Ghanaian Gamers have it worse when it comes to Gaming in this country
Welcome to Ghana, home to some of the most passionate gamers in the world. If you’re a gamer in Ghana, you know the struggle is real. From internet problems to no customer support, no local payment options, and frequent power outages, there are a lot of things that can ruin your gaming experience. And don’t even get me started on game data sizes, no proper game communities, unsupported game regions, and the fact that games are just so darn expensive (almighty dollar…*sad cedi noises*).
But it’s not all doom and gloom for gamers in Ghana. Despite all the obstacles, there is a growing community of gamers in Ghana who are passionate about gaming and determined to make it work. In this article, we’ll look at the most annoying things Ghanaian gamers have to deal with:
The “Internet”
The Holy Grail itself, the creme de la creme, The Don dada itself. The Internet in Ghana alone deserves its own article and we might come to that in our next video. But for now, let me tell you about the internet and how it frustrates gamers over here.
Let’s start with how expensive data packages are in Ghana. Telecommunications here are making not making gaming here enjoyable at all. It almost cost an arm and a leg to get “good” internet and even sometimes you have to deal with the instability of the network, high ping, lag, data caps, internet speed, and data expiry( Yes it’s 2022 but when you buy data it expires after a certain time).
Getting a reliable internet service provider is also a gamble because your location will determine how good your internet speed will be. Living in certain parts of the country even in the capital city doesn’t guarantee you good internet. Ghanaian Gamers have to suffer every time they have to get internet for either online, downloading or updating their games.
The high cost of gaming
As we mentioned before, the high cost of gaming is a major issue in Ghana. Gaming PCs, consoles and decent gaming mobile phones are incredibly expensive, and some Ghanaians simply can’t afford them. This means that only a small percentage of the population is able to enjoy video games at their fullest potential. Some also have to visit Game Centres or eSports arenas to be able to play games. Places like that are not widespread across the country and make only the determined and passionate gamers go there.
It’s not just the hardware that’s expensive either. Games themselves are often priced out of reach for many Ghanaians. Accessibility of games online has helped in buying digital games however those who wish to have physical copies have to look far and wide to obtain them.
They can order from overseas by buying from online stores and shipping it down but that’s a hassle. Forex exchanges aren’t also helping this situation eg. 1 Dollar is currently GHS10.Try buying the new FIFA 23 at $70 which would make it GHS700. And even when they are affordable, They have to be on sale before you can play. Also, certain ventures are helping to make getting games a little cheap, places such as The Code Merchant. Ghanaian Gamers who haven’t had access to platforms like this are always hindered
“Dumsor”(Power Outages)
Imagine this, you are playing your favourite adventure game and you are having a hard time with this one boss, you finally land the finishing blow and you defeat the boss then…OFF.Your light goes out and now you have to replay that annoying boss again, Such is the harsh reality of dumsor(rampant power outages). Ghanaian Gamers dread and fear this.
This can ruin your whole gaming experience. Especially when you are playing online and you can be reported for going AFK(away from keyboard). This could in turn get you banned temporarily from playing your game which can be frustrating. Dumsor can also go on to fry your hardware which is very devasting. Mobile Gamers usually don’t go through this but playing and having a need to charge your phone but there is no electricity can also be very annoying.
No dedicated servers
This is usually for online gaming. As more and more online multiplayer games are coming out, more Ghanaian Gamers are hoping online to test their metal and enjoy competition across the world. It is very frustrating to then find out that there are no servers around you, which can cause your whole online experience bad.
Servers are responsible for getting proper match-making or opponents to face. Ghanaians Gamers or mostly West African gamers for that matter usually notice that there are no dedicated servers for some of their most beloved online games.
This can make the gamer’s interest in the game wane and they end up forgetting about it. Even if they push through and try to play, they are left disheartened after the experience.
No customer or Terrible support
Another thing that annoys Ghanaian gamers about gaming in Ghana is the fact that since the game/console is not supported in Ghana/Africa, they have to use alternative methods to fix whatever problems they have.
This problem can be a vast number of things; like fixing gaming account issues. Getting consoles fixed, and asking for help from customer service online. Simple things like putting in a visa card to purchase games have become a daunting task.
They are forced to use other methods of acquiring the games they want to buy(Looking at you, Playstation and Microsoft/Xbox store). There is also no support for local payments like Mobile money which would make paying for games so much easier.
Initially, mobile gamers with android phones had this option but recently it has been taken away. It’s 2022 the world is a really small place now and technology has far become better for this to be an issue.
Unsupported Gaming and Console Regions
“Your country is not supported”.Imagine waiting for your favourite game/console to be released and only finding out that you can’t play or use the gaming service because you live in Western Africa, Ghana. It’s 2022 but somehow gaming companies do not care about the other side of the world when it comes to gaming. Ghanaian Gamers feel very annoyed when they have to “lie” to have access to play certain games which they feel should be entitled to play without.
Another example is a gaming service like Google stadia. it was released on November 19, 2019, but you can’t use the service if you are in Ghana. their motto is “Play for Everyone”, but it clearly isn’t so. Google is very active in the African region but the line is drawn at cloud gaming apparently. Certain Games are also region locked and Ghana is barred from them.
Stigmatization
“You still play games?”, “Grow up” “It’s gambling”.The list goes on and on. Ghanaian gamers get very annoyed when gaming is made to seem like a waste of time. They are tagged as childish and immature people. Yes, that is the consensus around the world around video games.
But for African/Ghanaian Gamers, it is because they usually come from traditional homes & their parents believe that it is childish and that after a certain age one shouldn’t actively be playing games. They won’t even listen when you try to tell them about the career opportunities in video games from making them to playing them. Parents always tag playing video games to gambling/betting which is wrong. (However, they openly allow their children to engage in betting on football ).
Another stigmatization Ghanaian Gamers find annoying is when they are playing online and they are interacting or having conversations in-game. Usually, it comes as a shock to their teammates that person is Ghanaian/African. They are generally hit with the; “How can you play this game?” “Do you have internet in Ghana?” Most Teammates are trolling but some also are genuinely asking about this.
To wrap things up
Gaming in Ghana is far from perfect, but it’s still possible to have fun if you know where to look. Despite the many challenges faced by gamers in Ghana and online. However, unless the current problems are addressed, it’s unlikely that gamers in Ghana will be able to reach their full potential.
How was it? Did we miss anything? Comment what annoys you about gaming in Ghana. Also, watch our video where we talk about more things concerning this topic. Read our other articles here.
