Chatting on social media has become a worldwide phenomenon, with over 1 billion users per day conversing on Facebook Messenger alone. Instant messaging is one of the most popular forms of socializing in this modern era, and games that are allowing players to communicate in this way are thriving. MMORPGs are one of the best examples of games that rely on player interaction, but some console games and online casinos are also beginning to offer more social elements. The way things are going, games that don’t provide platforms to socialize may soon become a thing of the past.
Advanced technology means that gaming no longer has to be a single player experience. Playing with others is often more enjoyable, and the internet has opened up a plethora of new ways to do that. Joining PlayStation Plus, for instance, enables console users to meet their friends online and challenge them to games of FIFA or team up in Call of Duty. Players can chat to each other while playing using headsets, and feel as though they’re in the same room as someone who may be miles apart. The same can be said for games like Guild Wars 2 and the Elder Scrolls Online, in which players will often make friends with other like-minded gamers all over the world. This is also done using headsets, or by utilizing chat features within games.
Online casinos are also trying to offer more avenues for player interaction, in an effort to provide the same kind of experience that would be found at a land-based casino. This is particularly true of sites that also have bingo rooms because one of the biggest draws of playing bingo in the past was the opportunity to socialize with like-minded players at the bingo hall. One company attempting to take advantage of recent advancements in chat technology is mFortune, whose bingo games feature multiple themed chat rooms, which are supported around the clock by in-house admins that keep the conversation flowing amongst players.
Even chat apps are starting to integrate games. In Facebook Messenger, if players tap the basketball emoji they can challenge their friends to a game of shooting hoops. Likewise, if they touch the football emoji, it will activate a game of kick ups. With virtual reality around the corner and sites like Facebook having grand plans for the technology, there could be yet more crossovers between chatting and games in the future.
The internet has often been blamed for reducing social interaction, but with the advent of VR people may soon be meeting up, playing games, and chatting in virtual settings. The possibilities are endless. For example, instead of merely using chat boxes to type messages to other players on bingo and casino sites, users may soon be sitting in the same virtual bingo halls or casinos. Similarly, in MMORPGs players could be chatting with one another face to face in the sprawling open world universes. No matter what the future holds, one thing is for certain: Games with social elements will prevail.
