Are gamers becoming even less social than they already are?

When I play online I just turn off my mic, not because I'm antisocial or anything it's just because well, I just don't like it. When me and my friends play online we tend to just cause a raucous on the lines. I guess it comes with the territory, some people just want to play. I personally don't like playing multiplayer online, I really like single player games but that's not to say that I hate socializing it's just that sometimes you just want to wallow in your own unreality and not have another human telling you that they'd f*cked your mom.
 
It depends really what you define a gamer as. If we include all people who play games, social or otherwise, then I'd have to say hell no. While they may not be waiting on the latest offering from some lesser known game, they are playing games like Farmville and such, and they're bound to be more social.

The other thing is, gaming is much more open and...less of a dirty little past time than it ever was in the past. You can admit that you play games now in polite company without it instantly making you a social pariah
 
I have just notice the drastic change, I remember the days where I would go onto Halo 3 and get into a fight with someone, this is what made Xbox different from Playstation 3 because of the community and how funny everyone was. When I play online usually I am the only one with a microphone and it just ruins my online experience unless my friends are online then we take it to party chat but I still miss the feeling of everyone talking and trash talking and variety of conversations. I personally do not like to be alone even when playing story mode because I love chatting with some of my friends and to see what they are doing also. People have their own opinion but I like when random people online are looking for a verbal fight because I trash talk right back.
 
I wont say completely but i know how it can be. There are times when i want to get on and play with others, then there are times i just want to chill and enjoy myself. I dont always want to interact with others so i just leave my mic off.
 
I don't think gamers are becoming less social lately, if anything they are becoming more social.
There are simply more gamers now, so both introverted and social people are gaming, whether with friends or by themselves, I don't think gaming affects it very much, if at all.
 
I think that gamers are getting more and more social because there is voice in games that really lets you bond with others on the Internet. Also the fact that online games are getting more and more recognition like Dota 2 and League of legends that bring people together in stadiums and become like a real sport. There are events and pubstomps that are appears for the Dota 2 Ti4 which is a real indication that gamers are not some people that are socially awkward but they can group together to make large events happen.
 
Online gaming really shows that gamers are becoming more sociable, but it also shows just how much people abuse their anonymity... there wouldn't be so much hatemail and jerkiness without the abuse of anonymity.
 
With all of the gaming done on the internet I would think that they are more social, at least in a gaming sense. In their personal life it is probably a different situation.
 
I think people have to really redefine about what "social" means. It used to mean physically going outside and talking to people. Now people are "social" virtually and it doesn't mean that the people are alone and huddled near a computer screen it just means they handle and communicate with people differently. So yeah gaming has made people slightly physically social but at the same time it has caused different kinds of interactions to occur.
 
This is true. Thabks to the internet, we humans as a whole are a lot more connected than before. In fact, I would say most of the time spent with computers now is in fact socialization, be it with people on forums or family and friends on Facebook, for example.

Speaking of, games are trying to integrate more with social networks. For example, my Facebook was updated with trophies from a PS3 game which a friend saw and then we set up and played together for a while. We're all much more connected than before.
 
I dunno. It's a six of one, half a dozen of the other, you know? I mean, before technology if you didn't hear from someone for a few days, you'd go check on them, right? Nowadays, you don't hear from someone for a while, you don't worry too much about it. Or maybe that's just me, but I realised that I could be dead for a while before people would notice because they'd just shrug it off as 'Livvy's not picking up their phone right now'
 
With the power of xbox live and being able to talk while they are playing games I really think that they have become a lot more social then they were a few years ago.
 
I used to be more social before but then it is because I decided to cut down on my social interactions which to say the least, was quite excessive. I used to be on Facebook the whole day and could not find time for family at all.
 
It's a tough one because you're being social by playing multiplayer with friends, talking and chatting. But at the same time, you're not talking and engaging in real life. When I was addicted to gaming as a teen I went from being popular to someone who could barely talk to a girl without shaking and choking on my own words. I found it really difficult making conversations with people and I hardly ever spoke to my parents. They hated it and I had to quit gaming as a result.
 
It really depends on the person and how they play I suppose - some people become more social, some people become less. Which games you pick can have an effect, how often you play them, etc. Really hard to find a clear-cut answer
 
I think its also important to think about the fact not just in life but online, people seem to be less socially interactive these days and are less inclined to do so unless in school or working. It varies for sure but I know one thing many gamers are using party chat over game chat these days. Usually to avoid having to communicate with random folks online in matches. I'd like to think people are becoming more socially awkward as of late. Even in life, you just don't see social circle gatherings like the decades gone by have done before. Where you put the focus and effort on being a community. So the question becomes is Community dead? Or is it something else?
 
I see what you mean timebolter. Social is being replaced by technology and people seem to be doing stuff in more independent manners...I don't really know what that means though. You imagine the effects that could have on humans in general?
 
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As others have said, people play games for various reasons these days, and while I can be vocal while playing online sometimes, depending on my mood and the game I'm playing I can also be just as quiet aswell.

To be honest I haven't noticed a trend arising but until reading this thread I haven't really though about it either so I guess from now on I'll notice it even more.
 
I think the problem with trying to find a trend of social activity vs inactivity is preference...how many people really -wanted- to be social before video games? If video games are causing a negative experience as a result of loss of social ties, that's one thing, but if people are enjoying themselves more by -not- being social, I think people should talk about that at least as much.
 
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