NEWS: Wil Wheaton's Geek in Review: Gaming is a Social Activity, Goddammit

I'm more of an RPG gamer myself, both classic pencil and paper D&D style games, and the console, computer and MMORPG gaming of the digital age, but one thing remains true for all of the gaming I do, the inherent social nature of gaming in general and in my case RPG's in particular. All my closest friends I've met through gaming, and discussions of anime (but that's a whole other story).

amen wil! it's almost as if we're thinking the same thoughts when you write these, though i don't have any kids. great job man.

Why doesn't he have an account here yet?

I loved that keynote. Cool seeing you at PAX.

I seriously burst out laughing when I read that! Brilliant!

Great article will. I hope the message you deliver here will someday reach the ears of all those critics who constantly accuse gaming of being antisocial or even dangerous. They need to have their eyes (and minds) opened.

Great article, wish I could have been there for the PAX keynote. I'm hoping to be as good of a parent as Wil is.

Seriously. I wish I'd known that when I was his age.

So many dollars gone to waste...

my old girlfriend didn't like my playstation 2....she thought it was anti social...until one rainy dull afternoon i came home with game designed for two players,..after loading her up as wolverine( the most button mashing friendly character there was) she loved it. Every night when i wanted to sleep ,she wanted to keep playing, unlock the next combo..beat the stage end boss.
We also took turns at reading a chapter of a book to each other at nights in bed,..some nights i would fall asleep and she would read ahead...other nights i would do the same...just like we did on the station when we had nothing better or more pressing to do..I am glad to you made that comparison, not alot of people see it that why. Very nicely written article.

Fantastic article ^-^ xx

This is a fantastic, and very true, piece of writing.

I loved the article, and would like to add, there are other kinds of gamers, and rpg table top games are very very social, because you can't play them without another person. Even though its geeks hanging out with geeks, it is allowing them to develop social skills.
Again I loved the article, keep writing them!

Wil, you are awesome for reading the PAX forums.

I remember some of my fondest family moments were bonding playing games with my dad, sister or the rest of the family ...

I also love gaming with my wife ...

As far as the RPG go .. I like the idea but not into the ones I have played .. but how can 6 friends hanging out together playing a game be anything but social ...

in fact my sister met her husband on an online role-playing game (she was in school in Mass .. he lived in Wyoming) .. They are still together 11 years later ..

Video games are anti-social? I better stop playing them... wait, reading is anti-social too, should I stop reading?

*Edited to say - I met my husband because of Socom II.*