Do you know what the oddest thing about this concept is? The iPhone game developers had it right from the start.
They were aware the device had constant Internet access from day one. If you look at a majority of the iPhone game library, you’ll see plenty of the games have Facebook and Twitter integration. It only makes sense that a device that’s connected to the Internet should have some Internet functionality outside of being able to play remotely with others. But, why did first time iPhone developers realize this from the get go and developers who have been making games for the XBOX360 and PlayStation 3 arrive late to the party? The XBOX360 came out in 2005, Twitter (and PlayStation3) came out in 2006 and the iPhone a year later, in 2007. Yet, Twitter integration in games has only emerged within the last two years.
In late November of 2009, the XBOX360 added Twitter and Facebook integration that allowed gamers to view certain aspects of both services and post to them. I believe that iPhone games actually influenced the decision to add this functionality to the XBOX360 experience.
While the XBOX360 did have plenty of lead time over other platforms in terms of being a gaming device that was connected to the Internet, Twitter wasn’t a big deal until two years ago. Yet, the iPhone was the device that really started the trend. If any game on the iPhone asked me if I wanted to post to Twitter or Facebook, I wouldn’t find it so odd. Yet, if a console game asked me the same question, I would be hesitant. But why is that? The reason is simple.
By nature, the iPhone is a social device. At the core, it’s a telephone. A telephone is a device that connects people. It also has Internet access and that connects people too. So, if a device’s main purpose is to connect people, and it also plays games, then the reason behind adding social functionality is obvious.
On the other hand, playing games on a home console is a lot like watching TV. You sit in front your TV all night, alone, and you play games. By nature, TVs and home consoles are not social devices. The activity does not lend to being social. A phone is a social device. Making calls is a social activity. Sitting in front of a TV is not a social activity. Since we are so conditioned to those two ideas (TV = lonely. Phone = social), the reason is clear why home console developers never made that connection until recently.
The XBOX360 should be applauded for trying to break the traditional norms of what a home gaming experience should be. And while it’s working against years of social conditioning, it may very well change the face of what we do in our homes. The idea itself is still new, yet developers are trying to change the trend as well. In the recent months developers have been releasing multiplayer game demos that have Twitter integration.
It still feels a little rough around the edges, but it’s a start. Could this be a new trend or failed attempt at trying to add too much functionality to the home experience? In the effort to turn the XBOX360 into an all-in-one device, could that be overkill? Watching Netflix on my XBOX360 isn’t far fetched. I watch movies and game in the same space. Even listening to music on my XBOX360 isn’t odd because it’s hooked up to a good sound system.
Adding a new dimension to an old experience is a bit weird however. The idea doesn’t rub me the wrong way but there’s a strange feeling to it. It’s like eating in the shower or sleeping on your kitchen table. Sure, you can do those activities there, but, you don’t have to. And besides, there’s better places to do those things.
So what do you think?
Leave a comment or send us a video reply on Youtube:
Related posts:
