Downtime Necessary for Socialization?

[Muckbeast]

Raph Koster recently raised this issue on his blog, and I decided to blog on it as well: Downtime is Necessary for Socialization:

I am defining “Downtime” as:

any time the player is not being urged by the game to be hammering away buttons to fight, move around, or do anything else that requires the bulk of their concentration. Any game system that sets them free a bit, so they can do something social at the same time is “downtime” in this context.

My basic premise:

game developers must engage in some degree of social engineering when they make a game, and for a virtual world game they MUST take steps to force people to slow down, hang out, and socialize with others.

Social interaction makes games "sticky", and also reduces the grindy feel of a game. But modern MMOs are so focused on constantly driving people from one bit of content to the next, there is little or no downtime for socialization. Even the idle animations of avatars tends to look bored or nag the player to "get moving and do something."

Is it a bad thing to constantly push players to go-go-go? (I think it is).

Is this kind of "downtime" (see above definition) important for the social aspect of games? (I think it is.)

 

[Shari]

I don't know. I think its the gamers responsibility. You socialize when grouping, when looking for things like buying from vendors, its also what guilds are for. There are definitely things I'd like to do in game but I rarely feel the need to go go go ... thats just me. One thing developers do is make things for groups... like in EQ2 for the holiday event I socialized a lot more than usual and with different levels than regular grouping.

 

[Aran]

I'm usually the guy who's babbling on in the middle of a battle, so...

 

[Diomedes Artega]

Depends on the game and depends on the person I would say. Some people don't seem to need any socialization to an extent...depending on what their goals are, or what void they are trying to fill. i.e., Some people play online games because they are really unhappy with their real life life.

Some people like the achievements though...and as you have down, avoid socialization due to the leveling grind that some games have. AND, a percentage of people LIKE that.

 

[Dor of Sonoma]

I found the Raph Koster read ironic - considering that one of his first projects (Ultima Online) continues to excel at providing players maximum social latitude.

Game worlds that have been created in UO's wake seem to have entirely wandered away from that original concept. It's amusing to think that perhaps we may (finally!) be coming full circle.