Analysts Talk Online Gaming Services

Gamasutra goes right to the source, starting with the first column in a new series querying analysts directly about gaming-related issues. Today they've got several views from the big thinkers about the importance of online gaming services in this round of the console wars. From the article: "Anita Frazier, The NPD Group: As technology and capabilities advance, not having some of these [online] capabilities would simply make the system appear to be behind the times. Core gamers are technology lovers and, whether they actually use online play features all that much, having that capability helps games appear more cutting edge. And we do know that, with teens and young adults 'hanging out' online so much these days (a la MySpace), there is an appeal of an online community."

Comments

Community vs. Multiplayer

[twistedsymphony]

There's a difference between gaming online and having an online community.

I think it's more a Venn diagram really, I can play Quake online all day against total strangers and I wouldn't really consider that a community. Then you have places like MySpace that have a community but that doesn't mean that those people want to bring that community interaction into their gaming (or game at all). Then of course there are places where they co-exist like EQ and WOW.

I think the point most miss is that An online community does not mean All online communities, and an online community does not fit for all online activities.