“Hey. Have you gotten 2048 yet?”
“No. I have not. I am so addicted though. Today while on the bus, I almost missed my stop because I was playing. But before I almost missed the stop, the person sitting next to me noticed what I was playing and started giving me tips!”
This is the not the first conversation I have heard about online gaming. The first interesting thing about these conversations is that they take place offline. No longer do people enter chat rooms to discuss the games they are playing on a computer, phone, or tablet. This is because everyone—from high-school students to grandparents—plays 2048, Candy Crush Saga, Words with Friends, and Angry Birds. It not necessary to have specific chat rooms because the person sitting next to you on the bus can probably tell you new ways to defeat the next level of Candy Crush. People play while waiting in the doctor’s office, commuting, before falling asleep, or procrastinating.
The games are widespread for a reason. Portable gaming has evolved. No longer does one need to buy a separate device and separate games to play. A Gameboy is a thing of the past. Smart phones and tablets are ubiquitous in society, and therefore, so are the games everyone is playing on these devices. No one walks around with CDs or game cartridges anymore. All games can be accessed online through a phone, tablet, and sometime a computer.
At first, one might think people only play when they are bored and have nothing else to do. For some people, this might be the case. Yet many people are proud of their online gaming. This is not a type of procrastination to be ashamed of. Some Facebook users have linked their Candy Crush to their account so everyone knows when they have gotten to the next level. The other day, my news feed was flooded with people who had posted screenshots showing that they had won 2048. In fact, some games have social aspects. Words with Friends is exactly that. Players take turns flipping tiles and spelling words. There can be lags in between turns, but nonetheless, two people are involved in playing.
The second interesting thing about gaming conversations is that these conversations are even taking place at all. People who claim they are addicted to the game have taken the time to stop and talk about the game. This is exciting! Maybe people are not as addicted to their phones and these games as they think they are.
That being said, online gaming certainly has an addictive quality. The games are fun, but it must be something more than that. The first reason is, of course, wanting to win and beating your friends. There is a proud and exciting moment, no matter how fleeting, when one has gotten 2048. Second, playing the newest game is like watching the newest TV show. Everyone discusses what is happening on the show and what they think will happen next. One can walk away from the show, but then they will not know what happened and they will not be able to discuss the show with their friends.
Online gaming might be the same way. A friend might get bored with Candy Crush Saga, but if he does not get to the next level, he will not know what happens next. Each level brings new surprises, and he will be out of the loop with his other friends.
While online games take place virtually, much of the conversation about the games occurs face to face, as the games have become more integrated into many peoples’ daily lives.
The featured image and image in this article can be found at Flickr Creative Commons here.
