Ok, here is the deal. I am supposed to write a term paper and I chose the subject of online gaming and social isolation. The goal of the term paper is to take the opposite of the prevalent view; therefore, I am going to argue in my term paper that online gaming DOES NOT lead to social isolation as much as people may believe, and in fact, can hold true in the opposite sense in that online gaming can lead to social friendships that otherwise might not have occurred.

You could help me out by posting in this thread if you have other ideas that might help to support my argument. If any of you are in a clan for a certain online video game and you guys get together to strategize or anything like that, I would be very interested in hearing how all of that works, as it will help to support my argument. Likewise, if any of you are regulars or go to Pixl8ted a lot, I would be interesting in hearing about that and if you have made friends from there as well.

Now I've done research and have references, but I was wondering if anyone had anything that might help to contribute on the subject.

Thanks so much.

Thanks! That is a good article.

You could also get some interviews or make a survey (profs always love interviews and surveys) and all of us could answer your questions to get our point of view (the POV from the gamers)

Point of view? Simple. First-person shooter.

One thing you might discuss is how you can join a clan or a team and have regular practice, etc, to the point where it's like being on a competative sports team. This is more attractive than physical sports for some people because of their physique (or even just their skill level.. people can be more skilled in 'esports' than physical sports).. these people might not be able to make many friends or compete in sports in "real life" because of their appearance and physical ability, but they can thrive online with other skills they posess.

Point Of View as people who play the games (not the people who say games create isolation and all). Not referring to FPS games or anything like that.

And another thing you could mention would be Cons and Fanfaires. EQ Fanfaires, every year, sell out. They usually have two or three (usually only one American, and then one, usually two international ones) a year to accomadate the people. I agree though that clans and guilds and whatnot do promote interaction. One example of this is paintball teams. I have -never- found a paintball player who has never played an online FPS.

Games can create isolation, if the person wants to be isolated to start with. Did a paper on a similar topic (computer games making violent kids), and read enough about it to have an informed opinion.

Maybe I should have put the "lol" afterwards????

'Twas a joke, double entendre if you will. Wasn't funny though. 'sall good.

This is a very good point, something I had in my outline to address. I hate how people see getting together to practice for baseball as acceptable but all of a sudden you are practicing for an online game and you are magically "socially isolated". Thanks for the input, this helps a lot.

Also a very good point that I appreciate. Have you ever attended one of these? If so, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to get some quotes from you. Also, is there a website for the EQ Fanfaires?

Thanks.

EQlive.com will usually have some info up when it's getting close. EQ just celebrated their 5th year, so expect something new around April.

I went to one a couple years ago in New Orleans. But ya, send me a PM or whatever, and I can tell you what you want to know.

On a side note, I also met Anne Rice during that same trip

Halo 2 has actually brought our floor together more, no one used to talk to each other, now that we've started playing halo 2 together it feels muhc less isolated and more friendly living here

Oh yeah.. I met my best friends here at UMR (Trust, mop) playing CS on a UMR server last year.. now Trust and I are roommates, and mop is a suitemate to be when we get moved into the Res college, but now he's planning on moving off campus actually. Anyway, my best friends at UMR were made playing CS.

I'd be interested in reading this paper when it's all said and done... perhaps you could post it on here after you've turned it in?

*hopeful grin*

Carl

Yeah, when I'm finished I'll be willing to share it if anyone is interested. It is due by Monday of finals week, so I should be done soon enough.