Rise of the board game

Over the holiday season there was a new, however partially familiar sight to be seen: board game parties. The popularity of board games rose over the last few months. Now I know you are thinking why are we talking about board games on a video game site? Simple, the over indulgence of many online RPG’s have left common gamers wanting. It’s not that they are lost in the effects of poor gaming platforms, or even that they are uninspired to play some of the MMOG games that seem to pop up every other day. No it’s quite the opposite. As the a gamer matures and realizes that the time they once placed so highly in a video game is now devoted to other things such as work, family, and friends. Long LAN parties are a thing of the past. However, how does one go from LAN parties with friends to a more low key approach to gaming? Simple: board games.

The dynamic between social interaction and games has always been a tricky tight rope to walk. On one hand the game needs to be a good one in order to draw in a more than casual gamer. And on the other hand, the social interaction helps the casual gamer be drawn into the fun of a multi player game. This is one reason why Xbox Live and the Playstation Network is a massive hit. Though— online gaming on any platform still hinders one the thing that many people do not have, time.

While in San Francisco recently I attended a board game party. It was an interesting dynamic because the people were from different walks of life, yet all in the tech industry. While talking with a few I found that a handful had canceled their Xbox Live subscriptions while others had canceled their World of War Craft accounts. And trust me they winced in pain when telling me these things. However, it was noted that they said they HAD to do it. Otherwise they would get nothing done. The shift that I see is not from the younger generation that is still ‘new’ to the gaming experience but to the long term gamers. Priorities change but the love of the game is still there. The social aspect and camaraderie that was once enjoyed by all night LAN parties has shifted to a more social --- still game related--- aspect.

The next generation of gamers is on the threshold of a breakthrough. When the gamers of old relinquish their controllers into the hands of babes; a generation that has little respect for side scrolling games. The generation that is jaded; one that needs to know how much blood one needs to see before they think a game is good. This generation needs to understand the importance of a social connection even if it’s within the confines of an online game.

While board games may be coming back into our lives helping us to connect on a social level, the gamer has not changed. There is still a want to connect with other like minded individuals through our inner nerd. Our inner gamer is one that may change because of ‘time’ however; the true love of gaming always stays the same.

Image by
Michael Connors
New York city
http://www.mconnors.com
Courtesy of MorgueFile