Xbox One reference anyone? If you happened to be hiding under a rock for the past couple of months and have no idea what the Xbox One is, watch the video below and you will have a pretty solid understanding of all of the glorious things it has to offer. But seriously, as disappointing as the Xbox One's much anticipated unveiling was, Microsoft was right to compare their system to a water cooler. Yes, their console has already proved to bring people together and has become a heavily discussed topic, but not for the reasons its creators would have liked. Gamers of all ages felt a variety of emotions after the next-gen console was announced. Some felt betrayed by the new restrictions Microsoft would later remove due to consumer backlash; others were angered by the price, outdated hardware, and lack of innovation expected from a next-gen system. The important thing to note is: most people felt something. Regardless of which end of the spectrum these emotions are from, our generation displays powerful reactions when it comes to altering our video game experiences (if you are reading a video game blog, it is probably safe to say you are part of the generation I am talking about).
Answer: As a result of growing up immersed in technology, we have become dependent on our virtual experiences to fulfill our social and entertainment needs. Changing the way we play games jeopardizes our possibility of satisfying our needs.
Shocking, right? Not really. Essentially, video games have actually become the water cooler of our age. Like our parents' peers met in the break room to socialize over a chilled Dixie cup of water, video games provide us with a modern day alternative. We are held together by our shared desire to stay "connected" with one another, and video games play a major role in facilitating that on a 24/7 basis. MMOs, LAN Parties, Candy Crush invitations, System Link, mobile apps--all allow us to communicate and compete against each other in lieu of physical interaction in a way that previous generations couldn't comprehend.
"I can't grab dinner yet, I'm in the middle of a raid, Mom," earns quite a confused and sympathetic look from one's mother.
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| (Our idea of hanging out with friends pictured above.) |
1) You are working as a team with your peers.
2) You are learning essential social skills that could help you develop and improve work and personal relationships.
3) You are having a shit ton of fun while challenging yourself and competing against others.
2) You are learning essential social skills that could help you develop and improve work and personal relationships.
3) You are having a shit ton of fun while challenging yourself and competing against others.
Now, I am not suggesting our generation supplements everything through technology, I mean, we do have to crawl out of our parents basements every few days to stock up on our raiding snacks and orange tang (that counts as physical interaction right?), BUT, what I am saying is, video games are an important and rewarding part of our generation's lives. We freak out when companies like Microsoft try to drastically change the way we buy, play, and sell games because it would have a monumental impact on the way we socialize. Alter our game culture in a way that inhibits our ability to share and interact, and you have taken away the entertainment factor and destroyed what makes our generation such loyal video game consumers.
Besides, real interaction? Come on. Ain't nobody got time for that.
