Week 10: Social gaming
Games! I really wanna play some right now but I gotta finish up the blogs sigh
There isn't a feeling like playing games all night with your friends only to realize its almost morning. Social gaming has seen a meteoric rise in popularity since the world got reliably connected to the internet and it shows no sign of stopping. Human beings are social creatures. We inherently crave for human interaction, doesn't matter if you're extroverted or introverted. Social gaming is a perfect blend of an entertainment activity and a social needs distributor. Especially during the pandemic. According to an article written by the BBC, 4 of 5 adults in the US reported playing a video game during 2020 lockdowns. Even more interesting is that those that would normally snub games as a medium also picked it up and there's a reason for it.
Normal people are only now figuring out what gamers have known all along about video games. It heavily promotes social aspects and a sense of community. In an era of social isolation, there is no better remedy than social games. Most multiplayer games saw huge increases in population during the pandemic as more and more people got stuck at home with nothing better to do.
Not only did gaming gain an insane traction, it also kept the hype up and about 40% of surveyors stated they'd continue playing social games after the pandemic is over. The chart below showcases how the trends kept going into 2021 as the steam userbase is at an all time high.
So how does social gaming help everyone cope with loneliness and social satisfaction ? Supplementary communities on social media platforms. Gaming communities are very welcoming and are present on every major social media platform. Discord is a great example. A lot of social games are played in conjunction with Discord voice chat and community servers where everyone hangs out and talks about their games or interests. Discord is tied to social gaming as its mostly used by gamers. Is social gaming bad ? no I personally believe that social gaming is critically essential for humans to express their social desires, especially in the current climate we live in.
References
Lufkin, B., 2021. How online gaming has become a social lifeline. [online] Bbc.com. Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201215-how-online-gaming-has-become-a-social-lifeline#:~:text=Gaming%20has%20skyrocketed%20during%20the%20pandemic%2C%20reaching%20people%20who%27d,an%20American%20business-research%20firm.> [Accessed 28 November 2021].














