There is no intimacy; it's not live. [he said of online games] It's being translated through a computer, and your imagination is not there the same way it is when you're actually together with a group of people. It reminds me of one time where I saw some children talking about whether they liked radio or television, and I asked one little boy why he preferred radio, and he said, 'Because the pictures are so much better.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Gygax argued that online games lack the intimacy and imaginative connection of face-to-face play.
- In plain terms
- He thought computer games feel less real because you are not physically together.
- What can you take from it?
- Physical presence enhances the imaginative intimacy of shared games.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does technology change social connection?
- What makes a game feel immersive?
Another view
Online platforms offer accessibility that physical presence cannot always provide.
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