Online gaming to become MySpace?
by Kevin Kelly 
{ Oct 9th 2006 at 2:45PM }
Nielsen Media Research released their newest Active Gamer Study a few days ago, and according to the new stats more than 56% of the 117 million gamers in the U.S. spend at least five hours a week gaming socially in places like Xbox Live, World of Warcraft, and on WiFi platforms such as the PlayStation Portable and the Nintendo DS. Social gaming reaches more gamers every year with the addition of new hardware and games that allow people to compete or cooperate online. Last week's episode of The Office featured Jim and his coworkers playing Call of Duty, and South Park showed us the evils of WoW, which only attests to the growing popularity of both. If you've ever doubted the popularity of social gaming, you need to read about how our very own Christopher Grant got some ass within moments of hooking up his Xbox Vision Camera.
Social networking in the U.S. is currently dominated by MySpace, where more than half of its 90 million U.S. users are over the age of 35. As social gaming and networking continue to grow, their areas of influence are bound to overlap. Companies would love to sink their teeth into a demographic that uses their product for more then five hours a week, and users want an online experience that puts them in touch with with old and new friends, while pimping themselves out. Don't be surprised when your gamertag turns into your MySpace page, complete with sparkling stars, unicorns, and a Ben Kweller song that starts playing at full volume immediately upon loading.
You only have a few months until My SecondLifeSpace of Warcraft Live is released worldwide by Rupert Murdoch, don't tell us you weren't warned.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Greg2k @ Oct 9th 2006 3:00PM
ADD?
Allen @ Oct 9th 2006 3:02PM
heh, looks like we have another culture shift coming. ;)
Loque @ Oct 10th 2006 2:07AM
keep those goddamn emo kids out of my mmorpgs!
m3mnoch @ Oct 9th 2006 3:36PM
heh. then there're bastards like us who mash it all together.
http://www.thesingular.com
m3mnoch.
chudgoo @ Oct 9th 2006 3:51PM
Oh hell yes.
It's the one and only Oderus Urungus.
(frontman of the band GWAR)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GWAR
(Internet GWARCHIVE!)
no idea what this story is about...just wanted to point that out.
(surprised they aren't covered more...they're gaming geeks too apparently. They ven put out a board game. http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/12313
USMC BEANS @ Oct 9th 2006 3:53PM
Nice Oderus Urungus avatar!
Gonzo @ Oct 9th 2006 4:32PM
Well... Rupert Murdoch would sell his own grandchildren to the far east slave trade for a buck.
As for the whole multiplayer thing, I enjoy it with PC games like RTSs and FPSs but it seems like everyone expects EVERY game to be multiplayer now-a-days. I saw a review the other day (from what, I forget, probably xplay) where they complained that a fighting game didn't go online for multiplayer. I can't imagine ever wanting to play one of those on-line. To me the best part of those games is b-talking to your opponent sitting next to you. I can see if the difference was between a split screen or a whole one but they never split the screen for a 2player fighter.
Next thing you know they're going to have the next mario party game on line so you never have to see your friends again.
Buckshot @ Oct 9th 2006 4:21PM
More props on the Gwar love. Have you seen me?
rTwelve @ Oct 9th 2006 4:58PM
With Vision, Xbox Live HAS become MySpace.
Just look at all the hot girls getting swarmed with friend requests. Good thing there's a friend list cap, or else we'd start seeing "Live Whores" and other nonsense.
chudgoo @ Oct 9th 2006 5:08PM
"Well... Rupert Murdoch would sell his own grandchildren to the far east slave trade for a buck."
It's down to a buck now? I bought for $1.02 and was holding out $1.05 before I sold my, uh, livestock. Thanks to those damn catholics being against birth control there is simply too much supply being produced these days...Maybe I should sell now and take a loss...
ANYWAY... ;)
You make a good point, not every game is made better by adding online multiplayer. It's often a poorly implemented feature in the first place. It's a bullet-item on the back of the box and little else in some cases.
Marketing people wont stop until there is a massively multiplayer online version of Solitaire. (or 'Patience' for you brits)
virtuadept @ Oct 9th 2006 5:05PM
The fact that there is a cap on friends means Live Whores is an inevitability. Want to get on the friends list of the hottest Xbox Live chicks? Pay up, buddy. Pay Pal and Visa accepted.
rTwelve @ Oct 9th 2006 6:04PM
@9
Or MS Points! Hahahaha.
Rob @ Oct 10th 2006 12:25PM
Bwoot go scum dog of the universe