Online Communication in Online Video Games
Thanks to the increasingly widespread access to the internet, video games have become one of the entertainment media that has taken the most advantage of it to connect millions of geographically dispersed people through digitally mediated play spaces.
In this way, it seeks to increase consideration of the importance of the social aspect of video games, beyond their entertainment value, and contribute to the small amount of communicational research in the country about the understanding of forms of communication and interaction between video game users. This research was carried out under a mostly qualitative approach.
A descriptive analysis was made of the aspects of the video game in question and the communication spaces formed around it, parallel to the application of online questionnaires and subsequent in-depth interviews, to observe and delve further into the characteristics presented by the players of the Peruvian community, such as the use of communication channels inside and outside the game, the motivations of their play practices, and involvement and participation within the community.
Concepts that explain the social side of online multi-player video games, the characteristics of virtual communities of players, Computer-Mediated Communication, application of the theory of uses and gratifications to analyze game motivations, among others, were taken into account. It was concluded that online communication in online video games could influence the social interactions of playerโs members of their virtual community by functioning as a digital space for conversation and socialization.
These programs only require the player to have a microphone and speakers on his PC. If you are using a laptop computer with integrated micro and integrated speakers are also valid, but not advisable, let’s see why.
Better known and used game communication programs – Below are the best game communication programs to play online on PC (all free) and we can use with our regular games without any problems.
- Curse Voice / Twitch DeskApp
Curse Voice is one of the best options to communicate with your friends and play at the same time. Now also known as Twitch-Desk App, the famous Streaming page has joined Curse Voice and released a joint App.
This program is novel in the superposition of game, which is to equip the HUD of the game that we play with options such as silencing microphone or raising the volume to our teammate.
- Team Speak 3
Team Speak 3 or TS3 is one of the oldest and most pioneering programs in communication and Gaming. It has been on the market for years and is one of the most popular applications on the network.
It’s the most straightforward program we could meet to talk and play at the same time. As Curse Voice, you also have a Game Overlay option, called Overwolf, but it’s actually a Team Speak 3 Plug-in, and it doesn’t work very well as we say.
There are thousands of Free Team Speak 3 servers where you can create a channel to play with your friends. Usually, MMORPG-like games like World of Warcraft or player communities have their team Speak servers.
- RaidCall
RaidCall is like an alternative version of TeamSpeak 3, not as popular as the previous two programs but several players use it. RaidCall operates based on groups that players create and can send invitations to their friends.
It’s like a kind of hybrid between Team Speak and Curse Voice. Many communities of players have this program as an alternative to Team Speak 3 or another that does the communication program functions.
- Blizzard
For Blizzard platform players, this new tool is a relief when it comes to having to look for life when it comes to communicating with your friends. Battle.Net it was recently updated in what is now the Blizzard App, and although this already comes from before, it is undoubtedly a handy tool for players.
The new feature of the old Battle.Net creates voice chat channels for users and their friends. So if you prefer, you wouldn’t have to use a secondary voice chat program.
Don’t use Skype to play, that’s advice.
And so far, the game communication programs. Sure some of you might be wondering, what about Skype? If I use it to play. Skype is not a Recommended program to play and talk at the same time.
Here are the reasons:
- The call depends on a player, and this will support the load on your Ping all the time
- It is a program that gives many problems, and besides, it consumes many resources of the PC
- On Windows 10 is a headache, gets caught every two by three
- It’s not a game program, to talk, not to speak and play at the same time.
- It can slow down the game we’re playing.
- Users ‘ IP is exposed
- Calls regularly fall if we get many users in.
So as you are informed, it will be easier for you to use the other game communication programs as an alternative to Skype or other methods that do not include such programs or the like.