Humans have always been playing games, but a new wave of entertainment entered in the late 20th Century: video-gaming.
How has society reacted when confronted with the introduction to of the new interactive medium?
Computer-gamers like Jeffrey Nelson and Jonathan Gronli note their social experiences as a child when they first started playing games. “My parents thought playing video-games was a waste of time,” said Jeffrey. “But other kids where like ‘Cool! You got a Nintendo,’ and they would huddle around to play Super Mario Bros. I mean, adults didn’t like it but it was a ‘cool’ thing.”
Viewpoints of computer and video gaming often change over time, just like any other form of mass-produced entertainment. Jeff Roll, another gamer, offers his video-gaming experience: “When I was a kid, yes it was popular. But once I got into High School, video-gaming was less popular for some reason…By the time I hit college, society became more comfortable with technology and being a ‘geek’ was no longer considered uncool. That’s when gaming became popular again.”
Video-gaming culture has not been without its controversies. Recent backlash has included blaming the Columbine High School shootings debacle on video games as well as the lawsuits against Rockstar Games for its violent game “Grand Theft Auto.”
“People in society always looks for new scapegoats,” says Gronli.
Roll adds that “Rock and Roll made people worship the Devil and take drugs, TV and movies got teenagers to have unprotected sex. I mean, people will always try to make baseless accusations on any form of mass-produced entertainment and media.”
From the local console to online multi-play, gaming is now enjoyed worldwide. Consoles like the Playstation 3 and the XBOX 360 have Internet and multiplayer capability. But does video gaming help connect society?
Jeffrey Nelson doesn’t think so. “Games used to be personal,” he lamented. “You and your buddies huddled together playing videogames. With online multi-play, opponents or allies are more spread out; they become more anonymous and have less connection with other players.”
Steve Gardner, another gamer, disagrees with that claim. “Online multi-play has certainly increased if not promote social gaming. Players are still human and still seek groups to belong to. FPS (First Person Shooters) gamers develop Clans and MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) gamers create Guilds. In a sense they are creating a society in the gaming world.”
Gronli thinks that, “Yes gamers still seek out groups, but the social norms and customs of the game world are only applicable to that reality and are not valid to real society.”
Even female gamers are getting in on the action. With online multi-play and a new variety of video games in a market that used to be male-dominated, female gamers like Andrea Ocasia are entering the world of electronic entertainment.
But does playing games make a female less of a woman? “No, I don’t think playing games makes me less feminine,” says Andrea ” There are some people who are okay with it, some girls who think it is cool, and then I have other friends who think it’s a waste of time.”
As society adapts its views on video-gaming as well as the subculture groups that rise out of playing computer games, one thing seems sure for the foreseeable future: Video-games are here to stay.