A Change in Online Console Gaming

Electronic Entertainment Expo,
picture from: Google Image

Electronic Entertainment Expo, E3, is rapidly approaching and as it does rumors as always flow through the Internet.  One current debate filling forums and chats is that of consoles making more restrictions for online content and gaming.  Rumors once again take the gaming community by storm. 

For Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 many games they have are limited to single player content unless you are willing to pay an additional fee for more content or an online membership. This is how things have worked for a very long time and now people are talking, as they do every year before E3.

One thing Microsoft plans to change with its newest Xbox features is the online content it broadcasts.  Jason Andrews for thisisxbox.com, discusses in his most recent article how the Xbox’s newest component will have a more entertainment focus, which includes television, music, online browsing, social media.  This implementation will potentially cut the content given with online games.  I personally don’t enjoy reading this, because I believe consoles were made for playing games; including other features to consoles is great but it should definitely not be substituted instead of gaming content.

E3 rumors over decreased used game market,
image from: gearfuse.com

Similarly on cnet.com Jeff Bakalar explains that console developers are trying to make a shift to change the market of buying used games and hopefully stopping instances of piracy.  Bakalar says developers want to create new technology that tries to get consumers to only buy a game they are willing to keep.  The games will be created to limit uses to one user and sold and bought used the new owner must pay an additional fee to get the entire game unlocked, once again presenting content limitations and allowing the companies to profit more.

Eddie Makuch, Gamespot’s news editor, discusses the rumor about Playstation’s new console, Orbis, features in his recent article, on gamespot.com:

Gamers will be free to trade in Orbis games, but the person who purchases a secondhand disc will be restricted to a limited trial mode or "some other form of content restriction." These gamers will be forced to pay a fee to unlock the full title, according to the source.

Users have also hypothesized online only discs as well as a complete change over to digital game markets for console-based entertainment.

As I said in a previous post, many pay-to-play online games are looking at giving free access for limited content.  So will this change with console games disrupt online communities?  Will it potentially send users scavenging to find similar online game content pushing online gaming solely to computer access?

Regardless of what is to come with game consoles, online gaming will not be the same.  And for me I say let Microsoft and Sony screw things up with loyal consumers, I’m a Nintendo fan anyway.

More rumors surrounding E3 and the consoles can be found at gamespot.com.

Friend Request

In this post I thought I would try to convey what is being felt and experienced when it comes to online gaming.  It seems that online gaming has always been accompanied by negative impressions surrounding it; however, excess of anything isn’t good, eating too much, exercising too long, watching television all day, etc. can all be bad for you.  Having had personal experience with a few online games I know that there is more than meets the eye and what individuals stigmatize.  Many online games today breach barriers and bring the users a lot closer together. 

PS3 game, Journey
Image from: thatgamecompany.com

In a recent article on Gamezone.com discusses the features of the upcoming Playstation 3 game, Journey.  This game matches players up randomly with someone around the world.  It is focused around players’ experiences with one another emphasizing the fact that there is no way to actually communicate or know who the other real life player is.  The article explains how designer Chris Bell feels,

Journey presents its own restrictive set of methods for communicating with other players, and the designer hopes they make the story more memorable: "Because you engage in these experiences with another player," he said, "there's the potential to go through a wide range of emotions with them. ... Personally, I prefer that players communicate through non-verbal actions.

While there is a lot good emotions felt by most users, there is also some concern that virtual communities are losing the sense of belonging and connection that they used to have.  Mike White explains in his story on Craveonline.com; he talks about his own MMO experiences and how they have diminished in the past.  Following this he decided it would be beneficial to fellow gamers to put together a few set rules to follow which help bring connection back to in game friendships and break away from playing multiplayer online games more as a single lone player.

Image from: Google

A longer article on Gamasutra.com, What Makes Social Games Social, describes just that, which aspects of online games bring players closer together in real life physically and emotionally.  The article discusses Facebook based casual games as well as massively multiplayer online games, MMOs:

Looking at chat specifically as a powerful synchronous tool for player engagement and retention in both casual games and MMOs; new players use chat, make friends and ask basic questions.  Experienced players use chat to brag about in-game accomplishments and form actual friendships.

Reading more into the article we see quotes from individuals expressing their positivity with online game friendships and how they rival actual real life relationships. 

It might sound a bit off at first but is it any different from others having a good chat with someone through Facebook?  Once you look at it online games are kind of like virtual board games that allow users to play and bond with people from all over the world.  Making friends through online games can be just as gratifying as keeping ties with friends through Skype or Facebook, although it may not have the physical elements it still causes real life emotions and responses in the players.

Gaming Advancements

Early MUD interface.
Image from: http://ppanks76.tripod.com/

After thinking it over, I decided to go with a suggestion and make this next post about the evolution and advancement of online games.  With so many technological advancements in the past few decades it seems only right to overview the progression and success of online games.  For the most part online game communities came to be from Dungeons & Dragons the role-playing games; this game influenced the first MUDs, multi-user dimensions, which are text based online role-playing world platforms, and these in turn lead to modern day massively multiplayer online games, MMOs. 

In an article by Joe Essid from hypergridbusiness.com he talks about his experiences with Second Life and how his expectations for its possibilities for education were high, hoping he would find reasons why it was hypothesized to change virtual learning environments.  Essid discusses how he used Second Life on and off for sometime due to the issues with the developers as well as the loss of interest with general public.  

While I bring up Second Life in several of my previous posts and explain its potential, this community has unfortunately gone downhill from where its interest and hopes started.  Originally Second Life was hypothesized to revolutionize the way individuals dealt with business and communication online; people would be able to hold virtual business meetings and buy and sell products, completely creating the world around them; however, while the community generated some business related and networking capabilities, more interest developed with casual online gamers.

Another area that seems to hit high marks with online communities is the cross over of popular television series into MMOs.  In an article from EscapistMagazine.com we can read about why this is happening:

The creation of a Game of Thrones online role-playing game is a perfect natural extension to the series," said the series' executive producer David Benioff. "The show has resonated extremely well with fans so we think they will be terribly excited to have an opportunity to be personally immersed in all the action.

Image link: MMOlist.com

The article also talks about shows like Battlestar Galactica, a past popular SciFi program, were integrated into online game format due to fan requests.  In my previous post I talked a bit about how the decision to switch from pay-to-play to free-to-play is impacting many MMOs and causing some to shut down completely; this along with television producers deciding to integrate series into online games shows how much consumers and fans influence aspects of online content and virtual communities. 

After looking more into where online gaming started and seeing where it is headed we can not really classify online gaming as a genre itself; we are now able to see that each new avenue, be it education, entertainment, art, or communication, is its own genre and continues to advance depending on the users in each community.  With the Internet being integrated within almost ever aspect of our lives it is very possible that online gaming will continue its trend and maybe even get back to furthering education and branching out to give people many different opportunities.

Although a bit older, more information and background on MUDs can be found here.

Official Game of Thrones site here.