Source: Pixabay
Gaming, today, is more popular than it has ever been before. 2018 saw the global games market climb 13.3% in value to an astonishing $137.9 billion and 2019 is set to be just as transformative for the industry, with new games, platforms and services launching on an almost daily basis.
More than that, though, the most popular games of today are legitimate cultural phenomenon’s, influencing everything from NFL players’ post-touchdown celebrations to movies, TV shows and more.
Truly, there’s never been a better time to get into gaming – especially considering that your smartphone is a very capable gaming device in its own right – but for the uninitiated, it can be daunting. Why? A world of confusing terminology, of course!
Check out the most popular gaming acronyms and see how many you know! You may learn a thing or two, I know we did!
Do you know your PVP from your PVE? Your Triple-A from your Indie, or your FPS from your MOBA? Join us as we break down some of the most confusing terms in gaming.
- Triple-A – Triple-A, or AAA, games are the biggest games around. They’re made with big budgets and big teams with the expectancy of selling millions of copies.
- Indie –Unlike Triple-A games, Indie games are often built by small teams on limited budgets with the intention of crafting unique, interesting and compelling smaller titles.
- FPS/TPS –FPS stands for ‘First-Person Shooter’, which are shooting games played from a first-person perspective. A TPS, or ‘Third-Person Shooter’, moves the camera over the shoulder of the player, allowing for a wider view.
- MOBA –A MOBA game is a ‘Multiplayer Online Battle Arena’, where players pick a character with unique skills and abilities and partners up with friends or strangers to face other teams in large arenas.
- MMORPG –An MMORPG (sometimes shortened to MMO) is a ‘Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game’. These games feature vast, interactive worlds which are shared with thousands of other players, where players craft their characters to reflect their own choices.
- PVE/PVP –Both terms are commonly found in MMORPGs, but what’s the difference between PVE and PVP? Quite simply, PVE is ‘Player Versus Environment’ and PVP is ‘Player Versus Player’. In the former, you play against the computer. The latter has you facing off against other players.
Source: Pixabay
- DLC – ‘Downloadable Content’ or DLC, is additional content you can buy online and can be anything from whole new campaigns to outfits for characters, but it’s almost always paid and always requires you to already own the game.
- TBS –‘Turn Based Strategy’ (TBS) games feature deep strategy, but take place on a turn-by-turn basis, allowing for more strategic thought and slower, more deliberate gameplay.
- RTS –RTS stands for ‘Real-Time Strategy’ and RTS games test your ability to think strategically under pressure.
- F2P –F2P stands for ‘Free to Play’, and are games which are free to download and play, but typically feature large amounts of DLC which help developers earn revenue. It’s the model that games like Fortnite operate on.
- NPC –‘Non-Player Character’, or NPC, is any character you can’t become. It’s a term that’s usually applied to characters which are controlled by the computer.
- XP –XP stands for ‘Experience Points’ – a typical measure of progress inside video games.
So, there we have it – your guide to some of the most common (and commonly misunderstood) terms in gaming. Encountered another confusing gaming term? Let us know in the comments below.
