It’s a thoroughly valid question, but as marketing for video games are focusing much more on the interactive expect does it mean that it is becoming an activity for everyone to participate in? As the commercials for the Nintendo Switch console are showing that it’s a very simple and effective way to turn gaming from a solitary, barricade yourself in your room approach to life, but rather get down to a social function and have hours of fun? Let’s look at it from the perspective of the hardcore gamer, and the social butterfly.
The Hardcore Gamer
For a lot of gamers, the notion of being engrossed in a game for hours on end is a suitable escape from the modern world. One main thing to say on this is that while the hardcore gamer is portrayed as a solitary individual, the fact is that a lot of gamers like it this way. They want to spend time investing in their gaming tech, making their gaming station just so, and poring over every small detail of their gaming setup. Much like a fisherman or a golfer will spend hours fine-tuning their tools, a gamer will look for the best wireless gaming mouse or computer with the best ram. For the hardcore gamer, it’s not just a social pastime or a way to have fun, but it’s a very important part of the down time. The hardcore gamer will very likely turn their nose up at a social function, and with games like World of Warcraft, there is a partially social aspect to the game, but it’s a reclusive one.
The Social Butterfly
You only have to look at the increasing amount of gaming for kids to see that the bigger companies are trying to make gaming and experience for everyone, young and old. Going back to the Nintendo Switch you can see via the commercials that these consoles are designed for a party atmosphere rather than the social recluse, and even going back to the Nintendo Wii, which was designed to bring families together, you can see the impact on a bringing families closer together any more social setting. There are even gaming nights taking advantage of this, and there is a big market for students who haven’t got much money but yet still want to be social, and you can find these in a lot of local pubs. For a social butterfly who still wants to get their hours of gaming in, it’s a very effective way to combine the two. While a lot of hardcore gamers who are after the experience of becoming engrossed in a world, the overall social setup may not appeal to them, however, it’s a perfectly suitable option for those students who are looking for a sociable night without spending much money.
Gaming is becoming far more interactive and sociable thanks to consoles like the Nintendo Switch, but it’s important to remember that there will still be some of the old guard of gaming that will want to stay behind closed doors and build up a universe. But it’s safe to say, the whole approach to gaming is a far more sociable one than it used to be!
