Speed Gaming – Can It Be A Blessing Or A Curse?

You could pick several different games and sporting ideas that have been sped up to make them more appealing to the masses. Cricket, for instance, a sport beloved in places like India, which brings in 80% of the ICC revenue, is considered too long for many people with a more casual interest in it.

Hence the birth of T20, the version that now brings huge interest and investment to the domestic Indian game. Some conventional fans dislike this notion of rapid-fire cricket turning into a baseball version of the game, stripping away the patience and attrition that can come from a tiring, grueling Test match.

Customers make up a much broader spectrum, of course. It is about bringing in as many people as possible. If it’s done right, injecting speed and tenacity into traditional games can be a gamechanger, but it must find the balance, or it risks alienating the original base without bringing in new customers.

Not Wanting To Shake The Boat Too Much

The plethora of games that are available in the modern market covers every possible angle you can think of. Even games like poker, known for long, drawn-out tournament games during high-stakes events, have recently reshaped many of their designs to bring in a quick-fire speed that encourages more hands per round and more money changing hands.

That doesn’t mean money is exchanging hands between you and the house either; the goal of fast fold poker, for instance, is to keep you moving across digital seats. You exit one game, or lose, then you’re immediately given a table at another game. Think of it as a poker version of musical chairs, in some respects.

Now, the beauty of poker is usually that the best players inevitably end up coming out on top. If you play at the same table for hours at a time and get to know your opponent's tics, that's one thing; if you switch tables often and don't have time to compile that information, it creates a whole new dynamic.

Some have argued that this strips away some of the most engrossing elements of poker, but just as online poker created a brand-new way to play and brought in global competition, fast fold poker is jumping onto that same slipstream. Some people fold too quickly in poker, as you can see in the link below, and while there are ways to improve your gameplay if this is your modus operandi, a faster form of the game might be more your speed, too.

The Importance Of Choice

Shaking up the status quo is rarely a bad approach to gaming. Whenever it doesn’t work, or it’s not warmly received, this is usually highlighted by the number of users who provide positive feedback or actually opt to play it over more established forms.

However, in the world of online gaming, where platforms operate 24/7 to get their names in the spotlight, it's crucial not to pigeonhole your brand into one specific type of gaming.

We’ve seen different levels of success with sped-up versions of games because they reshape the foundation of the original game. Grand Theft Auto’s speedruns, particularly for the retro versions of the game, have proven to be a hit on YouTube over the last few years. As GTA VI is set to smash through all conceivable records upon its release in a few months, it’ll be intriguing to see if there are parts of the game that accommodate this.

We’ve seen it with Speed Chess too, where players need to hit a clock. It is considered one of the purest forms of the game, as players need to be on the ball while racing against time; it adds a new layer of jeopardy – which is one of the key ingredients in any gripping game, sport, or viewable entertainment.

Final Thoughts

Speed gaming isn’t for everyone, and that’s the thing to take away from today. Some gamers, millions in fact, enjoy unwinding and playing a slow game at a leisurely pace, even if they are doing it competitively.

However, if you are looking for something to pass the time quickly, or to blow off some steam, there are quickfire games that can be brainless (in the best way). They’re as rapid as it gets: retro games like Super Mario, and even more condensed versions of conventional sports, like Padel in places like the UK, which combines tennis and squash and has culminated in the first-ever professional tournament.

If you've played a game at a certain pace for years, introducing a much faster version can make it feel fresh again. But if you are methodical in your approach, and your winning strategy relies heavily on time, then it can also be a detriment; it all boils down to you as a person.

But to leave it on this note - faster doesn’t always mean better. It can make it more of an interesting watch if you’re on the outside looking in, but if you enjoy playing the original game for what it is, it can sometimes be counterproductive. That said, with online gaming, there's so much to choose from that it really feels like there’s something for everybody at this stage.

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