Gamer Space

We have talked a lot about the idea of space. We recognize that the idea of a university offers a "space" which we use for a wide variety of reasons, from career preparation to a safe haven for intellectualism. Similarly, the space of "home" gives us a place for safety, relaxation, a sense of belonging, etc.

But what about spaces that are less...tangible?

Online spaces have been on a sharp rise over the course of the past two decades. There are a wide variety of communities on the internet that people flock to. But why? What is it that these communities provide that makes them so popular?

To answer this, I will take my discussion to the gaming community. While many may regard the reasoning of the gamer "space" as being one for procrastination, laziness, and abandonment of more intellectual pursuits, this space provides benefits for the community which subscribes to it.

World of Warcraft, the most successful online gaming community, is the world's largest MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game). Although its membership has been on decline due to the game's age, it still boasts a whopping 10.2 million monthly subscribers, all willing to pay $15 per month to play.

I believe that the reason why these spaces are so important can be broken down into 3 main categories:

1. Alternatives

World of Warcraft (and other community-based games like it) offer an alternative way of socializing to that of the norm. There is a very active stigma that gamers are very anti-social because they often prefer to spend time in their rooms online that out in the real world having fun with their friends. But I beg the question, do we have to leave the room to be physically present with others to have a social space? Are social interactions any less "real" because they are done online rather than face-to-face? World of Warcraft gives the option to people to socialize with people in an environment that is comfortable for them. Some students may prefer to spend the night hanging out with their friends in game, talking about life and having fun, rather than going out to parties with their "real life" friends. Rather than amusing themselves with party drinking games or whatever the case may be, the game provides them with a means to socialize without many of the social pressures.

2. Freedom of speech and Social Safety

One part of the gaming community's bad reputation is that it provides mind-numbing entertainment. While this may certainly be founded in some truth, it is certainly not representative of the whole. Games like Call of Duty don't inspire much faith in a great sense of intellectualism. However, in more community based games, such as World of Warcraft, a great deal of intellectual discussion actually does take place. A recent example of this could be the Kony 2012 campaign that went viral just a short time ago. Certainly a complex and controversial issue, I heard remarkably few discussions in most social spheres, and when I did, it did not go much deeper than "Have you seen that Kony video? Crazy shit, right?" However, when I logged in to WoW the night that Kony 2012 went viral, I spent about three hours talking with many of my fellow guild-mates about the issue. We talked about a lot of the research that we had done on the topic and our opinions, all while playing a game that we thought was fun. It also brought together a discussion from a wide range of viewpoints. In our 10 man "battleground" group, for example, we have a 16 year old from Vermont, a 40-year old couple from Washington, a member of the Puerto Rican National Guard, a bodybuilder from Green Bay, a 23 year old stay at home mother of two, and a guy who admits to smoking pot while playing. In what other sphere could such a conversation take place between such a diverse group of people? This gaming environment then becomes an important driver of social capital.

I certainly don't intend to make a claim that video games should be a respected means of intellectual conversation, but I do remark that it is often a product of what I would term "social safety." In any online community, whether it is a video game or an internet forum, there is a certain degree of anonymity. Because you are a relatively unknown person online, it frees you of many of your social constraints. You are much more free to give an honest, uncensored opinion on something, because there are fewer social repercussions. If, for example, I am discussing an issue like abortion while eating dinner for my friends and I say something that is contrary to the beliefs of my friends, or if I otherwise offend them with my opinions, there is a problem. I would likely create some tension among my friend group that would make me feel inhibited in having that conversation in the future. Online, however, if I have a problematic interaction, it is easy to simply slip back, as my social interactions on the internet have less bearing on my real life.

3. Team building

Lightbane encounter in World of Warcraft's Trial of the Crusader

The days of individualized gaming are long past. There are remarkbly few successful videos game which do not require a strong degree of online interaction. The market itself becomes one of the biggest arguments against the few ignorant people who claim that gaming is an anti-social environment. People play video games to be entertained to be sure, but they also seek a sense of community. Must MMORPGs focus on team tasks that force you to work together to success at a certain goal. One of the most popular examples in World of Warcraft is raiding. You get together with a group of either 10 or 25 players to go through a "raid." Each raid comprises of usually 5-12 different encounters. In order to make it through all of these encounters, the group must work together to develop strategies specific to the challenges for each fight. At times, this can be a very intense logic puzzle, as the group tries to determine what goes wrong each time, as they work to defeat the encounter. It requires an intense degree of communication and teamwork to be able to do anything. In a way, it is very similar to a sports team. The team has to practice together, develop strategies for different ways to tackle the game, they mus communicate effectively, and have a good sense of camaraderie. And yet, although the ideology behind both things are the same, games like WoW are often culturally frowned upon. But what is so different between a raid group and a football team, other than the popularity of the game and the space in which it is played? Certainly, as the above meme suggests, there are worse ways to spend your time than playing e-sports with your e-friends.


In the end, the question of whether online gaming is valid comes down to a consideration of the idea of "space." While I have just analyzed the space of online communities, perhaps a better way to think about it would be considering the space of any group activity. Side by side, many of the reasons for the existence of that space would likely look very similar. I encourage you, therefore, to try to break away from the cultural stigma against online video games, and try to understand the value to such communities in our society.