There is no doubt about it that video games attract players from all over the world. Games are part of many people’s everyday lives. Virtual game world blurs boundaries and create unique opportunities for interaction through creating gaming communities. What role does language play in this process? We look at this below.
What are gaming communities?
The versatile possibilities offered by the Internet make it increasingly easier to establish contacts around the world. A gaming community is a gathering of fans of a specific game. These communities exist in real life, but most of them exist online and from time to time are organizing meetings in the real world. Each gaming community has its own unique characteristics that set it apart from other communities, and many even believe that each gaming community is its own culture of sorts!
What are the benefits of gaming community?
Valuable gaming communities offer many benefits and advantages, including:
- Possibility of cooperation and coordination of players by creating teams.
- Receiving and giving each other tips on how to play better.
- Exchanging opinions about games, strategics etc.
- Opportunity to meet people from all over the world, who have similar passions and interests.
- Promotion and marketing of a game by the community.
- Possibility to organize and take part in competitions and tournaments.
- Overcoming cultural barriers.
- Mutual support.
The role of language in online gaming communities
Language plays a significant role in online gaming communities. The most used language is of course English. However, the language used may vary depending on factors such as the game’s popularity in specific regions, local culture etc., which is why many games are also available in the user’s native language.
Moreover, in gaming communities, separate from native languages, various types of jargons, slangs or hybrid languages characteristic of a group are often created.
This allows players to strengthen their bonds and engage them even more in playing and building a group.
In international communities, the role of language may also be related to learning or improving foreign language skills. By using English, players overcome language barriers, become better in speaking, learn a variety of vocabulary and become familiar with a given language, which certainly has a positive effect and could be an additional learning tool. Exposure to a variety of linguistic contexts contributes to improved cultural understanding and language acquisition.
Popular player abbreviations and slang
In games, especially those full of action, emotions are most often expressed in abbreviations, because every second counts and every moment of absence or inattention may threaten the opponent’s attack and a drop in our position in the game. Below is a list of some examples of popular phrases and abbreviations. Some of them are also used in everyday life, not only by gamers.
- BTW- by the way
- Cya- see you later
- Ez- easy
- F2F- face to face
- GL- good luck
- HS- head shoot
- LOL- laughting out loud
- PvP- player versus player
- PvE- player versus environment
- RTS- real-time strategy
- QS- quick shot
The most popular online gaming communities and games
Reddit and Discord are probably the most popular sites associated with gaming communities.
Discord is a versatile platform for communicating virtually. Discord is used by gamers mainly because it allows for easy voice and text chatting during the game, which makes communication easy while playing. Discord covers not only the world of games, but also science, art and broadly understood entertainment. You can set up your own servers there to invite others and discuss any topic, which means it’s also a popular space for finding new communities outside of gaming. Discord enables voice chatting, helpful especially when playing online games together, private messaging and group functions for more narrow interactions, and allows to exchange photos and videos.
Reddit works a little differently than Discord in that it is not a typical live messenger, it is more like a collection of thematic forums where people can share news and content or comment on other people’s posts. Reddit consists of hundreds of subcommunities, called subreddits. Each subreddit has a specific topic such as technology, art, games or music, etc. Users can post images or text posts according to Reddit’s content guidelines and regulations. They can also comment on other people’s posts. When someone posts content or comments on something, they earn points called karma. Users can anonymously vote for or against content and comments to give or take away karma.
Examples of popular online games:
- Minecraft
- League of Legends
- Fortnite
- World of Warcraft
- World of Tanks
- Apex Legends
Dangers
It is worth keeping in mind that the influence of the gaming community can also have disadvantages. In some cases, gaming communities are struggling with issues of toxic behavior and bullying. This is most often caused by competition and anonymity in an online environment.
According to research conducted by Ditech the Label, an organization that fights online violence, more than half of gamers experience aggression while playing online. It is important to be able to recognize and respond to such issues early, and to contribute as a member of the community to creating a safe and respectful gaming environment.
Summary
Gaming communities are constantly growing and undoubtedly play a huge role in the development and success of video games, by connecting people, breaking boundaries and developing social skills. Many people find in them what they lack in the real world – acceptance, support, understanding and contact. To maintain and develop these positive aspects of the gaming community, it is important to promote and maintain a respectful and friendly society among players.
