Tag Archives: clubs
Community of Million Gamers – Online Gaming Communities
Are online gaming communities the new members’ clubs or will the next generation of online gamers will be lacking any social skill who cannot recognize a three dimensional object even if it falls on his head? Looking at some of today’s online games shows that despite all the gloomy prophecies, virtual games create a new, bigger, world-wider form of communities based on human interaction.
One of the most ancient and common claims against online gaming was directed towards its anti social nature. Internet opponents saw online gaming as the community enemy, which causes people to prefer the solitary act of playing internet games over taking part in more traditional types of social activities such as playing sports games, visiting the local bingo hall, etc.
However, the growth and the development of online games, made this claim a little bit irrelevant. About ten years of broadband internet access proves the opposite: online gaming is a social activity by nature. From classic card, board, puzzle, and sports games to massive multi player online games (Second life, World of Warcraft, etc), online games are nothing but isolated and/or antisocial.
Let’s take online backgammon for example. Backgammon, the ancient board game, was traditionally played in backgammon clubs as a one-and-one game or a tournament.Backgammon rules used to be spread around in the old fashioned viral marketing – by word of mouth.
But what would do a small town backgammon player who has no backgammon clubs nearby? Online gaming solved this dilemma. The largest online backgammon rooms host hundreds of thousands of players who can practice backgammon games against each other, chat with one another, discuss game tactics and strategy, share information, gossip and do whatever members of community do when gather together.
Another game that proves the importance of the social aspect in today’s online games is Second Life. The relatively new game has become a phenomenon. Although defined as a game, Second Life had shed all traditional characteristics of a game: it has no rules, no strategy and no actual competition or goal.
Instead, Second Life players, excuse me, residents, can keep themselves occupied in various social activities including buying and selling stuff, throwing parties or being invited to ones, exhibiting art objects or visiting art exhibits and involve in other life like behaviors. At the same time they can make new friends and/or foes and experience the entire scope of human emotions towards one another.
These were only two extreme examples – the classic board game turns virtual and the embodiment of the cyberpunk authors’ visions. However, online gaming communities are far richer. Online gaming communities can be based on a shared interest in a certain game or on the abstract idea of interaction. Either way, the basic need in human communication did not pass from the world with 3D web technologies.
Bingo a Cure For Depression?
It is well known that a large portion of the players at land based bingo clubs are pensioners. Many pensioners use bingo not only as entertainment but as an opportunity for social interaction with others. Smoking bans and a government policy of double taxation has forced many long established bingo clubs to close leaving many pensioners without their usual entertainment. Several studies have pointed out the fact that playing bingo keeps the mind sharp and can even delay the onset of Alzheimers disease. Bingo requires quick physical and mental reactions. As anyone who has been to a bingo club knows, most players are playing several bingo cards simultaneously which requires a great deal of mental agility and concentration. Recently a pensioner from Derby revealed that playing bingo helped her to overcome severe depression.
In a newspaper interview the 67 year old pensioner described the crippling effects of depression and how playing bingo turned her life around. Jill Gemmell of derby described how severe depression left her feeling isolated and how playing bingo helped her to cope with her depression. In the interview Gemmell recalled; “I was very down and rarely left the house. “Then a friend of mine took me along to one of the bingo sessions and I loved it. I joined in more and more and, when one of the committee members resigned, I offered to step in.” Thanks to her friend and bingo Gemmell is now an active member of the Alvaston and Boulton Old Peoples Welfare Club in Derby. The club which has about 100 members sponsors bingo games on Tuesdays and Thursdays in addition to a wide variety of activities for pensioners.
The bingo games are now threatened by the town councils search for cost cutting measures which could affect funding for the club. Some council members believe the games should be scrapped and that pensioners should play bingo at clubs sponsored by commercial operators. Many pensioners in rural areas are facing similar situations due to the ongoing global recession.
Many pensioners who are computer literate have made the switch to internet bingo. While land based bingo clubs are closing across the country internet bingo is thriving in the midst of the worst recession since the post war era. Internet bingo sites are locked in fierce competition for players and are offering ever increasing bingo bonuses. A bingo sign up bonus can enable players to double and even triple their initial deposits. For pensioners facing the closure of their favorite bingo clubs viable solution.