Social Interaction: Online V Face to Face
Online
“ Personally, I find that there’s no better way to unwind than spending a few hours playing your favourite game online with friends. ” – Josiah Peipi
Video games have and continue to evolve exponentially nowadays. Going from something as simple as the Nintendo NES system that had one console, two wired controllers and interchangeable game cartridges. To something as advanced as a Playstation five which has one console, up to four wireless controllers, 667GB of storage space, and connection to the Playstation store where you can purchase as many games as you desire.
While playing games like Super Mario Kart on the NES will forever be a classic and provide mass nostalgia, but the advancement in online gaming has changed the world of gaming drastically. Now it’s possible to play multiple games with hundreds of people from across the world, making social interaction easier than ever.
“ When it comes to online gaming, you have to be prepared for anything ” – Josiah Peipi
With this much exposure and connection to the world, comes its fair share of interesting people. Depending on what game you’re playing, this will give you a fair determination of what you’re in for. Some games are known for having what is known as a “Toxic Community” which means generally the people who play that game are known for being unpleasant.
But just like there is a light to dark, there are games that have a rather friendly gaming community more devoted to helping newcomers and being supportive in the game. Mixed in these two communities come multiple different personas you’re bound to come across while gaming online.
Rage quitters are what they seem. A person who rage quits a game when things aren’t going well for them. Screamers are similar to Dragon Ball Z voice actors, in that they make it their job to scream into their mic, at either the enemy team or their own. Jokesters are my personal favourite as they’re just the online version of the class clown, always making jokes, always cracking people up, and always having the best comebacks.
Trolls in the online community make it their goal to make the game unfun for everyone but them. Finally, there are fun killers. There’s nothing too bad about fun killers only that they make sure that everyone on their team is taking the game as serious as they are. This is okay sometimes but when you’re just trying to have a chilled night, the last thing you want to have is a drill Sargent yelling down your ear.
“ With all that said, when playing games online there’s a high chance you’ll build relationships that last a lifetime. ” – Josiah Peipi
There are many ways to meet new people but connecting with people over games is a good way to meet people with interests similar to your own. Having similar interests makes the transition from online friendship to real-world friendship smoother than meeting a complete stranger. Some people find their soul mate through gaming and others create friendships that last a long time. What connections will you make?
Face to Face
Playing games online can be fun but having the chance to meet people face to face is just as if not more thrilling.
Especially if it’s over an escape room and in Hamilton you won’t find any place better than Escapist. Located at 36 Bryce Street, Escapist is Hamilton’s number #1 escape room and board game cafe. Four different escape rooms each one with its unique environment and level of difficulty.
Escapist also has a board game cafe with a wide selection of games to choose from for those who enjoy quality time with friends and family. At Escapist, it’s impossible not to have a good time socializing with friends, family, and strangers alike.
Chief organiser Pamella Ariestia and operations manager Khusbu Patel shared their perspective on why face to face-to-face activities, is a better form of social interaction.
When asked what Escapist has to offer, Pam explains what Escapist aims to provide for its customers
“Basically, what we want to do is help people make memories with people that they care about. So, it can be their family, friends, colleagues. We want to make that experience as fun as possible.”
At Escapist, each escape room has its unique environment and set difficulty. But there’s one room that stands out from the rest and seems to be a fan favourite amongst customers, and according to Khusbu, that room is Heist 2.0. In this room, teams are given 60 minutes to pull off a heist and steal the grand jewel before the cops arrive. It’s repeatable and the most challenging escape they offer.
After witnessing many people attempt this room, Khusbu found that people’s attitudes began to change after multiple attempts.
“It’s nice that people have a room they can come back to and keep trying. It’s not a matter of “oh no we didn’t finish it” it’s “ok, we know what we need to do next time” and people really plan it out.”
“Meeting new people can be quite daunting and playing board games can take off some of that pressure to keep the conversation going.”
Pam goes on to explain how board games nights at Escapist is a slow-paced ‘networking event’ to meet new people and build solid connections. On top of this, Pam also explained how on valentine’s day they host what is known as ‘Singles Night’. This is where customers are paired up with other strangers to either solve an escape room together or play a board game and hopefully build a particular type of connection before the night is through.
