How Social Media has changed the gaming world
The rise of social networking has drastically changed the landscape of gaming, especially social or ‘online’ gaming. Before social media, “gamers would interact with their peers and make friends at amusement arcades and game shops, then online forums, these communities have now moved on to social networks” (SocialNewsDaily, 2016). Social networks have allowed gamers to effortlessly play with one another, talk and chat from any part of the world, changing the gaming experience as we knew it to be.
Whilst there are many forms of gaming, the aspect of ‘social gaming’ is very intriguing as it brings people together from not only the country but all over the world. But, what really is social gaming? Nick O’Neill who wrote ‘what exactly are social games’ on the AdWeek website, provides a definition of social gaming as: “a structured activity which has contextual rules through which users can engage with one another. Social games must be multiplayer and have one or more of the following features: turn-based, are based on social platforms for providing users with an identity and are casual” (O'Neail, 2008).
There has always been much debate as to whether gaming is beneficial or if it is has a negative effect on individuals, whilst most studies suggest that “A moderate amount of video gaming can offer cognitive benefits for children” (Joy, 2016). The connotation towards gaming has given negative stereotypes of gamers to be somewhat subdued, nerdy, antisocial individuals but this is not the case, especially with social gaming.
Let’s look at the AFL’s fantasy games – AFL Fantasy, previously known as Dream Team and Supercoach. The fantasy apps and websites allow like-minded AFL fans to draft and compete against each other, providing another level of interactivity of the AFL games that are played in real-life. In other words, it is like playing a virtual game for supporters with live AFL players scores being recorded off how they play in real life. These two gaming websites are not your typical ‘gaming’ websites but come under the umbrella of ‘social gaming’ due to three main reasons.
Firstly, the gaming aspect: Users who make a team, have to select a squad of 30 players. 8 Defenders, 10 Midfielders, 4 Rucks and 8 Forwards under a specific salary cap which is $12.8 million in AFL Fantasy, as this is the as the official AFL salary cap, rounded. This is a task, that one would find in a regular game, it is almost seen as a challenge to create your own unique team under a salary cap and is harder than it seems.
Secondly, the competition aspect: Users compete off against each other week by week, with the objective to score the most points in the round. Whilst these players do not have control of how the AFL players play in real life, users do have the option of making trades and bringing in players each round to help compete. Competition is important for any social game and is done very well in AFL fantasy due to the rise of social networking and the ability to enter forums and AFL sites, which allow a discourse of the game.
Lastly, the social aspect: AFL Fantasy is special because you play against real people that are normally a friend, colleague or work mate. You have the option to compete in your own league or join a random league and compete against other online users who have created their own teams. You also have the ability to create a team-name, profile picture and the site also allows users to chat with one another, further enhancing the online identity of a user. As Nick O’Neil said “providing users with an identity” is part of social gaming as a whole.
Overall, whilst AFL fantasy is an unconventional choice for describing ‘social gaming’ and many people would look to Facebook games and other online apps that can be downloaded onto your phones, such as Angry Birds, Temple Run, and words with friends. I chose to look at AFL fantasy due to the uniqueness of the gaming aspect which brings people together, from all teams and ages. Go the saints!
