The Social Gamer

The stereotype of the gamer being a practical troglodyte sitting in the dark glued to his computer monitor embedded firmly in a virtual world may not be completely accurate. In this BBC editorial, Margaret Robertson states that while the stereotype is generally correct, it is incomplete and slightly flawed. She goes on to indicate that she herself is a gamer but unlike the stereotype, she is not asocial, and neither are those with whom she plays. I would definitely agree with her on this point. I play World of Warcraft like her, and while I consider myself a bit of an introvert, I am by no means asocial. As the members of my gaming guild can attest to, I am sometimes very vocal and conversational during my game play. The whole idea of an MMORPG is to allow players to socialize.

Ms. Robertson mentions in jokes and socializing outside of gaming. This is also true in my case. Most of the players in my particular guild live in the same city. From time to time we schedule real world events, like movie nights or parties. It is fun to meet the people behind the characters. I have made some good friends in WoW. Hanging out in the real world is just as fun as in game, because we have a common interest, and even if we don’t always have much else to talk about there is always the game as a catalyst.

So don’t look at us sitting in the dark brooding. Look at us sitting in the dark talking to other people sitting in the dark with a common view of the world. We use our imaginations like jocks use their muscles. Its our world, come on in and join us.

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