With everybody hunkered down by the widespread work-from-home and social distancing norms, it can be challenging to maintain a social life and sound mental health. Erstwhile occasions such as dinner with friends, or going for movie at the theatres with family stand cancelled and seem impossible in the near future. Although personal and public health and safety are crucial, still it can be dampening to have one’s social life stalled so abruptly.
While the circumstances are quite unusual for many of us, there are certain people who are cementing long-lasting and meaningful connections within the confines of their homes. And they are doing this through the world of online gaming.
Gaming aficionados socialise with others over the various games they play and create a sense of community and mental well-being. The socialisation aspects are highly valued by the majority of gamers. Those account for the main motivations for playing, especially in regard to the multiplayer online games. These games have a large number of players, sometimes going up to thousands, who actively interact and play on the same server. And in these bizarre times, it’s become increasingly important to set up these channels sooner.
Thanks to online services including Xbox Live, Nintendo Switch Online, PlayStation Plus, and Steam – to name a few – we are not just connected to millions of games but even millions of people. During the pandemic, the closure of movie theatres, suspension of professional sports and the compulsory quarantine meant that leisure and socialisation were limited to what could be done at home and online.
What makes gaming socialisation tick?
Gaming researchers believe that there are primarily three factors that make online gaming so popular – chatting with other players, making friends online and developing long-term relationships. These social activities in online gaming make them more conducive for healthy social relationships. Researchers term the entire process of socializing online as ‘online third place’ which basically refers to a setting where individuals can come together and socialize outside of work and home-like in cafes and pubs. These qualities of a ‘third place’ – accessibility, conversation, interactions, playful and cheery mood, home away from home – massively apply to multiplayer online games (MMO) as well such as World of Warcraft (WoW). So, online third places are also understood to be a place where people from across the world can connect and socialise.
Online gaming and the festive season
With Diwali and other festivals just around the corner, the online gaming industry is expected to be one market that will experience reasonable surge as compared to the previous years. Amid the global pandemic, real online gaming has constantly been delivering to people the missing dose of entertainment and has even become a side source of income for many, if not the main. And Diwali is bound to bring in more players, considering card playing is an essential ceremony of this festival in many households.
Since many of the games played online require multi-players or group play, the entire exercise is going to help families bond with each other, albeit over long-distance and on video calls or commonly shared platforms where these games would be played. Like back in the day, families would get around a table to play card games like poker and rummy or would play board games such as monopoly, similarly the online games are going to be filling in the void created by social distancing and quarantine, as families and friends get together to play the same games, but online.
Summing It Up
Covid-19 has upended a lot of our plans that we used to have in place every year for the festive season as its always been a time to meet and bond with one’s loved ones. However, technology has provided us with a workaround for the same and online gaming will help re-build the lost sense of community life.
(This article has been contributed by PokerDangal CEO and founder Varun Mahna, and AnimationXpress does not necessarily subscribe to these views)