Is online gaming antisocial?

by James Ransom-Wiley { Mar 22nd 2006 at 2:25PM }

Game On has posted an interesting theory suggesting that developers are intentionally focusing on single-player, single-console campaigns, while pushing multiplayer gaming into the online arena, in turn, forcing gamers to become antisocial. No more split-screen parties and high fives. But is online gaming really antisocial?

Game On argues that the online experience lacks "the jokes, the stories about our day at work, the break for dinner and the beloved pizza and beer". We would argue that while we might not share these experiences in the same physical space, online (usually in in-game lobbies) we do share these types of moments.

Arcade culture is dead (at least, in the US). Console gaming is in. And as we grow up, move away from home, take on full-time jobs, and raise families, we have fewer opportunities to meet with friends in a physical space and game. Online gaming is a great substitution, allowing me, for example, to play and socialize (virtually) with my childhood friend now living 3,000 miles away. The concept of virtual socialization is so new to the human experience that we are having a difficult time understanding its contribution to fulfilling the desire for togetherness. But, given the success of formats like Xbox Live, it's obvious that gamers are responding positively to virtual socialization.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

L @ Mar 22nd 2006 2:36PM

I prefer the party-like atmosphere when you're around your real friends (Smash Bros was our big game). But those were really the college days for me, and we all moved around the country (well, mostly stuck to the Northeast, but in different cities), so getting together to play isn't really feasible. And I still only know one other fellow around here who likes to play multiplayer gaming.

Most of the time, when you play online it seems that everybody is either so focused on making hardcore strategy or calling everybody n****rs or something. Though I've talked to a few people I played against in some of the XBL fighting games, and they seem to be a much more mature crowd.

Chris @ Mar 22nd 2006 2:37PM

100% agree.

I remember playing Goldeneye on split screen and it was just sooooo fun. for me know other game will match that.

Matthew @ Mar 22nd 2006 2:49PM

Obviously, I think being around people you like is better than not. But no, I don't think online play is really a problem at all. It's really no different than reading forums, in terms of communication. Again, you need to balance things. It's the same thing like saying is playing videogames detracting from a child's social life by keeping them inside the house, or whatever. Play game, play online, but also go outside, hand around with your friends. Games is not a necessity of life. Online is simply another form of communication that allows you to interact with people due to physical constraints. Just like telephones, etc... Again, it'll never be a problem unless you make it one. And really, that goes for almost anything. But I definitely think it also has it's benefits. But of course, nothing beats being their physically with your freinds.

Douggy @ Mar 22nd 2006 2:50PM

Well I for one talk to a few of my friends more since I signed onto XBOX Live. We live in different cities and rarely see each other, we would talk on the phone occasionally, but long distance is expensive and it takes away time from other things, like playing games. Now we can easily talk about our week while sharing an enjoyable gaming experience and save on our phone bills. Seems like a win-win. I'm not arguing that virtual interaction should replace the physical, real world interaction that everyone should enjoy, but to argue that online gaming alone can make you anti-socila is irresponsible.

J B Cougar @ Mar 22nd 2006 2:53PM

Here's a real world case study, 100% true and unexaggerated:

I have a roommate who has played MMORPGs since EQ. Every year since then he has spent more and mroe time in his room connected to an online gaming server for some game in some form or another. He comes down only to eat and go to work. Currently it's WoW that has his attention. He never goes out, he has had terrible relationship problems, and he is socially awkward around new people. He was once a pretty normal guy, by gaming standards, but not anymore. Now his entire life revolves around WoW, from about 2:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekends. When the cable modem started to act up, he moved in with his mother (closer to his work) on weekdays, and he brought his desktop with him. He does not go food shopping, he does not clean.

These games make you antisocial? Of course they do, and then they trick you into thinking its a "community" by offering teamspeak or an IM feature. It's pretty sad.

Jouten Za @ Mar 22nd 2006 2:55PM

I don't like split screen and I like my first person persepective. With that said, the only way I can play with other people to meet my preferences, is to play on line or 'LAN' it. I don't like sharing my TV screen/Monitor space with someone else.

I would rather play MKDS with my friends then play a multi-player split screen on the gamecube. I also think that's why DS is so successful too. You can play with your peeps via 'wireless lan'.

ill trooper @ Mar 22nd 2006 2:57PM

Is it antisocial when you retreat to your mancave and play games for hours while your girlfriend does something else? Yes. Is it anti-social when you go online and game with/talk to friends from high school and college across the country? Nah, that's social.

Like most things, the extremes become the problem - a balance can keep the 'anti-social' in check.

Matthew @ Mar 22nd 2006 3:03PM

J B Cougar, that an obsession though. When Mario 64 came out, that's all I did was play that game, taking breaks only for food and the bathroom. Actually, it was pretty much like that for the whole Nintendo 64 generation for me. I know friends that play WOW, but still go out with their friends and whatnot. Again, you have to balance things out.

Francois @ Mar 22nd 2006 3:03PM

I agree, to some extent, with the theory that online gaming is antisocial. The true success of Xbox Live is not being able to interact with physically unreachable friends, it's being able to play against real people, who might as well be strangers. I remember playing Starcraft over the Internet; the lobbies were not a place to make lasting friendships nor did I ever get the impression of truly meeting anybody. Ironically, Nintendo's much-criticized "Friend code" mechanism does the better job of bridging the old and the new, allowing to play across long distance but requiring actual social contact in the real world to do so (if one doesn't "cheat" by sharing codes on the Internet). However, I do feel developers have given up on "living room" multiplayer, which is, to me, the best suited type for consoles whereas online gaming is borrowed from the PC. Is it the challenges of satisfactory 3D multiplayer on one screen or the lure of new technology that's to blame? I don't know, but I wish they put more thought into it.

Matthew @ Mar 22nd 2006 3:07PM

Terry @ Mar 22nd 2006 3:08PM

My wife and I, along with our "couple" friends, will often have a quick game or two of Mario Party or Mario Kart when we get together. However, playing games isn't the focus of getting together, seeing each other is the reason we get together! To put it another way, we play games together because we're friends, we're not friends because we play games together. I can see moving to online gaming to be social with people for whom your sole "connection" is the fact you all like games, but non-gamers deserve some multiplayer love too!

Jago @ Mar 22nd 2006 3:09PM

Is online gaming a problem? Yes and no.

I think some of the problems can be more attributed to some people (like JB Cougar described) and in other occasions (like Douggy described) it can be a good thing. The big problems with online gaming though sometimes are the actual people who use it. Basically the people who practice unsportsman-like conduct such as obvious cheating, extreme use of bad language, yell & screaming, etc.

The whole reason why I never played WoW past the alpha/beta testing I did was b/c of the exact reason Cougar described. The biggest problem with making the games "too good" is that there will be people (some of which I'm sure post on here) who don't know how to control themselves.

Me personally, I have waaaaaaaaaay more fun with a big group of friends playing Mario Party, Soul Calibur, Mario Kart, Timesplitters, etc. then sitting 2-3 feet from a monitor in a dark room.

My only hope is that Sony's and Nintendo's (if Nintendo allows voice chat) do not turn into what is running around on Xbox Live. But then again there are some pretty moronic and immature Sony fans as well (same for Nintendo) who don't know how to behave.

random @ Mar 22nd 2006 3:28PM

I think the original posting seems to imply that people have friends that would normally engage in multiplayer split screen games. Before I met my gaming friends (through work), my social group did not participate in my hobby. Some liked games, but weren't interested in the competitive elements.

I think now that Online gaming is more available, it offers more opportunities for people like me to play with people who have similar interests. I think the 'normal' person may perceive this as anti-social behavior, but I feel I am connecting with a lot of different people I normally wouldn�t have the opportunity to meet.

I'll never forget getting verbally assaulted by an old housemate for not joining them when they went out to the bar. I don't see much of a difference in connecting with a random person within a bar environment, someone I normally wouldn't have met if not for our shared interest in drinking, than meeting someone in an online game, through our shared interest in that game or experience.

Looking at console titles, the online games offered are pretty much frag fests that don�t offer a ton of time to stop and interact with the other side. I think games like WoW can be a welcome addition to someone�s social experience. Just don�t go overboard and replace the game life with real life.

gino elias @ Mar 22nd 2006 3:32PM

i've had a hard time getting into online gaming... for me, the issues are usually that people are already 18,000 times better than i am by the time i hop online, or general disrespect, or laggy gameplay... that, and even with the headsets and whatnot, it's not personal... or if you're too good (or not good enough) and get kicked out of room after room, it's ridiculous... also, if i'm playing street fighter, there's nothing more satisfying than seeing my friend getting completely frustrated by a massive streak...

the reason i love at-home multiplayer is that the trash talk, the comraderie, the "happy dances" are all part of the experience for me. I also love the ability to just screw around in, say, a game of goldeneye with absolutely no weapons and one hit kills... stuff like that is awesome... or doing a TLC match in the new Smackdown with new friends and going a half hour before anybody even attempts to win, just to see what kind of crazy stuff we can pull off... it's awesome..

J B Cougar @ Mar 22nd 2006 3:36PM

" Just don�t go overboard and replace the game life with real life."

Agreed, unless -- as is the case with games like WoW -- the mechanics encourage hours of play as opposed to healthy doses of an hour or two. To "rank" or "level" in this environment requires countless hours, often repetitive ones.

And I always find it funny that WoW is considered "intereacting" with anyone. It's just like IM -- there's zero emotion, no context, and everyone has a hightened sense of self worth and confidence because there are no repurcussions for your actions. New friends are a mere "new buddy list" away. Have a problem with someone? Move to a new server! No life lessons to be learned here. Not to mention all the men masquerading as women. What the hell is up with THAT?

Jago @ Mar 22nd 2006 3:46PM

@ gino elias:

That is EXACTLY how I feel! NOTHING beats sitting in a room with a group of friends and goofing off.

Jago @ Mar 22nd 2006 3:48PM

BINGO gino elias! NOTHING beats sitting in a room with a group of buddies and goofing off while you play against each other.

LaughingTarget @ Mar 22nd 2006 3:53PM

It is not that online gaming is antisocial itself, but it is highly attractive to antisocial people. Much like the internet itself attracts the socially inept, the gaming world is no different. This is clearly seen when browsing the message boards of large sites and blog comments. What is found is a complete lack of social graces and courtesy. Since that, through experience, the outside world doesn't seem to have this same problem, it can be surmised that those who otherwise would not want to go out and spend time with others or are so abrasive that others chose not to be around them will find their way into the realm of the internet, where it is more difficult to escape from their sand-paper personalities.

You can throw a virtual stone and be guaranteed for it to hit an insecure individual or truly toxic jerk acting out the role of the tough guy, all the while cowering behind a computer screen, safe in the knowledge that the guy on the other end has no real recourse other than return harmless text or voice the other direction.

I've tried the Xbox Live experience for a few weeks but found it nearly unplayable if I had no prior, outside world dealings with the individuals I play with. I will never play an online game these days if it involves me chosing a random game. By doing so, I am guaranteeing myself to be placed in a room where at least half of the crowd is apparently capable of defeating Chuck Norris in a roundhouse kick competition, even though we all know that is impossible.

Online gaming isn't antisocial. The digital world has an odd Bizzaro World feel to it. In the real world, those who are anti-social, abrasive, and generally unpleasant to be around tend to segment themselves off from the rest of society, hidden from view. On the internet, the opposite is true. To find that fabled Lost Server in Counter-Strike requires an incredible effort of making friends outside of the gaming world to create it, then you must lock it away with an impossible to guess password to keep it that way.

If that wealth of real world gaming friends is absent, then the view that will be reached is that everyone who plays online gaming, or communicates in public internet forums in general, think of themselves as the undisputed lord of all creation when in all reality it is likely some atrophied kid scared of his own shadow trying to substitute virtual power for real power or a truly pompous ass that found a place where his voice really cannot be silenced or even ignored.

Make real friends, then play games online with them. By doing so, the perception of online games will change dramatically.

Jouten Za @ Mar 22nd 2006 4:27PM

Is Jago really Uwe Boll?

Dirk Dorkelson @ Mar 22nd 2006 4:55PM

I have the most online gaming fun playing with "real" (as opposed to online) friends who live halfway across the country. Obviously, these guys can't come over to my house every day for some split-screen Project Gotham Racing 3. But we do plug in and literally talk for hours while blowing up baddies in PDZ. It's the social element that makes it more fun. And the fact that we can play video games together while talking about whatever makes it more fun than a phone call.

Andrew @ Mar 22nd 2006 5:25PM

I think some people *points at the guy who wrote this article* needs to look up the word "antisocial"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisocial

00 @ Mar 22nd 2006 5:36PM

I completely disagree about online gaming being antisocial.

One word: Ventrillo.

As an avid CS:S gamer, I'm often found on a public server that has "All Talk" enabled, and it's own Ventrillo server. The gamers there encourage other people to socialize, which has fostered a small community of over 50 people. I may have never met any of these people, and I might not know their real name, but we each engage in conversation to the point where we have begun to discuss what is going on in other people's real lives.

It might not be "socializing" in the traditional sense; but I think there is a case to be made that the traditional sense shouldn't be the only mainstream-accepted form of socialization.

I would also go so far as to say that most of the folks that game there are QUITE active socially in the traditional sense anyway.

Check out www.breweryservers.com to see what I'm talking about.

jgrey @ Mar 22nd 2006 6:30PM

When you interact with real people, so many subconscious levels come into communication - looking into each others' eyes, gestures, charm, charisma, manifestation of differences (such as age and nationality) etc. They're all individualized for each one of us.

I don't think online interaction contain all that. As a result, I think there is a danger that those who rely heavily on online interaction will end up half equipped to deal with real life interaction i.e. human element will be missing in parts.

"Antisocial" is too strong a word for me to highlight this problem. "Under-developed" or "premature" sounds right.

Mika @ Mar 22nd 2006 7:43PM

I have an old roommate who was so addicted to World of Warcraft he stopped doing all house work and pitching in around the house. He would not shave for weeks on end and would order pizza all the time so it could be delivered and he could eat *while gaming*. No time to cook and whatnot. He then started to call in sick at least once a week for several months and finally went several days without going to work and did not even bother to call in and was almost fired. Also when I went in to talk to him he would not turn to face me to speak and would only grunt out answers. Pathetic. He has pretty much cut off all contact with everybody except to talk to people in the game. It's pretty serious in my eyes; this guy is lost in the game in a big way.

groovychainsaw @ Mar 23rd 2006 4:09AM

There will never be a replacement for playing a game with your mate next to you on the sofa, especially not co-operative. Online play is ok, and even very good if you have a good friends list, but it will never replace the enjoyment from having a human being in the same room...

Sloopydrew @ Mar 23rd 2006 4:44AM

I prefer the split-screen, party games. Or split-screen FPS. Or split-screen fighters. Online gaming is okay, but it's much, much better playing with a few of your closest friends in the same room. Er, did that sound dirty?

I don't think online gaming makes players less social, as much as the fact that games are no longer offering split-screen play for people like me who actually have friends in the city I live in and would like to game with them.

It sucks when I buy a game, like an FPS, and for some unknown reason can only play multiplayer online. Suddenly I'm telling my friends, "Wanna play a game? Okay. First, you'll have to go home. Don't forget to buy a console and a copy of the game on the way."

soco @ Mar 23rd 2006 4:44AM

online gaming isn't anti-social in the least. it's just a different form. when i game with my friends we discuss exactly the same things i discuss with my real life friends. how work was, love life, jobs, everything and NOT just in the lobby. i was discussing politics over several races in PGR3. i have many online friends from just gaming that i've never met in real life and don't chat with anywhere else. i can talk to them for hours at a time about our lives and things going on.

if it were anti-social, there wouldn't be so many sociologists studying these online communities and worlds.

Pvt. John Doe @ Mar 23rd 2006 10:03AM

It's safe to say that online gaming is about as "anti-social" as using a telephone. Just about every online game still played today has some sort of chat and voice function to allow player to communicate with eachother. When people in the games get to know eachother, they start to joke and tell stories...just as if you were out for a night on the town with a group of your buddies.

Games like Second Life allow players to create and share virtual items with other players. This kind of self-expression around others doesn't normally happen in real life.

Edmund @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:29AM

Of course it's antisocial. When you want to hang out with your friends on a Friday night do you call them up on the phone and chat for hours? No, you actually GO OUT. I support online gaming's way of allowing people from across the globe to play, but beyond that it sucks. Why would I play online with people from my own town? I'm not that much of a loser. When I used to work at a Gamestop there was someone there who loved XBOX Live and he gave a funny argument for it. he said that before XBOX he and his friends used to get to get together every Sunday to play Madden. And now with XBOX live they don't have to. They can all sit at home in their underwear playing it online. LOSER!!! Doesn't anyone else see how awful that is? He used to hang out with his friends. Now he doesn't have to. It sucks.