Gray Matter is a bi-weekly debate feature where I ask industry professionals to talk about a specific subject, here is the question I posed for this feature: How do you think online gaming as a form of social interaction will evolve and would you view this as a positive or a negative?
We also received some text responses of the question from Indie Developers and other media professionals.
Zack Banack
Ground Zero Games
Hello, my name is Zack Banack. I have been an indie game developer since late 2007. My goal is create fun and original gameplay, and I think I'm doing well so far.
My opinion on virtual interaction through online games is mostly positive, however, some people are completely different than who they seem to be online. These days, people are more technology dependant, and are more active online. This has its good and bad sides. The good: people get to communicate very easily, sometimes meeting old friends, sometimes meeting strangers. However, too many lives have been ruined by the internet. Once you post something, you can never take it down.
Overall, if people are honest with themselves and carry the same traits they have in real life online, the internet would be a fun place, like a 'world-wide party'.
Zak Norman
Pixel Addicts
The online gaming community is providing gateways to new levels of connectivity far beyond those being used by the average guy on Facebook. I'm more interested in social interaction and global community building facet of this, as its creating the potential for a unique, albeit nice shared consciousness.
