players the dynamic and fast pace of the game, a vast and detailed map, various locations, several different weapons, and character skins, and this is not all the possibilities.
• The “Medal of Honor” Video Game Analysis The game is set to depict the Afghanistan invention in 2002 and the battle between the U.S.military and the Taliban. Due to the close resemblance of the game to the Afghanistan war, the game has […]
• Human Life: Video Game, Simulation, or Reality? Drawing parallels between the real and the virtual world, one can admit the unreality of the existence of the planet and people and compare everything that happens with the simulation in which we are.
• Does Video Game Violence Lead to Aggression in Children? Among the gaming community, children participate vigorously in absorbing the plethora of entertaining content, including age-restricted ones where the scenes of violence are abundant.
• A Role-Playing Video Game Ayiti: The Cost of Life This strategy worked but not to the topmost level simply because the burden of the living cost was gradually weighing down the overall income of my family.
• BioWare Video Game Project Management For example, Dragon Age: Inquisition, the third installment of the company’s flagship series, switched to the Frostbite engine used by most of the EA games and succeeded in delivering the product despite the technical difficulties […]
• Video Game History: Overview From the 1990s to Nowadays In addition to arcade car behavior, the game was also famous for its beautiful graphics at the time, with each game in the series being a launch title showing the capabilities of the console.
• FIFA 10 Football Simulation Video Game A lack of consistency is evident in the various versions of this game as FIFA 10 played on a PC lacks the realism that is exhibited when the game is played on XBOX 360 and […]
• Video Game Delivery Project: Strategic Marketing To initiate strategies in marketing of Video Game, the company will decide to develop a web based application by ABC CORP and this application is customized to meet the requirements of the project. The purpose […]
• A Video Game Store’s Business Plan The projected cash flow of the cash in the balance sheet will appear positive for the next five years and will show that the company’s profitability in will be good enough pay for operating expenses […]
• The U.S. Video Game Industry This was also based on the views of the company’s developers who assumed that the technological advantages of the the16-bit system were extremely less than that of the 8-bit system.
• Video Game Company Against Online Piracy The purpose of the said DRM software is to protect the intellectual rights of the company. The fourth major issue is the encompassing goal of the VGC to end all types of piracy.
• Video Game Addiction and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs As to me, I was interested in video games when I was a child because this industry was at its beginning and almost every pupil was involved in it.
• Sony and Nintendo in the Video Game Industry The firm has manufactured several generations of the home console since the 1980s, beginning with the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System released in the early 1990s, and the Nintendo 64 that was […]
• Twitch.tv and Video Game Streaming Career From this point, in spite of the fact that the Twitch.tv platform can be viewed as belonging to the live-streaming industry, the careers of streamers develop according to the traditional principles of the entertainment business.
• Nintendo in the Video Game Industry Previously, Atari was a major power to reckon with in the industry but was later toppled by Nintendo. Part of Yamauchi’s vision was to introduce new and cheaper video games in the market than the […]
• Game designers have the responsibility to design less video game Secondly, the outcome of the video game is unpredictable as compared to movie in which the audience can predict the point at which the story would end thus making the video games more interesting to […]
• Striving for the Ultimate Knowledge: Eli’s Mission. Video Game Owing to the peculiarities of the movie plot, the game can be shaped in a most intriguing way, with a lot of turns of the plot which lead to the most effective denouement.
• Analysis of the Counter-Strike Video Game Phenomenon in Computer Gaming
• Comparison of Three Companies in Video Game Industry; Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft
• Analysis of Free Will in The Stanley Parable Video Game
• Analysis of the Effects of Playing a Video Game Used in Computer Science
• Analysis of the Characteristics and Player Statistics of Bungie’s Video Game Destiny
• Are Video Games Truly a Game or a Reality?
• Analysis of the Topic of the Releases in the Video-Game Industry and the Issues of the Violence
• Analysis of the Rise of the Video Game Empire in Modern Society
• Two Aspects of Creating a Video Game
• Analysis of the Third-Person, Console-Based Video Game, The Last of Us
• Are Users The Next Entrepreneurs? A Case Study On The Video Game Industry
• Combating Video Game Addiction : A Global Problem
• Does Playing Video Game Consoles Bring About Plenty of Advantages?
• Analysis of the Field Work Project and the Topic of a Video Game Community
• Does Video Game Violence Affect Children?
• Do Video Games Contribute For Video Game Violence?
• Is The Video Game Industry an Oligopoly?
• Is Video Game Violence the Cause of Juvenile Delinquency?
• Psychological Effects of Video Game Violence on Children
• What Is the Defining Business and Economic Characteristics of the Video Game Console Industry?
• Why Play Station 4 and the Xbox One Are the Kings of the Next Generation Video Game Console?
• What Makes A Video Game Addictive?
• Competition Among 3 Main Video Game Companies: Nintendo, Sega, And Sony
• Brief Note On Video Gaming And The Video Game Industry
• Effects of Television and Video Game Violence on Children and Teenagers
• Analysis of the Different Genres of Video Game Systems for Children
• Overview of the Process and Career in Video Game Design
• Development of the Elder Scrolls Video Game Series
• Breaking Gender Stereotypes in Traditionally Masculine Sports: The Inclusion of Women in FIFA 16 Video Game
• Cancer: Video Game and Playing Violent Video
• Fighting the Online Video Game Wars in China
• Government Regulation Of Video Game Violence Is Unconstitutional And Unnecessary
• Japanese video game industry
• History of the Video Game Industry
• Microsoft Xbox Entering the World of Video Game
• The Merchant of Video Games: Adapting the Merchant of Venice into an Adventure Game
• What Are Some Revolutionary Breakthroughs in the Video Game Industry?
• What Does It Take To Make It in the Video Games Industry?
• Why Has the Video Game Industry Exploded Recently?
• What Is Wrong With the Video Game Industry in This Generation?
• Is the Video Game Industry Going Downhill?
• Who Is the Best Voice Actor in the Video Game Industry?
• What Will Be the Next Breakthrough or “Big Thing” in the Video Game Industry?
• Is the Video Game Industry in Trouble Right Now?
• Who Makes More Money: Hollywood or the Video Game Industry?
• How Has the Coronavirus Impacted the Video Game Industry?
• What Is the Biggest Missed Opportunity Yet in the Video Game Industry?
• Does Video Game Violence Induce Negative Affects on Our Youth?
• What Are the Changes the Video Game Industry Needs?
• How Large Is the Video Game Industry?
• Why Is the Video Game Industry in China Dominated by MMOs?
• Is There a Bubble Forming in the Video Game Industry?
• What Do Video Game Players Understand That Most People Don’t?
• How Easy Is It to Make a Video Game?
• What’s the Best Advice You’ve Received From a Video Game?
• What Was the First Video Game?
• What Is the Most Inappropriate Video Game You Know?
• What Are the Elements of a Good Video Game?
• How Much Does It Cost to Develop a Video Game?
• What Can Video Game Consoles Offer You?
• Why Video Game Addiction Is One of the Urgent Problems Today?
• How Does Science Create Video Game?
• How the 1970s Sparked the Video Game Industry?
• Why Do Video Game Movies Always Fail?
• What’s the Most Popular Video Game Genre?
• The Science Behind Brain-Boosting Games
• How Gaming Reflects and Influences Society
• How Video Games Participate in Social Justice
• Pros and Cons of Gamified Fitness and Wellness Apps
• Gamification, Its Benefits, and Learning Outcomes
• Virtual Goods in Video Games and Their Real-World Value
• What Factors Influence Immersion and Player Engagement?
• Cloud Gaming and the Potential of Streaming Technology
• Market Trends and Revenue Models of the Video Game Industry
• Violence, Microtransactions, and Other Ethical Issues in Video Game Development
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Best Video Game Essay Topics for Students

Choosing the right essay topic is crucial, and for students who love video games, it’s an opportunity to combine their passion with academics. In this article, we’ll explore a variety of exciting and various video game essay topic ideas for students of high school and college. This blog includes argumentative, analytical, persuasive and other types of essays related to video gaming.

Video Game Essay Topics for High School Students

• How Video Games Improve Problem-Solving Skills.
• Understanding the World of E-sports.
• The Importance of Balanced Gaming Habits.
• Exploring the History of Gaming Consoles.
• Video Games: Entertainment and Cultural Influence.
• Gender Representation in Video Games.
• Gamification in Education: Learning through Play.
• Game Design and the Art of Video Games.
• Tracing the Growth of the Video Game Industry.
• Social Connections in Online Gaming Communities.
• Video Games and Mental Health Benefits.
• Exploring Careers in Game Development.
• Ethical Choices in Video Games.
• The Impact of Music in Video Games.
• Making Video Games Accessible to Everyone.

Video Game Essay Topics for College Students

• The Educational Value of Video Games in College Curriculum.
• The Growth and Impact of E-sports in the Sports Industry.
• Gaming Habits and Academic Performance: A College Study.
• Game Engine Comparison: Unity vs. Unreal Engine.
• Gender Representation in Video Games: A College Perspective.
• Analyzing Game Narrative Structures in Popular Titles.
• Moral Choices in Video Games: Implications and Outcomes.
• The Psychology of Player Motivation in Gaming.
• Virtual Reality in Higher Education: Opportunities and Challenges.
• Career Prospects in Game Development: Paths and Insights.
• Ethical Dilemmas in Video Game Content Creation.
• The Role of Music and Sound in Video Game Immersion.
• Indie Game Development: Innovations and Success Stories.
• Video Game Preservation: Saving Gaming History.
• AI in Gaming: Enhancing NPC Behavior and Gameplay.

Common Essay Topics Related to Video Games

• The Influence of Video Games on Academic Performance.
• Video Game Violence: Separating Fact from Fiction.
• The History and Evolution of Mobile Gaming.
• The Role of Gaming in Building Teamwork and Collaboration.
• The Psychology of In-Game Rewards and Achievements.
• Virtual Reality (VR) Gaming: A Glimpse into the Future.
• Gaming and STEM Education: Learning Science through Games.
• The Representation of Diversity in Video Games.
• The Impact of In-Game Advertising on Players.
• The Benefits of Gaming for Stress Relief and Relaxation.
• The Importance of Responsible Gaming.
• The Art of Game Mods: Customizing and Enhancing Games.
• E-sports Scholarships and Opportunities for Students.
• The Environmental Impact of Video Game Consoles.
• Gamers for Good: How Gaming Communities Contribute to Charity.

Argumentative Topics for Video Game Essays

• Do Violent Video Games Promote Aggressive Behavior in Players?
• Should There Be Age Restrictions on Purchasing Violent Video Games?
• Are Video Games a Viable Educational Tool in Schools?
• Is Video Game Addiction a Real Concern, and How Should It Be Addressed?
• Do Video Games Enhance Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking Skills?
• Should Parents Be More Involved in Monitoring Their Children’s Gaming Habits?
• Is E-sports a Legitimate Sport and Worthy of Recognition?
• Does Playing Video Games Improve Hand-Eye Coordination?
• Are Video Games a Form of Art, and Should They Be Treated as Such?
• Should the Video Game Industry Be Regulated More Strictly for Content?
• Do Video Games Have a Positive or Negative Impact on Social Skills?
• Is There a Link Between Video Games and Obesity in Children?
• Should Professional Gamers Be Considered Athletes and Eligible for Sports Scholarships?
• Does Gaming Culture Foster Toxic Behavior and Harassment?
• Can Video Games Help Alleviate Stress and Anxiety in Players?

Didn’t find any topic of your interest? No worries! We have listed 100+ Argumentative Essay Topics for Students here, you can go through the article and choose the best one as per your needs. This blog has various niche topics and can assist to find the best one for you.

Informative Video Game Essay Topics

• The History of Video Games: From Pong to Present.
• A Deep Dive into the World of E-sports.
• How Video Games are Made: Game Development Explained.
• Exploring Different Genres of Video Games: Action, RPG, Simulation, etc.
• The Evolution of Video Game Graphics and Technology.
• Iconic Video Game Characters and Their Impact on Pop Culture.
• The Science Behind Gaming: How Game Engines Work.
• Video Game Consoles: Past, Present, and Future.
• The Importance of Storytelling in Video Games.
• The Role of Sound Design and Music in Gaming.
• The Influence of Video Games on Architecture and Design.
• Video Game Streaming and Content Creation: A New Career Frontier.
• The Psychology of Gaming: Why We Love Video Games.
• The Cultural Significance of Video Game Events and Conventions.
• The Rise of Gamification in Education and Training.

Compare & Contrast Video Game Essay Topics

These compare and contrast essay topics are chosen by our experts and are specifically related to video gaming. These are general and easy to write on.

• Console Gaming vs. PC Gaming: Which Is Better?
• Single-Player vs. Multiplayer Games: Which Do You Prefer?
• Mobile Games vs. Console Games: Pros and Cons.
• Classic Games vs. Modern Games: What’s Changed?
• First-Person vs. Third-Person Shooter Games: Which is More Immersive?
• Xbox vs. PlayStation: Comparing Gaming Communities.
• Video Games vs. Board Games: Which Provides More Fun?
• Old Game Graphics vs. New Game Graphics: A Visual Evolution.
• RPGs vs. Action Games: Gameplay Differences.
• Retro Games vs. Modern Games: Nostalgia vs. Innovation.
• Open-World Games vs. Linear Games: Freedom vs. Guided Storytelling.
• Strategy Games vs. Puzzle Games: Challenges in Gaming.
• Video Games vs. Movies: Storytelling Approaches.
• Online Shooters vs. Battle Royale Games: Teamwork vs. Solo Play.
• Exclusive vs. Cross-Platform Games: Your Gaming Options.

Analytical Topics for Video Game Essays

• Strategies for Success in Online Multiplayer Games.
• Analyzing Game Elements in Role-Playing Games (RPGs).
• In-Game Purchases and Their Impact on Player Progress.
• The Design of Levels in Platformer Games: A Critical Look.
• Difficulty Levels in Video Games: Effects on Player Experience.
• The In-Game Economy: How It Works and Influences Players.
• The Significance of Tutorial Levels in Game Learning.
• Character Development in Video Games: Evolution and Influence.
• Linear vs. Non-Linear Storytelling in Video Games.
• Morality Systems in Games: Player Choices and Consequences.
• AI and Machine Learning in Video Games: Advancements and Applications.
• User-Friendly Game Interfaces: Design Principles and Importance.
• Game Analytics: Measuring Success in the Gaming Industry.
• Visual Design and Its Impact on Player Immersion.
• Cultural Adaptation in Video Game Localization.

Read more: Best Analytical Essay Topics

Persuasive Essay Topics on Video Gaming

• Why Schools Should Use Video Games for Learning.
• The Importance of Age Ratings in Video Game Sales.
• Video Games: Tools for Enhancing Problem-Solving Skills.
• How Video Games Can Improve Mental Well-being.
• Debunking the Myth: Video Games and Real-Life Violence.
• Promoting Diversity in Video Game Characters.
• Parents’ Role in Monitoring Kids’ Gaming Habits.
• Gamification in Education: Making Learning Fun.
• Addressing Video Game Addiction as a Health Issue.
• Teamwork and Cooperation in Multiplayer Games.
• Ethical Game Development: Fair Monetization Practices.
• The Need for More Research on Video Game Violence.
• Combatting Toxicity in Online Gaming Communities.
• Exploring E-sports Career Opportunities.
• Making Video Games Accessible for Everyone.

Read more: Best Persuasive Essay Topics

Best Video Game Essay Topics in 2023

• The Impact of Video Games on Society Today.
• Gaming and Sustainability: How Can Gamers Go Green?
• NFTs in Gaming: What You Need to Know.
• Virtual Reality Gaming: The Next Big Thing.
• Making Games Accessible for Everyone.
• AI’s Role in Video Game Development.
• Gaming Habits Post-Pandemic: What’s Changed?
• In-Game Advertising: Friend or Foe?
• 5G Technology and Its Effect on Gaming.
• Video Games and Mental Health: A Closer Look.
• Augmented Reality Games in Learning and Fun.
• Collectibles and In-Game Economies: Explained.
• Gaming Across Cultures: Challenges and Solutions.
• The Power of Online Gaming Communities.
• E-sports: The Future of Competitive Gaming.

These gaming essay topics would surely help you select the best topic of your choice, all various topics are suggested by our qualified experts keeping in mind the capabilities of an average student. If you want to hire our assignment writer for your gaming topics, feel free to reach us and get your essay done by experts.

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Essays About Video Games: Top 12 Examples and Prompts

Video games have revolutionized the way we have fun today. If you are writing essays about video games, check out our guide to inspire your writing.  

Few can contest the fact that video games have taken over the world. From the basic, almost “primitive” games of the 1970s like Pong to the mind-bending virtual reality games of the 2020s, they have been a source of entertainment for all. Moreover, they have proven quite profitable; countries like Japan and the United States have made tens of billions of dollars solely from the video game market.

Despite their popularity, much has been debated over the potentially harmful side effects that video games may have, particularly on children. One side argues that playing certain video games can lead to people exhibiting violence in the future, while others believe that video games teach players essential life skills. Regardless, they will continue to be a part of our lives for the foreseeable future. 

For engaging essays about video games, read the essay examples featured below for inspiration.

1. What electronic games can teach us by Kendall Powell

2. designers are imagining video games without guns by keith stuart, 3. playing video games all summer won’t make you feel worse by nicole wetsman, 4.  violent video games bad by andrea newman.

• 5. ​​The health effects of too much gaming by Peter Grinspoon

Writing Prompts For Essays About Video Games

1. video games: good or bad, 2. the benefits of video games, 3. what is your favorite video game, 4. do video games cause people to become violent, 5. video games in your life, 6. video games vs. traditional games, 7. is the video game rating system enough.

“In other studies, researchers found that gamers who trained on Tetris were better at mentally rotating two-dimensional shapes than those who played a control game. Students who played two hours of All You Can E.T., an educational game designed to enhance the executive function of switching between tasks, improved their focus-shifting skills compared with students who played a word search game.”

Powell explains a few possibilities of applying video games to education. As it turns out, certain video games can improve players’ skills, depending on the mechanics. Researchers are inspired by this and hope to take advantage of the competitive, motivational nature of gaming to encourage children to learn. New games are designed to help kids improve their focus, coordination, and resilience, and game designers hope they will succeed. 

“Imagine a game where you’re a war reporter seeking to capture the most iconic, representative images in a battle environment: You’d still get the sense of peril that audiences expect from action adventures, but your relationship with the environment would be more profound. It would be Call of Duty from the perspective of a creative participant rather than a violent interloper.”

The graphic nature of some video games is said to make kids violent, so it is only natural that some creators try to change this. Stuart writes that it is possible to maintain the fun that shooter-type games induce without using guns. He gives examples of games where you do not kill your enemy, simply stunning or capturing them instead. He also suggests photography as an alternative to killing in a “shooting” game. Finally, he suggests basing video games around helping others, making friends, and doing more peaceful, creative tasks.

“Any role video games play in skewing well-being that did pop up in the study was too small to have a real-world impact on how people feel, the authors said. People would have to play games for 10 more hours per day than their baseline to notice changes in their well-being, the study found.”

Wetsman counters the widespread belief that video games “destroy your brain.” Research done with a sample of 39,000 players over six weeks has shown that whether one plays video games for long or short periods, their mental health is not impacted much. There are some exceptions; however, there are not enough to conclude that video games are, in fact, harmful.

“Some people believe that the connection between violent games, and real violence is also fairly intuitive. In playing the games kids are likely to become desensitized to gory images;which could make them less disturbing, and perhaps easier to deal with in real life. While video games aren’t about violence their capacity to teach can be a good thing.”

In her essay, Newman writes about the supposed promotion of violence in some video games. However, she believes this violence does not cause people to be more aggressive later. Instead, she believes these games expose children to certain atrocities so they will not be traumatized if they see them in real life. In addition, these games supposedly promote connections and friendships. Finally, Newman believes that these “harmful” can make you a better person.

5. ​​ The health effects of too much gaming by Peter Grinspoon

“Gamers need to be educated on how to protect their thumbs, wrists, and elbows, their waistlines, their emotional state, their sleep, and their eyes. Simple education around taking breaks, stretching, eating healthy snacks, and resting and icing your thumb, wrist, or elbow when it starts hurting can address injuries early, before they become significant. For the eyes, gamers can try the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, try to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.”

Grinspoon discusses both the benefits and the health risks of gaming. Video games allow people to interact with each other remotely and bond over specific missions or tasks, and some research shows that they have cognitive benefits. However, some gamers may develop vision problems and hand and wrist injuries. Gaming and “staring in front of a screen the whole day” is also associated with obesity. Overall, Grinspoon believes that gaming is best done in moderation.

Looking for more? Check out these essays about hobbies .

Many parents believe that their children’s “bad behavior” is because of video games. Based on your experience and others, decide: are video games good or bad for you? Make sure to read viewpoints from both sides and write an essay based on your position. Would you encourage others to play video games? Discuss these pros and cons for an interesting argumentative essay.

Like anything else, video games have both positive and negative aspects. Explain the good that video games can do for you: the skills they can equip you with, the lessons they can teach, and anything else. Also, include whether you believe their benefits outweigh the disadvantages they may pose. 

For your essay, write about your favorite video game and why you chose it. What is its meaning to you, and how has it affected your life? Describe the gameplay mechanics, characters, storyline, and general impact on the gaming community or society. You can write about any game you want, even if you have not played it; just ensure the content is sufficient.

Many claim that playing violent video games can make you violent in the future. Research this phenomenon and conclude whether it is true or not. Is the evidence sufficient? There are many resources on this topic; support your argument by citing credible sources, such as news articles, statistics, and scientific research.

Video games have been a part of almost all our lives. Recall a treasured experience with video games and explain why it is significant. How old were you? Why do you remember it fondly? How did this experience make you feel? Answer these questions in your own words for an exciting essay.

There are stark differences between video and traditional games, such as board games and card games. For an engaging essay, compare and contrast them and write about which is more entertaining, in your opinion. Be creative; this should be based on your own opinions and ideas.

The video game content rating system is used to classify video games based on their appropriateness for specific ages. However, parents complain that they are not strict enough and allow the display of violent content to children. Explore the criteria behind the rating system, decide whether it needs to be changed or not, and give examples to support your argument.

If you are interested in learning more, check out our essay writing tips !

Tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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127 excellent video game research topics for 2023.

Are you looking for the best video game research topics for 2023? We are proud to say that you have arrived at the right place. Our experienced ENL writers and professional editors have just finished creating our brand new list of 127 awesome video game topics for high school and college students. You can use any of our ideas for free – no credits required.

Best Way To Write A Video Game Essay

Before we get to the list of topics, we want to make sure you know how to write a great essay. After all, finding a great topic is just part of the writing process of any custom term papers . Here are some pointers that should help you do a better job on your research paper:

• Structure your paper properly and always start with an outline. We recommend you use the 5 paragraph essay structure, as it’s extremely versatile.
• Make sure your grammar and vocabulary are spot-on. Edit your work and polish your writing to make sure you get a top grade.
• Be careful with quotes and citations. Remember to include all your sources in the References chapter.
• Always start your paper with a great thesis statement. Dedicate some time to crafting the best one possible.
• Keep in mind that each body paragraph should start with a clear statement and then support it. Don’t tackle more than one important idea in a paragraph.
• Make sure you research the topic thoroughly and get accurate data from reputable sources. This is, after all, a research paper.
• Last, but not least, write in a clean and concise manner. Express your ideas clearly and avoid unnecessary information that would just confuse or bore your readers.

Now that you know what to do and what to avoid when writing the video game research paper, it’s time to take a look at our list of original video game research topics:

Easy Video Game Topics

We will start our list with a selection of easy video game topics that are perfect for students who don’t want to spend too much time on their papers:

• Talk about your favorite video game
• What do you like about modern video games?
• The process behind the creation of a new game
• Why do you want to become a video game developer?
• What is a MMORPG video game?
• Differences between FPS and RPG games
• Analyze the gaming industry in a country of your choice
• An in-depth look at cyber sports and video game championships
• Can playing video games be considered a sport?
• What makes League of Legends so popular?
• Research gun violence in modern video games
• Are the games you play bad for you?
• Talk about the impact of video games on small children
• Do video games have any positive effects on you?

Video Games Topic For Every Student

Below, you will find a selection of topics for every student from high school to college. Check out our video games topic for every student list:

• The psychology behind modern video games
• Analyze the launch of a popular game
• How are video games priced?
• The history of online gaming
• Games as learning tools
• Controlling video game addiction
• Shooters or strategy games?
• Why you shouldn’t play video games
• Physical benefits of games

Interesting Video Game Topics To Write About

We know; you want a topic that is both interesting and easy to write about. Take a look at these interesting video game topics to write about:

• Do violent video games make teens violent?
• What is the effect of video games on children?
• What changed my view on video games?
• Skills that can be improved by playing games
• Do adults play video games?
• Research the increase in demand for video games
• Compare video games in the US and the UK
• Ethical responsibility in the gaming industry
• How addictive are role playing video games?

Fun Gaming Topics

Yes, writing a research paper can be fun – if you choose a great topic. Pick any of our fun gaming topics and start writing your paper right away:

• The entire history of video games
• Positive effects of video games
• Android games vs iOS games
• The Candy Crush popularity
• Gaming industry careers
• Genres of video games
• The technology behind the Xbox 4
• What causes addiction when it comes to video games?
• How do games improve learning skills?

Latest News On Video Games

If you want to write about something new, we recommend you take a look at the latest news in video games:

• Talk about the use of augmented reality in video games in 2023
• What are incremental console upgrades?
• An in-depth look at inclusivity in video games
• Which games are trending in 2023?
• Most anticipated video games of 2023
• Latest advances in 3D and SFX effects
• Talk about the remastered cinematics of Diablo 2 Resurrected
• Halo Infinite: everything we know so far
• The clan system in Call of Duty: Vanguard

Informative Gaming Topics To Talk About

Do you want to write an informative paper? No problem, we have a long list of informative gaming topics to talk about right here:

• Why do people love video games so much?
• Can video game addiction be treated like substance addiction?
• Case study: The Elder Scrolls of Oblivion
• Discuss government regulation of video games in the US
• Compare and contrast the Xbox and the PlayStation
• A closer look at the Japanese gaming industry
• What does it take to become a video game creator?
• The rise of Android video games
• Do we really need computer games nowadays?

Video Game Research Paper Topics For High School

Our list of video game research paper topics for high school is unique, so you can safely pick any one of our ideas and write your essay on it:

• What do modern video games promote?
• How much time should you spend playing video games?
• Are video games good or bad for our youth?
• Talk about how gaming will look 20 years from now
• Does playing video games make you think more strategic?
• How important are video games for our society?
• The importance of video games in treating depression
• Are games a good way to treat anxiety?
• Why do people spend so much money on video games?

Best Video Game Research Questions

A question is usually enough to spark your creativity. This is why we have an entire list of the best video game research questions right here:

• Are video games good for teens?
• How does video game violence affect children?
• How will games look 50 years from now?
• How do games improve our collaborative skills?
• Why do we love looking at other play video games?
• How damaging is piracy for the video game industry?
• Which are more popular, RPGs or FPSs?

Video Games Debate Topics

Are you preparing for a debate and need a great topic? Don’t worry about it; we’ve got your back. Check out these great video games debate topics:

• Discuss sexism in modern video games
• Talk about social problems related to video games
• Virtual reality in future games
• The important of augmented reality
• Can a game be educational?
• What makes games so fun and addictive?
• Gaming in the classroom in 2023
• Interesting online gaming experiences
• Important of games in special education settings

Good Video Game Writing Prompts

Are you looking for some good video game writing prompts that can help you write an intriguing research paper? Here are some of our best ideas:

• Compare and contrast the top 3 games in the United Kingdom in 2023
• What are some problems with modern video games?
• An in-depth look at advanced SFX effects
• 3D game rendering technologies
• Discuss online piracy related to video games
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Modern video games
• How realistic are modern games in 2023?
• Tackle the violence theme in video games
• Sony vs. Microsoft: gaming giants battle
• The link between gaming and violence in teenagers
• Discuss the addictiveness of video games

Video Games Research Paper Topics For College

Of course, we have a list of video games research paper topics for college students. These are a bit more difficult than the others in our list:

• Linking video game addiction to substance abuse
• The use of first person shooter games in military training programs
• Flight simulation games and their real world applications
• Games that improve critical thinking skills
• The minimum age for playing video games
• Games that improve reaction times
• Pros and cons of playing assassin video games
• Debunking the most popular myths about video games
• Should parents prevent their children from playing video games?
• The link between video games and cognitive skill improvements

Engaging Video Games Topics

Want to engage your audience right from the start? If you are looking to impress your professor, you might want to give these engaging video games topics a try:

• The role of a developer in the video game industry
• How is testing being carried out on video games?
• Talk about the latest and most advanced video game effects
• An analysis of the video game industry in 2023
• Compare the 3 most popular games in the United States in 2023
• Are online video games more addictive than single-player ones?
• Discuss about the psychological effects of video games
• Compare and contrast 3 first person shooter games
• Improving reaction time in FPS games
• The effect of video games on education

Video Games Of The Future

Last, but not least, we have a nice compilation of ideas related to video games of the future. Take a look at our innovative ideas and pick the one you like:

• A closer look at Battlefield 2042
• Talk about how rendering graphics works in games
• Advances in graphics planned for games to be released in 2023
• Innovative graphics in Halo Infinite
• Discuss 3D game rendering technologies of the future
• What makes Pragmata a game of the future?
• The use of artificial intelligence in games in 2023
• Research the use of virtual reality in future games
• Discuss real-time rendering in future 3D games
• An in-depth look at Hytale (to be released in 2023)

Get Affordable Writing Help

Are you struggling to write a compelling research paper about the subject of video games? Why don’t you get some affordable writing help and term paper help ? Our company has the best writers and experts on the Internet, so you don’t have to worry about a thing. You just tell us what you need and we will write you a high quality custom research paper for any class. Over the years, we have helped thousands of high school, college and university students with their research papers. We can guarantee your teachers will love our work!

So, can your experts write my paper right now? Yes, you can use our secure and reliable academic writing services to get a great video game essay online in no time – in as little as 3 hours. Let our experts write your paper and impress your professor. Get a top grade with minimal effort. And don’t forget to ask our customer support team about our latest discounts!

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• Our Official List of Great Video Game Essay Topics

Any essay that you write should be well-written, accurate, and interesting to your audience. That begins with finding a great topic for your essay. Check out our list of the best essay topic ideas. You should be able to write a great essay about gaming with one of these topics. If you struggle with it, you can always order a custom essay on video games.

Topics on Social Issues

The topic of video games comes up quite frequently when various social topics are being discussed. If you are taking classes such as sociology, public health, political science, or journalism, your essay might focus on the many social issues relating to video games. Writing essays on violence in games is always an option, but there are others as well. Here are a few topic ideas:

Persuasive Essays Related to Social Issues

• Do Violent Games Cause Behavior Problems?
• Convince readers, in an essay about violence in games, that the average person will not be affected in a negative way.
• Should video game rating systems be more stringent?
• Are parents ultimately responsible for what their kids play?
• As a society, do we unfairly blame video games when we should be focusing on personal responsibility?

Narrative Essays on Video Games And Their Impact on Society

• Write about a video game that you played as a child that was too violent for you
• Have you ever been addicted to online gaming? What was that like.
• Talk about an incident of harassment that you witnessed when playing online video games.
• Write essays on violence in gaming and the impact of that in early dating relationships

Expository Essays on The Social Impact of Video Gaming

• Write a  short essay  on the impact of video gaming on health and wellness
• Compose a research paper that addresses the effects of allowing young children to do violent video games
• Write a case study about a young adult who has never been exposed to video games vs. one who has been

General Essay Ideas That Relate to Social Issues

• What should be done about sexism in gaming?
• How can the gaming industry become more inclusive as a whole?
• Why is sex and violence such a common theme in video games?
• Does early exposure to video games impact the ability of children to self-regulate?
• What are the biggest social problems related to gaming?

Video Game Essay Topics New Technology

If you are an avid gamer, you probably keep up with the latest technologies, reading specialized magazines, and eagerly await the latest and greatest releases. You may have even been part of a beta testing new things or involved in open source gaming projects. Most importantly, you likely have lots of knowledge and opinions on gaming technology. Check out these essay ideas:

Persuasive Essays on Gaming Technology

• Will virtual reality impact video game technology or is it simply a fad?
• Which release is causing the most buzz?
• Streaming will replace consoles, yes or no?

Expository Essay Ideas on Gaming Technology

• Pick an up and coming technology and explain how it works
• Explain the history and development behind an upcoming technological advancement in video tech
• Discuss the trend of gamers as designers

Other Video Technology Essay Ideas

• Write a compare contrast essay on virtual reality in gaming vs. augmented reality
• Write a review of a new gaming system that you have recently tried out.

Topics About Educational Games

Persuasive Essays on Video Games in Education

• Should children spend more time focusing on lectures and hands-on work than gaming?
• Argue which educational video game parents of toddlers should choose
• Video games have no place in education. Argue a side
• Is gaming a possible solution when dealing with disengaged students?

Expository Essay Ideas For Gaming in Education

• Explain how gaming is used in special education
• Describe the features that make a game educational vs. entertainment
• Research and explain the process educators use to integrate gaming into the classroom

Other Educational Essay Ideas

• Review the most popular educational games that have been released this year
• Write a paper about the differences between educational games today vs. 10 or 20 years ago
• Write a case study about a school that incorporated gaming into their classrooms    

Essay Topics For Passionate Gamers

If you don’t find anything that interests you above, don’t fret. You can still improve your writing skills while expressing your passions for gaming. If you have an interest in gaming, you have many options when it comes to writing essays. This is especially true when it comes to classes where you have a bit more flexibility in your writing assignments. Check out these topic ideas:

• Write a descriptive essay about the first gaming experience you have had
• What are your predictions about the future of console gaming
• What is the funniest thing that happened to you in an online gaming experience
• What 10 worst things that impact the world of video gaming be opinionated!
• Compare and contrast the first release of a video game with the most current
• If you could invent a video game, what would it look like
• Write a review of the most popular game available today

Remember that you must balance your passion for the topic of gaming with good writing skills and factual knowledge. You will still have to research, cite your sources, and do the other work that goes into writing a good paper. As always, if you need help with a gaming essay remember that we are available to help as we are top essay writing service . Happy gaming!

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Natalie Andersen The blogger and writing expert for GetGoodGrades.com

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117 Original Video Game Research Topics That Are Very Cool

Stop wasting your time searching all over the Internet for unique video game research topics! You can find 117 original video game topic ideas right here on this page. And yes, you can use these topics for free without even having to give us any credit. In fact, we have just finished updating the list of topics for 2023. This means that you will be able to find dozens of unique topic ideas that will give you an advantage over your classmates. In addition to the interesting topics, we also have 7 helpful tips, tricks and advice on how to write a video game essay or research paper faster. Let’s get started!

Finishing Your Video Game Essay On Time

However, finding excellent video game topics quickly is not enough, especially when you are on a tight deadline. There are many other things you can do to finish your paper on time. To make sure you complete the assignment on time, you should follow our tips, tricks and advice.

Start early. Give yourself enough time to research and write your essay. Don’t wait until the last possible minute to start writing the paper. Make sure you understand the requirements and scope of your essay topic. Stay focused and avoid wasting your limited time. Break down the task. Divide the essay into smaller parts, such as researching, outlining, writing, and editing. This will help you manage your time better and avoid being overwhelmed. Create a timeline. Develop a timeline that includes all the various things you need to do to write the paper and set a deadline for each one. Prioritize. Determine which parts of the paper are most important and work on them first. Make effective use of your energy. Use credible (primary) sources. This way you won’t have to go back and correct various parts of the paper due to problems with your sources. Create an outline of your essay before you start. This will help you organize your thoughts and save time by avoiding the need to revise and rearrange your work later.

Now that you know how to be more efficient, it’s time to give you some topics that will help you write an exceptional paper in no time:

Easy Video Games Topics

Don’t want to spend too much time writing the essay? No problem, just choose one of our easy video games topics:

• The history and evolution of video games.
• The positive effects of video games on children.
• The impact of video game violence on society.
• The benefits of playing video games for cognitive development.
• The use of video games in education and training.
• The role of video games in promoting physical activity.
• The psychology of video game addiction and its effects.
• The influence of video games on culture and society.
• The future of virtual reality in video games.
• The use of video games as a treatment for mental health issues.
• The ethical considerations of video game development and production.

Interesting Video Game Topics To Write About

Our experts have put together a list of the most interesting video game topics to write about. Check out the list below:

• Gender representation and diversity in video games.
• The impact of esports on the gaming industry.
• The relationship between video games and storytelling.
• Cultural significance of popular video game franchises.
• The role of video games in socialization and relationships.
• The effects of streaming on the gaming culture.
• The potential negative effects of excessive video game playing.
• The use of video games in medical treatment.
• The evolution of game design and mechanics in video games.
• The impact of the video game industry on local economies.

Current Gaming Topics

If you want to talk about topics that are relevant today, you can simply select one of our current gaming topics. You can find them right here:

• The rise of esports and professional gaming leagues
• The ongoing debate around video game addiction
• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the gaming industry
• Loot boxes and micro transactions: controversies
• The increasing popularity of mobile gaming
• The emergence of cloud gaming platforms
• The debate around video game violence and its effects
• The role of gaming in learning
• The rise of indie game developers and their impact
• Talk about augmented reality in gaming in 2023
• The importance of inclusivity in gaming

Video Game Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on a topic related to video games doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are some simple video game research paper topics:

• The impact of video games on problem-solving skills
• Violent video games and aggressive behavior
• Using video games for teaching in the classroom in 2023
• The influence of video game design on player engagement
• The impact of online gaming communities on social interaction
• The role of video games in promoting physical activity
• The potential for video games to enhance mental health
• The effects of video games on attention span
• The use of video games in therapy
• Video game addiction and compulsive behavior

Video Game Research Questions

We have some of the most thought-provoking video game research questions on the Internet right here for you:

• How do different game design elements impact player attitude?
• What is the role of video games in shaping cultural identity?
• How do different types of video games affect spatial reasoning skills?
• What is the relationship between video games and creativity?
• How do video games impact risk-taking behavior?
• What is the impact of video games on academic performance?
• How do video games affect emotional intelligence?
• How can video games be used to promote sustainability?
• What is the impact of video game marketing on consumer behavior?
• How do video games impact racial stereotypes in society?
• What ethical considerations should be taken into account when designing video games?

Video Game Writing Prompts

Don’t know what to write the essay about? Don’t worry about it; we’ve got your back. Check out these video game writing prompts:

• Write a short story based on the world of “The Elder Scrolls. Skyrim.”
• Imagine a new planet for the “Mass Effect” series and describe it.
• Write a fanfiction piece that explores the backstory of “Overwatch” hero, Soldier. 76.
• Create a character in “Fallout 4” and write a journal entry from their perspective.
• Write a screenplay for a movie based on “The Last of Us.”
• Develop a new quest line for “World of Warcraft” and outline the story.
• Write a short story that takes place in the universe of “Halo.”
• Imagine an alternate ending to “BioShock Infinite” and write it out.
• Create a poem inspired by the themes and imagery of “Journey.”
• Write a story set in the post-apocalyptic world of “Horizon Zero Dawn.”
• Develop a backstory for the character of Clementine in “The Walking Dead” game series.

Video Games Debate Topics

Preparing for a heated debate? You need a good topic, of course. Check out these interesting video games debate topics:

• Are video games really a form of art?
• Is the portrayal of violence in video games harmful?
• Are loot boxes and micro transactions in video games ethical?
• Is it fair for video games to include difficulty levels in 2023?
• Are video games responsible for addiction and compulsive behavior?
• Should video games be used as a tool for educational purposes?
• Is it appropriate to censor or ban video games?
• Should video game companies be held accountable for their content?
• Is the portrayal of women in video games sexist?
• Are remastered video games worth the investment?
• Is streaming video games on platforms like Twitch a viable career?

Informative Gaming Topics To Talk About

If you’re looking for some informative gaming topics to talk about, you’re in luck. We have some for you:

• The evolution of gaming technology and graphics
• The rise of esports and competitive gaming
• The history and influence of classic video game franchises
• The future of virtual and augmented reality gaming
• The psychology of video game addiction and how to combat it
• The cultural significance and representation in video games
• The intersection of music and gaming, including video game soundtracks
• The rise of mobile gaming and its influence on the gaming market
• The history and impact of multiplayer gaming and online communities
• The design and development process of creating a video game

Engaging Topic Ideas Related To Video Games

These unique, engaging topic ideas related to video games will surely win you some bonus points from you professor:

• Write a script for a TV show set in the world of “Assassin’s Creed.”
• Create a new playable character for “Street Fighter” and describe their moves and backstory.
• Write a novella that explores the mystery of “Firewatch.”
• Develop a plot for a new “Red Dead Redemption” DLC.
• Write a short story inspired by the characters of “Life is Strange.”
• Imagine a 2023 sequel to “Breath of the Wild” and outline the plot.
• Write a screenplay for a movie based on “Half-Life.”
• Create a new creature for the world of “Monster Hunter” and describe its behavior and habitat.
• Write a story that takes place in the world of “Dark Souls.”
• Develop a new puzzle game concept and describe its gameplay and mechanics.
• Write a fanfiction piece that explores the relationship between Ellie and Dina in “The Last of Us Part II.”

Fun Video Game Topic Ideas

Writing a paper on a fun topic is a sure way to get noticed. Take a look at some of these fun video game topic ideas:

• Rank the best video game soundtracks in games from 2020 to 2023
• Discuss the funniest video game glitches and bugs
• Explore the history of video game consoles and their evolution
• Create the ultimate video game character (talk about their abilities)
• Choose the most iconic video game weapons and discuss their uses
• Debate the best video game crossover events
• Examine the most impressive speedruns in video game history
• Identify the most challenging video game bosses and discuss strategies to beat them
• Rank the most immersive video game worlds and environments
• Celebrate the most memorable moments in video game history.

Best Video Games Topic Ideas

Want to write your paper on an original topic idea? Below you can find what we consider to be some of the best video games topic ideas:

• The use of video games in advertising and marketing in 2023
• The history and impact of gaming consoles on the industry
• The role of video games in fostering creativity and imagination
• The history and impact of speedrunning on the gaming community and industry
• The ethics of video game content and censorship
• The history and impact of arcade games on gaming culture
• The impact of video games on spatial reasoning and navigation skills
• The psychology of character development and player identification in video games
• The role of video games in exploring and experiencing new cultures and worlds
• The impact of video games on decision-making abilities
• The history and impact of gaming conventions on the industry and community

No matter what topic you’ve chosen, our professional writers ready to write a research paper for you. Just hire a professional writer and  buy a research paper to easly get a good grade. 

Get Affordable Video Game Research Paper Help

Our team of experts is ready to jump in and give you the most affordable video game research paper help online. No more googling “ write my research paper ” anymore! Get a high quality custom essay or research paper for any class in as little as 3 hours. High school, college and university students can count on us to impress their teachers with outstanding papers on a wide variety of subjects and topics. Get reliable writing help using our secure platform and improve your GPA in no time. Our writers have extensive experience writing compelling academic content that any professor will appreciate. If you are a student who wants to get more free time every week, leave the essay writing to us. So, if you need some more original video games research paper topics or if you want to get a good essay written for you today, contact our team.

What are some gaming topics? Some more interesting gaming topics could be ideas like: psychological affect of games on young children (can also work for psychology term paper writing), developments in gaming software and design, the impact early video games have had on the gaming world today, or a look over important personalities in gaming. Can I get help writing my video games paper? Yes! It is always advisable to ask for help if you are struggling. Even a seemingly fun and interesting topic like video gaming can become overwhelming and a challenge to write about. So you can definitely get online paper writing help while you yourself enjoy playing games instead of writing about them! What is the biggest problem in the gaming industry? There are a few major problems in the gaming industry, however the most current and important one at the moment is labor conditions and economic compensation for gaming industry workers. Gaming is a difficult industry where professionals are constantly working over average hours.

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How to Write an Essay about Video Games: Presenting Effective Arguments in Papers

Gaming on video consoles is becoming more and more common. In actuality, the typical gamer plays for roughly six hours each week. There are many who claim that video games are harmful to one’s health since they promote inactive lifestyles like prolonged sitting and isolation from the outside world. On the other hand, some people say that playing video games is a good way to unwind and relax, and they are not wrong. So, what is the real story of video games? Are they good or bad? The controversy of playing video games presents an opportunity for students to either be proponents or antagonists of the issue through essays. Accordingly, this article discusses how a learner can write an essay about video games.

It would be best to do thorough research before writing an essay about video games

Research is often the most challenging aspect of preparing an essay. While writing your video games essay, you’ll have to employ the information you get from research to define video games, describe different genres, and give relevant examples to support your claims. Students must recognize that the amount of research they conduct totally affects how good their essays turn out. Your video game essay will benefit greatly from your careful attention to detail and thorough investigation. Just keep in mind that you are trying to convince your audience to see things from your point of view. This is why having a great deal of background information is essential. Researching your favorite video game would give you an added advantage. Additionally, to support your claims, you must include relevant examples and research-based data.

You should develop an introduction that captures your reader’s interest

The whole point of the opening paragraph is to capture the interest of the audience. To achieve this, it should pose an intriguing topic or provide a contradiction or paradox. You ought to add a good hook to grab the reader’s attention so they can’t help but keep reading your paper. Given that there are numerous motivations for why individuals engage in video games, the introduction is where you have to specify the reasons. Moreover, it would be best to incorporate your thesis statement in the introduction. A thesis statement is basically the writer’s primary concept, summed up in one or a few sentences. A well-formulated thesis statement expresses the work’s central argument in a way that makes sense in light of the inquiry or issue at hand. It would be the correct response to the question, “What is the primary theme of this essay?” from the instructor. Nonetheless, you should perceive your thesis as an opinion that may be debated at any time, rather than an established fact or objective reality. In other words, now is the time to speak your mind regarding the impact of video games on today’s youth.

You must present your arguments in the body paragraphs

The arguments are what learners utilize to support their thesis. A single contention and one or two examples must each have their own paragraph. It would be best to provide your reasoning for your video game position and be sure to explain why you firmly disagree with the opposing viewpoint. Examples include your own experiences and, where appropriate, references to data from studies, forecasts, and statistics. Students should provide answers to contentious topics like “Do video games promote addiction and violence among players?” The arguments you employ ought to back your main point rather than contradict it.

You may offer vivid illustrations as you write an argumentative essay about video games

Learners should offer evocative examples of the genres and video games under consideration. Instead of stressing about whether the material you discover online or the game’s publishers are legit, dedicate yourself to writing a fun and vibrant paper for the person who reads it. This approach piques the audience’s attention and facilitates their comprehension of the argumentative essay about video games. Additionally, these vivid examples assist you in conveying your ideas in a manner that words can’t. Even if you aren’t convinced that your assignment requires an example, using one might perk up your reader and provide your arguments additional weight.

You should write a conclusion for your essay

The last section is meant to sum up the college essay. You may accomplish this by restating the thesis statement and briefly mentioning the arguments you presented in your body paragraphs. This approach will help the audience understand how you systematically addressed the issue and made conclusions. For instance, suppose you had to respond to the question, “Do games negatively affect us?” A topic like that can’t be satisfactorily answered by psychology, particularly when it involves something as novel as video games. Consequently, it is actually way easier to just pick a side and support your position with some research. In the end, your readers don’t expect the argument to be elaborated upon but rather summarized. No new material should be introduced in the last paragraph.

Identifying the sources you employed would be best

When you are writing an essay about video games, it is essential to cite your sources. That means you got to make a list of every resource you used in your paper. References to diverse books, scientific studies, statistical data, and remarks made by well-known experts are acceptable. It would help to make sure your research is from the past five years.

Proofreading is vital for developing a top-notch paper

Students must make sure that their essays about video games have been edited and proofread prior to submission. So basically, you are going to check your assignment for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical mistakes. Completing an essay that is free of errors increases a learner’s likelihood of academic success. Here are some tips to help you proofread your work:

• Read the text aloud. This will enable you to detect any mistakes.
• Take your time proofreading and revising your work. Spend sufficient time on it to ensure you catch any possible oversights.
• Concentrate on correcting a single mistake at a time. Avoid the hassle of searching for spelling and grammar mistakes at the same time. Prior to checking for punctuation and spelling problems, you may concentrate on grammatical issues.
• You may also create a list of the most typical errors that students make while writing essays, then review your work for each one.

Using these suggestions will guarantee that your essay is devoid of all types of mistakes that might undermine how persuasive your argument is. Alternatively, you can delegate your “ write my essay ” request to online essay writing services like CustomWritings which may allow you to complete a high-quality paper about video games.

Extra tips for presenting better arguments in essays about video games

Today’s youth often engage in video gaming, and this trend will only spread in the coming years. Composing a paper about video games can help you learn more about the subject while also providing readers with information they can utilize in their lives. Just consider the potential for them to be inspired by and gain new knowledge from your essay about video games. Following this article’s recommendations should take you a step closer to achieving your academic goals.

Nick Sinclair

Nick Sinclair, a gaming aficionado since the Commodore 64 era, studied Creative Computer Games Design in university before founding his own gaming company. Discovering a passion for content creation, Nick now helps gamers squeeze every drop of fun out of their favorite gaming hardware

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How to write a video game story

I took a game writing course. Here’s what I learned

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My first attempt at writing a video game script begins with the socialist journalist and activist Marina Ginestà, a remarkable woman who died five years ago, at the age of 94.

Although she lived an eventful life, she’s most famous for a photograph taken of her when she was 17 years old, standing on the rooftop of a Barcelona hotel, a rifle slung over her shoulder. It’s one of the most arresting images of the Spanish Civil War, in which young, idealistic Europeans like Ginestà fought for democracy, against a coalition of fascists and aristocrats.

I’m going to use that photograph as the first building block of my game. You see, I’ve signed onto an online course called Story for Video Games , a six-session investigation of interactive narrative. By the end of the course, I hope to have created a fully fleshed story for a game. There’s no coding or art. I only have to write.

The course is run by John Yorke, the author of Into the Woods , a book on how stories work. He also runs courses on writing novels, plays, movie scripts, and TV dramas. He’s spent most of his career in British television, holding senior roles on the BBC’s most popular production, the rollicking soap opera EastEnders .

Yorke tells me that games pose a particular challenge because of their interactivity, and their reliance on spectacular visual effects.

“In games, the writing often takes second place to design and technology,” he says. “If developers invest more in the writing, in the very best screenwriters, that’s going to take them to the next level.”

Yorke says he plays “AAA, blockbuster games, when I can find the time.” He is assisted by experts in gaming, including Caroline Marchal, CEO of studio Interior Night, which is currently working on a narrative game for Sega. She formerly worked at Quantic Dream, where she was lead game designer for Beyond: Two Souls . Quantic Dream is arguably the world’s most ambitious studio when it comes to interactive narratives and character-driven gaming, seen in its most recent title, 2018’s Detroit: Become Human , which has sold 2 million copies.

“The big difference between movies or novels and video games is that, because they’re interactive, the audience is actually part of the experience in a way other media doesn’t offer,” she says. “So the journey they’re going through is the same as that of the protagonist. That creates challenges as well as opportunities.”

The session’s first exercise is to create a protagonist. Yorke asks that I mention the game’s genre in my written presentation, but he’s much more interested in the character at the center of my game than in the way the game plays. He says games are beginning to escape a long history of character cliches and stereotypes, and he’s looking for his students’ work to reflect that progress.

“I’ve seen a lot of really basic, James Bond-level characterizations in games,” he says. “It’s done out of a desire for safety. The games companies think that’s the easiest person for players to empathize with. But I think they’re wrong. That’s not how empathy really works. Empathy is about finding something inside a character that’s flawed and damaged; that you understand.”

Yorke and Marchal’s introduction to the course states their belief that today’s games should focus as much on stories as on activities. They point toward the recent success of narrative games in which protagonists (and antagonists) have displayed more depth and human resonance than in years gone by. Their gallery of examples includes The Last of Us , Her Story , Overwatch , and Reigns .

I want to find out if they’re right. Is character really as important in a game as it is in a novel or a play? So I’m going to write my story.

Creating stories

There’s one snag. I’ve been writing about games for decades. I’m deeply interested in how they work and how they affect me. But I have never in my life felt the least inclination to actually make one.

It’s not that I’m averse to telling stories. I’ve written two novels , so theoretically, I ought to at least be curious about writing a story-based game. But in the realms of fiction, I’ve always cared more about why people do the things that they do, than on what they actually do. My novels include few action sequences. The stories focus mainly on dialogue and relationships. This is how novels work. But it’s not how games work.

Most narrative-heavy games, like Telltale’s story adventures, are constantly introducing action elements that draw focus away from emotional problems and toward practical and physical puzzles. But we’re beginning to see exceptions, such as Florence and My Child Lebensborn — both of which were ranked in Polygon’s top 50 games of last year — which focus almost entirely on story and resonance.

Yorke’s course is attractive to me because it’s dedicated to the curious idea that novels and games are the same, at least insofar as how they allow us to inhabit other people.

”All stories are forged from the same template,” he says. “What that template is and why we need to follow it is the subject of this course.”

Traditionally, games have mostly been dedicated to inhabiting the physicality of their characters. Mario jumps. Solid Snake sneaks. Lara climbs. Their personalities and backstories are sideshows, or thin marketing exercises. The characters lack substance. Their motivations are arcane.

Marchal points toward woeful completion rates for many single-player campaigns. “If you look at the statistics for single-player games, the majority of players do not finish them. That’s a storytelling problem,” she says. Raptr estimated that only one in 10 players completed the final mission in the original Red Dead Redemption (which has, admittedly, a very long campaign).

She argues that, in many big-budget action-adventures, players lose interest in the mechanics, but a good story would pull them forward. Players want to care about the game’s characters and about the most important element of any story: What happens next?

“There’s a lot we can learn from the ways stories have been crafted for centuries, which can then be crafted to work with just about any kind of game, even if it doesn’t seem to fit any kind of traditional linear model,” she says.

To fix this problem, Marchal argues that game designers must rise to the challenge of increasing narrative complexity. Technology today — animation, artificial intelligence, dynamic narrative systems — allows for deeper characters than in the past. We can all agree that Lara Croft is a more complicated and interesting person than she was 25 years ago. Tomb Raider’s recent three-game reboot was built around the story of Croft’s growth as a character.

As players become more demanding and diverse, they desire more believable, flawed, identifiable characters. In his introduction to the course, Yorke points out that game stories and linear stories fit the same patterns, but that they are not the same thing. They require specific approaches. “Writing for a linear medium is difficult,” he says. “Writing for games is even harder. There are very specific challenges and pitfalls to overcome. The task gets even more complex when you consider that narrative needs vary greatly from one game genre to another.”

I’m interested in writing about people and emotions. So it feels like I ought to be able to explore my ideas through the medium of games. At least, I want to find out if it’s possible. I know my game is never going to get made. I just want to see how far I am able to run with Yorke’s ideas.

And so, my game character comes to life.

Murderous communist

Olivia Espinoza is a woman in her early 20s. She dresses in factory-issue clothing or in dark, bohemian garb. She lives in Paris, in 1942, under Nazi occupation. She is a communist, a political idealist who works for the French Resistance. She is also a cold-eyed assassin.

I am required to supply some sort of visual aid to my character. Although Olivia is older than Marina Ginestà is in her photograph, the image sums her up nicely.

My game could be a shooter, or action-adventure. I’m interested in a human adventure, like A Case of Distrust , a noirish game I admire greatly, in which dialogue trees and visual puzzles lead the player toward the resolution of a mystery.

I want to see Olivia move through wartime Paris, engaging in awesome conversations with Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, with collaborators and resistance fighters. I want to see her cope with encountering Jewish parents, hiding from the round-ups.

My desire to model Olivia’s story on a niche game turns out to be a mistake. When I present Olivia, my tutors say nice, encouraging things to me. But they’re confused about what she’ll actually be doing in the game, and they want to hear more about her motivations.

They’re not familiar with A Case of Distrust, so I take the easy option and add $100 million to my imaginary development budget. It’s going to be a AAA extravaganza, more like The Last of Us .

But it’s important to me that this isn’t another game about killing people. I want to place severe restrictions on Olivia, so she can’t just run around Paris shooting Nazis. In my game, it’s going to be just as difficult to kill Nazis as it would have been in wartime Paris.

Of course, the game is all in my head, so I have unlimited access to the best coders, animators, and financial backers in the universe. But I also have tutors, and they warn me that my game must be created within the realms of the practically possible and the commercially viable.

They are kind enough to leave me with just enough wiggle room to ignore their guidance. I figure, if I’ve been given this opportunity to write my game, I’m not going to fret about what some bean counter at EA or Activision might think about it.

I understand, of course, that in the real world, my idea would have zero chance of attracting funding. It’s fine. I’m here to find out how interactive stories work. I already know how the game industry works.

Narrative arcs

Story in games can sometimes create an inherent friction between the writer’s ambitions, the designer’s goals, and the player’s desires.

Doom co-creator John Carmack once said , “Story in a game is like story in a porn movie: it’s expected to be there, but it’s not that important.” Back in 1993 , Doom relied on its superb game design and graphical innovations to capture the imaginations of players.

But the world has moved on. Years later, the Doom of 2016 comes with a big narrative element that falls broadly into the same three-act pattern of a classic movie or play.

The unnamed playable character is faced with the challenge of closing a portal to hell. He resolves a series of crises, generally manifesting as hordes of monsters. He overcomes an antagonist and resolves the initial challenge. It’s true that he displays little in the way of personality — certainly, he’s no Hamlet — but he interacts with people who have motivations and flaws in a way that we do not see in the original game.

Overwatch is one of the most successful shooting games in the world, a modern successor of sorts to Doom . It is filled with characters like Tracer, D.Va, and Hanzo, whose backstories and personalities add significantly to the game’s appeal.

Like many creative writing tutors, Yorke argues that all great characters come with three things. They have to want something. They have to need something. And they have to demonstrate a flaw that the story addresses.

So I set to work on Olivia’s wants, needs, and flaws.

She is tasked by her resistance bosses with assassinating the Nazi chief of police in his fortified lair. What she wants is to complete her mission.

But she’s unhappy. She’s spent her life killing people, and yet finds no satisfaction, or reward, in her work. She needs to break free from her life of violence, while still staying true to her desire to defeat the Nazis and create a better world.

Olivia’s flaw is that she’s a dogmatic person who’s unable to understand her own despair. From a young age, she’s gained immense skills as a warrior, but in achieving excellence as an assassin, she’s denied herself basic humanity.

Inciting incidents

The course follows a pattern of investigation, followed by creativity, and then analysis. Each week, the students — there are about a dozen of us — watch YouTube clips, play games, and read story synopses from a variety of games. We offer perspectives on what we believe works well, and what doesn’t.

We look at motivations, antagonists, and inciting incidents, studying games as varied as Candy Crush , Ico , Evolve , The Crew , and Red Dead Redemption .

One element of game design that fascinates Yorke is the relationship between the player and the main character.

“There’s a contradiction between the agency a player has, and how that conflicts and contrasts with the desires of the game’s writer,” he says. “How you marry those two things together is difficult, but also an incredible opportunity, if you get it right.”

Some games, like multiplayer worlds, present “blank slate” characters that are built by the player, who fills in the blanks. But these stories cleave to narrative models based on heroes, villains, an inciting incident, crisis, and resolution. Resolution can come in the form of completing a mission or leveling up or acquiring a sword. These games are cast as “open-world” or as “sandboxes,” but they are essentially amalgamations of fairy tales, tied together with an overarching story.

I work my way through these examples, offering notes when required. My homework is evaluated by Yorke, Marchal, various tutors, and other students. Feedback is always delivered in a way that’s constructive and useful.

We move on to studying the classic three-act structure of stories, and how such a notion fits with games. I immerse myself in the detailed story arcs of Inside and Life is Strange .

The course addresses arguments about whether or not games, by being interactive, are fundamentally separate from linear forms. We look at mainstream literature and entertainment, from Macbeth to Jaws , drawing comparisons with games. We learn how linear structures work in the context of games, emphasizing how games bend and morph these structures in ways that are still being investigated by writers.

Redemption and rejection

I return to my project and try to apply what I’ve learned.

Yorke says it’s useful to be able to state a story’s theme in one word. My story about Olivia focuses on redemption. It’s about her relationship with deadly violence. The warrior-to-pacifist transformation has been told many times before, but rarely in the context of a video game.

Emerging pacifism throws up interesting challenges in the context of a game. I find myself struggling to find things for the player to do, while Olivia works through her journey. Again and again, my tutors try to correct my habit of longish dialogue tree sessions. I keep at it, honing my scenes to give the player as much agency and illusion of choice as possible.

Long story short, Olivia’s mission to take out the evil cop goes awry, and she accidentally kills the cop’s mistress. During her escape from the police station, Olivia kills two guards who get in her way. They are guarding a West African nun, who is being interrogated about the location of missing Jewish orphans. This is the inciting incident.

The nun knows an opportunity when she sees one. She wants Olivia to arrange for the escape of these orphans. The plan provides a short-term refuge for Olivia, so she agrees. But the nun has one stipulation. She asks that Olivia kill no more people during this mission. The nun sternly assures Olivia that while she is grateful to be free, the deaths of the soldiers are a stain on her own religious beliefs and eternal conscience.

This causes a friction between the two women, and within Olivia. Resolving this friction — the justification of violence as a means to an end — is where we encounter Olivia’s need. It also creates a challenge for the player throughout the game. Killing people will solve immediate problems, but will endanger the children. Stealth — which I have always loved playing — will be a core activity in my game.

As the game progresses, Olivia and the nun travel across Paris, evading patrols. They survive a series of dangerous encounters that allow us to explore cool Parisian locations, often converted for quasi-military purposes due to the war.

Missions often create practical problems that illustrate the pros and cons of the women’s competing ideologies. Pacifism is hard. It can also be dangerous and, in this setting, possibly self-defeating.

The gameplay structure is a little like that of A Way Out , which makes use of a variety of devices to tell a story about a prison break, and to explore the relationship between two very different convicts.

My dialogue tasks are heavily influenced by Mike Bithell’s superb work in Subsurface Circular , in which characters are revealed through conversations that also progress the plot. Olivia and the nun argue with one another while the story moves forward. In turn, the player is presented with provocative arguments, and a little levity, as the two women buddy up.

Olivia is forged by violence. The nun is heavily influenced by origin Christianity, and by the ancient traditions of her upbringing. In time, they will both be forced to confront their own inconsistencies because (of course) nothing is as simple as it seems, most especially to ideologues.

When he reviews my story, Yorke suggests that I find a way to physically manifest this exchange of ideas. So I have the nun present Olivia with a necklace: an enamel tortoise charm. In her home country, the tortoise represents peace.

This reminds me of a lesson about writing, one that I’ve always struggled with. Physically, writing is the act of stringing words together. The production is text. But weaving words is barely the point. Writers must think in terms of images, because that’s what the reader “sees” when they’re reading.

I’m a person who thinks in the language of words. It’s difficult for me to construct images and then write about them. I do it the other way around. This is a problem.

But if I want to write a game, even this leap, from words to images, is not enough. Game writers have to go farther.

Stories and history

A few weeks into the course and it’s impossible for me to play games without thinking about story. I play Red Dead Redemption 2 and Tetris Effect . The first is chock-full of characters and stories. The second has almost no story at all, but incorporates imagery that suggests narrative forms, such as discovery and redemption.

The dichotomy of story and not-story is at the center of gaming history. In the early days of games, those beeping, menacing Space Invaders arrived without any apparent motivation, inner conflict, or backup plan. We just shot them, and they shot us, and everyone was happy. The action game was born.

At the same time, text adventures appeared — Zork , The Hobbit , A Mind Forever Voyaging — that were wholly stories, with characters, motivation, flaws, and plot twists. They were smart, provocative, and commercially marginal.

Over the next three decades, these entirely different forms came together, and action games began to include narrative elements. Role-playing adventures, the descendants of those text adventures, became action-oriented exercises, interspersing killing and fighting with cutscenes or walking conversations between characters.

Commercial considerations and marketing drove the embrace of narrative and character. Sonic the Hedgehog was born from Sega’s desire to show off the Genesis’ ability to render fast-moving action. The company wanted a mascot who could compete and contrast with Nintendo’s Mario. Sonic’s main attributes were speed and a cocky, anti-establishment attitude.

This naked branding fed into comics and cartoons, as the character’s popularity exploded. But Sonic has always been trapped inside the mundane ambitions of his creators, and has never evolved into anything more than a funny mascot. (I accept that not everyone will agree with this view.)

Throughout the ’90s, stories became a creative consideration. Like all human beings, game developers had been brought up enjoying stories, and wanted to add gravitas and drama to their work.

But game developers were often better at coding than they were at telling stories. They made their games, and then they grafted on some hackneyed version of Lord of the Rings or Star Trek. A few games managed to stand out because of their devotion to story and to mythology, such as the Final Fantasy series.

Game publishers took note. Companies hired writers, usually to package up gameplay and art assets. Spinoff novels pulled convoluted series like Halo and Assassin’s Creed into some semblance of narrative form. Missions were cast as mini-stories, adding up to a baffling whole in which a princess was saved, a bomb deactivated, a tyrant deposed.

Critics began to write about games as stories, lambasting certain games for their ludonarrative dissonance in which the player’s actions are at odds with the personality or the aspirations of the on-screen character.

Big-budget games began to appear with more believable and compelling stories. BioShock, Mass Effect and Dragon Age explored the meaning of interactive stories, layering their narratives with provocative ideas about agency and heroism. They helped to establish games as fully rounded narrative experiences. Games now compete directly with the rest of the entertainment business, and must present themselves as coherent tales, in the same way as blockbuster movies. Many of the most highly prized games are seen as writerly endeavors.

The Witcher series is literally based on fantasy novels. The big games of 2018, like Red Dead Redemption 2 , Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Shadow of the Tomb Raider , all began life as stories about characters, not as tech demos in search of drama.

These days, game producers are more likely to view writers as central to big game projects. In press interviews, development team leaders like The Last of Us’ Neil Druckmann and Red Dead Redemption’s Dan Houser speak about themselves primarily as writers, and secondarily as producers or directors. When Square Enix rebooted Tomb Raider, it sent out its writer Rhianna Pratchett as a prime spokesperson. In interviews, she talked about Lara as a person, not as an amalgamation of polygons designed to deliver kicks to the player.

Diverse bunch

My tutors press me to tighten my story. They send me notes asking for more clarity, more interactivity, more drama, and more fun. What they really want, I divine, is more action. They poke at each scene. I rewrite. My game improves.

My fellow students are facing the same process. We chat with one another via forums. They are a diverse bunch of men and women from various countries, a mixture of mainstream writers who want to learn about games and game developers who want to learn about writing. The course costs around $1,600, and takes up maybe half a day per week for seven weeks.

Most of us have full-time jobs. So the only mandatory exercise is the writing of the game story; all the others are optional. It’s easygoing and good fun.

I’m fascinated by the diversity of the other students’ games and stories. One action-RPG tells the tale of a soldier’s lost pet. Another is a racing game about a group of cartoon couriers. One game follows the romantic adventures of a woman who does not conform to standard beauty ideals. Another takes on the god game genre, and delves into the Almighty’s personal relationship with life creation.

These writers are looking at ways to polish up their resumes or even to launch their own indie projects.

In the last 10 years, we’ve seen a remarkable growth of indie games with powerful stories and memorable characters. Among them are some of my favorite games ever, including Tacoma , Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture , Rakuen , Blackwood Crossing , Orwell , and Virginia .

Action games are wonderful, but we all occasionally (or often) want something else. We want games to make us feel the way the best movies and books make us feel. And games are now providing that. It’s amazing that, only a decade ago, “ can games make you cry? ” was a genuinely interesting question. Now, who among us has not shed a tear at a game story?

Final exercise

For the final exercise, we must present our game stories, complete with descriptions of fully interactive elements. In my story, Olivia and the nun both make accommodations with one another’s beliefs, in order to save each other and to rescue the children. Olivia encounters the chief of police. The player decides if he lives or dies.

The nun falls into the hands of the Nazis. Olivia breaks into the Nazi compound, but when she finds the nun, Olivia discovers that she has been tortured beyond any possibility of escape. The nun begs to be spared further torture and her inevitable confession. She must die in order for the children to live. The nun sacrifices her own beliefs in the sanctity of life, while Olivia sacrifices her warrior self. The last person Olivia will ever kill is the nun (again, this is a player choice).

The tortoise “peace” necklace makes its reappearance in the final scene, offering Olivia a practical strategy for shepherding the children past Nazi guards, and onto a waiting boat bound for Britain.

In the final scene, we see her on a Normandy beach, gazing out across the English Channel. She will win the war, but she will kill no more. Her want, need, and flaw have been resolved.

Useful lessons

I’ve learned a ton of storytelling tips and techniques that shape the story, that add to its most intense beats, and that create an ending that feels satisfying and whole, at least to me. I feel the class has made me a better writer, and it’s made me understand game design more fully.

I’ve also learned to further appreciate how games are taking basic theories about story and subverting them in the name of fun and interactivity. When I play Reigns: Game of Thrones , I’m struck by how cleverly each character, each quest, and each decision follows a pattern of inciting incident, crisis, and resolution (though not always in that order).

Few games can (or should) blindly follow a three-act shape. But understanding form is how artists learn to subvert and surprise. This is the value of the course.

The biggest lesson is that writers of games aren’t merely storytellers; they are kinetic designers. Like all writers, they must create words by conjuring imagery. But they must also operate in the realm of action. The story is about the characters, of course. It’s also about what the player sees. But, most importantly, it’s about what the player does in the context of the narrative. Marrying character, action, and player together is the trick. This requires three-dimensional thinking that I now know for certain is a tough skill to master. My admiration for good game writers increases.

I still have no plans to make a game, but I’ll write up Olivia as a short story for my weekly fiction writers group. She exists in the world now. She and the nun have taught me something about what it means to be a person.

I hope my fellow students will find jobs, or project backers, and will bring their ideas into the world. That would make for the sort of narrative resolution Yorke would enjoy.

12 Writing Prompts about Video Games

Whether it is writing a story from the perspective of a character from a video game, or being thoughtful about what games have to offer as positive experiences, there should be something for everyone here.

I know the best storylines in some of the games I’ve played over the years have stuck with me far longer than most movie storylines – because I was part of the story unfolding I suppose.

These can be great to get your students engaged and enthusiastic about writing too! You might also like to try our superhero writing prompts for some more excited students writing sessions!

Let’s get into it…

How to use:

Try a random prompt and write 500 words on it right now!

Or maybe you’d prefer to try combining two prompts into one very detailed exploration of what video games mean to you.

You can do a writing week challenge – write in depth on a new topic from the list below each day for a week.

These are all about inspiring thoughtful and enjoyable writing, so get into it however you want to!

The prompts:

• What are some good things about playing video games that people might not know?
• Do you think playing video games such as minecraft can encourage creativity like painting pictures or building things in real life? Why?
• Do you feel more or less connected to other people when you’re spending a lot of time playing games? Why?
• Do you think that video games more actively engage your brain than watching a movie or tv show? Why?
• How is playing a virtual reality game different to a game played on a screen? Explain your thinking with as much detail as possible.
• Can video games impact your emotions? How?
• Do you feel like the emotional connection you have to a character in a video game can be stronger than it would be to a character in a film? Why?
• Do you prefer playing multiplayer or singleplayer story-driven games most of the time? Why?
• What is a game story line that stuck with you for years after playing the game? What was it about that game which made it have such an impact on you?
• Do you spend more time watching Youtubers or twitch streamers play games than playing them yourself? Why?
• Would you like to be a full-time professional gamer, knowing how hard they have to train to get that good? Why?
• Write a story set in the world of your favorite video game. Use as many details of the characters and environment as possible.

Here’s some more for you…

Did you know that we have thousands of free writing prompts, story starters, and all sorts of other free tools and resources here on the site for you?

Take a look around, and don’t forget to bookmark now!

Yours, Matt & Hayley

(P.S. – If you have found this useful, it would be amazing if you could share this with others you think would find it helpful)

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Video Games Argumentative Essays Samples For Students

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Free Video Games Argumentative Essay Example

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Video games have faced criticism and appreciation both at the same time, but still the disadvantages are more commonly highlighted. The most important issue is that an answer to the question “Are video Games dangerous?” is very subjective and it’s very difficult to say that what all games, or playing for how much time, can really prove dangerous.

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South Carolina finishes perfect season with NCAA championship, beating Clark and Iowa 87-75

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley celebrates after the Final Four college basketball championship game against Iowa in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. South Carolina won 87-75. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark stands on the court during the second half of the Final Four college basketball championship game against South Carolina in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, center, celebrates with the trophy after the Final Four college basketball championship game against Iowa in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. South Carolina won 87-75. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley reacts to a call during the first half of the Final Four college basketball championship game against Iowa in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

South Carolina players and coach celebrate after the Final Four college basketball championship game against Iowa in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. South Carolina won 87-75. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso (10) drives around Iowa forward Addison O’Grady during the first half of the Final Four college basketball championship game in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark celebrates after making a three-point basket during the first half of the Final Four college basketball championship game against South Carolina in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives past South Carolina guard Bree Hall (23) during the first half of the Final Four college basketball championship game in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

South Carolina guard Raven Johnson (25) blocks a shot by Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) during the first half of the Final Four college basketball championship game in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso grabs a rebound over Iowa guard Kylie Feuerbach, right, during the first half of the Final Four college basketball championship game in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, center, greets Iowa guard Kylie Feuerbach (4) and guard Kate Martin (20) at the end of the Final Four college basketball championship game in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. South Carolina won 87-75. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

South Carolina players celebrate at the end of the Final Four college basketball championship game against Iowa in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. South Carolina won 87-75. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley cuts down the net after the Final Four college basketball championship game against Iowa in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. South Carolina won 87-75. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

South Carolina forward Ashlyn Watkins celebrates at the end of the Final Four college basketball championship game against Iowa in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. South Carolina won 87-75. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Kamilla Cardoso delivered once again for Dawn Staley and South Carolina .

A perfect finish. A dynasty. A team too big for Caitlin Clark and Iowa this time around.

Cardoso had 15 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, and South Carolina completed its perfect season with an 87-75 victory over Clark and the Hawkeyes in the NCAA championship game on Sunday.

With Staley directing a relentless attack from the sideline, the Gamecocks (38-0) became the 10th Division I team to go through a season without a loss. And they accomplished the feat after they lost all five starters from last season’s team that lost to Clark’s squad in the national semifinals.

“When young people lock in and have a belief, and have a trust, and their parents have that same trust, this is what can happen,” Staley said. “They made history. They etched their names in the history books.”

Clark did all she could to lead the Hawkeyes to their first championship. She scored 30 points, including a championship-record 18 in the first quarter. She rewrote the record book at Iowa (34-5), finishing as the career leading scorer in NCAA Division I history with 3,951 points.

She hopes her legacy isn’t defined by falling short in two NCAA championship games, but more by the millions of new fans she helped bring into the game and the countless young girls and boys that she inspired.

“I think the biggest thing is it’s really hard to win these things, I think I know that better than most people by now, to be so close twice really hurts,” Clark said.

As the final buzzer sounded, a stoic Clark walked off the court, through the confetti, and into the tunnel heading to the locker room.

“I personally want to thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport. She carried a heavy load for our sport,” Staley said. “She’s going to lift that league (WNBA) up as well. Caitlin Clark if you’re out there you’re one of the GOATs of our game. We appreciate you.”

South Carolina has won three titles in the last eight years, including two of the past three, to lay claim to being the latest dynasty in women’s basketball. Staley became the fifth coach to win at least three national championships, joining Geno Auriemma, Pat Summitt, Kim Mulkey and Tara VanDerveer.

The Gamecocks, who have won 109 of their last 112 games, became the first team since UConn in 2016 to go undefeated. South Carolina had a couple scares throughout the season, but always found a way to win.

With most of the team returning next year, Staley’s team is in a good position to keep this run going.

“This team, we’re going to be good. Coach Staley, we have the best coach, what, in the country, in the nation, in the whole wide world?” Raven Johnson said. “It’s no telling what she’s going to add to the pieces that’s already here. I just say be on the lookout.”

Tessa Johnson led South Carolina with 19 points. Cardoso, the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player, also blocked three shots.

“Kamilla Cardoso was not going to let us lose a game in the NCAA Tournament,” Staley said. “She played through an injury, she played like one of the top picks in the WNBA draft, and her teammates did something that no teammates have done for somebody who went to the WNBA in our program. They send her off as a national champion. So this is history for us.”

Led by the 6-foot-7 Cardoso and Ashlyn Watkins, South Carolina enjoyed a 51-29 rebounding advantage. It also finished with 30 second-chance points.

The Gamecocks also showed off their impressive depth. Tessa Johnson helped the team to a 37-0 difference in points by reserves.

South Carolina trailed 46-44 late in the second quarter before going on an 11-0 run spanning halftime to open a 55-46 advantage early in the third quarter. Clark finally ended the run with a layup.

The Hawkeyes closed to 59-55 and had a chance to get even closer, but Hannah Stuelke missed a wide-open layup on a brilliant pass from Clark.

South Carolina responded with the next eight points, including two 3-pointers. The Gamecocks, who were 4 for 20 from behind the 3-point line during last season’s Final Four loss to Iowa, went 8 for 19 from deep against the Hawkeyes in the victory.

Iowa was down 80-75 after a three-point play by Sydney Affolter with 4:12 left. But the Hawkeyes were shut out the rest of the way.

Clark checked out with 20 seconds left when Iowa coach Lisa Bluder subbed in fellow senior Molly Davis, who hadn’t played since she got hurt in the regular-season finale against Ohio State.

“I’m proud of my team, though. Finishing national runner-up two years in a row is an amazing feat,” Bluder said. “Nobody thought we were going to be here at the beginning of the year, so that makes it pretty special.”

Unlike the semifinals, when Clark struggled against UConn’s defense, she got going early against South Carolina scoring 18 points in the opening quarter to set a championship game record, surpassing the 16 that Jasmine Carson of LSU had last year against the Hawkeyes.

The Gamecocks trailed 46-44 in the final minute when Te-Hina Paopao hit a 3-pointer and Raven Johnson stole the ball from Clark near midcourt and went in for a layup. South Carolina led 49-46 at the half.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Video Games — Pros And Cons Of Video Games

Pros and Cons of Video Games

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Published: Apr 29, 2022

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Works Cited

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• Granic, I., Lobel, A., & Engels, R. C. (2014). The benefits of playing video games. American Psychologist, 69(1), 66-78.
• Green, C. S., & Bavelier, D. (2006). Effect of action video games on the spatial distribution of visuospatial attention. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 32(6), 1465-1478.
• Griffiths, M. D., Kuss, D. J., & Ortiz de Gortari, A. B. (2017). Videogames as therapy: An updated selective review of the medical and psychological literature. International Journal of Privacy and Health Information Management , 5(2), 71-96.
• Kowert, R., & Oldmeadow, J. A. (2015). Playing for social comfort: Online video game play as a social accommodator for the insecurely attached. Computers in Human Behavior, 53, 556-566.
• Kutner, L., & Olson, C. (2008). Grand theft childhood: The surprising truth about violent video games and what parents can do. Simon and Schuster.
• Przybylski, A. K., & Weinstein, N. (2017). A large-scale test of the gaming-enhancement hypothesis. Psychological Science, 28(7), 947-961.
• Ryan, R. M., Rigby, C. S., & Przybylski, A. (2006). The motivational pull of video games: A self-determination theory approach. Motivation and Emotion, 30(4), 344-360.
• Subrahmanyam, K., Greenfield, P., & Gross, E. (2001). The impact of computer use on children's and adolescents' development. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 22(1), 7-30.
• Van Rooij, A. J., Ferguson, C. J., Colder Carras, M., Kardefelt-Winther, D., Shi, J., Aarseth, E., ... & Bean, A. M. (2018). A weak scientific basis for gaming disorder: Let us err on the side of caution. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 7(1), 1-9.

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Women’s Final Four recap: Iowa tops UConn to move on to title game against South Carolina

The Iowa Hawkeyes will face off against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the NCAA women’s championship game on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

The undefeated Gamecocks maintained a healthy lead in their earlier game against NC State tonight, paving the way for them to end the season 38-0 if they can secure the trophy Sunday.

And the Hawkeyes battled it out against UConn in a nail-biter that came down to the final milliseconds. Ultimately, all-time scorer Caitlin Clark — with plenty of help from Hannah Stuelke — led her team to the ultimate stage.

Only four men's teams remain

Rebecca Cohen

If you’re looking for some more Final Four fun, tune into the men’s games tomorrow night, which will be at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. 

• No. 1 Purdue will meet No. 11 NC State on the court at 6:09 p.m. ET. 
• No. 1 UConn will face No. 4 Alabama at 8:49 p.m. ET. 

The winner of each of those games will advance to the championship on Monday, also at State Farm Stadium. 

Clark and Stuelke a winning combo

Danielle Cranin Sr. Director Betting & Gaming for NBC Sports.

Clark and Stuelke combined for 44 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists in the Iowa win that extends their season one more game.

After the game Stuelke praised her teammates, who she said "did a great job getting me the ball." “Caitlin here, she’s a great passer,” she said.

Clark said Iowa got off to a good start in the fourth quarter, "came up with some big baskets" and played “great offense.”

"Sometimes that’s just what you need to win, my teammates stepped up and did a really good job, made some great baskets when we needed it," she said.

Iowa wins, 71-69

Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes will face South Carolina in the championship game on Sunday.

A huge UConn 3

Jesse Kirsch

CLEVELAND — A huge Huskies' 3 brings them within 1 of Iowa with just 39.3 to go.

This might be the loudest the UConn section has been all night.

Hawkeye fans get loud

CLEVELAND — Iowa fans are using this break in the action as an opportunity to fire up the crowd. Chants of “Let’s go Hawks!” fill the arena.

How Iowa's been doing it all season long

The Associated Press

You can see how Clark impacts the team stats. Iowa ranks No. 1 in offensive rating and effective field goal percentage. The Hawkeyes are also at the top in 2-point field goal percentage, with Clark’s passing ability setting up easy opportunities for teammates.

This is the weakest defensive team left, even when you account for Iowa’s fast pace. The Hawkeyes are 22nd in the country in defensive rating. They’ll be trying to win in spite of that, counting on simply outscoring their opponents more than shutting them down.

In This Tournament: Only West Virginia, in the second round, has been able  to slow down  Iowa’s offense, and that came on a night the Hawkeyes shot 5 of 22 from 3-point range. Clark had only three assists in that game.

Sell-out crowd taking in the action

CLEVELAND — No surprise here: They've just announced that a sell-out crowd of 18,284 people has filled the arena here for this match-up.

Kristin Juszczyk brings her fashion talents to women’s college basketball

Stuelke sits atop the leaderboard.

Hannah Stuelke leads all scorers with 19 points for Iowa.

Caitlin Clark: 13 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists.

Paige Bueckers: 14 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist.

Both teams are relying on their starters with the bench players contributing 3 points for each team.

It's anybody's game heading into final quarter

CLEVELAND — Iowa and UConn are tied heading into the 4th quarter ... Buckle up!

Rolling out the red carpet in Cleveland

A host of celebrities have made their way to Cleveland for tonight's games.

Cameras inside the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse showed Darius Rucker, Jason Sudeikis, Machine Gun Kelly, and WNBA stars Breanna Stewart, A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum in the stands.

Iowa goes out in front

The Hawkeyes briefly pulled ahead after a couple of free throws. It was their first lead since the first bucket of the game put them ahead 2-0 in the first quarter.

It's a major comeback for Iowa, who trailed by 12 in the second quarter.

But UConn quickly scored to even it up again.

All tied up

We have a tie game! Iowa erases a 7-point deficit with just over 3 minutes to go in the third quarter.

Breaking down the Huskies' game

The Huskies are well balanced, ranking fifth in offensive rating and second in defensive rating. Opponents are shooting only 36% from the field against them.

But UConn doesn’t get to the line very often. The Huskies average 15.3 attempts per game, and every other Final Four team is at 18.9 or better.

In This Tournament: UConn has held all four opponents under 34% from the field. The Huskies finally got to the line a good amount  against Southern California  in the regional final, but they shot just 17 of 27.

The foul factor

Will player fouls start to make the difference? UConn has 11 team fouls to Iowa’s 5.

Cleveland lights it up for women's hoops

CLEVELAND — The city has basketball fever, proudly lighting up the night sky with the teams playing in what is likely to be the most-watched women's Final Four ever.

There she goes

CLEVELAND — Clark gets her first 3 of the nights minutes into the second half.

Here’s how many points Clark has scored in every March Madness game so far

Round 1 vs. Holy Cross: 27 

Round 2 vs. West Virginia: 32

Sweet Sixteen vs. Colorado: 29

Elite Eight vs. LSU: 41

Final Four vs. UConn (so far): 6

Total points scored in the NCAA Tournament: 135 

Clark gets streaky during warmups

CLEVELAND — Is Clark about to get hot?

During warmups before the start of the second half, the All-Amercian drained three straight 3s. She's yet to hit one during this semifinal game.

KK Arnold is the game's leading scorer

UConn’s KK Arnold leads all scorers with 10 points and 4 steals in the first half of this Final Four matchup.

Even with the slow start, Clark is methodically working toward a triple-double with 6 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. She’s 0-6 from behind the arc.

Her pregame over/under for threes was 5.5.

The Huskies take a lead into the locker room

UConn is leading the Iowa Huskies 32-26 at the half.

UConn defense is making a difference: Iowa finished the first half on a 10-4 run to end the half down by six. Iowa's highest-scoring offense since 2014 has been held to just 26 points in the first half.

UConn is now the favorite (-180) on the moneyline.

Iowa fans trying to will their team to a lead

CLEVELAND — As the clock was winding down in the first half and Iowa got into more of a rhythm, the crowd seemed to come alive with the chants rising and falling based on how the Hawkeyes played at both ends of the court.

Though both teams are represented here in the stands, Iowa fans seem to be making more noise.

Just a couple of lifelong sports fans

Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers have clearly been sports fans their whole lives, cheering on football teams since they were too short to man the court.

The Kansas City Chiefs shared a photo of young Clark in Chiefs gear ahead of tonight's Final Four match, and the Minnesota Vikings did the same of Bueckers.

"She grew up cheering for us and now we're cheering for her," the Vikings posted on X.

Rough start for Clark

The superstar is ice cold, going 1-6 from the field with three rebounds, three assists and three costly turnovers.

UConn leads by 9 points with just under 7 minutes to go in the first half.

Michael Phelps ‘honored’ to be on Clark’s lock screen 

Caitlin Clark revealed in an interview this week that her iPhone lock screen is set to a photo of Michael Phelps swimming at the Olympics. “It’s pretty tough,” she said. 

Phelps said he was “honored” to hold that place. 

“This is so cool!” the Olympian wrote in a reply on X . 

Not many points on the board

It was a slow start for both Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, who combined for four points.

Clark, who hit nine threes in the last game, is 0-3 from behind the arc. Iowa is 2-9, while UConn is 4-7 from three-point land to start this contest.

UConn leads after the first quarter

After 10 minutes of play, UConn leads Iowa 19-14, but the Hawkeyes have 30 minutes to try to punch their ticket to the championship game.

Iowa was plagued by turnovers in the first quarter, giving UConn the ball back eight times.

Why women plays in quarters

Unlike their male counterparts, the NCAA women's basketball teams play games of four 10-minute quarters. The men play two 20-minute halves.

The women's rules were changed in 2015 to "enhance the flow of the game," according to a 2015 NCAA release announcing the change.

Prior to the 2015 announcement, women's college basketball also played in two 20-minute halves.

Both the NBA and WNBA play in quarters, as well: The NBA uses four 12-minute quarters, and the WNBA uses four 10-minute quarters.

The second game of the night will likely outscore the first

Expect a much higher scoring game for the second Final Four matchup between UConn and Iowa.

The total opened at 167.5 and has moved down to 162.5. A full 30-points more than the first game tonight.

How Iowa and UConn got here

The Iowa Hawkeyes defeated Holy Cross in the first round, West Virginia in the second round, Colorado in the Sweet 16 and LSU in the Elite Eight, in what ended up being a rematch of last year’s championship game. 

As for UConn, the Huskies barrelled past Jackson State in the first round, Syracuse in the second round, Duke in the Sweet 16 and USC in the Elite Eight to make it to Cleveland tonight.

Clark isn’t the only star on the court tonight. Watch out for UConn’s Paige Bueckers.

Powerhouse guard Paige Bueckers with the UConn Huskies has already racked up 112 points and 20 assists during the NCAA tournament, and she shows no signs of stopping. 

The 22-year-old guard announced in February that she will return to UConn for another year on the court, deferring her decision to enter the WNBA draft, a move that was likely expected of her.

Iowa on the board first

No surprise that Caitlin Clark scored the first points of the game for her Iowa Hawkeyes.

Will this be Caitlin Clark’s final college game?

All eyes have been on NCAA all-time scorer Caitlin Clark since she announced in February that she would be taking her talents to the WNBA after her senior season with the Iowa Hawkeyes. 

Still to be determined is whether tonight’s matchup against UConn will be the last game of her college hoops career. 

Already this year, she became Iowa’s leading scorer, the NCAA women’s leading scorer and even took the title as the highest scorer in the history of NCAA Division I basketball. 

Will she add a championship trophy to her list of college basketball achievements this year, too? 

Pregame player props

Ahead of the Iowa-UConn matchup, 69% of the handle (total money) and 69% of the bets (total transactions) are on Iowa to win; 77% of the handle (total money) and 69% of the bets (total transactions) are on Iowa to cover the spread (-3.5).

The Caitlin Clark points over/under total sits at 34.5 (-102) and 5.5 made threes. Big-time moment for a big-time player.

The Paige Bueckers points over/under total sits at 26.5 (-122) and 2.5 threes.

We know South Carolina is heading to the championship, now we'll find out who they'll face.

No. 1 Iowa and No. 3 UConn are about to face off for the final spot in the championship game at 9:30 p.m. ET.

The championship game is set for 3 p.m. Sunday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.

Cardoso finishes the night with double-double

Kamilla Cardoso leads all scorers and rebounders, finishing with a double-double, 22 points and 11 rebounds.

The South Carolina Gamecocks are headed to the championship

South Carolina snagged their spot in the championship game, beating NC State 78-59. They'll face the winner of UConn-Iowa, which starts next.

Their championship appearance isn't exactly unexpected — they are undefeated on the season, after all.

Can they keep their winning streak alive for one more game and claim the trophy Sunday?

Ted Lasso is a women's basketball fan

Spotted in the crowd: Jason Sudeikis. His Ted Lasso character may be big on soccer, but Sudeikis has been seen taking in several women's basketball games this season.

He was cheering on Iowa and Caitlin Clark in their win over LSU earlier this week.

South Carolina dominates in the third quarter

At the end of the third quarter South Carolina leads 61-37, and the spread has grown to SC -23.5.

NC State will need to start the final quarter fast to stay in the game. South Carolina is 10 minutes from the Championship game.

The Gamecocks built their lead thanks to a monster quarter, outscoring NC State 29-6 in the period. Seven players scored for South Carolina.

Gamecocks' D in a class all its own

Defensively, the Gamecocks are in a class by themselves. With the 6-foot-7 Cardoso protecting the basket, South Carolina is holding opponents to an effective field goal percentage of 36.4, the top defensive mark in the nation. The Gamecocks aren’t quite as dominant on the offensive glass as last year, but they’re playing at a faster tempo and have become more efficient overall on offense. An inability to shoot 3-pointers cost them in the Final Four last year, but that’s no longer a weakness with South Carolina making them at a 39% clip in 2023-24.

But they shoot just 69% from the free throw line and don’t do a particularly good job getting there.

In This Tournament: That improvement from beyond the arc came in handy for the Gamecocks in their one close game in this tournament. They shot 8 of 16 in  a 79-75 win  over Indiana in the Sweet 16.

A double-digit lead for South Carolina

The Gamecocks started pulling away after the half, nabbing the first double-digit lead of the game.

With just under 5 minutes to go in the quarter, they lead the NC State Wolfpack by 12.

Breaking down the Wolfpack's game

Coming in to tonight's game, The Wolfpack had the fourth-lowest foul rate in the nation, although given South Carolina’s spotty free throw shooting, that might not be much of an advantage for their semifinal. N.C. State has also done a good job on the defensive boards, which could be a more important asset.

The Wolfpack are just 25th in offensive rating. They aren’t great at forcing turnovers or getting offensive rebounds, and for a team with fairly middling shooting percentages, N.C. State’s inability to create extra chances could be a problem.

In This Tournament: Outside shooting was big for the Wolfpack the last two games. N.C. State went 16 of 35 from 3-point range against Texas and Stanford. The Wolfpack, however, had only four offensive rebounds against the Longhorns, six against Stanford and three in the second around against Tennessee.

South Carolina hasn't lost since last season

The Gamecocks took the court without a loss this year, touting their impressive 36-0 record.

The NC State Wolfpack, on the other hand, entered with a record of 31-6.

Cleveland mad for basketball and eclipse

CLEVELAND — People here have their eyes on the court — and the skies.

Between the women's championship and excitement over Monday's eclipse, the city is buzzing with energy.

The action kicks off on the hardwood tonight at 7 p.m., and the moon is expected to block out the sun here at 3:15 p.m. Monday.

Read here for more on the eclipse, including times it’s visible, path of totality, why glasses are essential and more.

South Carolina leads by one at the end of the half

The score sits at 32-31 at the end of the first half, in South Carolina's favor.

Kamilla Cardoso walked off the court, appearing to be injured, with just minutes left on the clock. We'll see if she makes it back after halftime.

Kamilla Cardoso is on a tear

The South Carolina center is already in double digits, racking up the last 10 points for the Gamecocks — and knocking in all of her team's points thus far into the second quarter.

Final 4 x 2 = UConn and NC State

Hearing a lot about UConn? Or NC State? 

That’s because both the men’s and the women’s teams made it to this year’s Final Four in their respective tournaments. 

The UConn men’s team will face Alabama and the NC State men’s team will play Purdue tomorrow night. The winners will advance to the men’s championship game. 

Tied up at the end of the first quarter

South Carolina and NC State will head into the second quarter knotted up 16-16.

Check the three-point line

Earlier in the tournament, there was an issue with the 3-point line for the at Moda Center. A discrepancy in distance at each end of the court went unnoticed through four games over two days before Texas and NC State were informed of the problem ahead of their Elite Eight matchup on Sunday.

The teams’ coaches agreed to play Sunday’s game as scheduled with the mismatched 3-point lines rather than delay it, the NCAA said in a statement. N.C. State beat Texas 76-66 to advance to the Final Four.

Tickets to the women’s Final Four are selling for twice as much as the men’s

The average price paid for a ticket on the resale market this week was twice as high for the NCAA women’s Final Four compared with that for the men’s semifinals, according to a technology company that analyzes prices across multiple platforms.

The average price of a ticket sold to the women’s semifinals was $2,323; the average sale price for the men’s was $1,001.21, Logitix reported Wednesday.

The women’s games Friday match Iowa against Connecticut and South Carolina against North Carolina State at the 19,432-seat Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. Including data from sales made a month ago and longer, the average price for the women’s semifinals is $1,131.78, compared with $400.29 for the same period in 2023.

Gamecocks get on the board first

The first points of the night go to the South Carolina Gamecocks, with guard Te-Hina Paopao sinking the first shot and helping get the team to a quick 5-0 start.

Girl power takes center court during intro videos

The Final Four teams introduced themselves in fresh female fashion, with teammate voiceovers hyping up "my girls" in pre-game videos that feature everything from beauty and lash tips to favorite on-court moves and nicknames.

Oh, and a sparkly basketball, of course.

Millions expected to tune in to the action

The Final Four is officially underway for the women, and more people than ever are expected to watch this weekend's games.

Ratings for the tournament are expected to reach well into the double-digit millions. 

Soaring interest in the women’s game is the product of two main phenomena, experts say: a new batch of stars, including a once-in-a-generation player; and the increasing coverage those players now receive, thanks to greater investment from networks in broadcasting the games.

At the top of the star wave stands Caitlin Clark, Iowa guard who has broken not only the most records for scoring in the women’s game, but earlier this year surpassed Pete Maravich as the all-time leading NCAA career basketball scorer, period. Yet other stars are primed to keep the momentum going for the women’s games.

Read the full story here.

Fans already feeling inspired

CLEVELAND — Rebecca Eskow said the women’s tournament “feels bigger this year,” adding that it’s “special” the women are getting so much attention.

AmberConnolly, from Iowa and a Hawkeyes fan, said “it’s pretty incredible” to see the excitement around women’s hoops.

“We grew up playing basketball and there was never this hype and following of it, so it’s pretty incredible to see it, see kids be able to see this stuff now too, it’s pretty cool,” she said.

Addyson McDermott said she thinks this hype will be an inspiration for young girls everywhere.

“I think it’s gonna really inspire them to work harder,” McDermott said.

Their paths to the Final Four: South Carolina and NC State 

The undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks beat Presbyterian in the first round, North Carolina in the second round, Indiana in the Sweet 16 and Oregon State in the Elite Eight to arrive at the Final Four stage. 

NC State had to knock out Chattanooga in the first round, Tennessee in the second round, Stanford in the Sweet 16 and Texas in the Elite Eight to make it to this year’s Final Four. 

A not-quite-perfect tourney: Racism hurled at Utah team

The University of Utah women’s basketball team found themselves the victims of multiple racist attacks while they were staying in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, ahead of their first NCAA Tournament game in Spokane, Washington, on March 23.

Coach Lynne Roberts said at a news conference on March 21 that her team of Black, white and Latina athletes were subject to a series of “racial hate crimes.”

On Wednesday, Coeur d’Alene police said a racial slur was used against the team, possibly on more than one occasion. 

“We’ve identified an audio recording where the use of a racial slur was clearly audible,” the police department said on Facebook. It added that it “appears the use of a racial slur occurred more than one time.”

The team was relocated to a hotel closer to Spokane for their safety, Roberts said. 

South Carolina and Iowa head into gametime as the favorites

Jason Abbruzzese

South Carolina is a heavy favorite tonight over NC State in the booming world of sports gambling.

Most sportsbooks favor the Gamecocks by 11 or 11.5 points.

Iowa vs. UConn is much closer.

Caitlin Clark’s Hawkeyes are favored by 2.5 to 3.5 points over Paige Bueckers and the Huskies, depending on the sportsbook.

The books are also expecting Iowa v. UConn to be a higher scoring affair. The over/under for that game (a prediction for the points scored in the game on which bettors wager whether total points will be over or under that number) has been around 162.5.

The over/under for Souther Carolina v. NC State has been around 139.5.

Fans are psyched about the hype around women's hoops this year

CLEVELAND — Fans are already reveling in tonight's Final Four glory at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, psyched to see all of the hype the women's game is finally getting.

For Jennifer Dunn, who said she played college basketball, seeing arenas sell out and knowing that tickets to the games are being sold for hundreds, if not thousands, "is generational and it’s one of those things that is super cool for these girls to see."

Makenna Dunn said it's "amazing" and "cool" to watch the women excel on the court.

"I want to be like them someday," she said.

The Dunns are rooting for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

More eyes than ever on women's hoops

No matter which team is crowned the national title, there's already one clear winner: women's basketball.

Earlier in the week, a record audience watched Iowa’s Caitlin Clark face off against LSU’s Angel Reese.

The Elite Eight game on Monday drew 12.3 million viewers, the most ever for a women’s college basketball game , easily topping the previous high of 9.9 million viewers who tuned in to last season’s championship matchup between the two teams, according to ESPN. 

The Iowa-LSU game was also its biggest betting event of all time for women’s sports, FanDuel told CNBC .

Final Four count: How many times has each team been to the semifinal round? 

None of these four teams are strangers to the Final Four, but some are more familiar with it than others. 

UConn has been to the Final Four 23 times since their first appearance in 1991. 

This is Iowa’s third Final Four appearance; their first was in 1993. 

N.C. State is in the Final Four for just the second time, with their only other appearance in 1998. 

And South Carolina has been quite familiar with the big stage recently — this is their sixth appearance since 2015.

Hyped for hoops: Steve Kornacki breaks down the Final Four!

Steve Kornacki

How and when to watch

The NCAA women's semifinals tip off tonight at 7 p.m. ET at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. Catch the action on ESPN and stream on ESPN+ and FUBO. Here's when to catch the action.

Top-seed South Carolina vs. 3-seed N.C. State, 7 p.m. ET

Top-seed Iowa vs. 3-seed UConn 9:30 p.m. ET