Bobby was my best friend in elementary school, and I was able to Skype online with him for this interview. Because Penn is pretty hard and he has a lot of homework, we keep the interview short. Bobby is currently a Freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he still considers video games one of his hobbies in his free time, though not as addicting as it was years ago (he chuckles). We get nostalgic thinking about the times we spent gaming...
How instrumental was video games in our friendship? The times we hung out were mostly spent playing video games?
I think video games played a big role in developing our friendship. I remember that there were times we hung out in which the entertainment was centered on video games. Not only that, there were times where video games increased my desire to hang out.
Would you say our love for video games was the defining factor in our friendship?
I would not say that it was a defining factor – there are many things that have to happen for a solid relationship to be established. But I would say that video games definitely were a fun activity that we were able to bond over helped us strengthen our relationship.
Do you believe video games in general are a great social bonder?
I would tend to agree that they can be a great social bonder. It honestly depends on the game, but I know that especially now with the emergence of online gaming in which users can interact with friends at a distance, video games can be a great hangout activity.
Do preferences for certain types of games or certain systems allow for different kinds of friendships?
I think a preference for a certain game over another can be influenced by the popular opinion for a specific game. To some extent it definitely can help set the standard for who the cool kids are. And on the contrary, playing games that aren’t cool is definitely looked down upon.
When other interests came along, and video games was no longer the defining factor of our hang outs, did your friendship struggle?
Not at all. I think video games are a phase for most people, and when I grew older, I was able to maintain friendships while bonding over other various activities.
Our Interview ends with him pulling out his gameboy over Skype, something he mainly plays still when he is on a trip. We joke how we should connect our cables right now and start a quick Pokemon battle.
How instrumental was video games in our friendship? The times we hung out were mostly spent playing video games?
I think video games played a big role in developing our friendship. I remember that there were times we hung out in which the entertainment was centered on video games. Not only that, there were times where video games increased my desire to hang out.
Would you say our love for video games was the defining factor in our friendship?
I would not say that it was a defining factor – there are many things that have to happen for a solid relationship to be established. But I would say that video games definitely were a fun activity that we were able to bond over helped us strengthen our relationship.
Do you believe video games in general are a great social bonder?
I would tend to agree that they can be a great social bonder. It honestly depends on the game, but I know that especially now with the emergence of online gaming in which users can interact with friends at a distance, video games can be a great hangout activity.
Do preferences for certain types of games or certain systems allow for different kinds of friendships?
I think a preference for a certain game over another can be influenced by the popular opinion for a specific game. To some extent it definitely can help set the standard for who the cool kids are. And on the contrary, playing games that aren’t cool is definitely looked down upon.
When other interests came along, and video games was no longer the defining factor of our hang outs, did your friendship struggle?
Not at all. I think video games are a phase for most people, and when I grew older, I was able to maintain friendships while bonding over other various activities.
Our Interview ends with him pulling out his gameboy over Skype, something he mainly plays still when he is on a trip. We joke how we should connect our cables right now and start a quick Pokemon battle.