Myth: Video Games Lead to Social Isolation Part 2

On my last post, I wrote how the Internet has helped dispel the belief that video games lead to social isolation. Next, I would like to talk about the growing increase in physically active video games and games that are designed to be played with friends face to face.


Active Games

Some of my greatest video game memories have been when I played party games with friends and family.  I would often play the Nintendo Wii with family or Guitar Hero with my girlfriend and it seems that others do the same as I do. According to The Entertainment Software Association, 62% of gamers play games with others ("Entertainment Software Association," 2011). It is also important to note that the rise in physically active games such as Kinect Adventures!, Wii fit, and Just Dance 3 have grown in popularity. In fact, Kinect Adventures! and Just Dance 3 were amongst the top 5 selling games in the globe for 2011 (VGChartz, 2012). 

The reason for the success of these games is that it is able to accomplish these basic things:

• Family oriented entertainment
• Incredibly active
• Uses new technology
• Fun to watch others play

The nature of these games makes you want to play games with others. While there are many games that offer these experiences, I want to focus on the two most popular party games of 2011.
 
Kinect Adventures

Kinect Adventures was a game made for the whole family that was released alongside the Xbox Kinect (a device that let players play games without a remote). The game consisted of five different mini games that showed the interactive potential of the Kinect.  I enjoyed playing the white water rafting portion of the game and it was fun to play this game with friends.

Just Dance 3  

 
Ubisoft's Just Dance 3 was an international hit that made anyone a dancer.  Playing this game is fun for everyone and will make you sweat.  Players could choose from over 40 different dance songs to play with their family and friends. This is a fantastic game to play and be social during a party or just when you want to have a family game night.

Be sure to check out my next blog post for another aspect of social gaming.


References 

Entertainment Software Association. (2011, January). Retrieved from http://www.theesa.com/facts/gameplayer.asp


VGChartz. (2012, January 12). Vgchartz.  Retrieved from http://www.vgchartz.com/yearly/2011/Global/