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Think Video Games Are Solitary? New Study Says No
Fecha de publicación: 9/17/2008
If you think video games are solitary, antisocial endeavors, a new study indicates otherwise.

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If you think video games are solitary, antisocial endeavors, a new study indicates otherwise. Released Tuesday, the survey from the Pew Internet & American Life Project reported that 76 percent of teenage gamers play with others online at least some of the time, with 65 percent playing with others in the same room.

But this doesn't mean gamers are always in social mode -- 82 percent play games by themselves, at least occasionally.

Solitary 'Doesn't Hold Up'

Amanda Lenhart, a senior research specialist for Pew, said the "stereotype that gaming is a solitary, violent, antisocial activity just doesn't hold up." She added that the "average teen plays all different kinds of games and generally plays them with friends and family, both online and offline."

The study surveyed 1,102 Americans aged 12 to 17. It found that gaming is one thing nearly all of them have in common, with 97 percent of teens in that age group playing some kind of video game, and at least half playing a game on any given day. Among boys, game playing is nearly universal, with 99 percent saying they are gamers. About 94 percent of girls say the same.

The types of games are diverse, according to the Pew study. Most teens play at least five different kinds of games, such as action, adventure, racing, puzzle and sports. About 40 percent play eight or more different game types, and even those who play violent games also usually indulge in nonviolent ones.

Lenhart said gaming for most teens can range anywhere from "blow-'em-up mayhem to building communities," from "cute-and-simple to complex," and from "brief private sessions to hours' long interactions with masses of others."

If any kids are reading this, here's the part that should really win your parents over. The Pew study also found that games can "incorporate many aspects of civic and political life." More specifically, 76 percent of young gamers "report helping others while gaming," and 44 percent say that they play games "where they learn about a problem in society."

'Always' Social Experiences

Now, here's the part that gamers won't want their parents to read. About 32 percent of 12- to 16-year-old says that they play games that are intended for people older than they are, and 32 percent report at least one of their games has a rating of Mature or Adults Only.

Michael Gartenberg, Vice President for Consumer Strategy at Jupitermedia, said that he was "not really surprised" by the survey's results about social game-playing.

"Electronic games have always been social experiences," he said, beginning with the Atari 2600 and four joysticks. "It's always more fun to play with someone else," he said, noting that solitary game play often happens only "when you can't find someone else to play."

The social aspect of game playing took a big jump with the last iteration of consoles, he said, since they are all optimized for interconnectivity, and even some mobile devices offer playing games against real people. Gartenberg also noted that current games involve not only playing against another person, but sometimes playing cooperatively and often playing while in chat mode.

Fuente: Yahoo.com/News
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