THE FUTURE OF GAMING IS COMMUNITY

Games bring people together. There’s no doubt about it. From board games to sporting events, the character of the “game” has unified individuals from all walks of life for generations. It brings an element of collaboration between different mindsets, personalities, and skill levels that encourages them to work together to fight for a common goal. It gives people the freedom to be whoever they want to be without fear of judgment from the outside world.  Once the game begins, it doesn’t matter what you look like, where you come from, or why you are there. All that matters is that you came to compete.

If you are anything like me, you love to enlist with fellow gamers about your favorite game, PC build, or anything else having to do with gaming. While I do have my moments of going it alone on my PC, joining a new community of gamers and immersing yourself in it is enthralling. There’s a completely different vibe when you’re working together with a team to overcome the challenges to make it to the next level. It forces you to trust others and most of the time you pray their skills are better than yours.

It has been proven that gaming through a video game console, computer screen, or mobile device has the same power to unite individuals and develop a sense of powerful community as playing a team sport. Hell, most gamers would argue that gaming is a team sport.

Whether you spend one hour a week or 30 hours a week engaged in a gaming community, you’re building a stronger sense of social identity. The confidence you’re gaining in who you are then turns into higher self-esteem and more social competence. I’ve found that when I am engaging with others online through gaming, I get a sense of comradery and feel less alone.

If the future of gaming is community, then future of those communities is technology. With the tech available today, game-rooted friendships are as real as any offline friendships. They shouldn’t be discredited just because they’re mediated through technology.