By Emma Stratton
Multimedia Journalism students at Tennessee Wesleyan University are studying the impact of
online video games to better understand how they affect their community.
In the fast-paced world we live in today, people are constantly looking for ways to unwind,
escape, and relax from the daily grind. Some turn to yoga or sports, while some find peace in
drawing or music. Others find relaxation in digital forms, such as online video games.
Online video games, such as Arc Raiders and Fortnite, are a popular choice for many groups.
The connection available globally through these games has caused a drastic change in the way
people communicate daily. However, video games did not always exist online.
Video games could be defined as digital, interactive activities that are structured with rules and
feedback, involving a specific goal. They are played for enjoyment, education, or competition
with the use of skill, strategy, and luck.
The first video game, Tennis for Two, was created in 1958 by William Higinbotham. Eventually,
video games evolved into an opportunity to play online with strangers from around the world,
starting in the 1970s. The game Empire (1973) is said to be the first online game developed from
the University of Illinois’s PLATO computer-based teaching system. This game allowed “several
players (up to eight) to compete against one another on separate screens.†(Harmon, 2022).
By the 1980s, players on consoles such as Atari were able to link their consoles to each other.
However, online gaming really took off in the 1990s with the rise of internet and local area
networks. This allowed users to play together without being in the same area, examples being
“Doom (1993) and Quake (1996)†(Harmon, 2022).
In the early 2000s, online gaming became a more interactive and accessible hobby with “games
like RuneScape and World of Warcraft [bringing] millions of players together in immersive
online environments.†(Harmon, 2022).
There are multiple genres of online video games with examples including PVP (Player versus
Player), MMO’s (Massive Multiplayer Online games), PVE (Player versus Everyone), FPS
(First-Person Shooters), and Survival. Each genre is focused on using strategy and skills to adapt
and survive in a digital world that is filled with players from around the globe, or nation,
depending on your servers.
Communication methods include tools such as in-game text and voice chat. There are also free
communication apps, such as Discord, that allow users to join gaming communities and meet
other gamers.
These communication platforms allow players of all ages, genders, and ethnicities to
communicate with one another. While this connectivity can be positive, it can also harbor
negativity due to the anonymous role-playing aspect many of these games allow.
Source
Harmon, A. (2022). Online gaming: Sports and leisure: Research starters: EBSCO research.
EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/sports-and-leisure/online-gaming