Video gaming, once a solo activity, is becoming a social endeavor.
But recently, the Doane gaming culture has cultivated new participants and shrugged old stereotypes.
The Doane College Computer Club (DC3) has nearly tripled in four years, going from about 10 members in 2006-2007 to about 28 members this year, said senior Seth Strouf, president of DC3.
Junior Drew Rose said more students might be more social with gaming since many of the newest games are designed for multiple people.
“I play with some of my roommates mostly,” Rose said. “I play some by myself but not near as much as with friends.”
Players can be in the same room or far away with headsets, so they can talk with their teammates and opponents, Strouf said.
“There’s a lot of group playing anymore,” Strouf said. “Since the Xbox has begun to link up, there are a lot of Halo parties.”
Popular games at Doane other than Halo include Modern Warfare 2, Left For Dead 2, Super Smash Brothers and Borderlands, which are all games that have group capabilities.
Freshman Dustin Hunt said the new games, which cost about $60, tend to attract the most attention.
But for freshman Sam Eschliman, the new purchase goes a long way.
“I just bought Modern Warfare 2 and that’s what I’m going to be playing for awhile -- a year or more,” Eschliman said.
Eschliman and Hunt said if they have homework, they play fewer games.
Gaming has become more sophisticated with better graphics and technology as well as accessibility, which helps to break the gamer stereotype, Strouf said.
“These last couple generations with consoles it seems everybody plays games in one way or another,” Strouf said. “It’s more recreational playing than the nerdy stereotype there used to be.”
And as the games evolve, Eschliman said, so will the players.
“It can be anybody from choir boys to football players,” Eschliman said. “But there is a gamer culture, and I can find someone to play with anytime I want.”
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