Video games have been trending since their introduction to Kenya in the late 90s. Now, gaming apps have flicked the Google Playstore so much that if you can think of it, then you can find it.
In-design, applications have been created and now anyone can create a game, and upload it for downloads by millions of subscribers and gamers.
It seems the trend has caught up in Kenya with students in colleges getting hooked to the various arrays of gaming options available.
Forget about alcohol and drugs, having a playing pad is now the latest must-have craze among college students.
Among the most popular games you’ll find being played are Fifa 14/15, Call of Duty, NFS Hot Pursuit, God of War and Candy Crush.
Entrepreneurs have cashed in on this idea and set up numerous playing shops where gamers pay 20 to 30 Kshs, per session to satisfy their thirst. A session normally goes for 10 to 15 minutes. Owners of gaming zones in colleges and universities make a fortune out of this.
Fifa 15 is currently the most popular game in many colleges with students spending more than half the night and/or day playing it, at the expense of other activities.
The students who play the games say, playing the games helps them save a lot of money because when they play they do not feel hungry and so they do not spend on food.
The fad has also enthralled a sizeable portion of ladies who are proving to be a force to reckon with when it comes to matters football. This, they say, is the easiest way to bond with their aloof boyfriends who are neglecting them to go play Fifa.
Laptops which are normally reserved for movies and internet streaming have slowly been turned into gaming sites with players going to the extent of abandoning classes and organizing Fifa tournaments that last the whole night. This in turn means the students are too tired to go to class the following day, and in the event they do, they sleep it out.
The lasses too have proven to be in love with the flickering screen as they make it their personal mission in life to reach the next level especially in Candy Crush.
With more and more games being churned out into this viable market, the question is: Are video games doing more harm than good to college students? Should we ultimately ban these games in institutional settings?
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