And speaking of games going to social networks, at the Game Developers Conference this week, a bunch of games industry luminaries argued that the future of computer games is networked. And not only that, but that "the web is kicking the console industry's ass in a major way" (says Raph Koster).
Bringing games to the web isn't as difficult as bringing the web to games. After all, one of the most important portals for the substantial casual, mainstream gaming population is the Internet. But on the other hand, games makers appear resistant to bringing web lessons to the consoles.
One of the more successful attempts has been to incorporate social networking into the gaming experience. With Web comes a phenomenal opportunity for interpersonal connectivity. Gamer networks like Xbox Live, the PlayStation Network and the gaggle of World of Warcraft social nets suggest that gamers would like to make community ties with other players. Their motivations appear to be manifold: to play with people of equal ability, to avoid griefers, to meet new people. But surely if the holy grail is to get more people to come to the consoles, there are even more design opportunities that could bring an expanded gaming population which seeks to express themselves through - but also beyond - gaming.
How best to create a gaming system that will bring people together, and hopefully keep them in the thrall of gaming and its culture? Go the Xbox Live/Facebook route of displaying gamer score feeds on the profiles of friends? Scrape data from other social networks informing people of interests beyond gaming? Or should designers leave all this networking malarky out of it and hope that new players will fall under the spell of the games themselves?
What web networking mechanics would you love to see in games that you think would bring your non-gamer mates into the fold, and keep them there?
