Hmmm... games that have multiplayer but ignore split-screen are shooting themselves in the foot in that they're preventing this type of socialization you mention in the "back in the day". In this sense I'd say they could be considered less social, given that most multiplayer these days is with strangers who are anonymous, if it isn't with your friends.
On the other hand games like MK8 or Smash don't prohibit this type of social gaming, though they do have the multiplayer-with-strangers aspect.
Really I'd say games are equally as social as they were before. Games that allow you to play with your friends in the livingroom like they did years ago still exist, and they're still fun. While a lot of multiplayer happens with strangers from other parts of the world, in practice (and relevant to us) they're more like a more advanced AI to play against (especially if you mute them :3 ).
An interesting point with the muting. I know playing Halo online, I'd sometimes decide not to play with a headset (mostly without team play). I love that smash and mk8 were better local - nowadays I think online is the priority. It seems like this type of thing also applies to how Facebook increased socializing but also decreased it by making people look down at their phones. Maybe the answer isn't more/less social, and that it's just different.
In your opinion, has playing video games become less social than it once was? Do you still talk video games with others in person or does most of it take place online?
I don't know the answer (which is why i'm asking). BUT, here is the case for each:
**Back in the day: All games played together were played in the same room using the same TV or in an arcade. This meant the in-person interactions were much more than they were today.
**Today: Online gaming has surged and arcades are dying. The billions of hours spent online today means connecting with more people and socializing with others.
Have you changed the way you play or talk about video games?
@SoNin360: how you track via spreadsheet is exactly where I was going with this. That's one way of tracking gameplay, I know I've rated games on some websites but it I don't recall where.
@Archangel3371: fair enough. I have seen websites/apps track the books you're reading, books you've read, etc. Perhaps there's always a group who want to keep track for each form of entertainment.
@Ish_basic: Makes sense. I didn't mean to use the "if a tree falls" to mean that it's about others, I meant it as it didn't happen for me. You touched on what I was getting at with "but then there are games that I'm glad to have played". For these games, the experiences are just a memory.
Log in to comment