Games are meant to be Social
I do have to admit... I think it has been at least 9-10 years since I have played a video game. And from memory, It was Nintendo Wii when it was just released, and the latest 'breaking news' was from users smashing their tv's with the remote... True story
Although I do have some very fond memories as a kid, the family sitting around the table playing Mouse Trap, Connect 4, Guess Who and one of my all-time favorites... Kerplunk. It was an exciting time for a child to beat their parent at something, or you would try and cheat but get caught in the process (mabe that was just me)
But times moved on, technology started to creep into our lives and so most family homes adopted the 'Family computer'. It was exciting to Dial-up to the internet, and the possibilities were endless. And this was no different for people that loved to play games. A normal phone line could connect you to a WLAN, and you could be playing a game with someone halfway around the world.
I remember boys at school racing to the computer lab (Yes that's what it was called) at lunch time just so they could compete against each other. Maby it was just a 'boys' thing, or maby winning at a game empowered them, or for the guy that got picked on in the playground finally he had a chance to get his revenge. Whatever the reason, these online virtual games really did/do create a virtual community for its players to release their inner geek.
I do have to admit, as I was reading through the weeks content and the articles I did find it a bit of a snooze fest. I almost feel asleep when Thornhill (2014) explained how 'EVE' the game that's set 21,000 years in the future and people woke up to it being destroyed.
I won't repeat what I was thinking blah blah blah, but hey I get it... it brings people together. I think Tseng, F, Huang, H & Teng, C (2015, p. 603) explains it perfectly, how the 'Social presence' theory brings individuals together in a way they can communicate with each other due to the advancement of multimedia technology. Its the feeling of being there, without actually being there. You might remember back to our first week, Its almost the same as to what Sherry Turkle TED-Ed (2013) explains about being 'Connected, but alone'. In the case of a game, they're almost alone but connected to other users
"Long-term interaction lays the foundation for a feeling of community" (University of Jyvaeskylae 2007).
And while you try to recall and ponder over that epic Ted Talk by Sherry Turkle, I'm off to feed my Tamagotchi that connects and interact with other devices. oh, wait that social gaming right?
TED-Ed 2013, Connected, but alone?- Sherry Turkle, 19 April, viewed 10 November 2017, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv0g8TsnA6c>.
Thornhill, T, 2014, 'The online videogame battle that cost $300,000: Gamers see hundreds of costly spaceships destroyed after user forgot to pay bill to defend their base', The Daily Mail, 29 January, viewed 3 Febuary 2018, <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2547908/EVE-online-sees-biggest-battle.html>.
Tseng, F, Huang, H, Teng, C 2015, 'How Do Online Game Communities Retain Gamers? Social Presence and Social Capital Perspectives', Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 601-614.
University of Jyvaeskylae 2007, How Does Online Gaming Affect Social Interactions?, Science Daily, viewed 4 February 2018, <https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070915110957.htm>.
Image
Getty Images 2006, 'Photo of Tamagochi, Playing tamagotchi together' [image], in Getty Images top 10 christmas toys photostream, Getty Images, viewed 4 February 2018, <https://www.gettyimages.com.au/event/dream-toys-2006-top-10-christmas-toys-75213563#/children-playing-with-the-tamagotchi-toy-at-the-dream-toys-2006-top-picture-id74664725>.












