Games Make Friends

Here we are, halfway through September. To many, Fall holds significant meaning. Some think of going back to school, and some think of Halloween and Thanksgiving. To a large percentage, it means football season. Football, and sports in general, are a great way for people to socialize. Thousands of men and women all over the world, can sit down with a complete stranger, and talk for hours about their favorite sports teams. Two guys who have never met will sit down at a bar, and compare stats for their favorite batters over a few rounds a beer. To those who say that sports are nothing more than an entertainment medium, there are many others who would say otherwise. Mutual love of a sport can breed a sense of community where there are no other common factors. Additionally, it can help breed a sense of intellectualism in an individual who does not see themselves as smart.

 Gerald Graff, a well-respected professor at University of Illinois in Chicago, actually has a fantastic piece relating to this. In “Hidden Intellectualism”, he actually talks about all this. Graff specifically discusses students with poor grades, or did not feel engaged at all in class would be able to memorize statistics and numbers, that if framed a different way, would not remember a single digit. He also references the community building aspect of sports.

After reading that article for a class, my immediate thought went to video games. I have seen students who completely hate math memorize formulas and statistics that only apply to a game. a college dropout will memorize the drop rate and percent chance of finding a rare item, or the spawn rate of a rare boss in relation to how many players are online. Additionally, much like sports, it is a topic that complete strangers can bond over. Walk through any Best Buy, GameStop, or FYE, and look in the electronics and gaming department. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen a total random lean over to someone and tell them why the game they are holding is a good idea, or a terrible purchase. Many times, that little tidbit launches into a full blown discussion about similar good games, upcoming titles, and better alternatives. Having worked at a video game retailer, I have seen many of these conversations end in the exchanging of phone numbers and gamertags, so they can play together in the future. Speaking from personal experience, just last week I went to the midnight release of Destiny. That being said, they crowd is filled with more game enthusiasts than casual gamers. However, that is much akin to the environment of a sports bar on Super Bowl Sunday. While waiting in line, I asked the gentlemen behind me a single question, that lead to a lovely conversation that continued until we had all checked out and went our separate ways. Like the interactions I mentioned earlier, that exchange ended in the three of us swapping gamertags.

                Like sports, video games are in many ways, another way for complete strangers to engage one another, and help people build some sense of community. It can lead to friendly rivalries and long lasting friendships. If nothing else, that is just one little way I think that games can be good for you.