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March 08, 2004
Gamester

I was on Friendster tonight (that site is popular! whew!), editing my profile. Here were a few of media identification choices:

Favorite Music
Favorite Books
Favorite TV Shows
Favorite Movies

By typing in "The Survivors" or "Life Against Death" you create cultural links to the other people on the site who admire that movie or book.

I thought for a moment, why is there no "Favorite Games"? And immediately it was clear to me - for a site like Friendster, broadly populated by both genders and people from multiple walks of life, games are still likely to be a checkbox. Not "Favorite Games?" but "Games?" because anyone who plays any video games is likely to share cultural overlap.

"Video Games" are a cultural marker, like "Sex in the City." Astonishing to think that an entire medium can serve as a media affiliation badge, as much as a single television show!

Maybe some day you'll be able to find a mate or new friend by saying something more specific: "show me all the Fantasy RTS players" or the people with "Deus Ex" in their social network profile. Those are people I would get along with! For now, Sports versus non-Sports might probably about the only functional distinguisher. Games are still too provincial.

Maybe this is all my antiquated perception, and if only Friendster would add "Favorite Games" then online "Mall Tycoon 2" and "Counter-Strike" players could begin to find each other.

Posted by justin at March 08, 2004 07:00 PM
Comments

You could use "Xfire." It's like a IM except it's totally geared around gamers. You can see what games your friends play and how often they play them. You can see what server they are currently on and even join that server with a click of the mouse.

Posted by: marco stewart on March 8, 2004 07:21 PM

Hoi! Good idea ... will do that :)

Posted by: Stewart Butterfield on March 8, 2004 07:22 PM

Only as long as you could also select to search for people who aren't CS players.

(Three years makes you jaded.)

Posted by: Trixie on March 8, 2004 09:36 PM

Will Davies makes related but perhaps antithetical points about sports and social capital in his pamphlet on Social Software "You don't know me, but..."

He draw upon his experiences of joining a local cricket club where he had nothing in common with anyone (race, religion, status etc) except for the rules of the game.

http://www.theisociety.net/archives/000432.html#000432

Posted by: matt on March 9, 2004 12:38 AM

The lack of a Favorite Games field definitely sucks. Orkut could also use a games field, but the plethora of gaming communities sort of makes up for it.

Posted by: Walter on March 9, 2004 06:00 AM

My friend lists his favorite games in the "TV" section of his Friendster profile. Given this Slashdot thread, he may be prescient.

Posted by: amar on March 9, 2004 11:39 AM

Yeah, and when the CS players find each other they'll start shooting!
Certainly useful tech.

Posted by: deagle on March 11, 2004 03:37 PM

Think simple. Learn different. Macinstruct.net

Posted by: Justinian on July 6, 2004 07:07 AM

Think simple. Learn different. Macinstruct.net

Posted by: Justinian on July 6, 2004 07:09 AM
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