Often we hear the stereotypical stories about gamers – the ones who spend hours on end cooped up in their bedrooms. These bunch of hobbyists are even quoted as the ones who “don’t have a social life”. But is this really true about them?
However, what ‘non-gamers’ do not know is that social gaming in fact plays a part in building bonds within the community. Many elements of social games provide opportunities for players to develop social and communication skills.
The webs we weave: Playing games with friends gives players a sense of community, both online and off.
A place to interact
For instance, social games give players an opportunity to speak to and play with other players through chat boxes. According to researchers Constance Steinkuehler and Dmitri Williams, online spaces serve to be like ‘hangouts’ where players meet and greet. There is plenty of opportunity for players to build friendships, which can even extend offline if players are living within vicinity of each other!
A common interest
Interaction does not stay within the World Wide Web; in fact, players can find it easier to strike up conversations with others, due to shared love for their favourite online games.
So, it is probably not surprising when the following discussion comes up over a casual lunch:
“I was just playing Happy Kitchen this morning. It’s maddening when I have a few more points to level up, but I have to wait for my cooks to complete my dish.”
“Yeah, totally! I fired one of my cooks today”
“You did? Why?”
"Well, he was moving way too slowly."
Even the most introverted of characters will be able to engage another in an entertaining conversation about their favourite games.
Creating Bonds
Games researcher, Professor Jane McGonigal, states that you can trust someone else better after playing an online social game with him. In social games, players depend on each other to ‘level up’ or get tasks completed – and at the end of the day, a level of trust is actually built amongst these players! Professor McGonigal even goes on to add that players actually like each other better after a social game.
This is backed up by a research done by Cole and Griffith in 2007. According to a survey, a considerable percentage of people who involve themselves in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are more likely to open up to their online gaming friends, rather than real-life friends (who do not play MMORPGs).
You can then imagine the type of friendships and trust that real-life friends possess if they also engage in social games together!
A Sense of Identity
Social games give a player an opportunity to create ‘avatars’, a character that represents the individual. Take The Triads for instance: the characteristics of the chosen avatar, alongside with increasing achievements as the game progresses, can allow the player to be confident in and even relate better to his avatar.
This leads to discovering a sense of identity within one’s self, and in turn, boost the individual’s confidence because he knows his purpose, strengths and weaknesses!
In conclusion, social games do provide a training ground for an individual’s social skills. However, one must also learn to find the right balance between both online and offline social lives. Only then can one be said to be truly playing the game!
Sueann Tan
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