Cerise Magazine

August 2007 Issue

Features

• From the Editors
• Craft Check: Custom Game Master's Screens
• Gaming in the Media: Much Ado about AO

Interviews

• Miriam Ruiz [Game developer]

Articles

• Gender & Live-Action Role Play: Introduction
  Author: Samara Hayley Steele

Samara kicks off her series looking at LARPing from a feminist perspective.

• Myth Busting: Gaming as Antisocial Behaviour
  Author: Andrea Rubenstein

Andrea takes down the myth that games are inherently antisocial events.

• Women will Love Stranglehold: A Hands-on at E3
  Author: Yvonna Lynn

Yvonna talks about her experiences playing Stranglehold at E3.

Gamer Stories

• Notes from the UnGamer
  by Jewel Faulkner
• 8 a.m. on Saturdays
  by Karen Healey
• I'm a Female Plant Shaman
  by Anna Holt

Reviews

• Jade Empire PC Special Edition
  by Cherie Thomason
• Retro Review: Prince of Persia
by Abby Wilson

Odds 'n Ends

• The Back Page

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When gamers are talked about the image that springs to most non-gamers minds is that of a grown man living in his parents’ basement doing nothing but sitting in front of the television and/or computer wasting the precious years of his life by playing games. This constructed “gamer” has no friends, no social skills, and no interest in life outside of his games.

It is probable that most gamers at some point in their lives have embodied one part of this stereotype or another, but to use the stereotype to pass judgment on games as being inherently antisocial ignores important issues such as the popularity of multi-player games, as well as the tendency for gamers to play single-player games with their friends.

Defining “social”

A large part of the problem non-gamers have seeing games as social most likely comes from the fact that many games are not “social” in the conventional sense. The term “social” has a clear association with popularity; when people hear the word “social” they tend to think of gatherings like dances, luncheons and dinner parties. But the scope of the word is far more diverse than that, and can apply just as easily to two people having a conversation as it can to a gathering of over a hundred people.

One possible reason for the narrow image of the word is the situations in which we commonly see it being used. For instance, there are not many examples in popular media that actually depict the social networks of gamers. On top of that, gaming experiences that could be used to give people a rough idea of the social aspect of gaming — like playing board games with the family or having poker night with one’s friends — are disassociated from the stereotype of the gamer. Thus the “social” ideal is preserved as being one reserved for the stereotypical “normal” person.

Another problematic connotation is that we think of “social” settings being tangible, rather than virtual, ones. For instance, the primary social environment for electronic games — which are the ones that get the most media attention — is virtual, handled through text and/or voice chat. A person playing one of these games could look to all the world as if they were cutting themselves off from human contact in order to play their beloved game when, in fact, they are enmeshed in their virtual community learning how to function as a group and perhaps even how to lead others.

Looking at social methods of play

One social method of play is setting up regular gaming times, a method primarily employed by tabletop gamers and LARPers because it’s a necessary function of their gaming systems. These meetings are set up to allow them to play through a campaign in their RPG of choice, but also inevitably include conventional social aspects such as chatting, making jokes, and generally having a good time together.

A related method of play is for gamers to incorporate gaming into their normal social time together. This can include inviting friends over, or out somewhere, for the express purpose of gaming, as well as including gaming as one of the activities while everyone is together. For electronic gamers this method of play often includes “party games” (ie. multi-player console games) as well as playing single-player games as a group instead of alone. Board games are also a large part of this style of play, one that includes many non-gamers in addition to gamers.

There is also, of course, the virtual method of play. This style is found in MMOs and other multi-player games ranging from strategy games to RPGs, but also extends to many casual games. Though this is the hardest for a casual observer to see, it is no less social than the above styles and should not be thought of a lesser form of socialization simply because it is devoid of the element of tangible human contact.

The social gamer

Despite the continuation of occasional media sensationalism in this area, the the stigma of gaming as being an antisocial form of entertainment seems to be on a steady decline. The growing popularity of internet communication from e-mail to blogging has opened the door for an understanding of “social” that extends to a virtual environment.

Another trend, which may one day be what strikes the deathblow to the antisocial trope, is the continuing focus on making gaming mainstream. With the popularization of the internet, information on tabletop RPGs and LARPing has moved out of the providence of comic shops and into the hands of anyone who might have an interest. Online communities have also made it easier for gamers to connect with people outside of their immediate social circle.

In regard to electronic games, for all the debate over “hardcore” versus “casual” gamers, it seems that the latter may be the key to de-stigmatizing the former. With the realization of the potential profit in catering to and creating casual gamers, the industry has been steadily pushing for a broader market with marked success. Nintendo, for example, has thrown itself wholesale into the concept of mainstreaming games with its claim that games are for everyone.

In the end, as the ranks of gamers continues to grow the stereotype of gaming as antisocial behavior will give way to the reality of the social gamer.