Are Gamers Anti-Social, or Do Games Make Gamers Anti-Social?
Many times I've heard people say that gamers are anti-social. We'd rather sit in front of a console than go out and meet people. We'd spend umpteen hours in an online community before we get together with friends. I even know a married couple who spend more time together in the online world of Everquest than they do in real life. The question is, are gamers anti-social to begin with, or do games make gamers anti-social?
I play a lot of games and it used to be that there were a lot of 2 player games. By 2 player I mean games where 2 people can sit in the same room and play the same game together. Split screen first person shooters, racing games, fighting games, and sports games used to be the best gaming experience. Some of my fondest memories of my 20's are of playing NBA Live or Madden NFL together with friends. Not to mention Gauntlet, or other RPGs like Baldur's Gate. It was so much fun to get together, hang out, and play games. That's far from anti-social.
There are fewer and fewer games like that today. The trend is to make everything single player on a single console and multi-player is online only. I've even heard of game developers who feel that this is a step forward, that multi-player split screen was primitive, and that online is the only way to play. RPGs are no longer multi-player on the same console. Some FPSs don't even have a split screen mode, or even worse they (Black) don't even have multi-player.
My theory is that games make gamers anti-social. Is it really a step forward that everyone should sit alone at home and play together online? I think not, because where is the interaction that takes place around the game? Where are the high-fives and the jokes, the stories about our day at work, the break for dinner and the beloved pizza and beer? They are gone, because everything is being pushed online. I believe that console manufacturers want everything online so they can compete with each other in the new online frontier. But the casualty of this competition is gamers, gamers that want to sit in the same room, play together, and socialize.
The way I see it, online gaming is just about the game. Any community revolves around the game. Why should my friend sit in his house and play with me online when he could come over here and we could actually interact as human beings?
My conclusion is that we're being separated physically and pushed online because console manufacturers and game developers see online multi-player as the future and 2 player on the same console as backwards and outdated. All this does is make more gamers sit alone at home, forsaking real interaction with friends for virtual community. "Game night" now means everyone sitting alone at home, and that just isn't right. Gamers may be somewhat anti-social to begin with, but one player per console is just making it worse, not better. Games should have multiplayer on the same console and multiplayer online to give a variety of options. We shouldn't have to sit home alone in order to play with a friend.
Which do you prefer, multiplayer online or multiplayer on the same console? Write a comment and let me know.
Comments
I disagree from a design standpoint.
I think multiplayer games are great - I love arcade-style co-op games, and when I can I like to jump into a round of Super Smash Bros.
Multiplayer games are fine, but they also confine the control scheme. What an online game offers is a camera for each player, so they are unrestricted by the other.
Single-console is okay for a game like Final Fight, where the playing field (and options) is pretty bare already. But in a game like Halo, where each player may want to take a different route, split screen becomes a restrictive tether.
I think it's safe to argue that split screen is a poor solution at best, fine on a large screen for those rare occasions. And if you've been to a Halo LAN party where people bring portable televisions, you'll know how tiny those screens can be. All for the sake of getting everyone under one roof!
Even in MMOs, players form communities around personal discussions they have - places of origin, favorite stories, philosophical ideals like enterprise and victory.
Ultimately I believe that games are not trying to create an "anti-social" audience, but single-console multiplayer games have faded out of popularity as broadband connections and new online services are made available.
I'd be happy to see a resurgence in the arcade-style multiplayer, if the games were good of course.
-Pogo
Posted by: Pogo | March 23, 2006 2:52 AM
It really depends on the game. Sports games and fighting games are best experienced in the same room as your opponent. Racing and FPS are best played online, or on a LAN. Split screen just makes it a lot harder to play, especially if your TV is only small.
Posted by: Docmoose | March 23, 2006 3:47 AM
I am hoping games (or casual games, in particular) make gamers social. Our leaderboards have the ability to "Add friends". I realize this isn't groundbreaking. But, we think gamers want to share with friends AND play games.
Posted by: John | March 23, 2006 12:05 PM
Where are the high-fives and the jokes, the stories about our day at work?
Those occur in-game now.
Small-talk at work more often than not is of events that happened online - the success of last nights raid, the mishaps and the stupid (but hilarious) mistakes made by... whoever really. But that's partially because I work with a bunch of like-minded geeks.
The break for dinner and the beloved pizza and beer?
D&D night Thursday's, MTG every Sunday. The physical interaction happens but not so much with computer games now.
Posted by: Dave | March 23, 2006 4:19 PM
Totally agree with you here, everything is becoming online and single player, i used to remember the days on my dream cast where i used to hold tornements [AT MY HOUSE]with friends playing street fighter 3rd strike.
Now all that is gone, its all like teamspeak etc... i really miss those days when we could sit down and play like that
Posted by: Bine | April 12, 2006 9:50 AM
YES
Posted by: Anonymous | June 9, 2006 8:30 PM
I agree with you saying that games make gamers anti-social.
However, I think that many of the gamers will still invite friends to play with them in thier house nowadays. Games do make them behave anti-social, but only when they are playing that game. They do behave normally when they are not playing the game nor addicted to the game.
The only matter is : Can they control their time used in playing those anti-social games?
Posted by: A passer by from Hong Kong | December 30, 2007 9:14 AM
You're misusing the term anti-social here, I believe what you are trying to say is non-social or "loners." Antisocial refers to a personality disorder characterized by violence, crime, and disregard for the well being of others.
Posted by: Josh | April 8, 2008 3:13 PM