Digital Gaming As A New Place For Social Space

With the emergence and rapid evolution of the digital and social media technologies has now become increasingly become an important role of the people’s lives and development. Such as, with the introduction of the internet, which defined as the global network of the connected computers and IT has now changing the way how we communicate, work and share information. Technological innovations together with the internet have the ability to connect with more people engage in many ways with them more deeply and also this can be seen as new social space where the individuals can meet new people and gather with old friends. As in June 2018, global internet users has now surpass 4 billion and it represented 55% of the world’s population who have an internet access (Internet World Stats, 2018).

Due to the internet, the game developers see this, as an opportunity and realizing the convenience of distributing games digitally, therefore it triggered huge changes in the business of game development. Global digital gaming sales in 2015 has reached US$61 billion dollars from across various platforms such as digital console, PC and smartphone (DiChristopher, 2016). Therefore, another new space that has emerged which can be used for social space digitally or online. This is also known as massively multiplayer online gaming(MMGOs) It defined as a 2D or 3D video games played online, allowing the users to create self-created digital or avatars to interact with the designed environment of that particular game and the computer generated characters, but also with the ‘other players’ avatar as well(Steinkuehler, 2005). Basically, MMGOs is an online game which involve huge number of players ranging from hundreds to thousands on the same server.

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MMOs is trying to create entire ‘worlds’: vast virtual reality environments that can spread across large continents. Overall, MMOs is an evolution comparing to the initial game consoles, which does not connected to the internet and only limited to two-players options which allowed the users now, to play the same game at different or separate times. In addition, MMOs also created known as ‘the persistent world’ where it does not end when users signed off. The game are continously changing at the same time developing at the cyberspace, where new users are constantly logging on and off for 24 hours. The players even create their own dialect terms, arranging part of their daily routines just to meet up online at specific times. Typically, in MMGOs the players are synchronous online with the other users where the interaction can be seen visually and it is immediate. That means all the actions done by one player can be seen by all other players.

For example the world’s most popular MMGOs game known as Fortnite which generate US$2 billion in 2018 and have now, more than 200 million total registered players as well function as a space for young people(Hassan, 2018). This is an online video game whereby each virtual landscape environment are created which are joined by 100 players and they have a mission whereby they would compete until the last one is standing or until their characters are death. However, that is not the case,because instead of focusing on the mission, they are mostly preoccupied with sharing the latest pop culture. For example because they are focusing into the ‘skins’ which are known as the character’s outfit whereby they would just straight up trying to look cool or edgy in fashion sense or also expressing viral dance moves or gestures such as ‘‘floss dance’ even the celebrities even performing it in real life. Therefore Fortnite has become a substitute for the physical place and just how significant the experience for the users.

Referring to above it shows, a real place and space are still significant and considered as the starting force or prerequisite in order to gain access to the digital gaming such as you need PC, smartphones, tablets to have access into the game and almost accessible by everyone. Therefore this is due, to the social affordances which refers to the properties that are seen as an enabling action(Kennedy, 2012). Referring to Fortnite it is similarly describe the phenomenan where a study showed, how players tend to congregate together to video games which similarly mimic the pubs, coffee shops to create new friends and build bonds socially (Steinkuehler & Williams, 2006). There this alternative space is also see as an opportunity for the users/players to know more about each other and is likely to foster deep bonds among themselves.

Even this alternative digital gaming space may help in benefitting the users positively especially for those who tend to avoid face to face interaction. Such as, online/digital gaming can be seen as a positive social space platform for emotionally sensitive individuals where they can overcome their social difficulties, create new friendships and build up their old ones (Kowert, Domahidi & Quandt, 2014). Overall, online/digital games hold the potential to be socially benefited especially for the shy/introverted individuals which help to overcome their social difficulties and create new or strengthen their friendships. The digital gaming can be seen as ‘place of culture’ where they would express their own opinions regarding to the game itself such as the language they used when they are interacting with the players or perhaps with the outfits that characters used chosen by the user.

In conclusion, yes digital gaming can be seen as a new place for social space for the people where this space has also created a various significance outcomes on what it can do.

References

DiChristopher, T. (2016). Digital gaming sales hit record $61B: Report. CNBC. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/26/digital-gaming-sales-hit-record-61-billion-in-2015-report.html
Hassan, A. (2018). Fortnite is a social space the way skateparks and Facebook used to be. Retrieved from https://qz.com/quartzy/1493147/fortnite-a-social-space-like-facebook-and-skateparks-once-were/
Kowert, R., Domahidi, E., & Quandt, T. (2014). The relationship between online video game involvement and gaming-related friendships among emotionally sensitive individuals. Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking, 17(7), 447-53.
Kennedy, J. (2012). Conceptualizing Social Interactions in Networked Spaces. Networked Sociability and Individualism, 24-40. doi:10.4018/978-1-61350-338-6.ch002
Steinkuehler, C. (2006). Massively Multiplayer Online Video Gaming as Participation in a Discourse. Mind, Culture, And Activity, 13(1), 38-52. doi: 10.1207/s15327884mca1301_4
Steinkuehler, C., & Williams, D. (2006). Where Everybody Knows Your (Screen) Name: Online Games as 'Third Places'. Journal Of Computer-Mediated Communication, 11(4), 885-909. doi: 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006.00300

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