You are met with pictures of people with their faces obscured with a hoodie when you search “anonymous gamers” on Google. That picture alone tells us everything we need to know about them: They’re trying to hide their faces.
But why?
The term anonymity has been romanticized widely among avid gamers for far too long. And it is time to discover why it means so much to them. In this article, we highlight the benefits of anonymity for gamers.
But first:
What does Anonymity Mean in Gaming?
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines anonymous as “not named or identified” and “lacking individuality, distinction, or recognition.” These definitions convey the same meaning you probably have in mind when searching for an “anonymous online casino or game site.” A platform where you can simply pop in, enjoy the game, and pop out without being recognized for who you are.
But let’s break it down. Is that possible in this internet age?
Gaming, especially online, usually requires first assuming a persona on the gaming platform. This gaming identity is an ensemble of the details in your profile. It often comprises a username, email, phone number, photo ID, and account information. And, while many “anonymous gaming” enthusiasts often feel concerned about the safety of their data, the truth is that these details are necessary for various reasons. At the very least, emails and account information are needed for correspondence and payments.
Despite these requirements, technological advancements have made anonymity in gaming possible to a reasonable extent.
For instance, the best anonymous online casinos from BBI often have only two requirements: an email and a payment mechanism. These keep you unidentified to a great extent. Firstly, creating emails in a few seconds without inputting many personal details is possible. Secondly, cryptocurrencies and blockchain systems protect your identity using a string of characters called keys (public and private) instead of your real name and bank account information.
Using a combination of these is what counts as anonymity in gaming.
How is Anonymity Valuable to Gamers?
Okay, now that you get the idea. What are gamers hiding?
Why is it important to ensure they’re not being watched or monitored, anyway?
If you can’t confidently answer those questions, the following points highlight the value of anonymity for gamers. Let’s find out!
Privacy and Identity Protection
Remember those personal details we claimed online gaming platforms need to set up your profile? Your name, bank details, home address, email, and phone number. Once you provide that to any gaming company, the truth is that information is out there. Ideally, the gaming platform you trusted this data with is supposed to ensure that no one else accesses that information.
However, often, these platforms need more cybersecurity architecture to guarantee such protection. For instance, older gaming platforms are fond of processing login credentials with insecure methods. As such, they are vulnerable to hacking techniques like cross-site scripting (XSS), which criminals use to intercept and steal those details.
Hackers also attack gaming platforms to force a data breach directly. Not to mention, you could be sending your information directly to a shady online gaming operation. Cybercriminal rings can go to the length of setting up faux gaming websites or online casinos just to get data from unsuspecting individuals.
And when your details get in the wrong hands, you’ll be exposed to several dangers. Swatting and doxing are some common examples. Swatting describes when criminals report a false emergency at your residence so that law enforcement agencies “pay you a visit.” On the other hand, doxing is when criminals publish your contact details online. Both these things are done for an endless list of ill reasons, with identity theft being another danger associated with losing your details.
Trusting a gaming platform to be genuine or capable enough to protect your data is risky. So, instead of being exposed to these and many more possible dangers, gamers simply opt for anonymity. Protection of privacy and identity is the value gamers derive from anonymity.
Unrestricted Exploration
Despite the present realities of prioritizing work and productivity, many people find time to play games. According to some schools of thought, motivation varies across individuals. Some include fostering belongingness needs through interactions with other players, satisfying esteem needs through in-game accomplishments, and breaking away from social norms and their own identity.
According to the game maker for the New York Times, “Games are a controlled form of freedom.” People grab onto them to access a unique feeling or excitement that may be inaccessible to them in the real world. These unique feelings are often inaccessible in the real world because they are unacceptable by societal norms and expectations.
Yet, we all want something and try to scratch that itch.
That’s where gaming anonymously comes into the picture. It allows gamers to veil their unconventional gaming choices. These choices could be their gaming skills, their choice of games, or their spending habits. It is common for groups of friends to mock players with horrendous gaming skills or other gaming choices. Consequently, such individuals may get demoralized. Anonymity grants them freedom from that social stigma. It also gives them the opportunity for immersive role-playing experiences.
Conversely, gamers often try to access geo-restricted games by staying anonymous. You can access restricted game titles anonymously because the target service cannot restrict your access without ascertaining your identity.
Absence of Social Interaction
As discussed earlier, many gamers play games to unplug from society or their immediate environment. In addition, they have also mastered the art of living anonymously in a bid to create their preferred environment. It is an avenue to tap into their deepest imaginations without restrictions.
However, since the internet has made connectivity effortless, maintaining that disconnection has become more difficult. Having your details up on gaming sites frequented by known individuals essentially defeats the purpose of “unplugging.”
On other fronts, in-game social interaction involves communicating with other gamers, guilds, and group play. While gaming developers often promote this form of interaction due to the lack of social skills commonly associated with many hardcore gamers, there are many dangers.
The case of privacy security and identity theft discussed earlier is one of those. Hackers rely on profiling individuals through in-game social interactions on game communities and forums.
So, gamers who understand some of the dangers associated with social interaction or are generally trying to avoid it see a solution in anonymity. For example, they can easily avoid online harassment by hiding their identity. Likewise, being unidentified means they can’t be spotted by other individuals, thus helping them maintain their “unplugged” state. Lastly, you can’t be profiled if you don’t even tell anyone about yourself.
Competitiveness
For many video game geeks, “it’s NOT just a game.”
It’s a craft that they are concerned about their proficiency in. One where their skill level could affect their social standing in the competitive gaming community.
And while this highly competitive drive has many negative effects, for most gamers, it is where all the fun and excitement lies.
The fun of all this is in the unpredictability. As gamers sit miles away, they imagine their opponent’s first move and overall game tactics. Knowing them before the game can significantly affect outcomes through adequate planning. However, being unaware of them and trying to figure it out as a game session unfolds is a thrill that most gamers can’t get enough of.
Sadly, the emergence of online gaming communities is slightly chipping away at this beautiful feeling. The best gamers can now develop an online reputation for their skills, tactics, and, most importantly, wins and losses. Having that digital footprint gives any opponent a gamer might be up against the opportunity to study and prepare specifically against that encounter. This awareness inadvertently kills the mystical fun that comes with the lack of it. Of course, this would be impossible if a gamer stays incognito and is unidentified.
That competitive thrill is what gamers strive to preserve through anonymity. That is the value it brings to them.
Evasion of Unsolicited Ads
We’ve all experienced getting odd ads and marketing content about a particular product or service. This could be a direct message promotion of a product or service or stumbling on the same marketing content across your social media channels.
Gaming platforms often make it compulsory to verify gaming accounts as part of their KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements. This verification process is usually done via various methods, like clicking on a link sent to the email address or inputting a code to your mobile number. While these are standard procedures for most gaming establishments, the issue with them is that they reveal your contact. As a result, you can be targeted with different promotional content, which can be very off-putting.
Apart from the fact that they are unpleasant, they also pose serious security risks. For example, many virus and malware attacks are disguised as unsolicited ads, marketing content, and spammy emails. Gamers could easily lose their data or even their entire gaming computers by getting exposed to such attacks.
Furthermore, cyber scammers and hackers could also use this medium to access any saved passwords on the computer. As a result, one could become exposed to a long list of online dangers.
It’s just better to avoid them; anonymity helps gamers do that.
Safety of Financial Data
Now, this is a very important one.
Gaming companies collect credit card information for billing purposes when gaming online. This is how you fund your gaming activities. So, you provide those details and authorize the gaming company to deduct a certain amount of money from your account by providing your account passwords or entering an OTP (one-time password).
It is very common among gaming companies to provide gamers with online wallets as a part of their online gaming profile. This creates a subaccount to be funded by your main account.
However, as long as your financial details are logged on to these sites, you risk getting either of the accounts looted. You see, the common expression: “the internet never forgets” was coined to communicate the idea that nothing ever gets deleted after it goes on the internet. So, having authorized a transaction by providing your credit card information and password, you risk having hackers accessing that information. Consequently, they can authorize multiple purchases using your account.
On the other hand, gaming companies that prioritize anonymity rarely request credit card information or other bank details. This is because they can accept payments from crypto wallets with built-in blockchain security measures. Only an individual with the private keys to a crypto wallet can access the funds and authorize transactions. Yet, this information doesn’t need to be sent to anyone to effect a transaction.
As a result, the crypto funds are perpetually safe so long you don’t provide the private key. And you don’t have to do that with anonymous gaming platforms, thus safeguarding your finances.
Hassle-free Withdrawals
Still, on the topic of finances, traditional bank transactions are almost synonymous with a lack of speed. Due to their more robust structures, they are often required to conduct a series of checks and meet multiple requirements. Furthermore, transactions involving multiple currencies can take longer due to several regulatory procedures.
For the gamer, this implies inconvenience and an overall laggy experience. They would also have to reveal plenty of details about their finances — an aspect of an individual’s life that most people like to remain private. In addition to these inconveniences, the transaction fees levied on these transactions are usually a sizable portion of the transaction amount.
However, gaming anonymously would require using trustworthy crypto wallets. Therefore, deposits and withdrawals can be made quickly and anonymously with the crypto wallet address. The average transaction time of most crypto gaming transactions is about 10 minutes. In addition to speed, gamers don’t need to worry about providing any essential information they’re uncomfortable disclosing. These crypto transactions can be processed without providing full name details, email addresses, or phone numbers. That in itself is immense value for gamers.
How Can Gamers Maintain Anonymity When Gaming?
Gamers can implement the following practices to enjoy these and many more anonymity benefits.
Use Paid VPN Services
Paid Virtual Private Network (VPN) services can help hide your digital footprint by encrypting your internet traffic and hiding your IP address.
Reveal as Little Information as Possible
Regardless of the sophistication of a hacking technique, a piece of information that was never there can not be accessed. Therefore, gamers must make the online lifestyle choice of revealing as little sensitive information as possible when gaming online.
Use a Separate Gaming Contact
Gamers must ensure they separate their real-life persona from their gaming identity. Creating a separate email account strictly for gaming is an excellent starting point.
Go Incognito
Browsing your gaming website in incognito mode means your browsing data, cookies site data, and other details entered on the gaming platform will not be stored on your device. As a result, they can’t be traced back to you to a reasonable extent.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The concept of anonymity in gaming is confusing to most people. Here are some commonly asked questions about the topic.
What is Anonymity?
Anonymity is a situation whereby a person’s identity is unknown. In gaming, this would mean being unable to point out a game’s full name, email address, phone number, and photo. It means not being able to assign a real-world person to a particular gaming persona.
Is Total Anonymity Possible in Gaming?
The extent of your online anonymity depends on the technological sophistication employed in uncovering your identity.
On a surface level, you might be anonymous to someone trying to discover your identity by only checking your last Facebook post. However, things get different when established agencies try tracking your last location with their Arsenal of resources.
So, total anonymity is a relative term, depending on how much information exists about you on the internet and the class of cutting-edge systems used to unmask your persona.
How Does Anonymity Affect Online Gaming?
Anonymity has both positive and negative effects on online gaming. In the context of the value it brings to gamers, the following are some of the effects of anonymity on online gaming:
- Hassle-free gaming
- Faster deposits and withdrawals
- Data privacy and security
- Prevention of marketing scams
- Safeguarding of financial data
- Elimination of social interaction
- Prevention of harassments
- Accessing geo-restricted games
- Evading public opinion
- Avoiding identity theft
- Preventing data breaches
- Increased game competitiveness
- Freedom of exploration
What are the Disadvantages of Anonymity in Online Gaming?
Since anonymity cloaks the personas behind a gaming account, it also allows them to evade the responsibilities of their actions. The following are some specific disadvantages of anonymity in online gaming:
- Lack of accountability
- Loss of personal identity
- Toxic gaming comments and online abuse
- Social discrimination
- Online gaming addiction
- Anti-social behavior
