Is Gaming a Talent or a Skill? Nature Vs Nurture

We often talk about talent and skill as two opposite skills. Some people have great talent, but without practice, or skill, they end up not using that talent. Other people seem talentless, but with lots of practice, they overcome almost all obstacles. Some of the most proficient mountain climbers were by all scientific standards, average. Yet they performed better than almost anybody else.

This can be transferred to the area of digital entertainment as well. While it doesn’t have to do with casino-goers who like using Ladbrokes Casino promo code when playing a game, it can be seen amongst people who are into gaming.

What amount of talent is needed in order for people to become professional gamers? How much of a professional player lies in talent, and how much in regular practice? Let us take a closer look.

Most Professional Gamers are Talented

We can talk about practice and everybody knows that almost all professionals do a lot of practice, including video game players, but it is obvious at first glance that some are more talented than others. 

Take for example, League of Legends professionals, particularly in South Korea. Most of them practice for twelve hours per day and even among such professionals, some are simply better than others. The answer is not to practice fifteen or twenty hours per day, but to simply accept that someone is more talented.

However, that does not mean to give up or not try at all.

Practice Can Get Us Almost Anywhere

Video gamers practice a lot, particularly professionals. Practice is not just playing a video game for eight to twelve hours. Practice also involves doing exercises in a planned and organized way, to try and eliminate any weaknesses that a player might have.

If the video game is a single player game, then the player has to lean on their own strengths and work on making them even better. Working on weaknesses is even more important, so as not to give opponents any serious advantage. 

Practice is really important and with enough time, one can become very good. The practice has to be good and fruitful, and not just repetitions or playing through matches without much presence.

A Combination of Both

Everybody who wants to go professional and is serious about it will know that it takes a lot of practice to get there. But, there is also talent involved, but not every talent is the same. Some players have better reflexes and that is something that can be practiced, but there are genetic limits (which are rarely reached, in most sports).

If someone is talented in macro gameplay rather than micro mechanics, they might excel at strategy games, or rather, at roles where they can make calls and organize their team. Some games like FPS games require reflexes, but also a lot of strategy. While it seems like they are all about the shooting, game plans and preparation go a long way.

Practice makes perfect, but it is even better if one can make use of their talents, because everybody is good at something by default.

The age old question of nature versus nurture cannot really be answered with one being better than another, even in video games. Talents exist and gamers should rely on them, but they also need to practice, and practice smartly. Both of these help professional video gamers, when used properly.