Abstract
This conference paper will be how games changed with digitalization. Games got online as a second phase of digitalization. Firstly, games were played from CDs or programs already installed in the computer. Then with the upcoming of the internet and Web 2.0 (interactive) games are nowadays everywhere and easily accessible. Social media platforms incorporated games to attract more adepts and it worked. Communities are created with each new game that creators put online. Online games are also used to make money through various ways; advertising. Social media platforms are most of the times free thus their only way to make money is through advertising. However, for the adverts to be efficient people must see it and what a better way to show ads as they play. This paper will also include how technological advancements change when, where and how we play. Mobile games are like calling and messaging on a mobile phone, it is a basic feature such as an internet connection. Games on mobile phones are popular because it is accessible anywhere at any time. Mobile apps do not always require an internet connection hence its popularity. Online games also participate in the viral trends; Flappy Birds and Pokémon Go; a reason why online games goes hand in hand with social media. And, another point explained in this paper is the community created with online games. Social media offers a platform to meet people with the same interest without any time and geographical barrier. O
Introduction
Social media platforms and games go hand in hand nowadays. On social media platforms, games have more than one utility; distraction, entertainment and money-making business. According to Geraci, Recine and Fox (2016), videogames and virtual worlds are progressively becoming if not already integral parts of our social and emotional worlds. The gamification of social media websites changes the way people interact online. Nowadays, it is a lot about the competition of playing than to interact with fellow followers. The nature of games itself changed, for the users it is still entertainment and a form of escapism but for corporation it is a business that makes a lot of money; an economy. It is a way of advertising for a lot of businesses but not only. Online games and social media platforms are interlinked in several ways, but the main ones are advertising and forming a community. Those statements will be further explained below.
Advertising and online games
De Cornière and De Nijs (2016) found that formerly for a company to display advertising they would call publishers who have a record of publicities space to sell. But now they go directly to large organizations (social media platforms) that have millions of users henceforth a bigger influence that they would attract new clients daily. Games on social media are free of access so to make money they must find different ways and advertising is one of them. Online platforms forces advert on its consumers by imposing either waiting time for the free access or paying for no adverts. The game itself is free however there is some inconvenience which are often resolve with money. Online games are a whole industry that contributes in more than one way to the global economyO
Online games a business?
For Liu, Mai and Yang (2015), video games turned out to be a main contributor to the universal economy industry. The games evolution became a business, videogames to online games. Online games needed a new diffusion channel; social media platforms. Games on social media is used by cooperatives for advertising. For example, Facebook is a free platform and the games on there are also free (paid options) thus they make money through advertising. And online games bring together a huge number of users hence a broader audience for ads. Social media platforms rely on games to operate and vis versa. The more engaging the online game is the more the users will play and share it among friends consequently resulting in a lucrative business. And nowadays with mobile phones, online games are an elementary feature the same as calling and messaging; original feature of a mobile phone.
Change in the way of playing
New age technology also brought mobile apps and its advantages for the business and consumers. Nowadays, people can play on another application than the game itself. Facebook offers the opportunity to play on its app or on the messenger one. Before to play games, players would have to buy a hardcopy (CD, Floppy disk) of the game and either download it from the CD or play it on the CD itself. But now, players can play directly online; downloading or streaming. Users also do not need to create new account every time they download a game, they can register with their social media account. It is intertwined and when users connect all their accounts together, they contribute to their online footprint. These days, an online footprint is the identity of someone; online presenc
Applications; new way to play
For Jepson and Ladle (2015), apps, smartphones and tablet devices are now indispensable and very much anchored in our everyday life. The capability to reach quickly things is what makes the success of applications. Mobile apps changed the way people interact and with games now it is more about sending a game request than an actual online conversation. Jepson and Ladle (2015), also argued that games applications are the fastest growing type of apps in terms of sales. One of the most successful gaming apps is ‘Angry Birds’ and due to its popularity, Facebook allowed its users to play it on the platform. Some games own their success only to social media platforms. Due to the trending topics, things go easily viral online and everyone starts playing it such as Pokémon Go. Pokémon Go cannot be played on social media site but it became popular due to people commenting, sharing on it. It became a new age phenomenon. Pokémon Go is the perfect example to see how much games changed through digitization and upcoming of the internet.
Smartphones
Social media platforms and online games started on computers as it was the only way to have access to internet. Nowadays, with modern technologies the standard mobile phones have an internet connection. Graham (2014), argued that smart phones applications are the epitome of technological progress concerning businesses as it increases efficiencies, reduced cost and create better customer loyalty. On mobile apps the game industry reaches a broader audience; a lot of games offers a small version of their game on social media platforms therefore players can play it everywhere on their app. Facebook suggests games specifically designed for their messenger app; easy to find, play and challenge other players. Sharing the gaming experience is at the present time an online latter.
Avatars
Even though network externalities are recognized as a major driver of new product diffusion, testing the existence and the impact of network externalities at the individual level has been a challenge rapidly growing are online games In online video games, the consumption utility depends not only on game attributes, but presumably also on the number of active subscribers who can sign in to play. He or she creates an avatar and, joined by others, explores the virtual world through the eyes of the avatar.
Avatars are a huge part of the online world; on social media and online games. People often have their game avatar as their profile picture on online platforms. Online games give a feeling of escapism and several users extend this escapism on their social media platform. Richard and Gray (2018), reasoned about the representation in online games. Digital games have a huge audience hence a possible way to assimilate diverse individuals and communities. Online games are lens which makes players experience different point of views and lifestyles; can relate to escapism. However, marginalized representations only hurt more minorities than help them. Recurrently, cyberbullying occurs on social networking sites because of it. But also, it is a place to find people with the same interest and those people together forms a community even though it is made of minorities.
“An online community comprises an aggregation of individuals or business partners who interact based on a shared interest, where the interaction is at least partially supported or mediated by technology and guided by certain protocols and norms”. (Homburg, Ehm and Artz, 2015) Social media platforms create a multiple of community and when games are brought onto them; sub-communities are created. Players are a fundamental part of the success of a game. Social media allows players to connect and interact with people who have the same interest.
Mäyrä (2015), sees gaming as one fundamental arguments for the party of identity. Nevertheless, casual players which are the main type of players that you can find on social media platforms appears more passive. Casual users look more obedient to identity effort therefore providing implicit spaces among the opinionated parts of productivity. Our online identity often differs from our real life one. It is very easy to be anonymous online even on social media; people do not always go by their true name. Even when someone plays with their social media account normally it is the people who decides whether to share that information. With online games people can express themselves; a different version of themselves. Jiang, Heng and Choi (2013), claim that individuals pay more attention to the identity information that they have purposely shared. The anonymity encourages people to interact with each other more because at the end of the day they will still be strangers.
Multiplayer on social media
Playing on social media is basically playing with millions of different people at the same time. Social media is a multiplayer platform for online games. Voulgari, Komis and Sampson (2014), argued that multiplayer games make the game more motivational and interactive. Players play together to achieve resolve problems or complete a task. On Facebook for example, sometimes to unblock a feature you must invite or share the game among your online friends. Yet, as it was a current trend on social media platforms to send game request, it is often perceived as a spam like message which brings people to ignore them. Social media users who do not play on social media platforms sees online games as insignificant because of the spamming.
The business relationship between online games and social media platforms
There is a whole business behind the relationship between online games and social media networking sites. Games are designed to such a way to constantly create new challenges for the games. Online games are a never-ending circle there is not really an end to it. There is always another quests, another level and goals to accomplish. Liu, Li and Santhanam (2013) believed that gamers display devotion to games that offer reputation, gratification, and social consistency. The players are keener to pay for games features such as direct chat and player-to-player interactivity. The popularity behind games on online platforms is the interaction between players. Users feel more content when they win against someone; the competition. Some games make mandatory challenging other players. Social media platforms habitually propose multiplayers type of games where you must interact with others to go higher in levels. Those interactions often makes the games more diverting.
Entertainment in online games
Online games and social media networks are used for entertainment purposes mainly. Games available on social media are mostly ‘light’ games that do not necessarily need a lot of investment emotionally. However, Ruberg (2015) recognized that there are indeed unpleasant moments in videogames. Social media platforms are addictive and adding games onto it, makes it a triggering combo. Online games bring frustration through difficult experiences, but players keep playing as they see it as a contribution to a happy ending; goals achievement after failing. When players are successful on online games the social media platform send them a request to show the result among friends hence bringing competition among users. the competition incites people to keep playing. Some people only use social media platforms to play however those platforms are still popular for their connecting purposes.
Social networking sites offers a place to interact with other people anywhere in the world. It is easy to find a someone or a group of persons that share the same interest and opinion about a theme; a game for example. YouTube is one of the most popular social media platforms among gamers. The channels created concerning games are very popular and have huge followings. According to Chik (2013), gamers use social media platforms to generate game-related contents which are circulated to the online gaming communities. The latter are mostly about video tutorials, fan fictions and cheat codes and they are often in English to be understood by a broader audience. Popular games engross players to make research about a game and not only play it. When a player encounters a problem or cannot pass a level or a quest, now they automatically look for a solution online. Players and users spend a lot of time online as there is always new content.
Qiaolei, (2014) found that online games are usually a contributor to an addiction to internet. The young people are the one who are the more vulnerable to the ‘electronic heroin’. The online games and social media sites are related to the distraction of young people. Gamification is now the norms in the social networking sites world. Social media platforms are a reliable source to find innovative games. Consequently, making it a very rapid and easy way to find new games. Students prefer to play online and use social media platforms during non-school hours than studying. By doing so they are not keeping up with attending classes, returning assignments on time and keeping up the grades. Games on social media networks can take so much space that people do not care to keep up with social engagements such as going out with friends and so on.
Conclusion
To conclude, online games and social media platforms are interlinked in our everyday life. Social media networking sites are a pair as you can barely have one without the other. Social media networks offer a platform to interact with gamers but also a place where to play games. A place where discussions can happen as social platforms regroup people with the same interest together. Online games are one of the fastest mounting industry in the entertainment field. By putting social networking sites and online games together you get a successful combo that generates a lot money, and which attracts more and more investors every day. It does not only charm investors but also new adepts. And young people are often the one attracted to online games. ‘The current trend for social web applications is to unify different same place.’ (Beneito-Montagut, 2015) And now with the gamification of it more people are using it as a gaming platform. To be entertained rapidly and at any moment is one of the main reasons for the increasing popularity of online games.
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Hi MLegeant,
I believe that social media and the World Wide Web have become an integral part in communicating in the modern era. I think that games have become an extension of this development with tools being designed to facilitate this growth e.g. Discord.
Where do you see us progressing in the future, in relation to gaming and social media becoming more entwined?
Hello EHanton,
First, thank you for reading my paper. At this moment gaming and online platforms are more than connected; some games are integrated part of social media platforms and vis versa. In the future I can see social media platforms being created with a game theme. For example, you can buy PlayStation with special edition; Assassin Creed and so on. The same for a social media platform, one uniquely around Pokémon for example.
Hi MLegeant,
Your paper brings a really interesting argument to the table of contemporary gaming. In this sense we are not referring to heavy games such as MMORPG but rather, light social games. I am genuinely intrigued in your topic of digitalisation of games and truly appreciate you highlighting that games have shifted from the golden days where we used to carry around an album of physical CD’s filled with our favourite titles, and also long tangled up wires to link up and play multiplayer with. It truly painted a visual nostalgia in my head but also made me realised how digitisation has well and truly transitioned us into a “second stage” with the facilitation of the Internet. The Internet can be “blamed” as the culprit for the increase in complexities with games, such as cyber bullying and anti-social behaviours as argued by the other papers in this stream. However, I think the way you explained it has shifted this discussion into a newer light, that “online games needed a new diffusion channel, social media platforms”. With SNS, it is interesting as you have highlighted, that social games can also lead to a digital footprint, just imagine when you apply for a job in the future and your prospective employer knows you spend 40 hours a week playing Farmville? Lastly, I think you made a very valid and scary truth that, people tend to share and open up more online because “at the end of the day they will be strangers”. I believe, that it is because they know that there is a low risk in doing so, I wonder if there’s the same correlation if we do that to people in the real world, for example sharing information with the barista on the way to work?
As mentioned that I was totally intrigued with your take on digitalisation of games, I would suggest that you should define what digitalisation means, or rather the process of it in a gaming context. I understood that the first stage was the CDs and the second is the through the introduction of the Internet. From my perception, I think digitalisation meant moving towards a digital environment from traditional physical games (board games) based on the first and second stage. Secondly, where you suggested that users feel more contented when they win against someone, I think you could explore more on how competition against friend/family/strangers has links to freemium. E.g. To be better than your friends, you must invest more time in the game, to be better is to purchase premium items to advance quicker. Lastly, you’ve linked ‘online games’ with ‘frustrations’, personally I think it would be vital to argue that these frustrations are also led from “timing-lock” of games, that is after a certain amount of time you invest in a game, there is a cooling off period where you can’t do anymore but to wait for a certain number of hours, or rather the next day.
Thank you for your time in reading my feedback, here are some questions to finish off:
– Why do you think games has shifted from ‘pay for the entire content’ towards a ‘freemium’ option such as mods or add ons to improve their gaming experience? Is there any relationship with this to the growth of Internet users?
– With the introduction of the Internet into games, have we become less connected to the term ‘ games’? We used to get that “new game feels” such as unboxing a new gaming case, worrying about CD scratches, reading the instruction book. Now we just download whatever game is popular, the ones with gratifications that attract us most, it’s not so much a ‘gaming’ experience anymore.
– There’s been various papers that argue (including mine) that games makes us more social, in challenging those, do you think gaming apps makes us less social? E.g. we send a virtual invite nowadays, instead of physically asking the person.
Good job on a solid paper once again!
Chris.
Hello Chris,
Thank you for reading my paper!
I wanted to look at online games with different perspectives to have a better understanding of it. Social media platforms and games have been linked since the creation of it. I completely agree that I should have made some points clearer such as why and how online games also bring frustration. Games are known to be distressful however some creators make games just for it to be frustrating so that this will be the main feeling for the gamer. For example, http://www.mousebreaker.com/game/frustration this game, I will let you discover it. To be good at a game you should practice as you mention above, practicing means sacrificing time to it. But not only some games require games and logging in on special hours to collect bonus.
– Why do you think games has shifted from ‘pay for the entire content’ towards a ‘freemium’ option such as mods or add ons to improve their gaming experience? Is there any relationship with this to the growth of Internet users?
The way that people behave online can be like real life interaction. The users bring the ideas for the creator. For example, when a type of game become popular, the same concept gets reproduce to match the success. So, for me there is a relationship with the internet users, they are the consumers so what they like dictates what will be produced.
– With the introduction of the Internet into games, have we become less connected to the term ‘games’? We used to get that “new game feels” such as unboxing a new gaming case, worrying about CD scratches, reading the instruction book. Now we just download whatever game is popular, the ones with gratifications that attract us most, it’s not so much a ‘gaming’ experience anymore.
This feeling of nostalgia is not really known by the newer generation. They know that everything is mostly digital nowadays, they do not know the unboxing part or do not miss it that much. For me the gaming experience still stay playing and enjoying the game. Realistically, the unboxing experience takes 5 minutes while playing stays much longer.
– There’s been various papers that argue (including mine) that games makes us more social, in challenging those, do you think gaming apps makes us less social? E.g. we send a virtual invite nowadays, instead of physically asking the person.
An interaction is an interaction whether it is online or not. Some people may be more comfortable with interacting online thus they are more social online. However, we do tend to do ‘activities’ online rather than physically. Face-to-face interaction is different in terms of transmission of emotions and so on. Physical interaction is different to written online interaction however online interaction is not only limited to writing, we can do video calls and so on. And with games you can do lives with your friends. It is not physical interaction, but it is not that far from it.
Thank you, Chris, for interacting with me. It was interesting to know about your point of view on my paper. You highlighted interesting points and made constructive comments. You also made me think a little more in depth on some cases.
Hello M Legeant,
your paper is very interesting and you managed to explain very well the different purposes of online games in social media. Games and social media make one entity for now but still exist separately in the same platform, the game is is accessible only in specific entry points of social networks. Do you think that online games could impose itself on social media in the future? Do you think that they can completely merge and that every features of a social media will be part of a game?
Hi MLegeant,
This is an interesting paper you have.
I agree with you that the word “free” does caught the eye of many customers. Facebook is a really good example that you used! I play Tetris battle in Facebook and I notice that although the game itself is free, you still need to pay extra if you want to have better Tetris blocks appearance, health, battery, etc. To some people, it may seem irritating because they don’t want to pay, but I guess this is how the business would gain money from. Because it attracts many customers, the possibility of people who will pay for the service increases.
Is mobile games’ interaction is simply to send game request? Do they not have one section where they can chat with their online friends / even send message to the “world”? But I do agree with you in the aspect on how mobile phone is making it easy for us to play certain games. We don’t need to log on our computer or console to play, but we can use our phone anywhere and anytime, just pick it out from your pocket!
You brought up where “The anonymity encourages people to interact with each other more because at the end of the day they will still be strangers.”, but why would they want to disclose their information if by the end of the day, they will still be strangers? Don’t you think that by disclosing personal information, these people wish to make online friends and real connections?
I like how you mentioned about Facebook games’ help request. Personally, when my Facebook friends sent me request to help them in game especially from games that I do not play, is quite annoying. I always think that, why don’t Facebook just made them send the help request to the “world” (E.g, there can be one section on the screen where people can just “ask help to the world”, and people who play the game can see the request and help them, instead of “spamming” others who do not play) but I guess this is Facebook’s strategy to catch more customers. Let me know what you think about it!
Cheers!